JP2006080862A - Television receiver and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a television receiver whereby a user can grasp a program or a video scene related to a keyword in real time without the need for the user to make complicated operations and to provide a computer program. <P>SOLUTION: An EPG circuit 25 extracts EPG information from PSI information from a demultiplexer 14, and a control means 36 searches a program that is related to a keyword set by a user and broadcast at present from the EPG information to search a channel of the corresponding program, allows a tuner 12 to select a station on the basis of the searched channel, outputs at least channel information of the corresponding program to an image drawing processing circuit 18 when a video image from the video signal processing circuit 16 includes a reference image corresponding to the keyword, and allows a display device 21 to display the channel information together with the video image from the tuner 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a television receiver and a computer program, and more particularly to searching for a program related to a keyword set by a user.

  In recent years, with the digitization of television broadcasting and the increase in the number of channels, a huge amount of video has been distributed to society including homes. Therefore, a means for searching for a program desired by the user from such a large amount of program video and transmitting information to the user is required.

One method for solving the above problems is to use an electronic program (EPG). In this EPG, electronic program information such as broadcast station name, broadcast start time, program title, and other information on each channel (broadcast station) is multiplexed and transmitted together with video signals and audio signals. By using this, it is possible to check what program is currently being broadcast without having to look at the television section of the newspaper. In addition, a method in which a user inputs a keyword such as a performer and performs a program search from these electronic program information based on the keyword has been widespread (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-369093 A

  However, with this method, the user can know the program related to the keyword, but it cannot know when the video scene related to the keyword is actually broadcast in the program. The user's operation up to is complicated, and there is a problem that real-time performance is impaired.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and is a television receiver that can grasp a program or a video scene related to a keyword in real time without performing a complicated operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a computer program for realizing a machine and a part of its processing by a computer.

  The television receiver according to the present invention includes a display device, a tuner, a demultiplexer provided corresponding to the tuner and outputting at least a video signal and PSI information, and a frame based on the video signal from the demultiplexer. A drawing processing circuit that generates an image and displays it on the display device, an EPG processing circuit that extracts EPG information from PSI information from the demultiplexer, and a keyword set by a user, and is currently being broadcast Control means for retrieving a program from the EPG information, outputting channel information of the corresponding program to the drawing processing circuit, and displaying it on the display device together with the video from the multiplexer. In the present invention, the program related to the keyword set by the user and currently broadcasted is searched from the EPG information, and the channel information of the corresponding program is displayed on the display device. You can see that the program is currently airing.

A television receiver according to the present invention includes a display device, first and second tuners,
A first and second demultiplexer provided corresponding to each of the first and second tuners and outputting at least a video signal and PSI information, respectively, and a frame based on the video signal from the first demultiplexer A drawing processing circuit that generates an image and displays it on the display device, an EPG processing circuit that extracts EPG information from PSI information from the first or second demultiplexer, and a keyword set by a user, The program currently being broadcast is searched from the EPG information, the channel of the corresponding program is searched, and the second tuner is tuned based on the searched channel, and the second decoder is selected. If the video from the multiplexer includes a reference image corresponding to the keyword, at least the corresponding program And it outputs the channel information to the drawing processing circuit, in which a control means for displaying on said display device together with the video from the first demultiplexer. In the present invention, a program that is related to the keyword set by the user and that is currently broadcast is searched from the EPG information, the channel of the corresponding program is searched, and the second channel is searched based on the searched channel. If the tuner selects a channel and the video from the second demultiplexer includes a reference image corresponding to the keyword, at least the channel information of the corresponding program is output to the drawing processing circuit, and the first The video is displayed on the display device together with the video from the multiplexer, and even when the user is watching TV, the video scene related to the registered keyword is searched from the video of the back program and is being broadcast. Since the display device displays a certain thing, the user can view the video scene of the desired program without performing complicated operations. Mirrored it can know is, there is no fear of missing a desired video scene. Moreover, since the program related to the keyword and currently broadcast is searched from the EPG information and only the channel of the corresponding program is searched, the search time can be shortened without searching all the channels. It has become.

