KR0157450B1 - Method for searching cannel by using multi-picture image display - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for retrieving broadcast contents of each channel with respect to broadcast signals of various channels. The data storage area of the memory is divided into a plurality of small screens and mapped to each small screen. By setting a plurality of small data areas, whenever a channel is detected, video data of a broadcast signal of a corresponding channel is sequentially stored in each of the predetermined small data areas, and the stored video data is read at a high speed to be divided. Display each on the small screen. Then, the broadcast contents of each channel detected on each divided screen of the multi-divided screen are sequentially and sequentially displayed each time, so that the broadcast contents of each channel can be searched more easily.

Description

Channel Search Method Using Multi-Split Screen

1 is a block diagram showing a channel search apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

2 is a detailed block diagram showing a display position controller of the FIG. 1 apparatus.

3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a method of displaying a multi-split screen of a device of FIG.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

11: tuner 12: demodulator

13 signal separation unit 14 encoder

15: A / D conversion section 16: synchronization separation section

17: memory 18: clock generator

19: display position control unit 20: control unit

21: D / A converter 22: microcomputer

23: display unit 24: ring counter

25: column address generator 26: low address generator

The present invention relates to a method of searching for a broadcast channel received by a television, and more particularly, to a channel search method for searching a channel more easily by simultaneously displaying a broadcast screen of each channel using a multi-divided screen.

In general, a television or video tape recorder (hereinafter referred to as a VTR) is provided with a function for searching for a broadcast picture received through a plurality of channels. The channel search function is automatically performed. The channels of the synchronous detection are sequentially selected from several channels on the air, and the screens of the selected channels are sequentially displayed. That is, the reception signal of the channel through which the television broadcast signal is received among the multiple channels is displayed on all or part of the screen. The conventional channel search apparatus sets up a main screen and a sub-screen using two tuners for receiving a television broadcast signal, and then displays the screen of each channel to be searched on the sub-screen. At this time, the search screen displayed on the sub screen is displayed for a predetermined time and then changes to the screen of the next selected channel. In such a channel search method, since the conversion speed of the search screen displayed on the sub-screen is not appropriate, the channel search is difficult. That is, the search screen is often changed to the next screen before the searcher sees the search screen and recognizes the broadcast content.

In addition, another conventional channel search method uses a picture in picture (PIP) function. The entire screen is divided into a main screen and a plurality of sub-screens, and a broadcast signal of a channel to be watched is displayed on a main screen, and a broadcast signal of a channel to be searched is displayed on a plurality of sub-screens. At this time, the viewer increases or decreases the channel of the search screen displayed on the sub screen by using a predetermined up / down key. Then, the broadcast signal of the channel selected by the up / down key is displayed on the subscreen while the broadcast signal of the channel where synchronization has been detected is displayed on one or more subscreens.

However, the conventional channel search method as described above is inconvenient to search while increasing or decreasing the channel one by one, or the speed of changing the screen of sequentially detected channels is not appropriate.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention in view of this point, in checking the broadcast contents of a plurality of channels, when the channel search function is performed by dividing the entire screen into a plurality of screens, the broadcast screen of each channel in each divided screen The present invention provides a channel search method using a multi-split screen to perform channel search more easily by sequentially displaying.

In order to achieve the above object, a channel search method using a multi-split screen of the present invention includes a tuner for receiving broadcast signals of various channels, a memory for storing image data of the received broadcast signal, and image data stored in the memory. A channel search method for searching for broadcast contents of each channel, comprising: a display unit for displaying a plurality of divided small screens, the first step of generating a predetermined pulse when a broadcast signal of a predetermined channel is detected through a tuner; If the pulse signal is generated in the first step, the second step of storing the image data of the channel corresponding to the pulse signal in a predetermined small data area of the memory, and the image data of each small data area stored in the second step And reading out at a high speed clock so as to reduce the size of the screen and transmitting the readout to the display unit.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a channel search apparatus to which a channel search method using a multi-split screen of the present invention is applied. FIG. 1 includes a tuner 11 for selecting a channel of a signal received through an antenna, and a signal separator 13 for separating a complex video signal demodulated by the demodulator 12 into a video signal and a synchronization signal. And an encoder 14 and an A / D converter 15 for converting the video signal separated by the signal separator 13 into a digital signal. The synchronizing separator 16 receives the synchronizing signal separated by the signal separating unit 13 and divides the synchronizing signal into the vertical synchronizing signal V-SYNC and the horizontal synchronizing signal H-SYNC. FIG. 1 also includes a memory 17 for storing the digital video signal converted by the A / D converter 15 in accordance with a synchronization signal, and a write clock used for inputting and outputting data to and from the memory 17. FIG. Display position for setting the position where the clock generator 18 for generating (W-CLK) and the read clock (R-CLK) and the image data output from the memory 17 are displayed on the display unit 23. The control unit 19 is provided. A detailed block for the display position controller 19 is shown in FIG. Meanwhile, the apparatus of FIG. 1 includes a controller 20 for controlling a process of writing / reading digital image data in the memory 17, and a microcomputer 22 for controlling the overall operation of the channel search value. An operation of the first channel search apparatus having such a configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

In FIG. 1, the tuner 11 selects a channel to be tuned among a plurality of broadcast channels according to a predetermined data signal and a control signal supplied from the microcomputer 22, and demodulates the broadcast signal of the selected channel 12. ). The demodulator 12 demodulates the broadcast signal supplied from the tuner 11 and outputs the composite video signal to the signal separator 13. The signal separator 13 separates the composite video signal obtained from the demodulator 12 into color difference signals R-Y, B-Y, luminance signal Y, and a synchronization signal. The color difference signals R-Y and B-Y and the luminance signal Y output from the signal separation unit 13 are converted into digital signals by the A / D conversion unit 15 via the encoder 14. In addition, the sync signal separated by the signal separator 13 is divided into a horizontal sync signal H-SYNC and a vertical sync signal V-SYNC by the sync separator 16 and applied to the control unit 20. The clock generator 18 generates a write clock W-CLK and a read clock R-CLK of a predetermined frequency for use when writing or reading data to the memory 17. Here, the read clock R-CLK is generated with a higher frequency signal than the write clock W-CLK. In addition, the display position controller 19 generates a predetermined position control signal for setting the position of the data when the image data is written to or read from the memory 17. Then, the controller 20 may synchronize the synchronization signals H-SYNC and V-SYNC supplied from the synchronization separator 16, the write clock W-CLK of a predetermined frequency supplied from the clock generator 18, and the display. The digital image data supplied from the A / D converter 15 is stored in the memory 17 in accordance with a predetermined position control signal supplied from the position controller 19.

As such, the image data stored in the memory 17 is read again by the controller 20. The controller 20 reads image data stored in the memory 17 at a high speed by a read clock R-CLK having a predetermined frequency higher than that of the write clock W-CLK supplied from the clock generator 18. It will reduce the size of the displayed screen. When reading data from the memory 17, the display position control unit 19 supplies a predetermined position control signal to the control unit 20 similarly to the case of storing the data. As described above, the predetermined position control signal supplied from the display position controller 19 to the controller 20 when writing or reading data to the memory 17 will be described in detail later. The image data read out from the memory 17 is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 21 and supplied to the display unit 23. The screen displayed on the display unit 23 is a plurality of divided small screens. As described above, the image data stored in the memory 17 is displayed on each small screen in a reduced form by a high frequency read clock. In addition, the image data read out from the memory 17 is displayed on the small screen at the position designated by the predetermined position control signal output from the display position control unit 19. At this time, the display position control unit 19 generates a predetermined position control signal so that image data is sequentially displayed on a plurality of small screens of the display unit 23 according to a predetermined pulse signal supplied from the microcomputer 22, The memory 17 is accessed through the control unit 20.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed block diagram of the display position controller 19 in the FIG. 1 apparatus. The display position controller 19 of FIG. 2 receives a predetermined pulse signal from the microcomputer 22 and supplies a ring counter 24 for repeatedly counting a predetermined section and a counting signal output from the ring counter 24. And a column address generator 25 that generates a predetermined column address, and a low address generator that receives a counting signal output from the ring counter 24 and generates a predetermined row address. It consists of 26.

