Patent ID: 6934303

Claim:
A method for constructing a program association table (PAT) when reducing a multiplexed data stream, comprising the steps of: receiving at a transcoder an inbound multiplexed data stream having an all-inclusive PAT, a plurality of predefined multiplexed data stream subgroups, and a plurality of hidden PATs, each hidden PAT identified by a unique packet identifier (PID) and associated with an allowable predefined combination of said multiplexed data stream subgroups; selecting one hidden PAT corresponding to a desired combination of multiplexed data stream subgroups; determining the PID makeup of the desired multiplexed data stream subgroup combination from the selected hidden PAT; discarding one or more of the all-inclusive PAT, unused hidden PATs, and any subgroups not contained in the desired multiplexed data stream subgroup combination; re-mapping the selected hidden PAT to a predetermined PID; and outputting the re-mapped PAT from the transcoder with the desired multiplexed data stream subgroup combination.