Method and apparatus for aligning sub-stream splice points in an information stream

A method for packaging a first framed information stream having a first bitrate into a second framed information stream having a second bitrate, said second bitrate being greater than said first bitrate, said first framed information stream having at least two elementary streams that are temporally offset from each other, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing, in a first buffer, a portion of said first information stream;
• (b) storing, in a second buffer, a next portion of said first information stream;
• (c) reading said first portion of said first information stream from said first buffer in accordance with a delay that corresponds with the temporal offset between the at least two elementary streams;
• (d) reading said next portion of said first information stream from said second buffer to form a portion of the second framed information stream where the at least two elementary streams are synchronized;
• and
• (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) for successive portions of said first information stream.

An apparatus for unpacking a first framed information stream having a first bitrate from a second framed information stream having a second bitrate, said second bitrate being greater than said first bitrate, said first framed information stream having at least two elementary streams that are temporally offset from each other, said apparatus comprising:

• a first buffer for storing a first portion of said second information stream;
• a second buffer for storing a next portion of said second information stream;
• and
• a multiplexer for reading-said first portion of said second information stream from said first buffer in accordance with a delay that corresponds with the temporal offset between the at least two elementary streams, and for reading said next portion of the second information stream from said second buffer to form a portion of the first framed information stream where a timing gap within the at least two elementary streams is removed.

An apparatus for packing a first framed information stream having a first bitrate from a second framed information stream having a second bitrate, said second bitrate being greater than said first bitrate, said first framed information stream having at least two elementary streams that are temporally offset from each other, said apparatus comprising:

• a first buffer for storing a first portion of said first information stream;
• a second buffer for storing a next portion of said first information stream;
• and
• a multiplexer for reading said first portion of said first information stream from said first buffer in accordance with a delay that corresponds with the temporal offset between the at least two elementary streams, and for reading said next portion of said first information stream from said second buffer to form a portion of the second framed information stream where the at least two elementary streams are synchronized.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform unpacking of a first framed information stream having a first bitrate from a second framed information stream having a second bitrate, said second bitrate being greater than said first bitrate, said first framed information stream having at least two elementary streams that are temporally offset from each other, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing, in a first buffer, a first portion of said second information stream;
• (b) storing, in a second buffer, a next portion of said second information stream;
• (c) reading said first portion of said second information stream from said first buffer in accordance with a delay that corresponds with the temporal offset between the at least two elementary streams to form a portion of the first framed information stream;
• and
• (d) reading said next portion of said second information stream for said second buffer to form a next portion of the first framed information stream where a timing gap within the at least two elementary streams is removed.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps comprising of:

• (a) storing, in a first buffer, a portion of said first information stream;
• (b) storing, in a second buffer, a next portion of said first information stream;
• (c) reading said first portion of said first information stream from said first buffer in accordance with a delay that corresponds with a temporal offset between the at least two elementary streams;
• (d) reading said next portion of said first information stream from said second buffer to form a portion of the second framed information stream where the at least two elementary streams are synchronized;
• and
• (e) repeating steps (a) through (d) for successive portions of said first information stream.