Separating device and method and signal receiving device and method

• US 6,937,618 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Noda, Tatsushi, Adachi, Hiroshi, Yamamoto, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US09/715,989
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 370/486, 370/487, 370/535, 370/537, 370/542, 370/544, 348/432.1, 348/474, 725/139, 725/142
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052

Abstract

A separating device and method and a signal receiving device and method are presented. The separating device and method receive plural data streams and then separate and extract at least a portion of data from the received data streams. The signal receiving device and method receive plural data streams and then select, separate and extract at least a portion of the data from the data streams. Then the signal receiving device and method apply signal processing to the portion of the data that has been selected, separated and extracted.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving, separating and decoding a data stream, comprising:

a receiver operable to produce an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs from at least one signal received over a communication channel, the multiplexed data packets each including an original packet identifier;

a separating device operable to produce an intermediate data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing one or more selected ones of the data programs chosen from the initial data stream, the separating device including;

a multiplexer operable to produce a multiplexed data stream including the initial data stream,

a separator operable to extract the selected data programs from the multiplexed data stream, and

an interchange unit operable to change the original packet identifier of a first multiplexed data packet to a unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of a second multiplexed data packet, and to rewrite the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to the separating device producing the intermediate data stream; and

a decode processor operable to decode the intermediate data stream such that the multiplexed data packets representing the selected data programs are associated with one another.

2. An apparatus for receiving, separating and decoding a data stream, comprising:

a receiver operable to produce an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs from at least one signal received over a communication channel, the multiplexed data packets each including an original packet identifier;

a separating device operable to produce an intermediate data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing one or more selected ones of the data programs chosen from the initial data stream, the separating device including;

a separator operable to extract the selected data programs from the initial data stream,

a multiplexer operable to produce a multiplexed data stream including each of the selected data programs extracted by the separator, and

an interchange unit operable to change the original packet identifier of a first multiplexed data packet to a unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of a second multiplexed data packet, and to rewrite the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to the separating device producing the intermediate data stream; and

a decode processor operable to decode the intermediate data stream such that the multiplexed data packets representing the selected data programs are associated with one another.

3. An apparatus for inputting an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs received over a communication channel and for producing an intermediate data stream including one or more selected data programs the multiplexed data packets each including an original packet identifier, the apparatus comprising:

a multiplexer operable to produce a multiplexed data stream including the initial data stream and the one or more selected data programs;

a separator operable to extract the selected data programs from the multiplexed data stream; and

an interchange unit operable to change the original packet identifier of a first multiplexed data packet to a unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of a second multiplexed data packet, and to rewrite the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to producing the intermediate data stream.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the interchange unit includes:

a first interchange unit operable to change the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet to the unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of the second multiplexed data packet; and

a second interchange unit operable to rewrite the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to the separating device producing the intermediate data stream.

5. An apparatus for inputting an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs received over a communication channel and for producing an intermediate data stream including one or more selected ones of the data programs, the multiplexed data packets each including an original packet identifier, the apparatus comprising:

a separator operable to extract each of the selected data programs from the initial data stream;

a multiplexer operable to produce a multiplexed data stream including the selected data programs extracted by the separator; and

an interchange unit operable to change the original packet identifier of a first multiplexed data packet to a unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of a second multiplexed data packet, and to rewrite the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to producing the intermediate data stream.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the interchange unit includes:

a first interchange unit operable to change the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet to the unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of the second multiplexed data packet; and

a second interchange unit operable to rewrite the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to the separating device producing the intermediate data stream.

7. A method for decoding packet data, comprising:

producing an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs from at least one signal received over a communication channel, the multiplexed data packets each including an original packet identifier;

producing an intermediate data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing one or more selected ones of the data programs chosen from the initial data stream, the step of producing the intermediate data stream including;

producing a multiplexed data stream including the initial data stream,

extracting the selected data programs from the multiplexed data stream,

changing the original packet identifier of a first multiplexed data packet to a unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of a second multiplexed data packets, and

rewriting the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to producing the intermediate data stream; and

decoding the intermediate data stream such that the multiplexed data packets representing the selected data programs are associated with one another.

8. A method for decoding packet data, comprising:

producing an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs from at least one signal received over a communication channel, the multiplexed data packets each including an original packet identifier;

producing an intermediate data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing one or more selected ones of the data programs chosen from the initial data stream, the step of producing the intermediate data stream including;

extracting the selected data programs from the initial data stream,

producing a multiplexed data stream including each of the extracted data programs,

changing the original packet identifier of a first multiplexed data packet to a unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of a second multiplexed data packet, and

rewriting the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to producing the intermediate data stream; and

decoding the intermediate data stream such that the multiplexed data packets representing each of the one or more selected data programs are associated with one another.

9. A method of producing an intermediate data stream from an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs received over a communication channel, the intermediate data stream including one or more selected ones of the data programs, and the multiplexed data packets each including an original packet identifier, the method comprising:

producing a multiplexed data stream including the initial data stream and the one or more selected data programs;

extracting the selected data programs from the multiplexed data stream;

changing the original packet identifier of a first multiplexed data packet to a unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of a second multiplexed data packet; and

rewriting the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to producing the intermediate data stream.

10. A method of producing an intermediate data stream from an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs received over a communication channel, the intermediate data stream including one or more selected ones of the data programs, and the multiplexed data packets each including an original packet identifier, the method comprising:

extracting each of the selected data programs from the at least one initial data stream;

producing a multiplexed data stream including the extracted data programs;

changing the original packet identifier of a first multiplexed data packet to a unique packet identifier when the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet is identical to the original packet identifier of a second multiplexed data packet; and

rewriting the unique packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet back to the original packet identifier of the first multiplexed data packet prior to producing the intermediate data stream.