  The television receiver according to the present invention is provided corresponding to each of the display device, the first and second tuners, and the first and second tuners, and outputs at least a video signal and PSI information, respectively. A frame image is generated based on the first and second demultiplexers, a video signal from the first demultiplexer, and a drawing processing circuit to be displayed on the display device, and the second tuner are adjusted and sequentially selected. If the reference image corresponding to the keyword is included in the video from the second demultiplexer, at least the channel information of the corresponding program is output to the drawing processing circuit, and the first demultiplexer And a control means for displaying the image on the display device. In the present invention, if the reference image corresponding to the keyword is included in the video from the second demultiplexer sequentially selected by the second tuner, at least the channel information of the corresponding program is input to the drawing processing circuit. The video is output and displayed on the display device together with the video from the first demultiplexer, and even if the user is watching TV, it is related to the keyword registered from the back program video. By searching for video scenes and displaying on the display device that it is being broadcast, the user can know that the video scene of the desired program is currently being broadcast without complicated operations. The possibility of missing a desired video scene is eliminated.

  In the television receiver according to the present invention, the control means automatically downloads image data of a reference image corresponding to the keyword from a database via a network. Even if there is no reference image data related to the keyword in the television receiver, the video related to the keyword can be searched by downloading from the outside. In addition, since reference image data is registered in the database, reference images related to a wide variety of keywords can be used.

In the television receiver according to the present invention, the control means causes the display device to display an icon corresponding to the keyword together with the channel information. In the present invention, since the channel information of the program related to the keyword is displayed on the display device, it is possible to grasp on which channel the corresponding program is broadcast. At that time, by displaying an icon corresponding to the keyword,
It is possible to grasp what video scene is currently being broadcast. This is particularly effective when a plurality of keywords are registered.

  A computer program according to the present invention realizes the above control means by a computer.

Embodiment 1. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The digital broadcast receiver 1 includes an antenna 10, tuners 11 and 12, demultiplexers 13 and 14, video signal processing circuits 15 and 16, an audio signal processing circuit 17, a drawing processing circuit 18, a frame memory 19, a video output circuit 20, A display device 21, an audio output circuit 22, and a speaker 23 are provided. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 further includes a feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 and an EPG processing circuit 25, and further includes an operation unit 31, an interface (IF) 32, a remote controller 33, a reception unit 34, a network interface. (IF) 35 and a control unit 36 are provided. The tuner 11 to the video output circuit 20, the audio output circuit 22, the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24, the EPG processing circuit 25, and the control unit 36 are connected via a bus 37. It is controlled. The control unit 36 includes a CPU 361, a ROM 362 in which programs to be executed by the CPU 361 and fixed data are written, and a RAM 363 that functions as a work area of the CPU 361. It is assumed that the operation unit 31 and the remote controller 33 are provided with keys and the like (not shown) for inputting keywords and the like in addition to normal television keys. The network interface 35 is configured to exchange data and the like with the server 41 via the network 40. In particular, in the first embodiment, the image data of the reference image corresponding to the keyword is displayed. A process of downloading from the server 41 is performed. Note that the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 and the control unit 36 of the first embodiment constitute the control means of the present invention.

  In the digital broadcast receiver 1 of FIG. 1, when the user selects a channel to be viewed by operating the operation unit 31 or the remote controller 33, a channel selection signal corresponding to the channel is generated, and the control unit 36 selects the channel selection. The signal is received via the interface 32 or the receiving unit 34 and the bus 37, and the control unit 36 outputs the channel selection signal to the tuner 11, for example, based on the channel selection signal, so that the channel is set in the tuner 11. The antenna 10 includes a frequency converter, receives a digital broadcast signal transmitted from, for example, CS (Communication Satellite), and outputs the frequency-converted signal to the tuner 11. The tuner 11 includes a demodulation circuit, a deinterleave circuit, an error correction circuit, and the like, and performs a process of extracting a signal having a specific frequency from a high-frequency digital modulation signal including video / audio data. That is, a process of selecting one from a plurality of transponders for digital broadcasting is performed. A demultiplexer (DEMUX) 13 separates the transport stream into a video stream of MPEG2 (Moving Picture Experts Group 2), an audio stream, and PSI / SI (Program Specific Information / Service Information), etc. The signal is output to the signal processing circuit 15 and the audio stream is output to the audio signal processing circuit 17.

