System and method for seamless switching through buffering
First Claim
1. A method for generating a personalized data stream from a plurality of data streams, the method comprising:
- receiving the plurality of data streams at a switching device comprising a buffer, the plurality of data streams comprising a plurality of segments having synchronized start points and end points;
generating switch gaps comprising substantially no data between successive end points and start points, the switch gaps being configured to provide seamless switching between the plurality of data streams; and
generating a personalized data stream by;
transmitting at least one segment of one of the plurality of data streams to the buffer,seamlessly switching to another of the plurality of data streams during a switch gap, andtransmitting at least one other segment from the another of the plurality of data streams to the buffer following the at least one segment of one of the plurality of data streams.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of preparing data streams to facilitate seamless switching between such streams by a switching device to produce an output data stream without any switching artifacts. Bi-directional switching between any plurality of data streams is supported. The data streams are divided into segments, wherein the segments include synchronized starting points and end points. The data rate is increased before an end point of a segment, to create switch gaps between the segments. Increasing the data rate can include increasing a bandwidth of the plurality of data streams, for example by multiplexing, or compressing the data.
The present invention can be used, for example, with MPEG or AC-3 encoded audio and MPEG encoded video segments that are multiplexed into MPEG-2 transport streams.
Also included are specific methods for preparing MPEG video streams and multiplexing MPEG video with MPEG or AC-3 audio streams to allow a receiver to create seamless transitions between individually encoded segments.
177 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for generating a personalized data stream from a plurality of data streams, the method comprising:
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receiving the plurality of data streams at a switching device comprising a buffer, the plurality of data streams comprising a plurality of segments having synchronized start points and end points; generating switch gaps comprising substantially no data between successive end points and start points, the switch gaps being configured to provide seamless switching between the plurality of data streams; and generating a personalized data stream by; transmitting at least one segment of one of the plurality of data streams to the buffer, seamlessly switching to another of the plurality of data streams during a switch gap, and transmitting at least one other segment from the another of the plurality of data streams to the buffer following the at least one segment of one of the plurality of data streams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system configured to generate a personalized data stream from a plurality of data streams, the method comprising:
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a multiplexer configured to multiplex the plurality of data streams to comprise a plurality of segments having synchronized start points and end points; and a switching device comprising a buffer, the switching device being configured to receive the plurality of data streams and to generate switch gaps comprising substantially no data between successive end points and start points, the switch gaps being configured to provide seamless switching between the plurality of data streams, wherein the personalized data stream is generated by the switching device by; transmitting at least one segment of one of the plurality of data streams to the buffer, seamlessly switching to another of the plurality of data streams during a switch gap, and transmitting at least one other segment from the another of the plurality of data streams to the buffer following the at least one segment of one of the plurality of data streams. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code configured to generate a personalized data stream from a plurality of data streams embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising:
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computer-readable program code configured to receive the plurality of data streams at a switching device comprising a buffer and operatively coupled with the computer-readable storage medium, the plurality of data streams comprising a plurality of segments having synchronized start points and end points; computer-readable program code configured to generate switch gaps comprising substantially no data between successive end points and start points, the switch gaps being configured to provide seamless switching between the plurality of data streams; and computer-readable program code configured to generate a personalized data stream by; transmitting at least one segment of one of the plurality of data streams to the buffer, seamlessly switching to another of the plurality of data streams during a switch gap, and transmitting at least one other segment from the another of the plurality of data streams to the buffer following the at least one segment of one of the plurality of data streams. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification