APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS IN PROTOCOL DATA OF MULTIPLE DATA STREAMS

摘要

A method and apparatus are provided for resolving conflicts in protocol data, such as program service information protocol data (PSIP), of individual and/or multiplexed cable television, satellite or off-air data streams (1, 2) which are to be multiplexed and/or re-multiplexed into a combined multiplex (3). Protocol data is read from several incoming data streams and any conflicts in protocol data which may exist among of the several data streams are resolved prior to the data streams being combined. The invention may be utilized in a cable television headend, satellite uplink, or any other place where multiplexing or re-multiplexing of data streams needs to be performed. The data streams may be MPEG2 data streams or the like.