US6137834A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for splicing compressed information streams
Assignee: Invidi Technologies Corp
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Filing: 1997-05-28
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Granted: 2000-10-24
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Expires: 2017-05-28
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for splicing a first compressed digital information stream into a second compressed digital information stream. The first information stream includes at least one entrance indicium identifying an appropriate stream entrance point, the second information stream includes at least one exit indicium identifying an appropriate stream exit point. A controller monitors the two streams until the appropriate points are found and, in response to a control signal, splices the first stream into the second stream.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles M. Wine
- 👤 Robert Norman Hurst, Jr.
- 👤 Christopher Ward
- 👤 Paul Wallace Lyons
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 07:08
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/20; H04N21/21; H04N21/218; H04N21/2187; H04N19/00; H04N19/10; H04N19/134; H04N19/142; H04N19/169; H04N19/179; H04N19/85; H04N19/87; H04N21/23; H04N21/234; H04N21/23406; H04N21/23424; H04N21/236; H04N21/23608; H04N21/242
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
A method for splicing bitstreams, said bitstreams comprising a plurality of information segments representative of a sequence of information frames, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring a first bitstream to detect an exit indicium, said first bitstream being coupled to an output and including at least one of said exit indicium, said exit indicium indicative of an appropriate last information segment of a splicing segment; providing a second bitstream, said second bitstream including at least one entrance indicium, said entrance indicium indicative of an appropriate first information segment of a splicing segment; and coupling said second bitstream to said output in response to a splice decision signal, a detection of said exit indicium in said first bitstream and a detection of said entrance indicium in said second bitstream, said step of coupling comprising the steps of: decoupling said first bitstream from said output at a detected exit indicium; coupling said second bitstream to said output at a detected entrance indicium; and transmitting a splice acknowledgment signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
167 words
A method for splicing bitstreams, said bitstreams comprising a plurality of information segments representative of a sequence of information frames, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring a first bitstream to detect an exit indicium, said first bitstream being coupled to an output and including at least one of said exit indicium, said exit indicium indicative of an appropriate last information segment of a splicing segment; providing a second bitstream, said second bitstream including at least one entrance indicium, said entrance indicium indicative of an appropriate first information segment of a splicing segment; and coupling said second bitstream to said output in response to a splice decision signal, a detection of said exit indicium in said first bitstream and a detection of said entrance indicium in said second bitstream, said step of coupling comprising the steps of: decoupling said first bitstream from said output at a detected exit indicium; coupling said second bitstream to said output at a detected entrance indicium; and transmitting a splice acknowledgment signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: said splice decision signal comprises at least one of a desired temporal parameter, a desired splice quality parameter and a priority parameter; and said splice acknowledgment signal comprises at least one of an actual temporal parameter and an actual splice quality parameter.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
84 words
The method of claim 2, wherein: said desired temporal parameter is indicative of a desired time to perform said coupling step; said desired splice quality parameter is indicative of a minimum splice quality level, said minimum splice quality level being less than or equal to a seamless splice quality level; said actual temporal parameter is indicative of a time said coupling step was performed; and said actual splice quality parameter is indicative of a quality level of a bitstream produced during said coupling step.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
170 words
A method for splicing bitstreams, said bitstreams comprising a plurality of information segments representative of a sequence of information frames, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring a first bitstream to detect an exit indicium, said first bitstream being coupled to an output and including at least one of said exit indicium, said exit indicium indicative of an appropriate last information segment of a splicing segment; providing a second bitstream, said second bitstream including at least one entrance indicium, said entrance indicium indicative of an appropriate first information segment of a splicing segment; and coupling said second bitstream to said output in response to a control signal, a detection of said exit indicium in said first bitstream, a detection of said entrance indicium in said second bitstream, said step of coupling comprises the steps of: comparing a delay parameter associated with said first bitstream to a delay parameter associated with said second bitstream; and coupling said second bitstream to said output in response to said delay parameters being substantially equal.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
170 words
