CA2444901C

Ip data encapsulation and insertion using a broadband transport multiplexer

Abstract

A feature-rich transport multiplexer and a number of associated methods, systems, subsystems, software features, graphical user interfaces and control systems are disclosed. The disclosure includes GUI's that enable operators to easily monitor and manipulate content streams flowing through a transport multiplexer in real-time. The disclosed interfaces include screens that supply operators with identity, structure, configuration, bandwidth utilization and/or status information for system hardware and software. The disclosed features also provide computer assisted routing configuration for present and future routing events through simple manipulation, such as drag and drop operations, of graphical objects. Routing control is further simplified by permitting operators to configure routing control of individual content stream components as well as groups of such components simultaneously. Further flexibility is permitted by predetermination of future routing events, thereby enabling the automatic execution of configuration changes at a future time. Various types of content, such as video, audio, IP data can be manipulated to achieve various results such as one or more multiplexed MPEG data streams.

CA2444901C, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 16

Term

Term ended

Expired 16 April 2022, 4.4 years ago.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Granted
  4. Expired
  5. Today

18 claims: 4 independent, 14 dependent

  1. 1
    CA 02444901 2007-02-22 WO 02/087252 PCT/US02/12108 What is claimed is:1. A method of encapsulating an IP data packet into at least one MPEG data packet, the IP data packet having content and a destination address and the method comprising: receiving the IP data packet;examining the destination address to determine whether the IP data packet is a multicast IP packet and proceeding with the method if the IP packet is a multicast packet;creating a DSM-CC header for the MPEG data packet using the destination address from the IP data packet;creating an MPEG header for the at least one MPEG data packet;and assembling the DSM-CC header, the MPEG header and the content from the IP data packet into at least one MPEG data packet
  2. 7
    A method of encapsulating and inserting a multicast IP data packet into an MPEG data stream comprising first and second MPEG data packets, the IP data packet having content of at least 165 bytes long and a destination address, the method comprising:receiving an IP data packet;fragmenting the content of the IP data packet into a first content component that is no more than 164 bytes long and at least one second content component that is no more than 180 bytes long;creating a DSM-CC header for the MPEG data stream using the destination address from the IP data packet;creating an MPEG header with at least one packet identifier (PID) for the MPEG data stream;assembling the DSM-CC header, the MPEG header and the first content component into a first MPEG data packet;creating a CRC;CA 02444901 2007-02-22 WO 02/087252 PCI7US02/12108 assembling the MPEG header, the CRC and the second content component into a second MPEG data packet;and inserting the first and second MPEG data packets into an MPEG data stream.
  3. 10
    A transcoder multiplexer (TMX) communicatively linked to an MPEG network for transmitting MPEG data streams over the network, the TMX receiving digital audio, video and multicast IP data packets from a local network, combining the data packets into a single MPEG data stream and transmitting the MPEG data stream to a remote recipient via the MPEG network, the TMX comprising:means for controlling the TMX;means for receiving digital audio packets;means for receiving digital video packets;means for receiving digital multicast IP data packets;means for encapsulating the received multicast digital IP data packets into MPEG data packets;means for multiplexing the audio, video and multicast IP data packets into a single MPEG data stream, the means for multiplexing being controlled by the means for controlling;and means for transmitting the MPEG data stream to a targeted recipient via the MPEG network. CA 02444901 2007-02-22 WO 02/087252 PCT/ÜS02/12108
  4. 15
    A method of encapsulating an IP data packet into at least one MPEG data packet, the IP data packet having content and a destination address, the method comprising:receiving the IP data packet and determining whether the IP data packet is a multicast IP packet;CA 02444901 2007-02-22 WO 02/087252 PCI7US02/12108 » creating an MPEG header for the MPEG data packet;using the destination address to create a DSM-CC header;creating a CRC for the MPEG data packet;determining the number of bytes of content of the IP data packet, responsive to a determination that there are N bytes of content, assembling the DSMCC header, the MPEG header, the CRC and the content into a single MPEG data packet;responsive to a determination that there are less than N bytes of content, adding content fill to enlarge the content to N bytes and assembling the DSM-CC header, the MPEG header, the CRC and the filled content into a single MPEG data packet;and responsive to a determination that there are more than N bytes of content, fragmenting the content into a first content component of N + 4 bytes and a second content component, assembling the DSM-CC header, the MPEG header and the first content component into a first MPEG data packet, and assembling the MPEG header, the CRC and the second content component into a second MPEG data packet.