  The video signal processing circuit 15 has a built-in video decoder and the like, decodes the input variable length code to obtain a quantization coefficient and a motion vector, performs rendering by performing inverse DCT transformation, motion compensation control based on the motion vector, and the like. Output to the processing circuit 18. The drawing processing circuit 18 is a circuit that generates a video signal (video data) based on character information and color information instructed to be output from the video signal processing circuit 115 and the CPU 361, and stores a frame image (even field image, odd number in the frame memory 19. A field image) is drawn, and a video signal of the frame image is output to the video output circuit 20. The video output circuit 20 receives the video signal of the frame image from the drawing processing circuit 18 and performs D / A conversion. For example, the video output circuit 20 converts the video signal into a composite video signal and outputs the composite video signal to the display device 21. Display video.

  The audio signal processing circuit 17 incorporates an audio decoder or the like, decodes the input encoded signal to generate an audio signal (audio data), further D / A converts the audio signal, for example, right ( R) An analog signal of sound and an analog signal of left (L) sound are generated and output to the audio output circuit 22. The audio output circuit 22 amplifies the analog signals of the right (R) sound and the left (L) sound and outputs the amplified signals to the speaker 23, and the sound is obtained from the speaker 23.

  The configuration of the tuner 12, the demultiplexer (DEMUX) 14, and the video signal processing circuit 16 is the same as the tuner 11, the demultiplexer 13, and the video signal processing circuit 15 described above. The channel selection signal corresponding to is supplied and the channel is set. The demultiplexer 14 separates the transport stream selected by the tuner 12 into an MPEG2 video stream, an audio stream, PSI / SI, and the like, and outputs the video stream to the video signal processing circuit 16 to convert the PSI / SI. Output to the EPG processing circuit 25. The video signal processing circuit 16 decodes the input variable length code to obtain a quantization coefficient and a motion vector, performs inverse DCT conversion, motion compensation control based on the motion vector, and the like to the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24. Output. The feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 determines whether or not the video (reference image) set in the control unit 36 is included in the video from the video signal processing circuit 16. Processing for displaying the fact on the display device 21 via the control unit 36 is performed. Further, the EPG processing circuit 25 stores EPG (electronic program guide) information in a built-in memory (not shown) in the inputted PSI / SI, and a program similar to the keyword set by the user. If there is a similar program, processing for causing the display device 21 to display that effect is performed via the control unit 36. Details of the processing of the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 and the EPG processing circuit 25 will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI (graphical user interface) for a user to register keywords in advance. For the keyword input, a method of allowing the user to select from a keyword list prepared in advance, or a method of allowing the user to input directly using a software board or the like is desirable. In either case, it is input by operating the remote controller 33 (or the operation unit 31) and stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 363.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a series of operations of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus of FIG.
The CPU 361 determines whether the keyword has been registered (S11). This is determined based on whether or not a keyword is stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 361. Next, the CPU 361 accesses the database 41 via the network interface 35 and the network 40, downloads the image data of the reference image corresponding to the keyword set above, and stores it in the RAM 363 (S12). The CPU 361 uses the EPG information obtained by the EPG processing circuit 25 to search for all the channels related to the keyword from the currently broadcast programs, and stores the corresponding channels in the RAM 363 (S13). . Here, for example, if there are N corresponding channels, they are set to C = 1 to N.

  The CPU 361 first sets C = 1 (S14), determines whether the broadcast time of the program corresponding to the channel corresponding to C = 1 has ended (S15), and if it has ended, the above processing (S13). However, if not finished, a corresponding channel selection signal is output to the tuner 12 to switch to the searched channel (CH) (S16). The tuner 12 selects a channel transport stream based on the channel selection signal and outputs it to the demultiplexer 14. The demultiplexer 14 separates the transport stream selected by the tuner 12 into an MPEG2 video stream, an audio stream, PSI / SI, and the like, and outputs the video stream to the video signal processing circuit 16 to convert the PSI / SI. Output to the EPG processing circuit 25. The video signal processing circuit 16 decodes the input variable length code to obtain a quantization coefficient and a motion vector, performs inverse DCT conversion, motion compensation control based on the motion vector, etc., and stores several frames of video data in the memory It memorize | stores in 16a (S17). The feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 25 performs matching processing between the video data (frame image) stored in the memory 16a and the image data of the reference image stored in the RAM 363 (S18).

