Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Philips Electronics North America Corporation

Other

Imran A Shah

Takashi Sato

Ronald W J J Saeijs

Wilhelmus Jacobus Van Gestel

Ronald W Saeijs

Gerrit J Keesman

Reinier B Klein Gunnewiek

During recording of an MPEG information signal on a record carrier, transport packets (P) are stored in signal blocks in a track on the record carrier. x transport packets of the MPEG information signal are stored in the second block sections (SB) of y signal blocks, where x and y are integers, x&#x2267;1 and y&#x3e;1, more specifically, y&#x3e;x. Further, third block sections (TB) are present in one or more of the second block sections in the y signal blocks of a group for storing additional information, this additional information relating to the specific application of recording and reproducing the MPEG information signal on/from the record carrier.

Recording and reproducing an MPEG information signal on/from a record carrier

A method of transmitting timing critical data via an asynchronous channel without changing any datum to be transmitted. The timing critical data can be an MPEG transport stream. The asynchronous channel can be a computer or telephone network, a digital storage media such as a digital VCR, or a digital interface. The method involves tagging each transmission unit of the data stream, before inputting to the channel, with timing information, and using the timing information at the output end of the channel to recreate the proper data timing, Various schemes are described for packing the timing information tags with each or a plurality of transmission units.

Recording and producing an MPEG information signal on/from a record carrier

During recording of an MPEG information signal on a record carrier, transport packets (P ) are stored in signal blocks in a track on the record carrier. x transport packets of the MPEG information signal are stored in the second block sections (SB) of y signal blocks, where x and y are integers, x&gE;1 and y>1, more specifically, y>x. Further, third block sections (TB) are present in one or more of the second block sections in the y signal blocks of a group for storing additional information, this additional information relating to the specific application of recording and reproducing the MPEG information signal on/from the record carrier.

A method of transmitting timing critical data via an asynchronous channel without changing any datum to be transmitted. The timing critical data can be an MPEG transport stream. The asynchronous channel can be a computer or telephone network, a digital storage media such as a digital VCR, or a digital interface. The method involves tagging each transmission unit of the data stream, before inputting to the channel, with timing information, and using the timing information at the output end of the channel to recreate the proper data timing. Various schemes are described for packing the timing information tags with each or a plurality of transmission units.

Apparatus and methods for transmitting an MPEG-information signal and a method for reproducing that signal

Apparatus and methods for transmitting an MPEG information signal, and a

A device comprising an MPEG encoder (2) is provided with a preanalyser (8) which encodes each picture with a fixed step size (Q.sub.2). The preanalyser is coupled to a computing circuit (9) which computes, for each type of (I, P, B) picture, a target value (T) for the number of bits for encoding said picture, as well as a suitable distribution of the target value among the macroblocks of the picture. A proportionally integrating control circuit (7) controls the quantization step size (Q.sub.1). Since the PI control circuit does not introduce any residual errors, the desired number of bits per picture or per group of pictures is achieved within narrow limits. The output signal is eminently suitable for recording and subsequent editing.

Motion-compensated predictive encoder in which groups of pictures are

A device for encoding a video signal comprises a picture transformer (22), a quantizer (23) and a variable-length encoder (24), as well as distribution device (6) for distributing a global target value (T) for the number of bits per picture or group of pictures in local target values (T.sub.n) for separate macroblocks of each picture. The device for encoding is provided with proportionally integrating control device for for controlling the quantization step size (Q.sub.1) in such a way that the buffer contents (b) of an output buffer (4) are in conformity with the target value. Since the PI control circuit does not introduce any residual errors, the desired number of bits per picture or group of pictures is achieved within narrow limits. The output signal is eminently suitable for recording and subsequent editing.

Video signal coding with proportionally integrating quantization control

Recording and reproducing an MPEG information signal using tagged timing

During recording of an MPEG information signal on a record carrier (40), transport packets (P.sub.k) are stored in signal blocks in a track (1) on the record carrier (40). x transport packets of the MPEG information signal are stored in the second block sections (SB) of y signal blocks, where x and y are integers, x.gtoreq.1 and y&gt;1, more specifically, y&gt;x. Further, third block sections (TB) are present in one or more of the second block sections in the y signal blocks of a group for storing additional information, which additional information relates to the specific application of recording and reproducing the MPEG information signal on/from the record carrier.

Recording and reproducing an MPEG information signal on/from a record

A method of transmitting timing critical data via an asynchronous channel. The timing critical data can be an MPEG transport stream of packets. The asynchronous channel can be a computer or telephone network, a digital storage media such as a digital VCR, or a digital interface. The packets are processed serially through a remuxer to obtain a constant rate and delivered to and consumed by one or more target decoders, for example, inside a TV set or in a set-top decoder. To prevent overflow of the transport buffers inside these decoders, a single monitor-scheduler is provided which monitors the transport buffers and delivers to each the packets wanted scheduled so as to avoid buffer overflow and loss of information. The method also includes restamping the transport packets with new PCRs. The remuxing scheme is simple enough to implement on DVCR or other consumer applications. Also described is a method for recording the output stream which selects out desired program material and tags the transport packets with SOA tags.

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Ossining, NY, United States of America

Imran A Shah