Patent ID: 7653656

Claim:
A method for splitting a stored data stream, the data stream comprising one or more files, into a first substream and a second substream, wherein a file system is employed for defining which one or more data units of a physical storage belong to a file, the method comprising the steps of: detecting within the stored data stream a data unit of the physical storage that includes an intended splitting position; generating a separate first file, the first file including said data unit of the physical storage including the intended splitting position; generating separate second and third files, wherein the second file contains the stream data preceding the stream data of the first file and the third file contains the stream data subsequent to the stream data of the first file, and wherein, during said generating of the first, second, and third files, the respective control information is modified and the respective stored audio-visual information is not copied; and referencing the first substream through the first and second files and referencing the second substream through the first and third files, wherein said data unit of the first file is a part of each of the first substream and the second substream.