Remultiplexing apparatus

A remultiplexing apparatus for receiving a multiplexed and broadcasted bit stream including a combination of media information packets with packets of program information and for remultiplexing the bit stream comprising:

• a control information selecting unit which selects packets containing program control information from the multiplexed and broadcasted input bit stream according to packet identification numbers and outputting multiplexed and broadcasted media information packets;
• a program control information editing unit which edits contents of the selected program control information packets and generates a modified program control information corresponding to a remultiplexed bit stream to be output;
• and
• a remultiplexing unit which remultiplexes the modified program control information with the multiplexed and broadcasted media information packets containing the media information from the multiplexed input bit stream to produce the remultiplexed bit stream;
• wherein said remultiplexing unit preferentially multiplexes a packet containing program clock information for regenerating a system clock in the receiving side so that error in the program clock information is suppressed.

A remultiplexing apparatus for receiving a multiplexed and broadcasted bit stream including a combination of media information packets with packets of program information and for remultiplexing the bit stream comprising:

• a control information selecting unit which selects packets containing program control information from the a multiplexed and broadcasted input bit stream according to packet identification numbers and outputting multiplexed media information packets;
• a program control information editing unit which edits contents of the selected program control information packets and generates a modified program control information corresponding to a remultiplexed bit stream to be output;
• an external information packet inserting unit which packetizes external information;
• and
• a remultiplexing unit which remultiplexes the modified program control information with the multiplexed and broadcasted media information packets containing the media information from the multiplexed and broadcasted input bit stream to produce the remultiplexed bit stream, wherein said remultiplexing unit multiplexes a packet containing the external information with the remultiplexed bit stream when the multiplexed and broadcasted bit stream has more space compared with an output rate of said multiplexing unit.

A remultiplexing apparatus for receiving a multiplexed and broadcasted bit stream including a combination of media information packets with packets of program information and for remultiplexing the bit stream comprising:

• a control information selecting unit which selects packets containing program control information from the multiplexed and broadcasted input bit stream according to packet identification numbers and outputting multiplexed media information packets;
• a program organizing unit which selects a plurality of required programs contained in the multiplexed and broadcasted multiplexed input bit stream in accordance with program type information of each of the programs, the program type information being defined in the program information and representing a type of each of the programs;
• a program control information editing unit which edits contents of the selected program control information packets and generates a modified program control information corresponding to a remultiplexed bit stream to be output;
• a media information selecting unit which selects specific media information packets belonging to the requited programs from the media information packets;
• and
• a remultiplexing unit which remultiplexes the modified program control information with the specific media information packets to produce the remultiplexed output bit stream, while not remultiplexing packets belonging to a program which is not selected by the program organizing unit.

A remultiplexing apparatus for receiving a plurality of multiplexed and broadcasted bit stream including a combination of media information packets with packets of program information and for outputting a remultiplexed bit stream comprising:

• an all program control information aborting unit which aborts only a packet containing an all program control information from each of the multiplexed and broadcasted bit streams input into the remultiplexing apparatus;
• an all program control information generating unit which generates an all program control information packet;
• and
• a remultiplexing unit which remultiplexes an output packet from said all program control information aborting unit, an output packet from said program generating unit, and said all program control information packets.

A remultiplexing apparatus for receiving a plurality of multiplexed and broadcasted bit stream including a combination of media information packets with packets of program information and for outputting a remultiplexed bit stream comprising:

• a plurality of control information selectors, each operatively connected to a respective input that receives a multiplexed and broadcasted input bit stream previously multiplexed with packets of program control information and media information packets, each of said control information selectors selecting a program control information packet from the respective multiplexed input bit stream and outputting multiplexed media information packets, one of said control information selectors receiving the multiplexed input bit stream from the corresponding input;
• a packet synchronizing buffer, operatively connected between one of said control information selectors and the corresponding input, for receiving one of said multiplexed bit streams which are sent at different timing and outputting packets to said connected control information selector with insuring packet synchronism between said multiplexed bit streams;
• a program control information editor, operatively connected to said control information selectors, that edits contents of the selected program control information packets and generates a modified program control information packet associated with an output bit stream;
• and
• a remultiplexer, operatively connected to said program control information editor and said control information selectors, that remultiplexes the modified program control information packet with the multiplexed media information packets to generate the output bit stream.

A remultiplexing apparatus for receiving a plurality of multiplexed and broadcasted bit stream including a combination of media information packets with packets of program information and for outputting a remultiplexed bit stream comprising:

• a program control information editor, operatively connected to an input, said program control information editor outputs an identification number for a packet containing program control information to a plurality of multiplexing transmission devices each generating one of the plurality of multiplexed and broadcasted input bit streams;
• an all program control information aborter, operatively connected to said program control information editor that selectively aborts only a packet containing all program control information from each of the plurality of multiplexed and broadcasted input bit streams and outputting plural streams of multiplexed and broadcasted media information packets;
• and
• a remultiplexer, operatively connected to said all program information aborter and said program control information editor, that remultiplexes the output from said program control information editor with the plural streams of multiplexed and broadcasted media information packets.

A remultiplexing apparatus for receiving a plurality of multiplexed and broadcasted bit stream including a combination of media information packets with packets of program information and for outputting a remultiplexed bit stream comprising:

• an all program control information aborter, operatively connected to an input, said all program control information aborter aborts only a packet containing an all program control information from each of the multiplexed input bit streams;
• a program generator, operatively connected to said all program control information aborter, said program generator multiplexing media coded information as well as program specific information to generate programs;
• and
• a remultiplexer, operatively connected to said all program control information aborter and said program generator that remultiplexes an output packet from said all program control information aborter, an output packet from said program generator, and an all program control information packet.