Video image decoding method and apparatus

A decoder for decoding a video image signal comprising:

• a separator configured to separate at least one of streams of video image signal to be decoded from a multiplexed stream received therein, which contains a plurality of video image signal;
• a selector configured to select one stream including a video image signal to be assigned to a master video image signal, which will be assigned to a master stream from the multiplexed stream;
• at least one buffer memory configured to store the video image signal contained in each separated stream;
• a clock regenerator configured to regenerate a reference time and a system clock which are used in decoding of the video image signal to be assigned to the master video image signal, based on a reference time information contained in the master stream;
• a reference time regenerator configured to regenerate a reference time used for decoding the separated video image signal through the use of the reference time information contained in the stream of the video image signal to be decoded and the regenerated system clock;
• a decode starting signal generator configured to generate a decode starting signal which is common to each of the separated stream through the use of the regenerated system clock;
• and
• at least one decoder configured to start a decoding of the video image signal stored in the input buffer memory by the decode starting signal.

A decode processor configured to decode a stream of MPEG-encoded video image data transmitted in conjunction with reference time information, comprising:

• a reference time information detector for detecting the reference time information contained in the stream;
• a clock generator for generating a clock having a frequency which is not locked to a clock in a transmitter for transmitting the stream;
• a counter for counting the clock from the clock generator which count is amended by the direction from the reference time information detector;
• a synchronizing signal generator for generating a synchronizing signal based on the count of the counter;
• and
• a decoder for decoding the stream according to the count of the counter.

A decode processor configured to decode n (n denotes an integer of 2 or more;

• i.e., n≳2) streams of MPEG-encoded video image signals transmitted along with a corresponding reference time information, comprising:
• n reference time information detectors configured to detect the reference time information contained in the n streams;
• a most n-1 clock generators configured to generate a clock having a frequency which is not locked to a transmitter side clock of at least one stream in n streams;
• at most n-1 counters configured to count the clock from the clock generator, which count is amended by the direction from the reference time information detector;
• at least one counter configured to count the clocks from the clock generator, which is correctable the clock frequency of the clock generator based on the comparison result of the count of the clock generator with the output value of at least one of the reference time information detectors;
• n synchronizing signal generators configured to generate a synchronizing signal based on the count of n counters;
• and
• n decoders configured to decode n streams according to the count of n counters.

A decode processor configured to decode n (n denotes an integer of 2 or more;

• i.e., n≳2) streams of MPEG-encoded video image signals transmitted along with a corresponding reference time information, comprising:
• n reference time information detectors configured to detect the reference time information contained in the n streams;
• at most n-1 clock generators configured to generate a clock with a frequency which is not locked to a transmitter side clock of at least one stream in n streams;
• at least one counter configured to count the clock from the clock generator, which is correctable the clock frequency of the clock generator based on the comparison result of the count of the clock generator with at least one output value from the reference time information detector;
• at most n-1 reference time generators configured to generate reference time based on the output value of the reference time information detector and the count of the counter;
• n synchronizing signal generators configured to generate a signal based on the count of at least one counter or the output value of at most n-1 reference time generators;
• and
• n decoders configured to decode n streams according to the output value of the preference time generator or the count of the counter.

A decode processor configured to decode n (n denotes an integer of 2 or more;

• i.e., n≳2) streams of MPEG-encoded video image signals transmitted along with a corresponding reference time information, comprising:
• n reference tie information detectors for detecting the reference time information contained in n stream;
• clock generator for generating the frequency which is not locked to the a transmitter side clock of at least one stream of n streams;
• counter for counting the clock from the clock generator;
• n reference time generators for generating the reference time based on the output value of the n reference time information detectors and the count of the counter;
• n synchronizing signal generators for generating the synchronizing signal based on the output value of the n reference time generators;
• and
• n decoders for decoding the n streams according to the output value of the n reference time generators.

A decode processor configured to decode n (n denotes an integer of 2 or more;

• i.e., n≳2) streams of MPEG-encoded video image signals transmitted along with a corresponding reference time information comprising:
• n reference time information detectors for detecting the reference time information contained in n streams;
• at most n-1 clock generators for generating a clock having a frequency which is not locked to a transmitter side clock of at least one stream of n streams;
• at most n-1 counters for counting the clock from the clock generator, which count is amended by the direction from the reference time information detector;
• at least one counter for counting the clock from the clock generator, which is correctable the clock frequency of the clock generator based on the comparison result of the count of the clock generator with at least one output value from the reference time information detector;
• at least one synchronizing signal generator for generating the synchronizing signal based on the count of at least one counter;
• n decoders, which decoding the n streams according to the n counters, for outputting the video image signal synchronized with the synchronizing signal by thinning out the video flame or outputting the same video flame repeatedly for several times, in the case that the timing of the output from the counter and the synchronizing signal from the synchronizing signal generator which makes the timing is not adjusted.

A decode processor configured to decode n (n denotes an integer of 2 or more;

• i.e., n≳2) streams of MPEG-encoded video image signals transmitted along with a corresponding reference time information, comprising:
• n reference time information detectors for detecting the reference time information contained in n streams;
• at most n-1 clock generators for generating a clock having a frequency which is not locked to a transmitter side clock of at least one stream of n streams;
• at least one counter for counting the clock from the clock generator, which is correctable the clock frequency of the clock generator based on the comparison result of the count of the clock generator with at least one output value from the reference time information detector;
• at most n-1 reference time generators for generating the reference time based on the output value of the reference time information detector and the count of the counter;
• at least one synchronizing signal generator for generating the synchronizing signal based on the count of at least one in the n counters;
• and
• n decoders, which is decoding the n streams according to the output value of the reference time generator or the count of the counter, for thinning out the video image signal flame or outputting the same video image signal flame repeatedly for several times, in the case that the timing of the output from reference time generator with the synchronizing signal from the synchronizing signal generator which makes the timing is not adjusted.

A decoded processor, which decodes n (n denotes an integer of 2 or more;

• i.e., n≳2) streams of MPEG-encoded video image signals transmitted along with a corresponding reference time, comprising:
• n reference time information detectors for detecting the reference time information contained in n streams;
• clock generator for generating the clock of the frequency which is not locked to the transmitter side of n-1 streams of n streams;
• counter for counting the clock from the clock generator;
• n reference time generators for generating reference time based on the output value from the n reference time information detectors and the count of the counter;
• synchronizing signal generator for generating the synchronizing signal based on one output value of n reference time generators;
• and
• n decoders, which decoding the n streams according to the output value of the n reference time generators, for outputting the video image signal flame repeatedly for several times in the case that the timing of the output from the reference time generator and the synchronizing signal from the synchronizing signal generator which makes the timing is not adjusted.