Cisco Technology, Inc.

Brian E Crookes

David Verbrugge

Wayne Steven Sheldrick

Kenn W Heinrich

Keith B Gammie

Karl Stoll

Tatyana Shkinev

Dennis B Ellert

Keith Gammie

Wayne Sheldrick

Systems and methods for combining a plurality of transport streams into a single transport stream for transmission to, e.g., a single frequency network via a satellite. Embodiments provide receiving a plurality of original, e.g., MPEG-compliant, data streams, where each original data stream has its own timing information, combining the plurality of original data streams into a single combined data stream which is also, e.g., MPEG compliant, modulating the single combined data stream for uplink to a satellite, receiving a downlink transmission from the satellite, where the downlink transmission includes the single combined data stream, de-combining the single combined data stream into the plurality of original data streams, and passing respective original data steams to, e.g., one or more DVB-T modulators for broadcast into a single frequency network.

Secure combined interoperable multiplexing

An apparatus and methods are disclosed for managing an incoming transport stream. The system can include controls configured for modifying program content as well as for remapping the packet identifiers. These controls thus can be employed for adapting incoming stream information to facilitate the specified actions on the incoming content that is to be managed.

Digital program management

Systems and methods for de-combining a single combined data stream into a plurality of original data streams, where each original data stream has its own timing information, and passing respective original data steams to, e.g., one or more DVB-T modulators for broadcast into, e.g., a single frequency network. The original data streams and the single combined data stream may be, e.g., MPEG-compliant data streams.

Multiple transport receiver

A packet comparator includes a match packet buffer and a first in first out (FIFO) buffer that stores a reference packet stream. Once a packet in the reference stream and a candidate stream are matched to the match packet, the reference stream and the candidate stream are considered synchronized. Thereafter, the two streams are passed through a compare function and a resultant stream is output from the packet comparator. Possible resultant streams include the results of an exclusive OR (XOR) operation between all, or selected parts, of packets in each of the streams.

Packet comparator

Systems and methods for handling packet errors in a system that combines a plurality of transport streams into a single transport stream for transmission to, e.g., a single frequency network via a satellite. Embodiments provide receiving a plurality of original, e.g., MPEG-compliant, data streams, where each original data stream has its own timing information, combining the plurality of original data streams into a single combined data stream which is also, e.g., MPEG compliant, modulating the single combined data stream for, e.g., uplink to a satellite, receiving, e.g., a downlink transmission from the satellite, where the downlink transmission includes the single combined data stream, de-combining the single combined data stream into the plurality of original data streams, determining whether any packets have been lost and compensating for such lost packets, and passing respective original data steams to one or more DVB-T modulators for broadcast into, e.g., a single frequency network.

Packet error handling

A method for correcting packet errors in a combined stream including steps of receiving a combined and re-packetized transport stream comprising program information for at least two transport streams (A and B), wherein each transport stream (A and B) comprises program information associated with respective distinctive packet IDs (PIDs), detecting an invader packet associated with the combined and re-packetized transport stream A does not belong in the combined and re-packetized transport stream A, offering the invader packet to combined and re-packetized transport stream B in which a gap is detected, and de-combining combined and re-packetized transport stream B such that information from a de-combined version of the invader packet fills a gap in a de-combined version of combined and re-packetized transport stream B.

Growing community of inventors

East York, Canada

Brian E Crookes