Patent ID: 6870861

Claim:
A multiplexing device for digital signals for receiving a plurality of degree-one multiplexed streams, obtained on packetizing one or more bitstreams of the digital signals to form packets and multiplexing the respective bitstreams on the packet basis, and for multiplexing the received plural degree-one multiplexed streams, comprising: reception means for receiving the plural degree-one multiplexed streams; multiplexing means for time-divisionally multiplexing the respective degree-one multiplexed streams received from said reception means to generate a degree-two multiplexed stream; and control means for setting the sequence of time-divisional multiplexing of said packets as interleaving patterns repeated at a pre-set period and for controlling the multiplexing means based on said interleaving patterns; wherein said control means sets said interleaving patterns so as to minimize degree-two multiplexing jitter based on selecting a transport packet in a sequence of a decreasing bitrate in the case of an equal waiting time for said degree-two multiplexed stream.