Transport Stream Splicing via Metadata Units
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods face challenges in efficiently splicing encrypted and non-encrypted single program transport streams (SPTS) over multi-purpose networks, requiring substantial processing resources and being complex to implement, especially when altering presentation and decode time stamps is necessary.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that perform transport packet-based splicing without substantial elementary stream processing, using a splicing system with a processor and memory to handle metadata units and perform transport stream layer processing, allowing for efficient splicing of SPTS and multiplexing of audio and video data packets, including encrypted streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If elementary stream splicing is performed to extract TPs and reconstruct PES packets, then splicing capability is achieved, but processing complexity and resource requirements increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the splicing operation into two distinct layers: transport stream layer operations (packet-level manipulations, PID filtering, adaptation field processing) and elementary stream operations (PES packet reconstruction, PTS/DTS adjustment). By performing splicing primarily at the transport stream layer using metadata units, the complex elementary stream processing is avoided, thus reducing processing complexity while maintaining splicing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metadata units as an intermediary mechanism that carries timing and synchronization information without requiring full PES packet reconstruction. These metadata units enable the splicing system to perform transport stream layer processing independently, avoiding the need to decode and re-encode elementary streams, thereby reducing processing resources while achieving the same splicing effect.
2Reliability
If TP payload is encrypted and PTS/DTS alteration is required, then security is maintained, but splicing operation becomes difficult or impossible without decryption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent shifts the splicing operation from the elementary stream dimension (where PTS/DTS are embedded within encrypted PES packets) to the transport stream dimension (where metadata units containing timing information can be processed independently). This dimensional shift allows splicing to occur on unencrypted metadata while the encrypted TP payloads remain intact, maintaining security while enabling splicing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts timing and synchronization information from the encrypted TP payloads into separate metadata units at the transport stream layer. By taking out this critical information from the encrypted elementary stream context and placing it in processable metadata format, the system can perform splicing operations on the metadata without decrypting the TP payloads, thus maintaining both security and splicing capability.
3Manufacturing precision
If substantial elementary stream processing is performed to alter PTS and DTS, then timing accuracy is improved, but processing time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments timing information processing from the elementary stream reconstruction process. By handling PTS/DTS adjustments through transport stream layer metadata units rather than through full PES packet reconstruction, the system achieves timing accuracy without the computational overhead of elementary stream processing, thus improving processing efficiency while maintaining timing precision.
4Adaptability or versatility
If advertisements are inserted by splicing, then content delivery versatility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the advertisement insertion process into transport stream layer operations (inserting ad TPs into the transport stream using PID routing and metadata management) rather than requiring full elementary stream processing. This segmentation enables versatile content delivery through ad insertion while keeping system complexity manageable by operating at the higher transport stream abstraction level.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for splicing a first data stream that conveys a first single program transport stream (SPTS) and a second data stream that conveys a second SPTS, the method includes: receiving first data stream metadata units representative of first data stream packets, second data stream metadata units representative of second data stream packets and a request to perform a splicing operation at a n′th splicing point; performing, in response to the splicing request, transport stream layer processing of the first data stream metadata units and of the second data stream metadata units such as to provide a control output stream; and transmitting an output stream in response to the control output stream.