Digital broadcast receiving apparatus, digital broadcast apparatus, digital broadcast receiving method, digital broadcast method, and digital broadcast receiving program

• US 7,555,019 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Motomura, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, NGUYEN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US10/780,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 370/529, 370/532, 370/535, 707/1, 707/200, 707/203
• US Class Current: 370/535
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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

A digital broadcast system which, during the control of caching tables multiplexed into a transport stream, optimally updates the caching without wasting filter resources on changes such as updates to a higher version, addition, or disappearance of the tables.

A digital broadcast apparatus broadcasts a transport stream into which an available table information table (ATT) is multiplexed. The ATT monitoring unit in the receiving apparatus regularly monitors an update in the ATT and generates an available table information list every time the ATT has been updated to a higher version. The cache controlling unit compares the available table information list with a cache information list, assigns a filter resource and updates the cache of the table when there is a table updated to a higher version or added, and clears the cache of the table when there is a table that has disappeared.

Claims

1. A digital broadcast receiving apparatus for receiving a transport stream into which a plurality of output information tables and an update information table are respectively and repeatedly multiplexed and into which video data and/or audio data are multiplexed and outputting the video data and/or the audio data,

wherein each output information table is contained in a transport stream packet in a section format and includes (i) a first version number, (ii) a unique ID including a packet identifier and a table identifier, and (iii) information for extracting and outputting the video data and/or the audio data,

wherein the update information table includes (i) a plurality of unique IDs, each of which identifies a respective output information table, (ii) a plurality of first version numbers, each of which indicates an update version of a respective output information table, and (iii) a second version number indicating a version of the update information table, and

wherein the second version number of the update information table of the transport stream is updated when a change occurs in any of the unique IDs and the first version numbers included in the update information table,

the digital broadcast receiving apparatus comprising:

a first extracting unit including corresponding packet and section filters, and operable to extract the output information tables from the transport stream according to the corresponding packet and section filters;

a storing unit operable to store the output information tables extracted by the first extracting unit;

a second extracting unit operable to extract the update information table from the transport stream when the second version number has been updated; and

a controlling unit operable to control (i) the first extracting unit to extract an updated version of an output information table and (ii) the storing unit to update the output information tables stored therein according to the extracted updated version of the output information table,

wherein the controlling unit comprises;

an information list generating subunit operable to generate an information list containing information that is included in each stored output information table and corresponds to information included in the extracted update information table;

a comparing subunit operable to (i) compare, with respect to each stored output information table, a corresponding first version number included in the information list with a corresponding first version number of the respective output information table included in the extracted update information table, and (ii) identify, based on the comparison, a stored output information table having a corresponding first version number that has been updated in the extracted update information table; and

a filter condition setting subunit operable to set the packet identifier and the table identifier, included in the unique ID of the output information table identified by the comparing subunit, as the corresponding packet and section filters, respectively, to allow the first extraction unit to extract, from the transport stream, an updated version of the output information table identified by the comparing subunit,

wherein the update information table further includes a flag indicating whether or not each of the output information tables is being multiplexed into the transport stream, and

wherein the controlling unit further includes a deletion subunit operable to delete, from (i) the storing unit, an output information table indicated by the flag as not being multiplexed into the transport stream and (ii) the generated information list, any information corresponding to the deleted output information table.

2. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unique IDs included in the update information table are the packet identifiers and the table identifiers.

3. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

extraction conditions of the corresponding packet and section filters are set by the filter condition setting subunit; and

when the first extracting unit extracts an updated version of an output information table, and the storing unit contains an older version of the output information table, the first extracting unit overwrites the older version of the output information table with the extracted updated version of the output information table.

4. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the update information table further includes a respective validity period of each output information table;

the controlling unit further comprises a schedule generating subunit operable to generate a schedule for extracting an output information table at a beginning of a respective validity period and for deleting an output information table at an end of a respective validity period; and

the filter condition setting subunit and the deletion subunit operate according to the schedule.

