Method and system for generating a packet identifier table from a received transport stream

1. A method of constructing a packet identifier table, comprising:

in response to a failed attempt to retrieve information descriptive of a structure of a transport stream from the transport steam received by a receiver device within a predetermined period of time, wherein the information descriptive of the structure of the transport stream contains a program information table,

reading, by the receiver device, a packet identifier value from a received transport stream packet;

identifying, by the receiver device, a type of data contained in the received transport stream packet; and

generating, by the receiver device, the packet identifier table with mapping information between the packet identifier value and the identified type of data, as a substitute for the information descriptive of the structure of the transport stream to filter the transport stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of data includes video data, audio data, or program-specific information, and the program information table is a Program Association Table (PAT).

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the packet identifier value has been identified in any previously received transport stream packets before performing the step of identifying the type of data contained in the received transport stream packet.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of identifying a type of data contained in the received transport stream packet is performed if the packet identifier value has not been identified in any previously received transport stream packets.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising discarding the received transport stream packet if the packet identifier value has been identified in a previously received transport stream packet.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each received transport stream packet having a same type of data has a same packet identifier value.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the received transport stream packet is formatted according to the MPEG-2 standard.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of identifying a type of data contained in the received transport stream packet further comprises decoding the received transport stream packet.

9. A method for processing a transport stream received at a receiver device; comprising:

attempting, by the receiver device, to retrieve information descriptive of a structure of the transport stream from received transport stream packets, wherein the information descriptive of the structure of the transport stream contains a program information table; and

in response to a failed attempt to retrieve the information within a predetermined period of time, switching, by the receiver device, to a packet identifier scanning mode of operation, further comprising:

reading a packet identifier value from a received transport stream packet;

identifying a type of data contained in the received transport stream packet; and

generating a packet identifier table with mapping information between the packet identifier value and the identified type of data, as a substitute for the information descriptive of the structure of the transport stream to filter the transport stream.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the type of data includes video data, audio data, or program-specific information, and the program information table is a Program Association Table (PAT).

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining whether the packet identifier value has been identified in any transport stream packets previously received during the scanning mode of operation before performing the step of identifying the type of data contained in the received transport stream packet.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of identifying a type of data contained in the received transport stream packet is performed if the packet identifier value has not been identified in any previously received transport stream packets.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising discarding the received transport stream packet if the packet identifier value has been identified in a previously received transport stream packet.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the received transport stream packet is formatted according to the MPEG-2 standard.

15. A receiver device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory system; and

a demultiplexer configured to process a received transport stream in an attempt to retrieve information descriptive of a structure of the received transport stream, the information descriptive of the structure of the received transport stream contains a program information table;

wherein in response to a failed attempt to retrieve the information within a predetermined period of time, the processor is configured to trigger a scanning mode of operation in which

the demultiplexer is configured to

read a packet identifier value from a received transport stream packet;

identify a type of data contained in the received transport stream packet; and

the processor is configured to generate a packet identifier table that associates the packet identifier value with the identified type of data as a substitute for the structure of the received transport stream to filter the received transport stream.

16. The receiver device of claim 15 , wherein the type of data includes video data, audio data, or program-specific information, and the program information table is a Program Association Table (PAT).

17. The receiver device of claim 15 , wherein the demultiplexer is further configured to determine whether the packet identifier value has been identified in any transport stream packets previously received during the scanning mode of operation before the demultiplexer is configured to identify the type of data contained in the received transport stream packet.

18. The receiver device of claim 17 , wherein the demultiplexer is configured to identify a type of data contained in the received transport stream packet if the packet identifier value has not been identified in any previously received transport stream packets.

19. The receiver device of claim 17 , wherein the demultiplexer is further configured to discard the received transport stream packet if the packet identifier value has been identified in a previously received transport stream packet.

20. The receiver device of claim 15 , wherein the received transport stream packet is formatted according to the MPEG-2 standard.