Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A data decoding apparatus, comprising: means for receiving a plurality of data packets to be decoded; a buffer for temporarily storing said data packets, wherein said packets stored in said buffer are read out of said buffer according to an output control means that operates at an output rate; a counter for maintaining a count of the number of packets stored in said buffer; means for sampling said counter at a given time to determine a current count at that time; means for comparing said current count to a predetermined desired count; means for increasing said output rate when said current count is greater than said desired count, and for decreasing said output rate when said current count is less than said desired count; and a packet decoder for decoding said packets as they are output from said buffer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
A data decoding apparatus, comprising: means for receiving a plurality of data packets to be decoded; a buffer for temporarily storing said data packets, wherein said packets stored in said buffer are read out of said buffer according to an output control means that operates at an output rate; a counter for maintaining a count of the number of packets stored in said buffer; means for sampling said counter at a given time to determine a current count at that time; means for comparing said current count to a predetermined desired count; means for increasing said output rate when said current count is greater than said desired count, and for decreasing said output rate when said current count is less than said desired count; and a packet decoder for decoding said packets as they are output from said buffer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: means for extracting time information from one or more of said data packets; and means for generating a system clock signal from said extracted time information, wherein said system clock signal is used to process said received data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said counter is incremented when one of said packets is stored in said buffer and decremented when one of said packets is read out of said buffer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for sampling is operable to sample said counter at a predetermined sampling rate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
83 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for sampling samples said counter in response to a sampling signal, and wherein said means for sampling further comprises: a sampling means counter for counting cycles of an oscillator; means for comparing the count value of said sampling means counter to a predetermined sampling reference count value; and means for generating said sampling signal when said count value of said sampling means counter and said predetermined sampling reference count value are equal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for increasing/decreasing said output rate increases/decreases said output rate in predetermined fixed increments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said output control means comprises: an output counter for counting cycles of an oscillator; means for comparing the count value of said output counter to a predetermined output reference count value; and means for outputting a packet from said buffer and resetting said output counter when said count value of said output counter and said predetermined output reference count value are equal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said means for increasing/decreasing said output rate decrements said predetermined output reference count value when said output rate is to be increased, and increments said predetermined output reference count value when said output rate is to be decreased.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: interval detection means for detecting interval data indicative of a period of time between reception of any two of said packets; and delay time control means for delaying the reading of packets from said buffer in accordance with said interval data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
126 words
A data decoding method, comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of data packets to be decoded; storing said data packets in a buffer temporarily, wherein said packets stored in said buffer are read out of said buffer according to an output control means that operates at an output rate; maintaining a count of the number of packets stored in said buffer; sampling said count at a given time to determine a current count at that time; comparing said current count to a predetermined desired count; increasing said output rate when said current count is greater than said desired count, and decreasing said output rate when said current count is less than said desired count; and decoding said packets as they are output from said buffer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
126 words
A data decoding method, comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of data packets to be decoded; storing said data packets in a buffer temporarily, wherein said packets stored in said buffer are read out of said buffer according to an output control means that operates at an output rate; maintaining a count of the number of packets stored in said buffer; sampling said count at a given time to determine a current count at that time; comparing said current count to a predetermined desired count; increasing said output rate when said current count is greater than said desired count, and decreasing said output rate when said current count is less than said desired count; and decoding said packets as they are output from said buffer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the steps of: extracting time information from one or more of said data packets; and generating a system clock signal from said extracted time information, wherein said system clock signal is used to process said received data.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said step of maintaining a count comprises the steps of incrementing said count when one of said packets is stored in said buffer and decrementing said count when one of said packets is read out of said buffer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said step of sampling is performed at a predetermined sampling rate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said step of sampling is performed in response to a sampling signal, and wherein said step of sampling comprises the steps of: counting cycles of an oscillator to generate a sampling count value; comparing said sampling count value to a predetermined sampling reference count value; and generating said sampling signal when said sampling count value and said predetermined sampling reference count value are equal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said step of increasing/decreasing said output rate comprises the step of increasing/decreasing said output rate in predetermined fixed increments.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said output control means performs the following steps: counting cycles of an oscillator to generate an output count value; comparing said output count value to a predetermined output reference count value; and outputting a packet from said buffer and resetting said output count value when said output count value and said predetermined output reference count value are equal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein said step of increasing/decreasing said output rate comprises the steps of: decrementing said predetermined output reference count value when said output rate is to be increased; and incrementing said predetermined output reference count value when said output rate is to be decreased.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of: detecting interval data in said received data, said interval data being indicative of a period of time between reception of any two of said packets; and delaying the reading of packets from said buffer in accordance with said interval data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
98 words
A data encoding apparatus, comprising: means for partitioning data to be encoded into a plurality of data packets; means for partitioning said data packets into one or more groups of packets; means for generating an interval indicator for each group of packets, said interval indicator indicating the interval of time between transmission of any two of said packets and thereby being indicative of the rate at which the packets within said group are transmitted; and means for transmitting said groups of packets such that for each group said data packets and said indicator are associated with each other.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
98 words
A data encoding apparatus, comprising: means for partitioning data to be encoded into a plurality of data packets; means for partitioning said data packets into one or more groups of packets; means for generating an interval indicator for each group of packets, said interval indicator indicating the interval of time between transmission of any two of said packets and thereby being indicative of the rate at which the packets within said group are transmitted; and means for transmitting said groups of packets such that for each group said data packets and said indicator are associated with each other.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein for each group said interval indicator is transmitted in an interval indicator packet that is associated with said group.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein for each group said interval indicator is included within one of said data packets making up said group such that the packet including said interval indicator also includes encoded data.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
93 words
A data encoding method, comprising the steps of: partitioning data to be encoded into a plurality of data packets; partitioning said data packets into one or more groups of packets; generating an interval indicator for each group of packets, said interval indicator indicating the interval of time between transmission of any two of said packets and thereby being indicative of the rate at which the packets within said group are transmitted; and transmitting said groups of packets such that for each group said data packets and said indicator are associated with each other.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
93 words
A data encoding method, comprising the steps of: partitioning data to be encoded into a plurality of data packets; partitioning said data packets into one or more groups of packets; generating an interval indicator for each group of packets, said interval indicator indicating the interval of time between transmission of any two of said packets and thereby being indicative of the rate at which the packets within said group are transmitted; and transmitting said groups of packets such that for each group said data packets and said indicator are associated with each other.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein for each group said interval indicator is transmitted in an interval indicator packet that is associated with said group.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein for each group said interval indicator is included within one of said data packets making up said group such that the packet including said interval indicator also includes encoded data.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
78 words
A recording medium having data in the form of data packets recorded thereon, wherein said data packets are partitioned into groups, each group including an interval indicator indicating the interval of time between transmission of any two of said packets and thereby being indicative of the rate at which the packets within said group were recorded on said recording medium and/or the rate at which the packets within said group are to be reproduced from said recording medium.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
78 words
A recording medium having data in the form of data packets recorded thereon, wherein said data packets are partitioned into groups, each group including an interval indicator indicating the interval of time between transmission of any two of said packets and thereby being indicative of the rate at which the packets within said group were recorded on said recording medium and/or the rate at which the packets within said group are to be reproduced from said recording medium.