A method for splicing bitstreams, said bitstreams comprising a plurality of information segments representative of a sequence of information frames, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring a first bitstream to detect an exit indicium, said first bitstream being coupled to an output and including at least one of said exit indicium, said exit indicium indicative of an appropriate last information segment of a splicing segment; providing a second bitstream, said second bitstream including at least one entrance indicium, said entrance indicium indicative of an appropriate first information segment of a splicing segment; and coupling said second bitstream to said output in response to a control signal, a detection of said exit indicium in said first bitstream, a detection of said entrance indicium in said second bitstream, said step of coupling comprises the steps of: comparing a delay parameter associated with said first bitstream to a delay parameter associated with said second bitstream; and coupling said second bitstream to said output in response to said delay parameters being substantially equal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said control signal comprises a splice decision signal, and said step of coupling further comprises the steps of: decoupling said first bitstream from said output at a detected exit indicium; coupling said second bitstream to said output at a detected entrance indicium; and transmitting a splice acknowledgment signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
81 words
The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of: storing, in response to a detected entrance indicium in said second bitstream, said appropriate first information segment and a plurality of successive information segments associated with said detected entrance indicium; and wherein: said splice decision signal includes at least a priority parameter, and said step of coupling further comprises the steps of: increasing or decreasing a delay parameter associated with said stored information stream in response to a predetermined priority parameter.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
268 words
A method for splicing a first information stream into a second information stream to produce an output information stream, each of said information streams comprising a plurality of information segments representative of a sequence of information frames, said method comprising the steps of: coupling said second information stream to an output to produce said output information stream; detecting an intra-coded information frame in said first information stream, said first information stream including at least one of said intra-coded information frame, said intra-coded information frame indicative of an appropriate first information segment of a splicing segment; storing, in response to said intra-coded information frame, said first information segment in a first portion of a memory, said information segments representative of a sequence of information frames succeeding said intra-coded information frame being stored in a second portion of memory, and a plurality of successive information segments, said step of storing comprises the steps of: storing information segments representative of said intra-coded information frame in a first portion of a memory; storing information segments representative of a sequence of information frames succeeding said intra-coded information frame in a second portion of memory; repeating said step of storing each time an intra-coded information frame is detected in said first information stream; detecting an exit indicium in said second information stream, said second information stream including at least one of said exit indicium, said exit indicium indicative of an appropriate last information segment of a splicing segment; retrieving, in response to said exit indicium, said stored information segments; and coupling said retrieved information segments to said output to produce said output information stream.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
268 words
A method for splicing a first information stream into a second information stream to produce an output information stream, each of said information streams comprising a plurality of information segments representative of a sequence of information frames, said method comprising the steps of: coupling said second information stream to an output to produce said output information stream; detecting an intra-coded information frame in said first information stream, said first information stream including at least one of said intra-coded information frame, said intra-coded information frame indicative of an appropriate first information segment of a splicing segment; storing, in response to said intra-coded information frame, said first information segment in a first portion of a memory, said information segments representative of a sequence of information frames succeeding said intra-coded information frame being stored in a second portion of memory, and a plurality of successive information segments, said step of storing comprises the steps of: storing information segments representative of said intra-coded information frame in a first portion of a memory; storing information segments representative of a sequence of information frames succeeding said intra-coded information frame in a second portion of memory; repeating said step of storing each time an intra-coded information frame is detected in said first information stream; detecting an exit indicium in said second information stream, said second information stream including at least one of said exit indicium, said exit indicium indicative of an appropriate last information segment of a splicing segment; retrieving, in response to said exit indicium, said stored information segments; and coupling said retrieved information segments to said output to produce said output information stream.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
134 words
