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AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsRobert Cornelis Houtepen, Emmanuel David Lucas Michael Frimout, Lincoln Sampaio Lobo
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A method and a device are described for generating a program stream of MPEG coded video and audio signal, wherein several functional tasks are distributed in an optimal manner between hardware on the one hand and software on the other hand. Forming the elementary streams is performed in hardware. Packer and packetiser functions are performed in hardware by pre-packing the elementary streams, filling-in packet header and pack header as much as possible. Parsing of the elementary streams is performed in hardware. Parse information is stored in a meta byte structure in each prepack. Maintaining the P-STD Model is performed in software. Deciding for an audio pack or a video pack is performed in software. Finishing the packet header and pack header is performed in software, on the basis of the parse information present in the meta byte structure in each prepack.
Method for generating a multiplexed signal (PS), comprising the following steps:
Device for processing a video signal and an audio signal, comprising:
Device for processing a video signal and an audio signal, comprising:
Common meta unit (3), implemented in hardware as an integrated circuit, comprising:
Packer module (60) for use in a device for processing audio and video data, comprising at least part of at least one processing device programmed to perform operations, the operations comprising:
A computer readable medium embodying software which, when running on the processor, makes such processor perform the function of a packer module, such function comprising:
Integrated multiplexer/packer module, comprising, at least part of at least one processor programmed with code, the code including:
A finisher module for use in a device for processing audio and video signals, the module comprising at least part of at least one processing device programmed with code, the code comprising
An integrated multiplexer/finisher module, comprising software for programming at least one processor, the software being embodied on a computer readable medium, the software comprising:
A computer readable medium embodying software which, when running on the processor, makes such processor perform the function of an integrated multiplexer/packer module, such function comprising
A computer readable medium embodying software which, when running on a processor, makes such processor perform the function of a finisher module, such function comprising
A computer readable medium embodying software which, when running on a processor, makes such processor perform the function of an integrated multiplexer/finisher module such function comprising
Coder apparatus, comprising:
Coder apparatus, comprising:
Coder apparatus, comprising
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Image coding: transform coding, e.g. discrete cosine transform
Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL…:…
Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL…:…
Image data processing or generation, in general
Term ended 24 Oct 2025 (estimated)
The present invention relates in general to the art of generating a multiplexed MPEG signal.
In general, there is a need for cost effective apparatus for the consumer market, able to record a digital audio/video signal. Such an apparatus will receive an audio/video signal from an arbitrary source, process the input signal, and produce an MPEG program stream suitable for storage on a medium such as a hard disk, optical disk, etc.
The MPEG program stream comprises packs, each pack comprising a pack header and a pack data portion containing packets, each packet comprising a packet header and a packet data portion. The data is, normally, either audio data or video data, hence the packets will be referred to as audio packets or video packets. The headers contain information necessary for decoding, for instance an indication whether the packet is a video packet or an audio packet; the information in the headers is structured in fields.
These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be further clarified by the following description of an apparatus and process in accordance with the invention, with reference to the drawings, in which same reference numerals indicate equal or similar elements, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram which schematically illustrates a process for generating a program stream in accordance with the state of the art;
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a process for packetising an elementary stream;
FIG. 1 is a schematical functional block diagram of a conventional apparatus 100 for generating a program stream. The apparatus 100 comprises an audio channel 110 and a video channel 120. An audio signal is encoded and compressed, in accordance with the MPEG standard, by an audio encoder 111; the output of the audio encoder 111 is referred to as elementary stream ES, in this case elementary audio stream EAS. Likewise, a video signal is encoded and compressed, in accordance with the MPEG standard, by a video encoder 121; the output of the video encoder 121 is also referred to as elementary stream ES, in this case elementary video stream EVS. In FIG. 2, an elementary stream ES is shown as a continuous stream of digital information.
Each elementary stream is subdivided into data portions, indicated in FIG. 2 at 71. Each data portion 71 is provided with a packet header, indicated in FIG. 2 at 72. The combination of packet data portion 71 and packet header 72 is referred to as a packet 70.
The operation of creating audio packets 70A from the elementary audio stream EAS is called “packetising”, and is performed by a functional block 113 referred to as “audio packetiser”. Likewise, a video packetiser 123 creates video packets 70V from the elementary video stream EVS. The packetisers 113, 123 not only form the packets 70A, 70V, but also fill-in the data fields of the packet headers as much as possible. However, part of the data to be filled-in is not yet available. Therefore, although in the data stream space is reserved for all data fields of the packet header 72, some of these data fields are not yet completely filled-in; these data fields will be referred to as “open data fields”. Because the packets are not finished, in the sense that some data fields are left open, they are, at this stage, referred to as preliminary packet or prepacket 70, more specifically a preliminary audio packet or a preliminary video packet.