Information processing apparatus

• US 7,274,862 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Komori, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shibru, Helen
• Application Number:
  US10/255,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20030123556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 386/61, 386/46, 386/66, 386 84- 85, 386/99, 386/123, 386/122, 386/113, 386/108, 386/90
• US Class Current: 386/207
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18

Abstract

Audio data is prevented from not synchronizing with video data when splicing. A first GOP of a video stream of a second program is spliced to a last GOP of a video stream of a first program. A first GOP of an audio stream of the second program is spliced to a last GOP of an audio stream of the first program. In this case, a gap amount PTS_FS required for synchronizing video data and audio data after the splicing is computed for each GOP. For the splicing processing, a gap amount PTS_FS_SPLYCE caused when the last GOP is spliced to the first GOP directly and the PTS_FS are used.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for processing video data in a processing unit and audio data in a processing unit different from the processing unit of the video data in size, comprising:

detecting means for detecting a synchronization gap amount for each of the processing units of the audio data and the video data;

first gap amount computing means for, when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units, computing a first gap amount indicating a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data based on the synchronization gap amount detected by the detecting means;

first creating means for creating a header for each of the processing units including the first gap amount; and

second creating means for creating a block of the processing units of the audio data and the video data and adding the header created by the first creating means thereto;

output meats for outputting the block including the audio data and the video data to which the header is added by the second creating means; and

determination means for determining whether or not a number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum number of processable channels, wherein the output means increases the number of channels such that the number of channels can be equal to the maximum number and adds and outputs mute data to the increased channels When the determination means determines that the number of channels of the audio data is smaller than the maximum number.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

determination means for determining whether or not the synchronization gap amount is longer than a length of an encoding unit included in the processing unit of the video data; and

correction means for correcting the synchronization gap amount by subtracting an amount corresponding to the length of the encoding unit from the synchronization gap amount when the determination means determines that the synchronization gap amount is longer than the length of the encoding unit,

wherein the first gap amount computing means computes the first gap amount based on the gap amount corrected by the correction means.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit is a group of pictures of the video data;

and the encoding unit is a video frame.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output means supplies the processing unit to a recording medium to record.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further Comprising:

extracting means for extracting the first gap amount included in the header of each of the blocks from input data;

second gap amount computing means for computing, for each of the blocks, a second gap amount corresponding to a synchronization gap amount between the processing units of the audio data and the video data when the processing units of the audio data and the video data are spliced to previous processing units; and

gap amount correction means for correcting the gap amount of the processing units based on the first gap amount extracted by the extracting means and the second gap amount computed by the second gap amount computing means.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second gap amount computing means computes the second gap amount based on a time stamp of the previous processing unit computed for the processing units and the length of the processing units.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second gap amount computing means computes the second gap amount based on a difference between a value in which a length of the audio data in the processing unit is added to a presentation time stamp of the audio data in the previous processing unit and a value in which the length of the video data in the processing unit is added to a decoding time stamp of the video data in the previous processing unit.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

determination means for determining whether or not the first gap amount is larger than the second gap amount; and

inserting means for inserting mute data in one encoding unit to the audio data in the previous processing unit when the determination means determines that the first gap amount is larger than the second gap amount.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

determination means for determining whether or not the second gap amount is larger than the first gap amount and a difference between the second gap amount and the first gap amount is equal to or more than one encoding unit of the audio data; and

deletion means for deleting the audio data in the previous processing unit by the encoding unit included in the processing unit of the audio data such that the difference between the second gap amount and the first gap amount can be smaller than one encoding unit of the audio data when the determination means determines that the second gap amount is larger than the first gap amount and the difference is equal to or more than one encoding unit of the audio data.

10. An information processing method for processing video data in a processing unit and audio data in a processing unit different from the processing unit of the video data in size, comprising the steps of:

detecting a synchronization gap amount for each of the processing units of the audio data and the video data;

when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units, computing a first gap amount indicating a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data based on the detected synchronization gap amount;

creating a header for each of the processing units including the first gap amount;

end

creating a block of the processing units of the audio data and the video data and adding the created header;

outputting the block including the audio data and the video data to which the header is added; and

determining whether or not a number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum number of processable channels, wherein the number of channels is increased such that the number of channels can be equal to the maximum number and mute data is added to the increased channels when the number of channels of the audio data is determined to be smaller than the maximum number.

11. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for processing video data in a processing unit and audio data in a processing unit different from the processing unit of the video data in size, said program implementing the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a synchronization gap amount for each of the processing units of the audio data and the video data;

when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units, computing a first gap amount indicating a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data based on the detected synchronization gap amount;

creating a header for each of the processing units including the first gap amount;

creating a block of the processing units of the audio data and the video data and adding the created header;

outputting the block including the audio data and the video data to which the header is added; and

determining whether or not a number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum number of processable channels, wherein the number of channels is increased such that the number of channels can be equal to the maximum number and mute data is added to the increased channels when the number of channels of the audio data is determined to be smaller than the maximum number.

12. A program embodied in a computer-readable medium for processing video data in a processing unit and audio data in a processing unit different from the processing unit of the video data in size, said program implementing the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a synchronization gap amount for each of the processing units of the audio data and the video data;

when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units, computing a first gap amount indicating a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data based on the detected synchronization gap amount;

creating a header for each of the processing units including the first gap amount;

creating a block of the processing units of the audio data and the video data and adding the created header;

outputting the block including the audio data and the video data to which the header is added; and

determining whether or not a number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum number of processable channels, wherein the number of channels is increased such that the number of channels can be equal to the maximum number add mute data is added to the increased channels when the number of channels of the audio data is determined to be smaller than the maximum number.

