Switching device

Abstract

It can sometimes be difficult to perform signal switching correctly. [Solution] The switching device includes a receiving unit that receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals from multiple sources, which include video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information, and a switching unit that uses the time information contained in the IP signals to switch the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a switching device, a switching method, a program, an encoder, and a broadcast system.

Background Art

[0002] In a broadcast system, it is known to switch from one program (e.g., national news) to another program (e.g., relay video) by switching SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signals constituting the program using a switching device.

[0003] As a related technology, for example, there is Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes a digital broadcast signal transmission system including a TS separation device, a TS multiplexing device, a local material generation device, an encoder, a freeze image data generation device, a TS switching device, and a switching control device. According to Patent Document 1, the switching control device controls the switching of the TS switching device according to the result of comparing the code amount of the broadcast TS generated by the TS multiplexing device with a reference code amount.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] There are cases where a broadcast system using a network line is constructed, such as constructing a broadcast system on a cloud service. In such a case, a network line is interposed between the program output source and the input of the switching unit of the switching device. As a result, there is a problem that the delay cannot be uniquely determined due to line delay, network jitter, etc. This has caused a problem that it may be difficult to perform appropriate signal switching.

[0006] Therefore, one of the objectives of this disclosure is to provide a switching device, a switching method, a program, an encoder, and a broadcasting system that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve this objective, the switching device in this disclosure is A receiving unit that receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals containing video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information from multiple sources, A switching unit that uses the time information contained in the IP signal to switch between the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal, has This is the structure it takes.

[0008] Furthermore, the switching method described in this disclosure is: Information processing device, It receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals from multiple sources, which include video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information. Using the time information contained in the IP signal, the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output are switched from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal. This is the structure it takes.

[0009] Furthermore, the program in this disclosure is In an information processing device, It receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals from multiple sources, which include video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information. Using the time information contained in the IP signal, the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output are switched from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal. This is a program for performing the processing.

[0010] Furthermore, the encoder in this disclosure is An SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signal receiving unit that receives SDI signals, An IP conversion unit generates an IP (Internet Protocol) packet according to each packet corresponding to each data separated from the aforementioned SDI signal, with time information stamped in the header. The output unit outputs the aforementioned IP packets, has This is the structure it takes.

[0011] Furthermore, the broadcasting system in this disclosure is An encoder having an SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signal receiving unit that receives an SDI signal, an IP conversion unit that generates an IP (Internet Protocol) packet corresponding to each data segment of the separated SDI signal and each packet with time information stamped in the header, and an output unit that outputs the IP packet, A switching device comprising: a receiving unit that receives the IP signal, which includes video data, audio data, and ancillary data, as well as time information, from an encoder that is a plurality of transmitting sources; and a switching unit that uses the time information contained in the IP signal to switch the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal; including This is the structure it takes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the configurations described above, more appropriate signal switching can be achieved when constructing a broadcasting system using network lines. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1]It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a signal switching system in the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an encoder. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing a buffer image. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a PES packet. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of calculating video PTS and DTS defined in ISO / IEE13818-1. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of calculating video PTS and DTS. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of calculating audio PTS defined in ISO / IEE13818-1. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of calculating audio PTS. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a switching device. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a buffer image. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing an operation example of an encoder. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed in step S103. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed in step S103. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed in step S103. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing an operation example of a signal processing unit. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing an example of a switching process. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of a second switching device in the present disclosure. [Figure 18] It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a switching device. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing a configuration example of an output device which is a second encoder in the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] [First Embodiment] An example configuration of the signal switching system 100, which is a broadcasting system in this disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 16. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the signal switching system 100. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the encoder 200. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a buffer image. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) packet. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of calculating the video PTS (presentation time stamp) and DTS (decoding time stamp) as defined in ISO / IEE13818-1. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of calculating the video PTS and DTS. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of calculating the audio PTS as defined in ISO / IEE13818-1. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of calculating the audio PTS. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the switching device 500. Figure 10 is a diagram showing a buffer image. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the encoder 200. Figures 12 to 14 are flowcharts showing an example of processing performed in step S103. Figures 15 and 16 are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of the switching device 500. In this disclosure, the drawings may be associated with one or more embodiments.

[0015] This disclosure describes a signal switching system 100 that implements signal switching using IP signals, such as IP signals (TS over IP) based on SMPTE ST 2022-2, which is known as an IP (Internet Protocol) signal standard used in broadcasting systems. As described later, the signal switching system 100 performs signal switching based on absolute time using a time server 300 such as an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server. For example, when the encoder 200 included in the signal switching system 100 outputs an IP signal from a program transmission site, it stamps the time received from the time server 300 in the PTS of the PES packet included in the IP signal. The switching device 500 of the signal switching system 100 also waits for the IP signal of the switching time received from the program control device 400. The switching device 500 then switches the signal when the switching time and the time stamped in the IP number match. In other words, the switching device 500 switches the signal to be output.

[0016] Furthermore, it is desirable for the program control device 400 to notify the switching device 500 of the switching time a predetermined time before the switching occurs, such as 60 seconds in advance. For example, by performing processing using an absolute time in response to such prior notification, the signal switching system 100 can achieve signal switching by software processing without the need for real-time switching processing on a frame-by-frame basis.

[0017] Figure 1 shows an example configuration of the signal switching system 100. Referring to Figure 1, the signal switching system 100 includes various program transmission locations such as studios, affiliate stations, and relay stations, a network line N, a time server 300 such as an NTP server, a program control device 400, and a switching device 500. Also, as shown in Figure 1, each program transmission location has an encoder 200, and the encoder 200 is connected to the time server 300 such as an NTP server in a communicative manner. Note that the studio, affiliate station, and relay station shown in Figure 1 are examples of program transmission locations and represent the source of the signal from which signal switching is to be implemented. The signal switching system 100 may include other source locations such as program transmission locations other than those exemplified above, and the number of source locations included in the system may be arbitrary.

[0018] The encoder 200 is an output device that outputs an IP signal in response to an input such as an SDI signal. Furthermore, when converting an SDI signal to an IP signal, the encoder 200 can stamp the time received from the time server 300 into the PTS of the PES packets included in the IP signal. For example, the encoder 200 is deployed within each program transmission station, as shown in Figure 1.

[0019] Figure 2 shows an example configuration of encoder 200. Referring to Figure 2, encoder 200 consists of an SDI signal receiving unit 201, a video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202, a time extraction unit 203, a video data capture unit 204, a video encoding unit 205, a video PES conversion unit 206, a video TS (Transport Stream) conversion unit 207, an audio data capture unit 208, an audio encoding unit 209, an audio PES conversion unit 210, an audio TS conversion unit 211, ancillary data capture unit 212, ancillary PES conversion unit 213, ancillary TS conversion unit 214, a PSI (Program Specific Information) generation unit 215, a PCR (Program Clock Reference) generation unit 216, a TS multiplexing unit 217, an IP conversion unit 218, and an IP signal output unit 219.

[0020] As an example, the encoder 200 has a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory device that stores a program. The processing unit of the encoder 200 can realize the various processing units described above by having the hardware and the program cooperate to read and execute the program from the memory device. In addition to the CPU, the processing unit may have a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an FPU (Floating Point Number Processing Unit), a PPU (Physics Processing Unit), a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), a quantum processor, a microcontroller, or a combination thereof.

[0021] Figure 2 illustrates a case where the encoder 200 function is implemented using a single information processing device. However, the encoder 200 function may also be implemented using multiple information processing devices.

[0022] The SDI signal receiving unit 201 receives SDI signals output by external devices such as cameras and playback devices. The video, audio, and ancillary data separation unit 202 separates the SDI signal received by the SDI signal receiving unit 201 into video data, audio data, and ancillary data, which is a data signal for displaying subtitles, timecode, etc.

[0023] The time extraction unit 203 has functions such as an NTP client. The time extraction unit 203 receives time from the time server 300 connected to the encoder 200 and synchronizes its time with the time server 300. The time extraction unit 203 also converts the synchronized time information (UTC: Coordinated Universal Time) into UNIX time to make it easier to handle in software. Here, UNIX time refers to information indicating the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 AM (UNIX epoch) in UTC time.

[0024] The video data capture unit 204 stores the video data input from the video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202 and the UNIX time (video capture time) at the time the signal was input to the video data capture unit 204 in a buffer and outputs it to the video encoding unit 205. Figure 3 shows the buffer image.

[0025] The video encoding unit 205 compresses the input video data according to an arbitrary video encoding scheme. The video encoding unit 205 also stores the encoded video data (Elementary Stream) and the video capture time stored in the buffer by the video data capture unit 204 into a buffer and outputs it to the video PES conversion unit 206. Figure 3 shows the buffer image.

[0026] The video PES conversion unit 206 converts the video encoded data input from the video encoding unit 205 into PES based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. At this time, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the video capture time stored in the buffer by the video data capture unit 204 to the PTS and DTS in the PES header. The method for calculating PTS and DTS will be described later. In this way, the video PES conversion unit 206 generates a PES packet that includes video data and the video capture time in the header. Figure 4 shows an example of a PES packet generated by the video PES conversion unit 206.

[0027] The video TS conversion unit 207 converts the PES packets output from the video PES conversion unit 206 into TS format based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1.

[0028] For example, as described above, the video data capture unit 204, video encoding unit 205, video PES conversion unit 206, and video TS conversion unit 207 generate packets such as TS packets containing video data and video capture time based on provisions such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. Note that each of the above processing units may generate packets containing video data and video capture time based on any other provisions not exemplified above.

[0029] The audio data capture unit 208 stores the audio data input from the video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202 and the UNIX time (audio capture time) at the time the signal was input to the audio data capture unit 208 in a buffer and outputs it to the audio encoding unit 209.

[0030] The audio encoding unit 209 compresses the input audio data according to an arbitrary audio encoding scheme. The audio encoding unit 209 also stores the encoded audio data (Elementary Stream) and the audio capture time stored in the buffer by the audio data capture unit 208 in a buffer and outputs them to the audio PES conversion unit 210.

[0031] The voice PES conversion unit 210 converts the input voice encoded data into PES based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. At this time, the voice PES conversion unit 210 adds the voice capture time stored in the buffer by the voice data capture unit 208 to the PTS in the PES header. The method for calculating the PTS will be described later. In this way, the voice PES conversion unit 210 generates a PES packet that includes voice data and has the voice capture time in the header.

[0032] The audio TS conversion unit 211 converts the PES packets output from the audio PES conversion unit 210 into TS packets based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1.

[0033] For example, as described above, the audio data capture unit 208, the audio encoding unit 209, the audio PES conversion unit 210, and the audio TS conversion unit 211 generate packets such as TS packets containing audio data and audio capture time based on provisions such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. Note that each of the above processing units may generate packets containing audio data and audio capture time based on any other provisions not exemplified above.

[0034] The ancillary data capture unit 212 stores the ancillary data input from the video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202 and the UNIX time (ancillary capture time) at the timing when the signal was input to the ancillary data capture unit 212 in a buffer and outputs it to the ancillary PES conversion unit 213.

[0035] The ancillary PES conversion unit 213 converts the input ancillary data into a PES format based on specifications such as ARIB STD-B40. At this time, the ancillary PES conversion unit 213 adds the ancillary capture time stored in the buffer by the ancillary data capture unit 212 to the PTS in the PES header. The method for calculating the PTS will be described later. In this way, the ancillary PES conversion unit 213 generates a PES packet that includes ancillary data and has the ancillary capture time in the header.

[0036] The ancillary TS conversion unit 214 converts the PES packets output from the ancillary PES conversion unit 213 into TS packets based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1.

[0037] For example, as described above, the ancillary data capture unit 212, the ancillary PES conversion unit 213, and the ancillary TS conversion unit 214 generate packets such as TS packets containing ancillary data and ancillary capture time based on provisions such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. Note that each of the above processing units may generate packets containing ancillary data and ancillary capture time based on any other provisions not exemplified above.

[0038] The PSI generation unit 215 generates PSI packets such as PAT (Program Association Table) and PMT (Program Map Table). The PCR generation unit 216 generates PCR packets. In this disclosure, the processing of the PSI generation unit 215 and the PCR generation unit 216 is not particularly limited.

[0039] The TS multiplexing unit 217 converts the TS packets output from the video TS conversion unit 207, the audio TS conversion unit 211, and the ancillary TS conversion unit 214, as well as the PSI packets generated by the PSI generation unit 215 and the PCR packets generated by the PCR generation unit, into TS packets. For example, the TS multiplexing unit 217 may convert the packets into TS packets in accordance with the specifications of ISO / IEC 13818-1 or similar.

[0040] The IP conversion unit 218 converts the TS packets obtained from the TS multiplexing unit 217 into IP packets. For example, the IP conversion unit 218 may convert the TS packets into IP packets based on a specification such as SMPTE ST 2022-2.

[0041] The IP signal output unit 219 outputs the IP packets output from the IP conversion unit 218 to the network line N.

[0042] For example, the encoder 200 has the configuration described above.

