Bandwidth optimization of video program bearing transport streams
DCFirst Claim
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.
2 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus comprising an input capable of receiving a bandwidth optimized transport stream is provided. The bandwidth optimized transport stream can be produced by receiving a transport stream of variably compressed program data bearing transport packets and one or more null transport packets. One or more of the null transport packets is selectively replaced with another to-be-remultiplexed non-null data bearing transport packet. Independently of determining an amount of information carried by a program data bearing transport packets from time to time in the received transport stream, at least one selected program bearing transport packet is scheduled for output in an output remultiplexed bitstream.
143 Citations
10 Claims
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. A system comprising:
-
(a) one or more satellite network signal reception a apparatuses including at least one satellite network signal reception apparatus 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 first and second bursty data signals, wherein the program data is information of at least one program and is transmitted according to a particular schedule considering an amount of information of the program data, a transmission rate of the program data and specific times at which individual segments of the program data 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, and wherein each of the first and second bursty data signals contains best effort data not requiring delivery according to any schedule to ensure continuity of presentation, (b) a first satellite receiver comprising;
(i) a first input capable of receiving the transport stream signal from at least one of the one or more satellite network signal reception apparatuses;
(ii) a first buffer capable of storing at least the first bursty data signal received via the first input, and (iii) a first output capable of connecting to a return channel for transmitting information from the first satellite receiver to a source, and (b) a second satellite receiver comprising;
(i) a second input capable of receiving the transport stream signal from at least one of the one or more satellite network signal reception apparatuses, (ii) a second buffer capable of storing at least the second bursty data signal received via the second input, and (iii) a second output capable of connecting to a return channel for transmitting information from the second satellite receiver to a source. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
-
-
6. A receiver for operation in a satellite network, the receiver comprising:
-
(a) an input capable of receiving a transport stream signal transmitted over the satellite network, the transport stream signal containing a sequence of transport packets;
(b) an output capable of communicating signals to one or more of at least one source of bursty data on a communications channel, the communications channel being shareable by plural receivers for communicating signals of the plural receivers to the at least one source of bursty data;
(c) a buffer for storing bursty data contained in at least one of the transport stream packets received at the input; and
(d) a circuit for removing data from the buffer for processing, wherein the transport packets are all of the same fixed length and collectively carry 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, and wherein the circuit for removing bursty data from the buffer is 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. - View Dependent Claims (7)
-
-
8. A satellite receiver comprising:
-
(a) a first input capable of receiving a transport stream signal from at least one of one or more satellite network signal reception apparatuses, the 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 first and second bursty data signals, wherein the program data is information of at least one program and is transmitted according to a particular schedule considering an amount of information of the program data, a transmission rate of the program data and specific times at which individual segments of the program data 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, and wherein each of the first and second bursty data signals contains best effort data not requiring delivery according to any schedule to ensure continuity of presentation;
(b) a first buffer capable of storing at least the first bursty data signal received via the first input, and (e) a first output capable of connecting to a return channel for transmitting information from the satellite receiver to a source. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
-
Specification