  As a result of the matching process, the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 25 determines whether the recognition results match (OK) (whether the reference image is included in the video data (frame image)) (S19). If they do not match (is not included), it is determined whether C = N (S20). If it is determined that C = N, that is, it is not the last channel, C is determined. = C + 1, the count C is incremented by 1 (S21), and the process proceeds to the above process (S15). When the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 25 determines that the recognition results match as a result of the matching processing, the CPU 361 receives the result and outputs the result to the drawing processing circuit 18 for drawing processing. An OSD circuit (not shown) built in the circuit 18 performs OSD processing to draw an image of an icon and a channel corresponding to the keyword in the frame memory 19 and display the image on the display device 21 via the video output circuit 20. (S22, see FIG. 4). Then, the CPU 361 determines whether or not C = N (S23). If it is determined that C = N is not satisfied, that is, it is not the final channel, the count C is incremented by 1 as C = C + 1. (S24) The process proceeds to the above process (S15). If it is determined in the above determination (S20, S23) that C = N, the process returns to the processing (S14), C = 1 is set, and the search for N channels is started again. To do.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display mode of the display device when a video matching the reference image corresponding to the keyword is being broadcast. The TV image of the program selected by the tuner 11 is displayed on the display device 21, and if it is determined that the video related to the keyword is currently being broadcast by the above processing (S16-18), FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the icon 21a corresponding to the keyword and the channel 21b at that time are displayed. By this display, the user can operate the remote controller 33 to switch the tuner 11 to the channel and display it on the display device 21 and enjoy the video related to the keyword. For example, when a baseball program is displayed on the display device 21 and a video of a specific singer registered as a keyword is broadcast, the icon 21a and the channel 21b are displayed, so that the user can view the singer. When you want to watch the video, you can watch the TV video of the singer by switching the channel.

Next, the relationship of the matching process among the above processes will be described in more detail.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the database 41 of FIG. The database 41 stores image data of a reference image corresponding to the keyword. When the keyword is transmitted from the television receiver 1, the image data of the reference image corresponding to the keyword is transmitted to the television receiver 1. To do. Then, the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 performs matching processing between the reference image and the input video.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the above matching processing, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a scanning method, FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of preprocessing, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of feature extraction. The feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 receives the video signal from the video signal processing circuit 16 (S31).
As shown in FIG. 7, the video signal is input by sequentially moving (scanning) the area 42 corresponding to the reference image (reference pattern) on the input video (input pattern) in the horizontal and vertical directions. The image data of 42 input images (input patterns) is cut out sequentially. Then, the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 preprocesses the input video signal (S32). As shown in FIG. 8, this preprocessing is processing performed in advance to facilitate the recognition process, and binarization, noise removal, and the like are performed. Further, enlargement / reduction for equalizing the size and normalization for density are performed as necessary. Then, the feature of the normalized video is extracted (S33). As shown in FIG. 9, this means a process of digitizing the graphic features of an image used for matching and expressing them as feature amounts. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the size of each part of the face, its interval, etc. are digitized. Next, the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 performs matching processing (S34), which calculates the similarity using some evaluation formula from the feature quantities of the input video (input pattern) and the reference image (reference pattern). For example, the feature quantity of the input video is X = (X1, X2, X3,... Xn)
The feature amount of the reference image is T = (T1, T2, T3,... Tn)
Then, the degree of similarity d is calculated by the following equation, and when the degree of similarity d is smaller than a predetermined value, it is determined that matching is performed (S35).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a program related to a keyword is selected, and further, whether or not a video related to the keyword is included in the current video of the selected program is searched. When a video is included, it is displayed on the display device so that it can be understood that the video related to the keyword is being broadcast in the back program, and the channel is switched at that time. You can enjoy the video.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, when a program related to a keyword is selected and a video related to the keyword is included in the current video of the selected program, this is indicated. Although an example of displaying on a display device has been described, for example, when it is determined from EPG information that a program related to a keyword is currently being broadcast, that fact (icon channel) is displayed to inform the user. It may be.

