Method and apparatus for transmitting high definition television programming using a digital satellite system transport and MPEG-2 packetized elementary streams (PES)

• US 6,323,909 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1998
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Yang, Chao-Kung, Michener, James A., Plummer, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/181,412
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.9475, 248/423, 248/424, 248/426, 248/427, 248/455, 248/456, 248/512, 248/510, 248/511, 370/389, 370/509, 370/94.1, 386/91, 386/92, 386/93, 386/94, 386/95, 386/96, 386/97, 386/111, 386/112, 386/68, 714/746
• US Class Current: 348/512
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/52 Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434

Abstract

A system and method for distributing high definition television (HDTV) and standard definition television (SDTV) signals via satellite is disclosed. At the transmission station an MPEG-2 video encoder compresses a video signal and a digital encoder encodes an audio signal. The compressed video and the encoded audio are coupled to PES packetizers, which generate video and audio packetized elementary data streams having PES headers and PES payloads. Within each PES header is a presentation time stamp (PTS), which is representative of the time at which the payload is to be displayed to the user. The packetized elementary data streams are multiplexed together by a transport multiplexer and repacketizer and broadcast to receiver stations, via satellite. The receiver stations receive the PES information and obtain the PTS. A receiver station multiplies the PTS by 300 and compares its local clock reference to that time. When the local clock reference and the PTS are identical, the PES audio and video information is displayed to the user according to the local clock reference.

Claims

1. A receiver station for receiving transmissions, comprising:

a transport demultiplexer for demultiplexing a received signal into a video component having an associated time stamp;

a local clock reference; and

a video decoder coupled to the transport demultiplexer and the local clock reference for decoding the video component, wherein the video decoder compares the time stamp to the local clock reference after the time stamp is multiplied by a multiplication factor.

2. The receiver station of claim 1, wherein the received signal comprises data having a high definition television (HDTV) format.

3. The receiver station of claim 1, wherein the received signal comprises data having a standard definition television (SDTV) format.

4. The receiver station of claim 1, wherein the video component includes a header and a payload and wherein the time stamp associated with the video component is contained in the header of the video component.

5. The receiver station of claim 1, wherein the multiplication factor is 300.

6. The receiver station of claim 1, wherein the video decoder comprises an MPEG-2 video decoder.

7. The receiver station of claim 1, wherein the transport demultiplexer further demultiplexes the received signal into an audio component having an associated time stamp.

8. The receiver station of claim 7, further comprising an audio decoder coupled to the transport demultiplexer and the local clock reference for decoding the audio component, wherein the audio decoder compares the time stamp to the local clock reference after the time stamp is multiplied by a multiplication factor.

9. The receiver station of claim 8, wherein the audio decoder comprises an AC-3 Dolby Digital decoder.

10. The receiver station of claim 8, wherein the audio component includes a header and a payload and wherein the time stamp associated with the audio component is contained in the header of the audio component.

11. The receiver station of claim 1, wherein the time stamp is a presentation time stamp.

12. For use in a receiver having a local reference clock, a method of receiving signals comprising the steps of:

demultiplexing a received signal into a video component having an associated time stamp;

reading a time from the local clock reference;

decoding the video component by comparing the time stamp to the time from the local clock reference after the time stamp is multiplied by a multiplication factor; and

presenting the decoded video component to an output device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the video component includes a header and a payload and wherein the time stamp associated with the video component is contained in the header of the video component.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the multiplication factor is 300.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of decoding the video component is performed by an MPEG-2 video decoder.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of decoding the audio component is performed by an AC-3 Dolby Digital decoder.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the received signal comprises data having a high definition television (HDTV) format.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the received signal comprises data having a standard definition television (SDTV) format.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

demultiplexing the received signal into an audio component having an associated time stamp;

decoding the audio component by comparing the time stamp to the time from the local clock reference after the time stamp is multiplied by a multiplication factor; and

presenting the decoded audio component to an output device.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the time stamp is a presentation time stamp.