Transmitting method, receiving method, transmitting device, and receiving device

1. A transmitting method for transmitting a first stream related to content of an image or audio, the method comprising:

transmitting the first stream, the first stream including:

timing update identification information indicating whether or not a correspondence relationship between a first reference clock and a second reference clock has been updated, the first reference clock being used to transmit and receive the first stream, and the second reference clock being used to transmit and receive a second stream related to another content to be reproduced in synchronization with the content related to the first stream;

a first time according to the first reference clock; and

a second time according to the second reference clock, the second time being associated with the first time based on the updated correspondence relationship,

wherein the timing update identification information is a flag indicating whether or not the correspondence relationship between the first reference clock and the second reference clock has been updated,

wherein the second stream is transmitted independently of the first stream,

wherein the first stream is adapted for being reproduced in synchronization with the second stream which is transmitted independently of the first stream, and

wherein the transmitting method further comprises storing the timing update identification information and the second time in a TEMI (Timeline and External Media Information) access unit of the first stream.

2. The transmitting method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether or not the correspondence relationship has been updated; and

generating the timing update identification information indicating a result of the determination.

3. The transmitting method according to claim 2 , wherein the determination of whether or not the correspondence relationship has been updated includes determining whether or not a discontinuous change is present in a fluctuation of a time indicated by the first reference clock, and determining, when it is determined that the discontinuous change is present, that the correspondence relationship has been updated.

4. The transmitting method according to claim 3 , wherein the first reference clock is a PCR (Program Clock Reference) according to MPEG2-TS (Moving Picture Experts Group-2 Transport Stream).

5. The transmitting method according to claim 2 , further comprising, when it is determined that the correspondence relationship has been updated:

calculating an offset value corresponding to the updated correspondence relationship between the first reference clock and the second reference clock; and

including, in the first stream, the first time and the second time that is specified based on the calculated offset value.

6. The transmitting method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing the first time in a header of a PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) packet in which the TEMI access unit is stored.

7. The transmitting method according to claim 1 , wherein

the TEMI access unit includes a timeline descriptor and a location descriptor, and

the transmitting method further comprises:

storing the timing update identification information and the second time in the timeline descriptor; and

storing location information in the location descriptor, the location information indicating a location of the content related to the second stream.

8. The transmitting method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

transmitting another location descriptor after the location descriptor is transmitted, the another location descriptor including splicing identification information and location information, the splicing identification information being used to stop reproduction of the content related to the second stream and start reproduction of content related to a third stream, and the location information indicating a location of the content related to the third stream; and

retransmitting the location descriptor by a time when a reproduction period of the content related to the third stream ends.

9. A receiving method for receiving a first stream related to content of an image or audio, the method comprising:

receiving the first stream, the first stream including:

timing update identification information indicating whether or not a correspondence relationship between a first reference clock and a second reference clock has been updated, the first reference clock being used to transmit and receive the first stream, and the second reference clock being used to transmit and receive a second stream related to another content to be reproduced in synchronization with the content related to the first stream;

a first time according to the first reference clock; and

a second time according to the second reference clock, the second time being associated with the first time based on the updated correspondence relationship,

wherein the timing update identification information is a flag indicating whether or not the correspondence relationship between the first reference clock and the second reference clock has been updated,

wherein the second stream is received independently of the first stream,

wherein the first stream is adapted for being reproduced in synchronization with the second stream which is received independently of the first stream,

wherein the timing update identification information and the second time is stored in a TEMI (Timeline and External Media Information) access unit of the first stream.

10. The receiving method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

determining whether or not the correspondence relationship has been updated, based on the timing update identification information included in the first stream,

the method further comprising, when it is determined that the correspondence relationship has been updated:

specifying the updated correspondence relationship based on the first time and the second time included in the first stream; and

synchronizing and reproducing content related to the first stream and content related to the second stream based on the updated correspondence relationship.

11. The receiving method according to claim 10 , wherein

the specifying of the updated correspondence relationship includes,

when timescales of the first reference clock and the second reference clock are represented by Ts 1 and Ts 2 , respectively, and the first time and the second time are represented by T_org and T_ref, respectively, and an arbitrary time of the first reference clock is represented by t,

specifying the updated correspondence relationship by associating a time according to the second reference clock, which is calculated according to t×(Ts 2 /Ts 1 )+(T_ref−(T_org×Ts 2 /Ts 1 )), with the time t according to the first reference clock.

12. The receiving method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

stopping reproduction of content related to the second stream and starting reproduction of content related to a third stream when a first descriptor including splicing identification information and location information is received, the splicing identification information instructing splicing of items of content, and the location information indicating the content related to the third stream; and

resuming reproduction of the content related to the second stream after a reproduction period ends when a second descriptor including location information indicating a location of the content related to the second stream is received by the time when the reproduction period of the content related to the third stream ends.

13. A transmitting device that transmits a first stream related to content of an image or audio, the transmitting device comprising:

a transmitter that transmits the first stream, the first stream including

timing update identification information indicating whether or not a correspondence relationship between a first reference clock and a second reference clock has been updated, the first reference clock being used to transmit and receive the first stream, and the second reference clock being used to transmit and receive a second stream related to another content to be reproduced in synchronization with the content related to the first stream;

a first time according to the first reference clock; and

a second time according to the second reference clock, the second time being associated with the first time based on the updated correspondence relationship,

wherein the timing update identification information is a flag indicating whether or not the correspondence relationship between the first reference clock and the second reference clock has been updated,

wherein the second stream is transmitted independently of the first stream,

wherein the first stream is adapted for being reproduced in synchronization with the second stream which is transmitted independently of the first stream,

wherein the timing update identification information and the second time is stored in a TEMI (Timeline and External Media Information) access unit of the first stream.

14. A receiving device that receives a first stream related to content of an image or audio, the receiving device comprising:

a receiver that receives the first stream, the first stream including:

timing update identification information indicating whether or not a correspondence relationship between a first reference clock and a second reference clock has been updated, the first reference clock being used to transmit and receive the first stream, and the second reference clock being used to transmit and receive a second stream related to another content to be reproduced in synchronization with the content related to the first stream;

a first time according to the first reference clock; and

a second time according to the second reference clock, the second time being associated with the first time based on the updated correspondence relationship,

wherein the timing update identification information is a flag indicating whether or not the correspondence relationship between the first reference clock and the second reference clock has been updated,

wherein the second stream is received independently of the first stream,

wherein the first stream is adapted for being reproduced in synchronization with the second stream which is received independently of the first stream, and

wherein the timing update identification information and the second time is stored in a TEMI (Timeline and External Media Information) access unit of the first stream.

15. The transmitting method according to claim 1 , wherein the timing update identification indicates that the first reference clock and the second reference clock are stored in a PES packet after the correspondence relationship is updated.

16. The transmitting method according to claim 1 , wherein (i) the timing update identification information is a flag that indicates a first value when the correspondence relationship between the first reference clock and the second reference clock has been updated and (ii) the timing update identification information is a flag that indicates a second value when the correspondence relationship between the first reference clock and the second reference clock has been not been updated.