  In the first embodiment, an example with one keyword has been described. However, if a plurality of keywords are set, and a program related to these keywords and its video are simultaneously searched for, there is a corresponding one. Alternatively, it may be displayed on the display device 21. In that case, the icon can be identified by making the form of the icon correspond to the keyword.

  In the first embodiment, the example in which the image data of the reference image related to the keyword is captured from the database has been described. However, after capturing from the database, the image data of the reference image is stored in a nonvolatile storage device. It is also possible to store the information in the memory for use next time. For example, when the nonvolatile storage device is searched and there is no corresponding one, it is fetched from the database. By doing so, it is not necessary to use the network, and the processing time can be shortened.

  In the first embodiment, the example in which the display device 21 displays the video when the video related to the keyword is broadcast has been described. For example, the CPU 361 selects the program of the video on the tuner 11. A signal may be transmitted to automatically switch the channel 11 so that the TV video of the program is displayed on the display device 21.

  In the first embodiment, the example in which the feature extraction / comparison / detection circuit 24 performs the process of detecting the presence / absence of the video corresponding to the reference image from the video during broadcasting has been described. You may make it perform the process.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Explanatory drawing of GUI when inputting a keyword. The flowchart which showed the process of the digital broadcast receiver of FIG. Database conceptual diagram. Explanatory drawing which showed the example of a display of a display device. The flowchart which showed the process of the matching process. Explanatory drawing of the scanning method in a matching process. Explanatory drawing of the pre-process in a matching process. Explanatory drawing of the feature extraction process in a matching process.

Explanation of symbols

11, 12 Tuner, 13, 14 Demultiplexer, 15, 16 Video signal processing circuit, 18 Drawing processing circuit, 19 Frame memory, 20 Video output circuit, 21 Display device, 22 Audio output circuit, 23 Speaker, 24 Feature extraction / comparison Detection circuit, 25 EPG processing circuit, 35 network interface, 36 control unit, 41 database.

Claims (6)

A display device;
Tuner,
A demultiplexer provided corresponding to the tuner and outputting at least a video signal and PSI information;
A drawing processing circuit that generates a frame image based on the video signal from the demultiplexer and displays the frame image on the display device;
An EPG processing circuit for extracting EPG information from the PSI information from the demultiplexer;
The program that is related to the keyword set by the user and that is currently broadcast is searched from the EPG information, and the channel information of the corresponding program is output to the drawing processing circuit, together with the video from the video signal processing circuit. A television receiver comprising control means for displaying on the display device. A display device;
First and second tuners;
First and second demultiplexers provided respectively corresponding to the first and second tuners and outputting at least a video signal and PSI information, respectively;
A drawing processing circuit for generating a frame image based on the video signal from the first demultiplexer and displaying the frame image on the display device;
An EPG processing circuit for extracting EPG information from the PSI information from the first or second demultiplexer;
The program that is related to the keyword set by the user and that is currently broadcast is searched from the EPG information, the channel of the corresponding program is searched, and the second tuner selects the program based on the searched channel. If a reference image corresponding to the keyword is included in the video from the second demultiplexer, at least channel information of the corresponding program is output to the drawing processing circuit, and the first processing unit A television receiver comprising: control means for displaying on the display device together with video from a demultiplexer. A display device;
First and second tuners;
First and second demultiplexers provided respectively corresponding to the first and second tuners and outputting at least a video signal and PSI information, respectively;
A drawing processing circuit for generating a frame image based on the image signal from the first demultiplexer and displaying the frame image on the display device;
If the second tuner is adjusted and sequentially selected, and the reference image corresponding to the keyword is included in the video from the second demultiplexer, at least the channel information of the corresponding program is displayed in the drawing processing circuit. And a control means for displaying on the display device together with the video from the first demultiplexer.   4. The television receiver according to claim 2, wherein the control means automatically downloads image data of a reference image corresponding to the keyword from a database via a network.   The television receiver according to claim 2, wherein the control unit displays an icon corresponding to the keyword together with the channel information on the display device. A computer program for realizing the control means according to any one of claims 1 to 5 by a computer.

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