13. An information processing apparatus for processing video data in a processing unit and audio data in a processing unit different from the size of the processing unit of the video data, comprising:

extracting means for extracting blocks of the processing units including audio data and video data from input data and extracting, from a header included in each of the blocks, a first gap amount corresponding to a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units;

computing means for computing, for each of the blocks, a second gap amount corresponding to a synchronization gap amount of the processing units of the audio data and the video data when the processing units of the audio data and the video data are spliced to previous processing units;

splicing means for splicing the processing units based on the first gap amount and the second gap amount; and

determination means for determining whether or not a number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum value of the number of processable channels; and

output means for, when the determination means determines the number of channels of the audio data is smaller than the maximum value, increasing the number of channels such that the number of channels is equal to the maximum value and adding and outputting mute data to the increased channels.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the computing means computes the second gap amount based on a time stamp of the previous processing unit computed for each of the processing units and a length of the processing unit.

15. An information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the computing means computes the second gap amount based on a difference between a value in which the length of the audio data in the processing unit is added to a presentation time stamp of the audio data in the previous processing unit and a value in which the length of the video data in the processing unit is added to a decoding time stamp of the video data in the previous processing unit.

16. An information processing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

determination means for determining whether or not the first gap amount is larger than the second gap mount; and

inserting means for inserting mute data in one encoding unit to the audio data in the previous processing unit when the determination means determines that the first gap amount is larger than the second gap amount.

17. An information processing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

determination means for determining whether or not the second gap amount is larger than the first gap amount and a difference between the second gap amount and the first gap amount is equal to or more than one encoding unit of the audio data; and

deletion means for deleting the audio data in the previous processing unit by the encoding unit included in the processing unit of the audio data such tat the difference between the second gap amount and the first gap amount can be smaller than one encoding unit of the audio data when the determination means determines that second gap amount is larger than the first gap amount and the difference is equal to or more than one encoding unit of the audio data.

18. An information processing method for processing video data in a processing unit and audio data in a processing unit different from the size of the processing unit of the video data, comprising the steps of:

extracting blocks of the processing units including audio data and video data from input data and extracting, from a header included in each of the blocks, a first gap amount corresponding to a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units;

computing, for each of the blocks, a second gap amount corresponding to a synchronization gap amount of the processing units of the audio data and the video data when the processing units of the audio data and the video data are spliced to previous processing units;

splicing the processing units based on the first gap amount and the second gap amount;

determining whether or not a number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum value of the number of processable channels; and

when it is determined that the number of channels of the audio data is smaller than the maximum value, increasing the number of channels such that the number of channels is equal to the maximum value and adding and outputting mute data to the increased channels.

19. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for processing video data in a processing unit and audio data in a processing unit different from the size of the processing unit of the video data, said program implementing the method comprising the steps of:

extracting blocks of the processing units including audio data and video data from input data and extracting, from a header included in each of the blocks, a first gap amount corresponding to a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units;

computing, for each of the blocks, a second gap amount corresponding to a synchronization gap amount of the processing units of the audio data and the video data when the processing units of the audio data and the video data are spliced to previous processing units;

splicing the processing units based on the first gap amount and the second gap amount;

determining whether or not a number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum value of the number of processable channels; and

when it is determined that the number of channels of the audio data is smaller than the maximum value, increasing the number of channels such that the number of channels is equal to the maximum value and adding and outputting mute data to the increased channels.

20. A program embodied in a computer-readable medium for processing video data in a processing unit and audio data in a processing unit different from the size of the processing unit of the video data, said program implementing the method comprising the steps of:

extracting blocks of the processing units including audio data and video data from input data and extracting, from a header included in each of the blocks, a first gap amount corresponding to a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units;

computing, for each of the blocks, a second gap amount corresponding to a synchronization gap amount of the processing units of the audio data and the video data when the processing units of the audio data and the video data are spliced to previous processing units;

splicing the processing units based on the first gap amount and the second gap amount;

determining whether or not a number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum value of the number of processable channels; and

when it is determined that the number of channels of the audio data is smaller than the maximum value, increasing the number of channels such that the number of channels is equal to the maximum value and adding and outputting mute data to the increased channels.

21. An information processing apparatus for processing video data in a processing unit and plural channels of audio data in a processing unit different from the processing unit of the video data in size, comprising:

a detector for detecting a synchronization gap amount for each of the processing units of the audio data and the video data;

a computer operable when the audio data and the video data in the processing units are spliced to previous processing units to compute a first gap amount indicating a gap amount for synchronizing the audio data and the video data based on the synchronization gap amount detected by the detector;

a header creator for creating a header for each of the processing units including the first gap amount;

a block creator for creating a block of the processing units of the audio data and the video data and adding to said block the header created by the header creator;

an output unit for outputting the block including the audio data and the video data to which the header is added by the block creator; and

a channel determining unit for determining whether or not the number of channels of the audio data is smaller than a maximum number of processable channels, wherein the processing apparatus increases the number of channels such that the number of channels can be equal to the maximum number and the processing apparatus adds and outputs mute data to the increased channels when the channel determining unit determines that the number of channels of the audio data is smaller than the maximum number.