Digital content reproducing and storing apparatus, digital content reproducing and storing method, digital content storing apparatus, digital content reproducing apparatus, and computer readable medium storing digital content reproducing and storing program

A digital content reproducing and storing method for performing a storing operation while receiving TS (Transport Stream) packets constituting digital content and performing a reproducing operation through a PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) obtained by demultiplexing the received TS packet or read-out TS packet having been stored therein, the digital content reproducing and storing method comprising:

• demultiplexing the received TS packet with a demultiplexer to obtain the PES,
• sequentially buffering the received TS packet in a buffer using a control circuit,
• storing a group of buffered TS packets for a predetermined time in a storage while adding time information contained in the obtained PES to the group;
• and
• specifying a TS packet based on the time information corresponding to a designated prior time to perform the reproducing operation based on the specified TS packet;
• wherein when storing the group of the buffered TS packets while adding the time information to the group, the control circuit performs the following steps:
• obtaining a rearmost storage pointer in the buffer at storing a previous group of TS packets;
• obtaining first time information for a TS packet which has already been stored in the storage, from a PES obtained by the demultiplexer;
• obtaining second time information from a newest PES obtained by the demultiplexer;
• determining whether a time difference between the first time information and the second time information exceeds the predetermined time;
• and
• storing a group of TS packets buffered from the rearmost storage pointer up to a TS packet corresponding to the newest PES while adding time information if it is determined that a time difference exceeds the predetermined time.

A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a digital content reproducing and storing program for enabling a computer to execute a function of performing a storing operation while receiving TS (Transport Stream) packet constituting digital content and to execute a function of performing a reproducing operation through a PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) obtained by demultiplexing the received TS packet or the read-out TS packets having been stored therein, the program enables the computer to execute:

• demultiplexing the received TS packet with a demultiplexer to obtain the PES,
• sequentially buffering the received TS packet in a buffer and storing a group of buffered TS packets for a predetermined time in a storage while adding time information contained in the obtained PES to the group;
• specifying a TS packet based on the time information corresponding to a designated prior time and performing the reproducing operation based on the specified TS packet;
• wherein when storing the group of the buffered TS packets while adding the time information to the group, the control circuit performs the following steps:
• obtaining a rearmost storage pointer in the buffer at storing a previous group of TS packets;
• obtaining first time information for a TS packet which has already been stored in the storage, from a PES obtained by the demultiplexer;
• obtaining second time information from a newest PES obtained by the demultiplexer;
• determining whether a time difference between the first time information and the second time information exceeds the predetermined time;
• and
• storing a group of TS packets buffered from the rearmost storage pointer up to a TS packet corresponding to the newest PES while adding time information if it is determined that a time difference exceeds the predetermined time.

A digital content storing apparatus storing a received TS (Transport Stream) packet constituting digital content, the digital content storing apparatus comprising:

• a demultiplexer to demultiplex the received TS packet to obtain a PES,
• a control circuit to sequentially buffer the received TS packet in a buffer and store a group of buffered TS packets for a predetermined time in a storage while adding time information contained in a PES to the group;
• wherein when storing the group of the buffered TS packets while adding the time information to the group, the control circuit:
• obtains a rearmost storage pointer in the buffer at storing a previous group of TS packets;
• obtains first time information for a TS packet which has already been stored in the storage, from a PES obtained by the demultiplexer;
• obtains second time information from a newest PES obtained by the demultiplexer;
• determines whether a time difference between the first time information and the second time information exceeds the predetermined time;
• and
• stores a group of TS packets buffered from the rearmost storage pointer up to a TS packet corresponding to the newest PES while adding time information if it is determined that a time difference exceeds the predetermined time.