Patent ID: 7333711
Filing Date: 2008-02-19
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A data distribution apparatus comprising: receiving means for receiving a special playback request from an external source; data storage means for storing transmission data to be transmitted to a playback apparatus and insertion data to be transmitted to said playback apparatus together with the transmission data; reading means for reading the transmission data and the insertion data from said data storage means based on the special playback request received by said receiving means; used-bit detection means for detecting used bits of the transmission data and the insertion data which are read by said reading means and which occupy a virtual buffer used for controlling the amount of encoding; insertion-data adjusting means for adding extra data to the insertion data read by said reading means based on the used bits detected by said used-bit detection means so as to adjust the data size of the insertion data; switching means for selectively outputting the transmission data whose used bits which occupy the virtual buffer are detected by said used-bit detection means and the insertion data whose data size is adjusted by said insertion-data adjusting means based on the type of special playback operation indicated in the special playback request received by said receiving means; and transmission means for transmitting the transmission data and the insertion data output from said switching means to said playback apparatus.