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Bandwidth optimization of video program bearing transport streams

DC
  • US 6,831,892 B2
  • Filed: 10/23/2001
  • Issued: 12/14/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A receiver for operation in a satellite network, the receiver comprising:

  • (a) an input capable of receiving a transport stream signal containing a sequence of transport packets, the transport packets all being of the same fixed length and collectively carrying program data and bursty data, the program data being information of at least one program and containing at least one audio signal or at least one video signal, each segment of one or more of the at least one audio signal and the at least one video signal of the program containing variably compressed data, wherein each such segment is presentable in decoded form during a fixed duration of time but contains an amount of information that varies from segment to segment within that signal, wherein the program data is transmitted according to a particular schedule considering the amount of information, a transmission rate of the program data and specific times at which individual ones of the segments thereof are selected for decoding by a decoder, to ensure that the at least one program is presentable by an apparatus including the decoder in a continuous fashion, the bursty data being best effort data not requiring delivery according to any schedule to ensure continuity of presentation, (b) a buffer capable of storing at least the bursty data received via the input, the buffer having a fixed storage size, (c) an output capable of connecting to a return channel for transmitting information from the receiver to a source, and (d) a circuit capable of removing bursty data from the buffer and capable of transmitting data via the output such that receipt of bursty data need not be acknowledged to prevent an overflow condition of the buffer in which bursty data is received more quickly than the circuit removes information from the buffer resulting in a loss of data due to lack of space in the buffer.

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