Compressed stream decoding apparatus and method

• US 20060120462A1
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuboi, Eiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.250
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer

Abstract

A compressed stream decoding apparatus to preventing a disturbance of a display image is disclosed. The compressed stream decoding apparatus includes: a first video data processor decoding an input first compressed video stream based on first reference time information added to the first compressed video stream, and outputting decoded video data based on the first reference time information; and a second video data processor performing alternatively a first processing and a second processing, wherein the first processing is decoding an input second compressed video stream based on second reference time information added to the second compressed video stream and outputting decoded video data based on the second reference time information; and the second processing is outputting the decoded video data decoded by the first video data processor based on the first reference time information.

Claims

1. A compressed stream decoding apparatus, comprising:

a first video data processor decoding an input first compressed video stream based on first reference time information added to the first compressed video stream, and outputting decoded video data based on the first reference time information; and

a second video data processor performing alternatively a first processing and a second processing,

wherein the first processing is decoding an input second compressed video stream based on second reference time information added to the second compressed video stream and outputting decoded video data based on the second reference time information; and

the second processing is outputting the decoded video data decoded by the first video data processor based on the first reference time information.

2. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first video data processor outputs the video data decoded with the first compressed video stream in sync with a display synchronized signal generated using the first reference time information, and

the second video data processor outputs video data decoded with the second compressed video stream in sync with a display synchronized signal generated using the second reference time information, and outputs the video data decoded with the first video data processor in sync with a display synchronized signal generated with the first reference time information.

3. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second video data processor comprises a selector selecting a first decoded video data decoded by the first video data processor or a second decoded video data decoded by the second video data processor.

4. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an operation of circuits which perform processing from decoding the second compressed video stream to inputting the second decoded video data into the selector is stopped in case that the selector selects the first decoded video data.

5. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second video data processor comprises a selector selecting the first reference time information or the second reference time information, and

the second video data processor outputs video data decoded with the second compressed video stream in sync with a display synchronized signal generated with the second reference time information inputted through the selector, and outputs the video data decoded with the first video data processor in sync with a display synchronized signal generated with the first reference time information inputted through the selector.

6. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the second data processor outputs the video data decoded with the first video data processor, the display synchronized signal used by the second video processor to output the video data is synchronized with the display synchronized signal used by the first video data processor to output the video data.

7. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first video data processor includes:

a first decoder decoding the first compressed video stream based on the first reference time information;

a first output buffer storing decoded video data output from the first decoder; and

a first display output unit outputting video data stored in the first output buffer in sync with the display synchronized signal generated using the first reference time information,

wherein the second video data processor includes;

a second decoder decoding the second compressed video stream based on the second reference time information;

a second output buffer storing decoded video data output from the second decoder; and

a second display output unit selecting one of the video data stored in the first output buffer and the video data stored in the second output buffer and outputting the selected video data, and

wherein the second display output unit outputs the video data stored in the first output buffer in sync with the display synchronized signal generated using the first reference time information, and outputs the video data stored in the second output buffer in sync with the display synchronized signal generated using the second reference time information.

8. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the second display output unit outputs the video data stored in the first buffer, the display synchronized signal for the second display output unit is synchronized with the display synchronized signal for the first display output unit.

9. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the second display output unit outputs video data stored in the first output buffer, the display synchronized signal for the second display output unit is synchronized with the display synchronized signal for the first display output unit with an offset.

10. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the offset is determined not to cause a conflict between a video data writing operation of the first decoder with respect to the first output buffer and a video data reading operation of the second display output unit.

11. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first decoder writes new video data to a storage area of the first output buffer from which the first display output unit and the second display output unit have been read video data.

12. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first video data processor includes:

a first decoder decoding the first compressed video stream to output decoded video data,

a first clock generator generating a reference clock for decoding the first compressed video stream from the first reference time information;

a first output buffer storing decoded video data output from the first decoder; and

a first display output unit outputting video data stored in the first output buffer based on a display synchronized signal generated using a reference clock generated from the first clock generator,

wherein the second data processor includes;

a second decoder decoding the second compressed video stream to output decoded video data;

a second clock generator generating a reference clock based on the first reference time information or the second reference time information;

a second output buffer storing the decoded video data output from the second decoder; and

a second display output unit selecting one of the video data stored in the first output buffer and the video data stored in the second output buffer to output the selected video data, and

wherein the second display output unit outputs video data stored in the first output buffer based on the reference clock generated from the second clock generator using the first reference time information, and outputs video data stored in the second output buffer by decoding the second compressed video stream with the second decoder based on the reference clock generated with the second clock generator using the second reference time information.

13. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a first synchronized signal generator generating a display synchronized signal used by the first display output unit to output an image, from the reference clock generated with the first clock generator; and

a second synchronized signal generator generating a display synchronized signal used by the second display output unit to output an image, from the reference clock generated with the second clock generator,

wherein when the video data stored in the first output buffer is output to the second display output unit, the display synchronized signal generated with the second synchronized signal generator is synchronized with the display synchronized signal generated with the first synchronized signal generator with an offset.

14. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the offset is determined not to cause a conflict between a video data writing operation of the first decoder with respect to the first output buffer and a video data reading operation of the second display output unit.

15. A compressed stream decoding apparatus for decoding an input first compressed video stream and an input second compressed video stream in a time-division manner to output decoded video data, the apparatus adjusting, if the first compressed video stream and the second compressed video stream have different frame frequencies, a decoding start time such that a decoding start time of a picture in one of the compressed video streams with a lower frame frequency is delayed until completion of decoding of a picture in the other video stream with a higher frame frequency.

16. A compressed stream decoding apparatus, comprising:

a decoder receiving a first compressed video stream and a second compressed video stream to decode the first compressed video stream and the second compressed video stream in a time-division manner, and outputting decoded video data;

a first output buffer storing video data decoded with the first compressed video stream output from the decoder;

a first display output unit outputting the video data stored in the first output buffer in sync with a display synchronized signal generated based on reference time information added to the first compressed video stream;

a second output buffer storing video data obtained by decoding the second compressed video stream output from the decoder; and

a second display output unit selecting one of the video data stored in the first output buffer and the video data stored in the second output buffer to output the selected video data,

the second display output unit outputting the video data stored in the first output buffer in sync with the display synchronized signal generated using the first reference time information, and outputting the video data stored in the second output buffer in sync with the display synchronized signal generated using the second reference time information.

17. The compressed stream decoding apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the apparatus adjusts, if the first compressed video stream and the second compressed video stream have different frame frequencies, a decoding start time such that a decoding start time of a picture in one of the compressed video streams with a lower frame frequency is delayed until completion of decoding of a pictured in the other video stream with a higher frame frequency.

18. A compressed stream decoding method, comprising:

decoding an input first compressed video stream based on first reference time information added to the first compressed video stream, and storing decoded video data in a first output buffer;

outputting the video data stored in the first output buffer in sync with a display synchronized signal generated using the first reference time information;

decoding an input second compressed video stream based on second reference time information added to the second compressed video stream to store decoded video data in a second output buffer; and

selecting one of the video data stored in the first output buffer and the video data stored in the second output buffer to output the selected video data from the second display output unit,

the second display output unit outputting the video data stored in the first output buffer in sync with the display synchronized signal generated using the first reference time information, and outputting the video data stored in the second output buffer in sync with the display synchronized signal generated using the second reference time information.

19. The compressed stream decoding method according to claim 18, wherein when the second display output unit outputs the video data stored in the first output buffer, the display synchronized signal for the second display output unit is synchronized with the display synchronized signal for the first display output unit.

20. The compressed stream decoding method according to claim 18, wherein when the second display output unit outputs the video data stored in the first output buffer, the display synchronized signal for the second display output unit is synchronized with the display synchronized signal for the first display output unit with an offset.

21. The compressed stream decoding method according to claim 20, wherein the offset is determined not to cause a conflict between a video data writing operation of the first decoder with respect to the first output buffer and a video data reading operation of the second display output unit.

22. The compressed stream decoding method according to claim 19, wherein new video data is written to a storage area of the first output buffer from which the first display output unit and the second display output unit have been read video data.

23. The compressed stream decoding method according to claim 18, wherein the first compressed video stream and the second compressed video stream are decoded in a time-division manner, and

if the first compressed video stream and the second compressed video stream have different frame frequencies, a decoding start time is adjusted such that a decoding start time of a picture in one of the compressed video streams with a lower frame frequency is delayed until completion of decoding of a pictured in the other video stream with a higher frame frequency.