[0043] Next, we will explain in more detail an example of how the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the video capture time to the PTS and DTS fields of the PES header. For example, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the video capture time output by the video data capture unit 204 to the DTS field of the PES header. Here, the video capture time, which is UNIX time, is the elapsed seconds since the UNIX Epoch, while DTS is a 33-bit field counter that increments by 1 at 90kHz. Therefore, the video PES conversion unit 206 converts UNIX time to DTS by performing a conversion using the conversion formula shown below. DTS = mod ( UNIX time * 90000, 2^33 )

[0044] In addition, the time information added to the video PES header includes PTS in addition to DTS. Here, PTS and DTS are related to each other, and their values ​​are determined by the video encoding scheme and the video data being encoded. Therefore, when adding DTS converted from UNIX time to the DTS field of the video PES header, it is necessary to ensure that the relationship between PTS and DTS is not disrupted. For this reason, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds DTS converted from UNIX time in a way that does not disrupt the above relationship, by using PTS and DTS values ​​calculated using methods such as those specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1 for assigning PTS and DTS.

[0045] For example, the video PES conversion unit 206, as the initial DTS assignment, assigns the DTS converted from UNIX time using the above formula to data where PTS-DTS=0, based on the PTS and DTS calculation specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1. The video PES conversion unit 206 also adds the PTS-DTS value calculated by the PTS and DTS calculation specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1 to the above DTS and assigns it to the PTS field. Initially, the PTS and DTS calculation result specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1 is PTS-DTS=0. Therefore, the video PES conversion unit 206 assigns the same value (DTS converted from UNIX time) to both video PTS and DTS. Note that for the initial output, data prior to the input of data where PTS-DTS=0 is discarded. Subsequently, when video data is input, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the delta DTS calculated by the PTS and DTS calculation method specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1 to the DTS of the previously output PES packet and assigns it to the DTS field. The video PES conversion unit 206 also adds the PTS-DTS value calculated by the PTS and DTS calculation method specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1 to the above-calculated DTS and assigns it to the PTS field.

[0046] Figures 5 and 6 illustrate an example of PTS and DTS assignment by the video PES conversion unit 206. Specifically, Figure 5 shows an example of video PTS and DTS calculated according to the PTS and DTS calculation method specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1. Figure 6 shows an example of video PTS and DTS assigned to the video PES header output in this disclosure. In Figures 5 and 6, PTS and DTS are shown in decimal for explanatory purposes. As shown in Figure 5, PTS-DTS represents the value obtained by subtracting the DTS value from the PTS value in the same row. Delta DTS represents the difference between the DTS of the previous output and the DTS scheduled for the next output.

[0047] For example, in the case of the initial DTS assignment, as shown in Figure 5, the first input data has PTS-DTS=0. Therefore, the video PES conversion unit 206 uses the first input video data as the data for the first output. In this case, for example, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the DTS converted from the UNIX time (video capture time) stored in the buffer by the video data capture unit 204 to the PES header DTS. In the example in Figure 6, this is set to "323649207". If PTS-DTS is not 0, the video PES conversion unit 206 discards the input video data.

[0048] Furthermore, the video PES conversion unit 206 calculates PTS by adding the PTS-DTS value, which is calculated using the PTS-DTS calculation method specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1, to DTS. For example, in the example in Figure 5, the PTS-DTS for the first input data is "0". Therefore, the video PES conversion unit 206 assigns "3236492070", the same as the DTS, as the PTS.

[0049] Furthermore, for subsequent input data, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the delta DTS calculated by the PTS and DTS calculation method specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1 to the DTS of the previous output PES packet and adds it to the next DTS field. For example, in the cases of Figures 5 and 6, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the delta DTS value "3003" calculated in Figure 5 to the DTS "3236492070" of the previous output PES packet and adds it to the DTS field. In the example of Figure 6, this becomes "3236495073". Also, as described above, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the PTS-DTS value to DTS and adds it to the PTS field. Therefore, in the cases of Figures 5 and 6, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the PTS-DTS value "9009" calculated in Figure 5 to the DTS value "3236495073" and adds it to the PTS field. In the above case, the PTS becomes "3236504082". Subsequently, the video PES conversion unit 206 calculates the PTS and DTS by repeating the process described above.

[0050] For example, as described above, the video PES conversion unit 206 converts the video capture time, which is UNIX time, to DTS, and adds the video capture time to the PES header, taking into account the relationship between PTS and DTS.

[0051] Next, we will explain in more detail an example of how the audio PES conversion unit 210 adds the audio capture time to the PTS field in the PES header. Unlike the time addition process for video data, there is no DTS field in the PES header when adding time to audio data. Therefore, the audio PES conversion unit 210 replaces the DTS field in the video PES conversion unit 206 with a PTS field. For example, the audio PES conversion unit 210 adds the UNIX time output by the audio data capture unit 208 to the PTS field in the PES header. Here, the audio capture time, which is the UNIX time, is the elapsed seconds since the UNIX Epoch, while PTS is a 33-bit field counter that increments by 1 at 90kHz. Therefore, the audio PES conversion unit 210 converts the UNIX time to PTS by performing a conversion using the conversion formula shown below. PTS = mod ( UNIX time * 90000, 2^33 )

[0052] For example, the voice PES conversion unit 210 adds the PTS converted from UNIX time using the above formula to the PTS field of the voice PES header as the initial PTS assignment. Subsequently, when voice data is input, the voice PES conversion unit 210 adds the delta PTS calculated by the PTS calculation specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1 to the PTS of the previous output PES packet and adds it to the PTS field.

[0053] Figures 7 and 8 show examples of PTS assignment by the voice PES conversion unit 210. Specifically, Figure 7 shows an example of voice PTS calculated according to the PTS calculation method specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1. Figure 8 shows an example of voice PTS assigned to the PES header output in this disclosure. In Figures 7 and 8, PTS is shown in decimal for explanatory purposes. Delta PTS shows the difference between the PTS of the previous output and the PTS scheduled for the next output.

[0054] For example, in the case of the initial PTS assignment, the PTS converted from the UNIX time output by the audio data capture unit 208 is added to the PTS field of the audio PES header. In the example in Figure 8, it is set to "3236492070".

[0055] Furthermore, for subsequent inputs, the voice PES conversion unit 210 adds the delta PTS calculated according to the PTS calculation method specified in ISO / IEC 13818-1 to the PTS of the previous output PES packet and adds it to the next PTS field. For example, in the cases shown in Figures 7 and 8, the voice PES conversion unit 210 adds the delta PTS value "1920" calculated in Figure 7 to the PTS "3236492070" of the previous output PES packet and adds it to the PTS field. In the example in Figure 8, this becomes "3236493990". Subsequently, the voice PES conversion unit 210 calculates the PTS by repeating the process described above.