5. A digital broadcast receiving method for receiving a transport stream into which a plurality of output information tables and an update information table are respectively and repeatedly multiplexed and into which video data and/or audio data are multiplexed and outputting video data and/or audio data,

wherein each output information table is contained in a transport stream packet in a section format and includes (i) a first version number, (ii) a unique ID including a packet identifier and a table identifier, and (iii) information for extracting and outputting the video data and/or the audio data,

wherein the update information table includes (i) a plurality of unique IDs, each of which identifies a respective output information table, (ii) a plurality of first version numbers, each of which indicates an update version of a respective output information table, and (iii) a second version number indicating a version of the update information table, and

wherein the second version number of the update information table of the transport stream is updated when a change occurs in any of the unique IDs and the first version numbers included in the update information table,

the digital broadcast receiving method comprising:

extracting the output information tables from the transport stream according to corresponding packet and section filters;

storing the output information tables extracted by the extracting of the output information tables;

extracting the update information table from the transport stream when the second version number has been updated; and

controlling (i) the extracting of the output information tables to extract an updated version of an output information table and (ii) the storing of the output information tables to update the stored output information tables according to the extracted updated version of the output information table,

wherein, the controlling further comprises;

generating an information list containing information that is included in each stored output information table and corresponds to information included in the extracted update information table;

comparing, with respect to each stored output information table, a corresponding first version number included in the information list with a corresponding first version number of the respective output information table included in the extracted update information table;

identifying, based on the comparing, a stored output information table having a corresponding first version number that has been updated in the extracted update information table; and

respectively setting the packet identifier and the table identifier, included in the unique ID of the output information table identified by the identifying of the stored output information table, as the corresponding packet and section filters according to which the extracting of the output information tables extracts the output information tables to allow the extracting of the output information tables to extract, from the transport stream, an updated version of the output information table identified by the identifying of the stored output information table,

wherein the update information table further includes a flag indicating whether or not each of the output information tables is being multiplexed into the transport stream, and

wherein the controlling further includes deleting (i) a stored output information table indicated by the flag as not being multiplexed into the transport stream and (ii) from the generated information list, any information corresponding to the deleted output information table.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having a digital broadcast receiving program stored thereon, the digital broadcast receiving program for receiving a transport stream into which a plurality of output information tables and an update information table are respectively and repeatedly multiplexed and into which video data and/or audio data are multiplexed and outputting video data and/or audio data,

wherein each output information table is contained in a transport stream packet in a section format and includes (i) a first version number, (ii) a unique ID including a packet identifier and a table identifier, and (iii) information for extracting and outputting the video data and/or the audio data,

wherein the update information table includes (i) a plurality of unique IDs, each of which identifies a respective output information table, (ii) a plurality of first version numbers, each of which indicates an update version of a respective output information table, and (iii) a second version number indicating a version of the update information table, and

wherein the second version number of the update information table of the transport stream is updated when a change occurs in any of the unique IDs and the first version numbers included in the update information table,

the digital broadcast receiving program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

extracting the output information tables from the transport stream according to corresponding packet and section filters;

storing the output information tables extracted by the extracting of the output information tables;

extracting the update information table from the transport stream when the second version number has been updated; and

controlling (i) the extracting of the output information tables to extract an updated version of an output information table and (ii) the storing of the output information tables to update the stored output information tables according to the extracted updated version of the output information table,

wherein, the controlling further comprises;

generating an information list containing information that is included in each stored output information table and corresponds to information included in the extracted update information table;

comparing, with respect to each stored output information table, a corresponding first version number included in the information list with a corresponding first version number of the respective output information table included in the extracted update information table;

identifying, based on the comparing, a stored output information table having a corresponding first version number that has been updated in the extracted update information table; and

respectively setting the packet identifier and the table identifier, included in the unique ID of the output information table identified by the identifying of the stored output information table, as the corresponding packet and section filters according to which the extracting of the output information tables extracts the output information tables to allow the extracting of the output information tables to extract, from the transport stream, an updated version of the output information table identified by the identifying of the stored output information table,

wherein the update information table further includes a flag indicating whether or not each of the output information tables is being multiplexed into the transport stream, and

wherein the controlling further includes deleting (i) a stored output information table indicated by the flag as not being multiplexed into the transport stream and (ii) from the generated information list, any information corresponding to the deleted output information table.