Apparatus for splicing information streams, said apparatus comprising: a buffer receiving a first information stream and producing a buffered information stream; a bitstream examiner, coupled to said buffer, receiving said first information stream and responsively causing said buffer to position an entrance point of said buffered information stream at an output of said buffer; a switch, for coupling either said buffered information stream or a second information stream to an output; and a switch controller, for transmitting a splice acknowledgement signal, coupled to said switch and receiving said second information stream and a splice decision signal, for monitoring said second information stream and, in response to said splice decision signal and the detection of an exit point in said second information stream, causing said switch to couple said buffered information stream to an output.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
134 words
Apparatus for splicing information streams, said apparatus comprising: a buffer receiving a first information stream and producing a buffered information stream; a bitstream examiner, coupled to said buffer, receiving said first information stream and responsively causing said buffer to position an entrance point of said buffered information stream at an output of said buffer; a switch, for coupling either said buffered information stream or a second information stream to an output; and a switch controller, for transmitting a splice acknowledgement signal, coupled to said switch and receiving said second information stream and a splice decision signal, for monitoring said second information stream and, in response to said splice decision signal and the detection of an exit point in said second information stream, causing said switch to couple said buffered information stream to an output.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: said switch controller compares a delay parameter associated with said buffered information stream to a delay parameter associated said second information stream; and said switch controller, in response to said delay parameters being substantially equal, causes said switch to couple said buffered information stream to said output.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said switch control signal comprises a splice decision signal including at least a priority parameter, and said switch controller transmits a splice acknowledgment signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said switch controller is coupled to said bitstream examiner, and wherein: said switch controller, in response to a predetermined priority parameter of said switch control signal, causes information to be added or deleted from said buffer such that said delay parameter of said buffered information stream is, respectively, increased or decreased.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
184 words
Apparatus for splicing information streams, said apparatus comprising: a buffer receiving a first information stream and producing a buffered information stream; a bitstream examiner, coupled to said buffer, receiving said first information stream and responsively causing said buffer to position an entrance point of said buffered information stream at an output of said buffer, said buffer being flushed by said bitstream examiner each time an entrance point is detected in said first information stream; a switch, for coupling either said buffered information stream or a second information stream to an output; and a switch controller, for transmitting a splice acknowledgement signal, said splice acknowledgement signal comprising at least one of an actual temporal parameter and an actual splice quality parameter, coupled to said switch and receiving said second information stream and a splice decision signal, for monitoring said second information stream and comprising at least one of a desired temporal parameter, a desired splice quality parameter and a priority parameter, and the detection of an exit point in said second information stream, causing said switch to couple said buffered information stream to an output.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
184 words
Apparatus for splicing information streams, said apparatus comprising: a buffer receiving a first information stream and producing a buffered information stream; a bitstream examiner, coupled to said buffer, receiving said first information stream and responsively causing said buffer to position an entrance point of said buffered information stream at an output of said buffer, said buffer being flushed by said bitstream examiner each time an entrance point is detected in said first information stream; a switch, for coupling either said buffered information stream or a second information stream to an output; and a switch controller, for transmitting a splice acknowledgement signal, said splice acknowledgement signal comprising at least one of an actual temporal parameter and an actual splice quality parameter, coupled to said switch and receiving said second information stream and a splice decision signal, for monitoring said second information stream and comprising at least one of a desired temporal parameter, a desired splice quality parameter and a priority parameter, and the detection of an exit point in said second information stream, causing said switch to couple said buffered information stream to an output.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
87 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: said desired temporal parameter is indicative of a desired time to couple said buffered information stream to said output; said desired splice quality parameter is indicative of a minimum splice quality level, said minimum splice quality level being less than or equal to a seamless splice quality level; said actual temporal parameter indicative of a time said buffered information stream was coupled to said output; and said actual splice quality parameter is indicative of a quality level said output information stream.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-10-24 | 2004-04-24 | 2004-10-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-10-24 | 2008-04-24 | 2008-10-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-10-24 | 2012-04-24 | 2012-10-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |