Transport processor for processing multiple transport streams

A processing apparatus for simultaneously processing a plurality of transport streams that include data packets, the processing apparatus comprising:

• a shared context storage;
• and
• a plurality of transport processor units that commonly utilize the shared context storage, wherein the shared context storage maintains information for data packets acquired by the transport processor units, and wherein each of the plurality of transport processor units comprises:
• a transport interface that identifies data packets to acquire from an incoming transport stream;
• a demultiplexing processor that performs processing operations on the acquired data packets;
• and
• a demultiplexing direct memory access (DMA) unit that determines where the acquired data packets are to be transported.

A processing apparatus for simultaneously processing a plurality of transport streams that include data packets, the processing apparatus comprising:

• means for storing information;
• and
• a plurality of means for processing incoming transport streams, wherein the plurality of means for processing commonly utilize the means for storing information, and wherein each of the plurality of means for processing comprises:
• means for identifying data packets to acquire from an incoming transport stream;
• means for performing processing operations on the acquired data packets;
• and
• means for determining where the acquired data packets are to be transported.

In a video processing device configured to receive a plurality of incoming transport streams, the video processing device having a shared context storage and a plurality of transport processor units, each, a method for processing data packets comprising the acts of:

• receiving data packets each having a packet identifier;
• filtering the data packets by comparing the packet identifier of each of the received data packets with a data structure that specifies the packet identifiers of data packets that are to be acquired;
• processing the filtered data packets using information included in one of a plurality of demultiplexing contexts stored in the shared context storage, the demultiplexing contexts maintaining status information of data packets processed by the video processing device;
• and
• sending video data included in the data packets to buffers identified using information included in one of a plurality of direct memory access (DMA) contexts stored in the shared context storage, the DMA contexts maintaining the buffer information for data packets processed by the video processing device.

In a video processing device configured to receive a plurality of incoming transport streams that include data packets, the video processing device having a plurality of transport processor units that utilize a common transport memory for maintaining information associated with data packets processed by the video processing device, a method for processing a data packet using an index associated with the data packet, the method comprising the acts of;

• receiving a data packet at a transport interface of one of the transport processor units;
• generating an index associated with the received data packet;
• accessing first information from the common transport memory using the index, wherein the first information enables a demultiplexing processor of said one of the transport processor units to perform a processing operation on the data packet;
• and
• accessing second information from the common transport memory using the index, wherein the second information enables a demultiplexing direct memory access (DMA) unit of said one of the transport processors to identify a buffer in which video data included in the data packet is to be stored.

In a video processing device configured to receive a plurality of incoming transport streams that include data packets, the video processing device having a plurality of transport processor units that utilize shared context storage having demultiplexing contexts for maintaining information associated with the data packets processed by the video processing device and direct memory access (DMA) contexts for maintaining buffer information for the data packets processed by the video processing device, a method for processing a data packet using an index associated with the data packet, the method comprising the acts of:

• receiving a data packet at a transport interface of one of the transport processor units;
• generating an index associated with the received data packet;
• accessing, by a demultiplexing processor of one of the plurality of transport processor units, a demultiplexing context associated with the data packet from the shared context storage using the index;
• generating a DMA index associated with the data packet using the demultiplexing context;
• and
• accessing, by a demultiplexing DMA unit of said one of the plurality of transport processor units, a DMA context associated with the data packet from the shared context storage using the DMA index such that the demultiplexing DMA unit is capable of identifying a buffer in which video data included in the data packet is to be stored.

In a video processing device configured to receive an incoming transport stream that includes data packets, the video processing device having a unit that utilizes a transport memory for maintaining information associated with data packets acquired by the video processing device, a method for delaying processing of data packets associated with a video program using an index associated with the data packets, the method comprising the acts of;

• repeatedly performing the acts of:
• receiving a data packet at a transport interface of the transport processor unit;
• generating a time stamp associated with the received data packet
• generating an index associated with the received data packet;
• accessing information from the transport memory using the index, wherein the information enables a demultiplexing direct memory access unit of the transport processor to identify a buffer in which the data packet is to be stored;
• accessing data packets associated with the video program from the buffers in which the data packets are stored;
• and
• processing the data packets for recording or playback of the video program.