In FIG. 2, the ring counter 24 receives a pulse signal of a predetermined period transmitted from the microcomputer 22. As shown in FIG. The pulse signal is a signal generated whenever a synchronization of a broadcast signal is detected among a plurality of channels, and is supplied to the ring counter 24 to control the counting operation. The ring counter 24 increases the counting value by one every time a pulse signal is input and outputs the counting value. The counting signal output from the ring counter 24 is supplied to the column address generator 25 and the low address generator 26, respectively. In addition, the ring counter 24 generates predetermined column pulses and low pulses corresponding to one field section of each small screen and supplies them to the first and second AND and AND gates, respectively. Then, the first and gate AND1 and the second and gate AND2 are pulse signals, columns, and low addresses output from the ring counter 24, the column address generator 25, and the low address generator 26, respectively. The signal is supplied to generate a window pulse signal as shown in FIG. The memory map having the image data corresponding to one full screen stored in the memory 17 is stored in the form in which image data corresponding to '16' small screens is divided. In FIG. 3, the first column window pulse Pc ₁ opens the first column 00 of the memory map, while the first row window pulse PR ₁ opens the first row 00 of the memory map. When the window is opened, a data area 0000 corresponding to the video data of the first small screen in the memory map is designated. Therefore, when writing or reading data to the memory 17, the memory areas designated by the columns and the row window pulses are thus accessed. For example, when the number of small screens obtained by dividing the full screen is 16, the configuration of the memory map for the image data of the full screen is also divided into 16 small data areas as shown in FIG. Now, when the first pulse is input from the microcomputer 22 to the ring counter 24, the counting value '0000' is supplied from the ring counter 24 to the column address generator 25 and the low address generator 26. The first and second AND gates AND2 are supplied with column and low pulses for enabling one field section of the column and the row, respectively. Accordingly, the first and second AND gates AND2 output the column window pulses and the low window pulses, respectively, to designate the corresponding data area 0000 of the memory. When the next pulse is input, the ring counter 24 outputs '0001' to designate the next data area 0001 of the memory in the same manner as before. As such, each time the pulse is input from the microcomputer 22, the ring counter 24 increases the counting value by '1' and outputs the corresponding value of the memory by the column and the low window pulse. Similarly, when each data area of the memory is specified in order and a 16th pulse is input, the ring counter 24 outputs '1111' to designate the last data area of the memory. Then, when the 17th pulse is input again from the microcomputer 22, the ring counter 24 outputs '0000' again. For this reason, the small screen data area constituting the memory map is not necessarily divided into 16 pieces, but can be arbitrarily determined below.

As described above, the channel search method using the multi-split screen according to the present invention divides the entire screen into any number of small screens, and sequentially displays the broadcast signal of the channel whose synchronization is detected on each small screen. The broadcast contents of the channel can be searched more easily and quickly. In particular, in a cable TV broadcasting where a broadcasting channel is various or an area where a plurality of channels can be detected, the channel search is more effective.

Claims (4)

A tuner for receiving broadcast signals of various channels, a memory for storing image data of the received broadcast signal, and a display unit for displaying the image data stored in the memory on a plurality of divided small screens. A channel searching method for searching, comprising: a first step of generating a predetermined pulse when a broadcast signal of a predetermined channel is detected through the tuner; A second step of storing image data of a channel corresponding to the pulse signal in a predetermined small data area of the memory when the pulse signal is generated in the first step; And a third step of reading image data of each small data area stored in the second step according to a high speed clock to reduce the size of the display screen and transmitting the image data to the display unit. The method of claim 1, wherein the second step comprises: a second step of counting when a pulse signal is generated in the first step; A second step of designating each small data area of the memory according to the counting value in the second step; And a second step (c) of storing the video data in a small data area designated in the second step according to a predetermined clock. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein step 2b comprises: designating each small data area for a column of a data storage area of the memory according to the counting value in step 2a; And specifying each small data area for a row of a data storage area of the memory according to the counting value in step 2a. The method of claim 1, wherein the third step comprises: a third step of generating a read clock having a speed such that the screen of each displayed channel can be reduced to a size of a plurality of divided screens; A third step of reading image data of each small data area stored in the second step according to the read clock generated in the third step; And a third step of displaying the image data read in the third step on the divided small screen of the display unit to be mapped.