System and method for representing compressed information

• US 7,725,808 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, James David, Quackenbush, Schuyler Reynier
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAUDRY, MUJTABA M
• Application Number:
  US12/017,744
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 714/776, 714/758
• US Class Current: 714/776
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for storing re-synchronization, error correction and/or error detection data within an existing communication protocol, while still maintaining full compliances to a standard, such as the MPEG-2 AAC standard. By doing so, data information can still be passed from an encoder to a decoder via a channel using an existing and well known standard transport protocol. However, the existing well known transport protocol can now include the data necessary for synchronization of the decoder to the received raw data, along with error detection and error correction by the decoder.

Claims

1. A device that decodes a bitstream, the device comprising:

a first module controlling a processor to receive a bitstream having a plurality of frame portions, the bitstream obeying a protocol that permits the transmission of private data in a private data portion, wherein at least a portion of the data in the private data portion is unspecified by the obeyed protocol, and wherein at least a portion of syntax information for encoded data is included in the private data portion;

a second module controlling the processor to obtain the portion of syntax information from the private data portion; and

a third module controlling the processor to decode the bitstream based on the portion of syntax information.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the portion of syntax information is synchronization information enabling the bitstream to be synchronized and wherein the device further comprises a module configured to synchronize the bitstream utilizing the synchronization information.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the portion of syntax information is information enabling the device to perform at least one of error detection, error control and error recovery.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the protocol is an MPEG protocol.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the MPEG protocol is an MPEG-2 protocol or an MPEG-4 protocol.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a bitstream having a plurality of framed portions, the bitstream obeying a protocol that permits the transmission of private data in a private data portion, wherein at least a portion of the data in the private data portion is unspecified by the obeyed protocol, and wherein at least a portion of syntax information for encoded data is included in the private data portion;

retrieving the portion of syntax information from the private data portion; and

decoding the bitstream based on the portion of syntax information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the portion of syntax information is synchronization information enabling the bitstream to be synchronized.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising synchronizing the bitstream utilizing the synchronization information.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the portion of syntax information is information enabling a device to perform at least one of error detection, error control and error recovery.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the protocol is an MPEG protocol.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the MPEG protocol is an MPEG-2 protocol or an MPEG-4 protocol.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to decode a bitstream, the instructions comprising:

receiving a bitstream having a plurality of framed portions, the bitstream obeying a protocol that permits the transmission of private data in a private data portion, wherein at least a portion of the data in the private data portion is unspecified by the obeyed protocol, and wherein at least a portion of syntax information for encoded data is included in the private data portion;

retrieving the portion of syntax information from the private data portion; and

decoding the bitstream based on the portion of syntax information.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the portion of syntax information is synchronization information enabling the bitstream to be synchronized.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to synchronize the bitstream utilizing the synchronization information.

15. The computer-readable medium claim 13, wherein the portion of syntax information is information enabling a device to perform at least one of error detection, error control and error recovery.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the protocol is an MPEG protocol.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the MPEG protocol is an MPEG-2 protocol or an MPEG-4 protocol.