Method of storing a real time stream of information signals on a disc like record carrier

A system for storing a substantially real time stream of information signals representing information arranged in separate, consecutive data packets of digital format on a disc like record carrier, the disc like record carrier having units of recording of a predetermined size larger than a size of the data packets, said system comprising:

• receiving means for receiving the serial stream of information signals,
• streaming means connected to said receiving means for streaming the received information signals for recording to a disc like record carrier, the streaming means comprising:
• local clock reference means and time stamp generating means for establishing an application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) corresponding to a time of arrival of the data packets with respect to a Reference Time Base Counter, the application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) comprising several bits (b0 . . . b47), each bit corresponding to a predetermined time interval and for selecting bits from the application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) for deriving an application time stamp (TM_APP);
• recording means connected to the streaming means for recording streamed information signals on a disc like record carrier,
• the streaming means further comprising:
• collecting means for collecting a received data packet and related application time stamp (TM_APP) in a source packet and for collecting a multiple of source packets in a stream pack with a pack header, the size of the stream pack (S_PCK) corresponding to the predetermined size of the unit of recording of the disc like record carrier, the collecting means being configured to store data packet retrieval information in the stream pack (S-PCK) and to store in the pack header information with respect to the application time stamp (TM_APP) for enabling retrieving a reference time base,
• recording means for recording the stream packs (S-PCK) onto the disc like record carrier.

A system for reproducing a substantially real time stream of information signals representing information arranged in separate consecutive data packets of digital format, the system comprising:

• reading means for reading from a disc like record carrier stream packs (S-PCK) corresponding to the unit of recording on a disc like record carrier, the stream packs (S-PCK) having a size larger then the size of the data packets, wherein a stream pack (S-PCK) comprises a multiple of data packets each arranged in a source packet with a corresponding application time stamp (TM_APP), the stream pack (S-PCK) comprising a pack header with data packet retrieval information and with information related to the application time stamp (TM_APP) for enabling retrieving a reference time base,
• streaming means comprising:
• recovering means configured to recover from stream packs (S-PCK) the source packets in correspondence with the data packet retrieval information, and
• timing recovery means configured to retrieve a reference time base, and for outputting the data packets as a substantially real time stream, in accordance with the corresponding application time stamp (TM_APP).

A method of processing a substantially real time stream of information signals, the method comprising:

• receiving the serial stream of information signals in a receiver;
• detecting the data packets in the serial stream of information signals in a detector;
• using a first time stamper to establish an application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) corresponding to a time of arrival of the data packets with respect to a Reference Time Base Counter, the application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) comprising several bits (b0 . . . b47), each bit corresponding to a predetermined time interval;
• using a second time stamper to select bits from the application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) and to derive an application time stamp (TM_APP);
• using a collector to collect a data packet and the related application time stamp (TM_APP) in a source packet, and to collect multiple source packets in a stream pack (S_PCK) with a pack header, the size of the stream pack (S_PCK) being smaller than a predetermined size;
• storing source packet retrieval information in the stream pack (S-PCK);
• and
• storing in the pack header information with respect to the application time stamp (TM_APP) for enabling retrieving a reference time base.

A system for storing a substantially real time stream of information signals, said system comprising:

• a receiver to receive the serial stream of information signals:
• a streamer connected to said receiver to stream the received information signals for recording to a media, the streamer comprising:
• a local clock reference and a time stampper to establish an application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) corresponding to a time of arrival of the data packets with respect to a Reference Time Base Counter, the application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) comprising several bits (b0 . . . b47), each bit corresponding to a predetermined time interval and for selecting bits from the application packet arrival time stamp (APAT) for deriving an application time stamp (TM_APP);
• a packet collector to collect a received data packet and related application time stamp (TM_APP) in a source packet and to collect a multiple of source packets in a stream pack with a pack header, the size of the stream pack (S_PCK) corresponding to the predetermined size of the unit of recording of the media, the packet collector being configured to store data packet retrieval information in the stream pack (S-PCK) and to store in the pack header information with respect to the application time stamp (TM_APP) for enabling retrieving a reference time base,
• a recorder conneced to the streamer to record stream packs (S-PCKs) onto the media having the predetermined size of the unit of recording that is larger than the size of the stream packs (S-PAC).

A system for reproducing a substantially real time stream of information signals, the system comprising:

• a reader for reading from a media stream packs (S-PCK) corresponding to the unit of recording on a media, the stream packs (S-PCK) having a size larger then the size of data packets, wherein a stream pack (S-PCK) comprises a multiple of data packets each arranged in a source packet with a corresponding application time stamp (TM_APP), the stream pack (S-PCK) comprising a pack header with data packet retrieval information and with information related to the application time stamp (TM_APP) for enabling retrieving a reference time base,
• a streamer comprising:
• a pack recovery unit configured to recover from stream packs (S-PCK) the source packets in correspondence with the data packet retrieval information, and
• a timming recovery unit configured to retrieve a reference time base and to output the data packets as a substantially real time stream, in accordance with the corresponding application time stamp (TM_APP).