[0056] Furthermore, the ancillary PES conversion unit 213 can add the ancillary capture time, which is the UNIX time output by the ancillary data capture unit 212, to the PTS in the PES header by performing the same processing as the time addition processing for the audio data described above. The explanation of the time addition processing performed by the ancillary PES conversion unit 213 is the same as in the case of the audio PES conversion unit 210, so it will be omitted.

[0057] The program control device 400 has functions such as an NTP client. The program control device 400 receives the time from the time server 300 connected to it and synchronizes the time with the time server 300.

[0058] Furthermore, the program control device 400 performs switching control to the switching device 500 based on time information synchronized with the time server 300. For example, the program control device 400 can perform the above switching control by transmitting switching control information to the switching device 500. Here, the switching control information may include a switching time indicating the time when the switching will take place, and switching target information indicating the signal to be switched. It is desirable that the program control device 400 performs switching control to the switching device at a predetermined time before the switching time, for example, 60 seconds before. For example, if the signal is to be switched at "09:12:00", it is desirable that the program control device 400 performs switching control at a predetermined time before, such as performing switching control at "09:11:00". By controlling in advance in this way, the switching device 500 does not need to perform real-time switching processing on a frame-by-frame basis, and signal switching is achieved by software processing.

[0059] The switching device 500 is a processing unit that receives IP signals from each program transmission station and performs switching processing according to switching control from the program control device 400. Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of the switching device 500. Referring to Figure 9, the switching device 500 consists of a signal processing unit 510 that receives and processes IP signals from each program transmission station, a switching control unit 530, a video switching unit 540, an audio switching unit 550, and an ancillary switching unit 560. As shown in Figure 9, there are a number of signal processing units 510 corresponding to the number of IP signals received from each program transmission station. In addition, the video data, audio data, and ancillary data output from each signal processing unit 510 are connected to the video switching unit 540, the audio switching unit 550, and the ancillary switching unit 560, respectively. Referring to Figure 9, the signal processing unit 510 consists of an IP signal receiving unit 511, a TS conversion unit 512, a TS separation unit 513, a video PES conversion unit 514, a video decoding unit 515, an audio PES conversion unit 516, an audio decoding unit 517, an ancillary PES conversion unit 518, an ancillary extraction unit 519, and a PCR receiving unit 520.

[0060] For example, the switching device 500 has an arithmetic unit such as a CPU and a storage device that stores a program. The arithmetic unit of the switching device 500 can realize the various processing units described above by having the hardware and the program cooperate to read and execute the program from the storage device. Note that, as in the case of the encoder 200, the arithmetic unit may be a GPU or the like described above instead of the CPU described above.

[0061] Figure 9 illustrates a case where the functions of a switching device 500 are realized using a single information processing device. However, the functions of a switching device 500 may also be realized using multiple information processing devices, such as by being implemented on the cloud.

[0062] The IP signal receiving unit 511 receives an IP signal. The TS conversion unit 512 converts the received IP signal into a TS format based on specifications such as SMPTE ST 2022-2.

[0063] The TS separation unit 513 separates TS packets based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. For example, the TS separation unit 513 refers to the PSI packet and separates the TS packet into video TS, audio TS, ancillary TS, and PCR packets. The TS separation unit 513 also outputs each separated packet to the respective processing unit. For example, the TS separation unit 513 outputs the video TS to the video PES conversion unit 514. The TS separation unit 513 also outputs the audio TS to the audio PES conversion unit 516, the ancillary TS to the ancillary PES conversion unit 518, and the PCR packet to the PCR receiving unit 520.

[0064] The video PES conversion unit 514 converts the video TS input from the TS separation unit 513 into a PES based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. The video PES conversion unit 514 also stores the video PES packet and the PTS described in the PES header in a buffer and outputs it to the video decoding unit 515. Figure 10 shows the buffer image.

[0065] The video decoding unit 515 uses the input video PES packets and the PCR packets received by the PCR receiving unit 520 to decode the data according to the video decoding method. The video decoding unit 515 also stores the decoded video data (uncompressed data) and the PTS of the PES header stored in the buffer by the video PES conversion unit 514 into a buffer and outputs it to the video switching unit 540. Figure 10 shows the buffer image.

[0066] The audio PES conversion unit 516 converts the audio TS input from the TS separation unit 513 into PES based on standards such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. The audio PES conversion unit 516 also stores the audio PES packet and the PTS described in the PES header in a buffer and outputs them to the audio decoding unit 517.

[0067] The audio decoding unit 517 uses the input audio PES packets and the PCR packets received by the PCR receiving unit 520 to decode the data according to the audio decoding scheme. The audio decoding unit 517 also stores the decoded audio data (uncompressed data) and the PTS of the PES header stored in the buffer by the audio PES conversion unit 516 into a buffer and outputs them to the audio switching unit 550.

[0068] The ancillary PES conversion unit 518 converts the ancillary TS input from the TS separation unit 513 into a PES based on specifications such as ARIB STD-B40. The ancillary PES conversion unit 518 also stores the ancillary PES packet and the PTS described in the PES header in a buffer and outputs them to the ancillary extraction unit 519.

[0069] The ancillary extraction unit 519 extracts ancillary data from the input ancillary PES packet. The ancillary extraction unit 519 also stores the extracted ancillary data and the PTS of the PES header stored in the buffer by the ancillary PES conversion unit 518 into a buffer and outputs it to the ancillary switching unit 560.

[0070] The switching control unit 530 receives switching control information from the program control device 400, which includes the switching time and the switching target information. The switching control unit 530 then converts the switching time included in the received switching control information into the PTS format according to ISO / IEC 13818-1. The switching time received by the switching control unit 530 from the program control device 400 may be either UTS time or UNIX time. For example, if it is UTC time, the switching control unit 530 converts the received UTC time to UNIX time, and then further converts the converted UNIX time to PTS. The switching control unit 530 can convert UNIX time to PTS by performing a conversion using the conversion formula shown below. PTS = mod ( UNIX time * 90000, 2^33 )

[0071] Furthermore, the switching control unit 530 outputs the switching time and the signal to be switched, which have been converted to PTS, to the switching units such as the video switching unit 540, the audio switching unit 550, and the ancillary switching unit 560.

