Patent ID: 7788277
Filing Date: 2010-08-31
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for collecting multimedia program information from a plurality of transport streams received at a transcoder/multiplexer, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of transport streams, each of which contains program information regarding multimedia programs carried in the transport stream, receiving a request for collecting program information, said request identifying program information to be collected from one or more of the transport streams and said request including a first list of requested program information and a second list of requested program information, wherein the first list of program information includes at least one Program Identification (PID) Code and the second list of program information includes one of Table ID, Table ID Extension, Version Number or Section Number, obtaining program information packets from the plurality of transport streams as they are received, the obtained program information packets containing first received program information and second received program information; matching the first received program information with the first list of requested program information; and if the first received program information matches information in the first list of requested program information, matching the second received program information with the second list of requested program information, wherein the first received program information includes a port and a Program Identification (PID) Code and the second received program information includes one of Table ID, Table ID Extension, Version Number or Section Number, and the method comprises: storing the port and the PID in an active list associated with the port, the active list including requests for collecting program information for transport streams received on the port; moving the request to a processing list if the first received program information matches the PID in the active list for the port, wherein the processing list includes multiple requests that have matched PIDs but do not have matches with second lists of requested program information for the requests; moving the request to a completed list if the one of the Table ID, the Table ID Extension, the Version Number or the Section Number in the second list of requested program information matches the second received program information; and notifying an application making the request that a complete match is found.