[0072] The video switching unit 540 switches the video data to be output according to the switching time (PTS) received from the switching control unit 530. For example, the video switching unit 540 can switch the video data according to the result of comparing the PTS received from the switching control unit 530 with the PTS corresponding to the video data currently being output and the PTS corresponding to the signal to be switched indicated by the switching target information. In other words, the video switching unit 540 compares the switching time (PTS) received from the switching control unit 530 with the PTS (time information) of the PES header stored in the buffer by the video decoding unit 515 in the signal processing unit 510 that processes the current selected signal and the PTS (time information) of the PES header stored in the buffer by the video decoding unit 515 in the signal processing unit 510 that processes the signal to be switched. Then, when the three PTSs mentioned above match, the video switching unit 540 switches the output signal so that it stops outputting the video data input from the video decoding unit 515 in the signal processing unit 510 that processes the current selected signal, and outputs the video data input from the video decoding unit 515 in the signal processing unit 510 that processes the signal to be switched.

[0073] It should be noted that the current selection signal and the signal to be switched do not necessarily receive video data with the same PTS (Photo Signal System) at the same time. Therefore, a waiting buffer is necessary to allow the two signals to wait for each other. For example, suppose the video switching unit 540 has a buffer that stores 1 second's worth of data as a waiting buffer. In this case, if the delay between the arrival of the current selection signal and the signal to be switched is within 1 second, the video switching unit 540 can output the signal without discontinuity when switching it.

[0074] Furthermore, while the PTS assigned by the encoder 200 at each program transmission station is stamped at the time of capture of the video, audio, and ancillary data, the program control device 400 performs switching control at an arbitrary time. Therefore, the PTS (time information) assigned to the current selection signal and the signal to be switched and the switching time (PTS) received from the program control device 400 do not necessarily match perfectly. Thus, it is desirable that the video switching unit 540 be implemented to determine that a signal is a target for switching and perform signal switching if the PTS (time information) assigned to the current selection signal and the signal to be switched falls between a few ms before the switching time (PTS) received from the program control device 400 and the switching time (PTS) received from the program control device 400. For example, suppose the switching time received from the program control device 400 is "09:12:00.000", and the program control device 400 determines that any time up to 15 ms before the switching time received from the program control device 400 is a target for switching. In this case, the video switching unit 540 determines that an input signal is the signal to be switched if the PTS (time information) attached to the currently selected signal or the PTS (time information) attached to the signal to be switched is between "09:11:50.985" and "09:12:00.000". In this way, it is desirable for the video switching unit 540 to determine that the switching time and the PTS etc. match when the difference between the switching time and the PTS etc. of the signal to be switched falls within a predetermined range. Note that "09:11:50.985" and "09:12:00.000" are explained as UTS times for illustrative purposes. However, in reality, they are 33-bit PTS format times.

[0075] For example, as described above, the video switching unit 540 switches the output signal (video data) when it determines that the switching time (PTS), the PTS of the selected signal, and the PTS of the signal to be switched match, according to predetermined conditions such as the discrepancy being within a predetermined range.

[0076] The audio switching unit 550, like the video switching unit 540, switches the output signal (audio data) when it determines that the switching time (PTS), the PTS of the selection system signal, and the PTS of the signal to be switched match according to predetermined conditions. The audio switching unit 550, like the video switching unit 540, may also have a waiting buffer for waiting. Since the processing of the audio switching unit 550 is generally the same as that of the video switching unit 540, a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0077] The ancillary switching unit 560, like the video switching unit 540 and the audio switching unit 550, switches the output signal (ancillary data) when it is determined that the switching time (PTS), the PTS of the selected signal, and the PTS of the signal to be switched match according to predetermined conditions. In addition, the ancillary switching unit 560, like the video switching unit 540 and the audio switching unit 550, may have a waiting buffer for waiting. The processing of the ancillary switching unit 560 is generally the same as that of the video switching unit 540 and the audio switching unit 550, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0078] The above is an example of the configuration of the switching device 500.

[0079] Next, we will explain examples of the operation of the encoder 200 and the switching device 500 with reference to Figures 11 to 16. First, we will explain an example of the operation of the encoder 200 with reference to Figure 11.

[0080] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the encoder 200. Referring to Figure 11, the SDI signal receiving unit 201 receives an SDI signal output by an external device such as a camera or a playback device (step S101).

[0081] The video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202 separates the SDI signal received by the SDI signal receiving unit 201 into video data, audio data, and ancillary data (step S102).

[0082] Each processing unit, such as the video data capture unit 204, video encoding unit 205, video PES conversion unit 206, video TS conversion unit 207, audio data capture unit 208, audio encoding unit 209, audio PES conversion unit 210, audio TS conversion unit 211, ancillary data capture unit 212, ancillary PES conversion unit 213, and ancillary TS conversion unit 214, performs predetermined processing on each of the data separated by the video, audio, and ancillary data separation unit 202 (step S103). Details of step S103 will be described later.

[0083] The TS multiplexing unit 217 performs TS conversion processing using the processing results from step S103 (step S104). For example, the TS multiplexing unit 217 converts the TS packets output from the video TS conversion unit 207, the audio TS conversion unit 211, and the ancillary TS conversion unit 214, as well as the PSI packets generated by the PSI generation unit 215 and the PCR packets generated by the PCR generation unit, into TS.

[0084] The IP conversion unit 218 converts the TS packets obtained from the TS multiplexing unit 217 into IP packets (step S105). For example, the IP conversion unit 218 may convert the TS packets into IP packets based on the provisions of SMPTE ST 2022-2 or similar.

[0085] The IP signal output unit 219 outputs the IP packets output from the IP conversion unit 218 to the network line N (step S106).

[0086] The above is an example of the operation of the encoder 200. Next, step S103 will be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 12 to 14. Note that in the processing of step S103, for example, the processes exemplified in Figures 12, 13, and 14 can be executed in parallel.

[0087] Figure 12 shows an example of processing of video data separated by the video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202. Referring to Figure 12, the video data capture unit 204 stores the video data input from the video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202 and the UNIX time (video capture time) at the timing when the signal was input to the video data capture unit 204 in a buffer and outputs it to the video encoding unit 205 (step S201).

[0088] The video encoding unit 205 compresses the input video data according to an arbitrary video encoding scheme (step S202). The video encoding unit 205 also stores the encoded video data (Elementary Stream) and the video capture time stored in the buffer by the video data capture unit 204 into a buffer and outputs it to the video PES conversion unit 206.

[0089] The video PES conversion unit 206 converts the video encoded data input from the video encoding unit 205 into PES format based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. At this time, the video PES conversion unit 206 adds the video capture time stored in the buffer by the video data capture unit 204 to the PTS and DTS of the PES header (step S203).

[0090] The above is an example of processing video data in step S103. Next, an example of processing audio data will be explained with reference to Figure 13.

[0091] Referring to Figure 13, the audio data capture unit 208 stores the audio data input from the video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202 and the UNIX time (audio capture time) at the timing when the signal was input to the audio data capture unit 208 in a buffer and outputs it to the audio encoding unit 209 (step S301).

[0092] The audio encoding unit 209 compresses the input audio data according to an arbitrary audio encoding scheme (step S302). The audio encoding unit 209 also stores the encoded audio data (Elementary Stream) and the audio capture time stored in the buffer by the audio data capture unit 208 in a buffer and outputs them to the audio PES conversion unit 210.

[0093] The audio PES conversion unit 210 converts the input audio encoded data into PES format based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. At this time, the audio PES conversion unit 210 adds the audio capture time stored in the buffer by the audio data capture unit 208 to the PTS in the PES header (step S303).

[0094] The audio TS conversion unit 211 converts the PES packets output from the audio PES conversion unit 210 into TS based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1 (step S304).

[0095] The above is an example of processing audio data in step S103. Next, we will explain an example of processing ancillary data with reference to Figure 14.

[0096] Referring to Figure 14, the ancillary data capture unit 212 stores the ancillary data input from the video / audio / ancillary data separation unit 202 and the UNIX time (ancillary capture time) at the timing when the signal was input to the ancillary data capture unit 212 in a buffer and outputs it to the ancillary PES conversion unit 213 (step S4001).

[0097] The ancillary PES conversion unit 213 converts the input ancillary data into PES format based on specifications such as ARIB STD-B40. At this time, the ancillary PES conversion unit 213 adds the ancillary capture time stored in the buffer by the ancillary data capture unit 212 to the PTS in the PES header (step S402).

[0098] The ancillary TS conversion unit 214 converts the PES packets output from the ancillary PES conversion unit 213 into TS packets based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1 (step S403).

[0099] The above is an example of processing ancillary data. For example, in step S103, the encoder 200 can perform the processing illustrated in Figures 12 to 14.

[0100] Next, with reference to Figures 15 and 16, an example of the operation of the switching device 500 will be described. First, with reference to Figure 15, an example of the operation of the signal processing unit 510 of the switching device 500 will be described. Note that the switching device 500 may execute the processes exemplified in Figure 15 in parallel according to the number of IP signals received from each program transmission site.

[0101] Referring to Figure 15, the IP signal receiving unit 511 receives the IP signal (step S501).

[0102] The TS conversion unit 512 converts the received IP signal into a TS format based on specifications such as SMPTE ST 2022-2 (step S502).

[0103] The TS separation unit 513 separates the TS packets based on the provisions of ISO / IEC 13818-1 or similar (step S503). For example, the TS separation unit 513 refers to the PSI packet and separates the TS packets into video TS, audio TS, ancillary TS, and PCR packets.

[0104] Each PES conversion unit converts each TS packet separated by the TS separation unit 513 into a PES (step S504). For example, the video PES conversion unit 514 converts the video TS input from the TS separation unit 513 into a PES based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. The audio PES conversion unit 516 converts the audio TS input from the TS separation unit 513 into a PES based on specifications such as ISO / IEC 13818-1. The ancillary PES conversion unit 518 converts the ancillary TS input from the TS separation unit 513 into a PES based on specifications such as ARIB STD-B40. The processing in step S504 may be performed in parallel, for example.

[0105] Each decoding unit performs decoding processing. Extraction processing is also performed by the extraction unit (step S505). For example, the video decoding unit 515 uses the input video PES packets and the PCR packets received by the PCR receiving unit 520 to decode the data according to the video decoding method. The video decoding unit 515 also stores the decoded video data (uncompressed data) and the PTS of the PES header stored in the buffer by the video PES conversion unit 514 into a buffer and outputs it to the video switching unit 540. The audio decoding unit 517 uses the input audio PES packets and the PCR packets received by the PCR receiving unit 520 to decode the data according to the audio decoding method. The audio decoding unit 517 also stores the decoded audio data (uncompressed data) and the PTS of the PES header stored in the buffer by the audio PES conversion unit 516 into a buffer and outputs it to the audio switching unit 550. The ancillary extraction unit 519 extracts ancillary data from the input ancillary PES packets. Furthermore, the ancillary extraction unit 519 stores the extracted ancillary data and the PTS of the PES header stored in the buffer by the ancillary PES conversion unit 518 into a buffer and outputs it to the ancillary switching unit 560.

[0106] The above is an example of the processing of the signal processing unit 510. Next, an example of the operation of the switching device 500 during signal switching will be explained with reference to Figure 16. As explained with reference to Figure 15, each switching unit in the switching device 500, such as the video switching unit 540, audio switching unit 550, and ancillary switching unit 560, receives signals such as video data, audio data, and ancillary data from each signal processing unit 510.

[0107] Referring to Figure 16, the switching control unit 530 receives switching control information from the program control device 400, which includes the switching time and the switching target information (step S601). Then, the switching control unit 530 converts the switching time included in the received switching control information into the PTS format according to ISO / IEC 13818-1 (step S602).

[0108] The video switching unit 540, audio switching unit 550, and ancillary switching unit 560 switch the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output according to the switching time (PTS) received from the switching control unit 530. For example, each of the above switching units switches the output from the selection signal to the switching target signal (step S604) when it is determined that the switching time (PTS) received from the switching control unit 530 matches the PTS of the selection signal or the signal to be switched (step S603, YES). On the other hand, if the conditions are not met (step S603, NO), each switching unit does not switch the output.

[0109] The above is an example of the operation of the switching device 500 during signal switching.

[0110] Thus, the switching device 500 includes a switching control unit 530 and switching units such as a video switching unit 540, an audio switching unit 550, and an ancillary switching unit 560. With this configuration, each switching unit, such as the video switching unit 540, the audio switching unit 550, and the ancillary switching unit 560, can switch the output signal according to the time information (PTS) of the selected signal being output and the switching target signal to be switched, and the switching time received from the switching control unit 530. As a result, more appropriate signal switching can be performed when constructing a broadcast system using a network line. In other words, with the above configuration, even in a system configuration where the delay from the program transmission base to the input of the switching device 500 is not constant due to the intervening network line N, signals can be switched appropriately on time.

[0111] In this disclosure, an NTP server was used as an example of a time server 300. However, the time server 300 is not limited to an NTP server; it may also be a PTP (Precision Time Protocol) server or the like. In this case, the signal switching system 100 can use TAI time or the like instead of UTC time.

[0112] Furthermore, this disclosure describes the case where the TS over IP signal of SMPTE ST 2022-2 is used as the IP signal. However, the signal switching system 100 may use IP signals other than those exemplified above, such as the IP signals of the SMPTE ST 2110 suite. Here, the SMPTE ST 2110 suite refers to the IP signals defined in SMPTE ST 2110-10, SMPTE ST 2110-20, SMPTE ST 2110-21, SMPTE ST 2110-22, SMPTE ST 2110-30, SMPTE ST 2110-31, SMPTE ST 2110-40, etc. Note that when using the SMPTE ST 2110 suite, the PTS and DTS of the PES packet described in this disclosure cannot be used as the time transmission method. Therefore, the RTP timestamp in the RTP header may be used as an alternative.

[0113] Furthermore, the various provisions described herein are examples only, and the application of this disclosure is not limited to those exemplified herein.

[0114] [Second Embodiment] Next, referring to Figures 17 to 19, we will describe a modified switching device 600, which is a modified version of the switching device 500, and an encoder 700, which is a modified version of the encoder 200. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the switching device 600. Figure 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the switching device 600. Figure 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the encoder 700.

[0115] The switching device 600 is an information processing device capable of switching the output signals. Figure 17 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the switching device 600. Referring to Figure 17, the switching device 600 has the following hardware configuration as an example. ·CPU (Central Processing Unit) 601 (computing unit) ROM (Read Only Memory) 602 (Storage Device) • RAM (Random Access Memory) 603 (storage device) • Program group 604 loaded into RAM603 • Storage device 605 for storing the program group 604 • Drive device 606 for reading and writing to recording medium 610 outside the information processing device. • Communication interface 607 that connects to the communication network 611 outside the information processing device. • Input / output interface 608 for data input / output. • Bus 609 connecting each component

[0116] Furthermore, the switching device 600 can realize the functions of the receiving unit 621 and the switching unit 622 shown in Figure 18 by having the CPU 601 acquire the program group 604 and execute it. The program group 604 is, for example, stored in advance in the storage device 605 or ROM 602, and the CPU 601 loads it into RAM 603 or the like and executes it as needed. Alternatively, the program group 604 may be supplied to the CPU 601 via the communication network 611, or it may be stored in advance in the recording medium 610, and the drive device 606 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 601.

[0117] Figure 17 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the switching device 600. The hardware configuration of the switching device 600 is not limited to the case described above. For example, the switching device 600 may consist of only a part of the configuration described above, such as not having a drive device 606. Also, the CPU 601 may be a GPU or the like as exemplified in the first embodiment.

[0118] The receiving unit 621 receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals containing video data, audio data, and time information from multiple transmission sources. For example, the receiving unit 621 may receive IP signals converted from SDI signals from multiple program transmission locations.

[0119] The switching unit 622 uses time information contained in the IP signal to switch the video data and audio data to be output from among the video data and audio data corresponding to each received IP signal. For example, the switching unit 622 may switch the video data and audio data to be output using the time information contained in the IP signal, the switching time received from an external device, and a switching target signal indicating the IP signal to be switched.

[0120] Thus, the switching device 600 has a receiving unit 621 and a switching unit 622. With this configuration, the switching unit 622 can use the time information contained in the IP signal to switch between the video data and audio data to be output from among the video data and audio data corresponding to each received IP signal. As a result, even when IP signals are used in broadcasting systems and the like, the signals to be output can be switched appropriately.

[0121] The switching device 600 described above can be realized by incorporating a predetermined program into an information processing device such as the switching device 600. Specifically, another form of the program described herein is a program for an information processing device such as the switching device 600 that receives IP signals containing video data and audio data, as well as time information, from multiple sources, and uses the time information contained in the IP signals to switch between the video data and audio data to be output from among the video data and audio data corresponding to each received IP signal.

[0122] Furthermore, the processing method performed by the information processing device such as the switching device 600 described above involves the information processing device such as the switching device 600 receiving IP signals from multiple sources that include video data and audio data, as well as time information, and using the time information contained in the IP signals to switch between the video data and audio data to be output from among the video data and audio data corresponding to each received IP signal.

[0123] Even a program, a recording medium readable by a computer containing a program, or a switching method having the above-described configuration can achieve the same operation and effect as the switching device 600 described above, and thus the objectives of this disclosure described above can be achieved.

[0124] Figure 19 also shows an example configuration of the encoder 700. Referring to Figure 19, the encoder 700 can realize the functions of an SDI signal receiving unit 721, an IP conversion unit 722, and an output unit 723 by having the CPU acquire and execute a set of programs. The hardware configuration of the encoder 700 may be the same as that of the switching device 600 described with reference to Figure 17. Therefore, the explanation of the hardware configuration of the encoder 700 will be omitted.

[0125] The SDI signal receiving unit 721 receives the SDI signal.

[0126] The IP conversion unit 722 corresponds to each data item separated from the SDI signal and generates an IP packet according to each packet, which has time information stamped in its header.

[0127] The output unit 723 outputs the IP packets generated by the IP conversion unit 722.

[0128] Thus, the encoder 700 includes an SDI signal receiving unit 721, an IP conversion unit 722, and an output unit 723. With this configuration, the IP conversion unit 722 can generate an IP packet corresponding to each data separated from the SDI signal, with time information stamped in the header of each packet. As a result, the output unit 723 can output the IP packets generated by the IP conversion unit 722. Even with this configuration, the objectives of this disclosure described above can be achieved, just as in the case of the switching device 600.

[0129] Furthermore, even in a broadcasting system having a switching device 600 having a configuration as illustrated in Figure 18 and an encoder 700 having a configuration as illustrated in Figure 19, the objectives of this disclosure described above can be achieved in the same way as in the case of the switching device 600 and the encoder 700.

[0130] <Note> Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows. The outline of the switching device and the like in this disclosure is described below. However, this disclosure is not limited to the following configurations.

[0131] (Note 1) A receiving unit that receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals containing video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information from multiple sources, A switching unit that uses the time information contained in the IP signal to switch between the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output from among the video data and audio data corresponding to each received IP signal, has Switching device. (Note 2) The switching unit uses the time information included in the IP signal, along with the switching time received from an external device and a switching target signal indicating the IP signal to be switched, to switch the output video data, audio data, and ancillary data. The switching device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The switching unit, when it can determine that the switching time, the time information included in the IP signal corresponding to the output video data, audio data, and ancillary data, and the time information included in the IP signal indicated by the signal to be switched, match, switches the output video data, audio data, and ancillary data to the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to the IP signal indicated by the signal to be switched. The switching device described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) The switching unit has a waiting buffer for waiting for data to be output. The switching device described in Appendix 3. (Note 5) The switching unit determines that the switching time and the time information included in the IP signal match if the difference between the switching time and the time information included in the IP signal falls within a predetermined range. The switching device described in Appendix 3 or Appendix 4. (Note 6) The switching unit receives the switching time from an external device a predetermined time before the time indicated by the switching time. The switching device described in Appendix 2. (Note 6-1) The aforementioned time information is stamped in the IP signal for the video data, audio data, and ancillary data, respectively. The time information corresponding to the video data is stamped in the PTS (presentation time stamp) and DTS (decoding time stamp) of the PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) packet header containing the video data, according to the relationship between the PTS and DTS. A switching device as described in any one of the items from Appendix 1 to Appendix 5. (Appendix 6-2) The aforementioned time information corresponds to UNIX time, which is obtained by converting UTC time acquired from an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server. A switching device as described in any one of the items from Appendix 1 to Appendix 6. (Note 7) Information processing device, It receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals from multiple sources, which include video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information. Using the time information contained in the IP signal, the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output are switched from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal. Switching method. (Note 8) In the broadcast switching device, It receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals from multiple sources, which include video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information. Using the time information contained in the IP signal, the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output are switched from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal. A program to perform the processing. (Note 9) An SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signal receiving unit that receives SDI signals, An IP conversion unit generates an IP (Internet Protocol) packet according to each packet corresponding to each data separated from the aforementioned SDI signal, with time information stamped in the header. The output unit outputs the aforementioned IP packets, has Encoder. (Note 10) An encoder having an SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signal receiving unit that receives an SDI signal, an IP conversion unit that generates an IP (Internet Protocol) packet corresponding to each data segment of the separated SDI signal and each packet with time information stamped in the header, and an output unit that outputs the IP packet, A switching device comprising: a receiving unit that receives the IP signal, which includes video data, audio data, and ancillary data, as well as time information, from an encoder that is a plurality of transmitting sources; and a switching unit that uses the time information contained in the IP signal to switch the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal; including Broadcasting system. (Note 11) The switching device includes a program control device that transmits a switching target signal indicating the switching time and the IP signal to be switched. The broadcasting system described in Appendix 10. (Note 12) The program control device transmits the switching time and the switching target signal to the switching device a predetermined time before the time indicated by the switching time. The broadcasting system described in Appendix 11.

[0132] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Appendices 2 to 6-2, which are dependent on the switching device described in Appendice 1, may also be dependent on the switching method described in Appendice 7, the program described in Appendice 8, the encoder described in Appendice 9, the broadcasting system described in Appendice 10, etc., through a similar dependency relationship. Moreover, not limited to Appendices 7 to 10, some or all of the configurations described in the appendices may also be dependent on various hardware, software, various recording means, methods, or systems for recording software, without departing from the embodiments described above.

[0133] The programs described in each of the above embodiments and appendices can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). Programs may also be supplied to a computer using various types of transient computer-readable media. Examples of transient computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Transitory computer-readable media can be supplied to a computer via wired communication channels such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication channels.

[0134] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure can be made that will be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0135] 100 Signal Switching System 200 encoders 201 SDI signal receiving section 202 Video / Audio / Ancillary Data Separation Unit 203 Time extraction part 204 Video Data Capture Unit 205 Video Encoding Unit 206 Video PES Conversion Department 207 Video TS Conversion Department 208 Audio Data Capture Unit 209 Speech coding section 210 Voice PES conversion unit 211 Audio TS conversion section 212 Ancillary Data Capture Unit 213 Ancillari PES Conversion Unit 214 Ancillari TS Conversion Section 215 PSI generator 216 PCR generation section 217 TS multiplexing section 218 IP conversion department 219 IP signal output section 300 Time Servers 400 Program Control Device 500 Switching device 510 Signal Processing Unit 511 IP signal receiving unit 512 TS conversion department 513 TS separation section 514 Video PES Conversion Department 515 Video Decoding Unit 516 Voice PES Conversion Unit 517 Audio Decoding Unit 518 Ancillari PES Conversion Unit 519 Ancillari Extraction Section 520 PCR receiving unit 530 Switching Control Unit 540 Video switching section 550 Audio switching section 560 Ancillary switching section 600 Switching device 601 CPU 602 ROM 603 RAM 604 Program Groups 605 Storage device 606 Drive Unit 607 Communication Interface 608 Input / Output Interface 609 Bus 610 Recording media 611 Communication Network 621 Receiver 622 Switching section 700 encoders 721 SDI signal receiving unit 722 IP conversion department 723 Output section

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals containing video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information from multiple sources, A switching unit that uses the time information contained in the IP signal to switch between the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal, has Switching device.

2. The switching unit switches the output video data, audio data, and ancillary data using the time information included in the IP signal, along with a switching target signal indicating the switching time received from an external device and the IP signal to be switched. The switching device according to claim 1.

3. The switching unit, when it can determine that the switching time, the time information included in the IP signal corresponding to the output video data, audio data, and ancillary data, and the time information included in the IP signal indicated by the signal to be switched, match, switches the output video data, audio data, and ancillary data to the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to the IP signal indicated by the signal to be switched. The switching device according to claim 2.

4. The switching unit has a waiting buffer for waiting for data to be output. The switching device according to claim 3.

5. The switching unit determines that the switching time and the time information included in the IP signal match if the difference between the switching time and the time information included in the IP signal falls within a predetermined range. The switching device according to claim 3.

6. The switching unit receives the switching time from an external device a predetermined time before the time indicated by the switching time. The switching device according to claim 2.

7. Information processing device, It receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals from multiple sources, which include video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information. Using the time information contained in the IP signal, the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output are switched from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal. Switching method.

8. In the broadcast switching device, It receives IP (Internet Protocol) signals from multiple sources, which include video data, audio data, ancillary data, and time information. Using the time information contained in the IP signal, the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output are switched from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal. A program to perform the processing.

9. An SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signal receiving unit that receives SDI signals, An IP conversion unit generates an IP (Internet Protocol) packet according to each packet, which corresponds to each of the data obtained by separating the SDI signal and has time information stamped in the header. The output unit outputs the aforementioned IP packets, has Encoder.

10. An encoder having an SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signal receiving unit that receives an SDI signal, an IP conversion unit that generates an IP (Internet Protocol) packet corresponding to each of the data separated from the SDI signal and inscribed with time information in the header of each packet, and an output unit that outputs the IP packet, A switching device comprising: a receiving unit that receives the IP signal, which includes video data, audio data, and ancillary data, as well as time information, from an encoder that is a plurality of transmitting sources; and a switching unit that uses the time information contained in the IP signal to switch the video data, audio data, and ancillary data to be output from among the video data, audio data, and ancillary data corresponding to each received IP signal; including Broadcasting system.

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