KR100329152B1 - Set-top box with caption playback function and its playback method - Google Patents

Abstract

The technical field to which the invention described in the claims belongs.

It's about a set-top box.

B. Technical problem to be solved

Provided is a set-top box having a caption playback function and a playback method.

C. Summary of the Solution

In the set-top box, a caption extracting unit for extracting caption data among video data decoded and applied from the audio / video decoder of the set-top box, and OSD characters according to the caption data extracted from the caption extracting unit A character generator for generating data, a mixer for mixing video data applied from the audio / video decoder with OSD character data applied from the character generator, and the caption extractor and the character in response to a caption reproduction request; And a controller configured to control the generator and the mixer to display the characters corresponding to the caption data by overlapping the TV receiver.

D. Significant Uses of the Invention

Used for set top boxes.

Description

Set-top box with caption playback function and its playback method

The present invention relates to a set-top-box, and more particularly, to a set-top box having a caption reproduction function and a reproduction method thereof.

In general, a set-top box is a device configured with a TV receiver to receive various TV image data of a multi-channel transmitted through a network or a satellite, and is related to all programs as well as various image data of the multi-channel TV program. Receives the guidance information (hereinafter referred to as "EPG") and provides it to the user.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional set-top box. Referring to FIG. 1, the set top box 100 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 104 for controlling the overall operation of the set top box 100 according to a control program stored in the memory 106, and the control unit (CPU). The control program for controlling the 104 is composed of a ROM and a RAM, wherein various control programs of the controller 104 are mapped to the ROM, and the control unit 104 is controlled to the RAM. A network interface which is connected to a network through a memory 106 in which various generated data are temporarily stored, and an information transmission medium such as a telephone line or an optical cable, and performs interfacing of transmission and reception data between the network and the audio / video decoder 114. And a demultiplexer 112 which classifies the received data into audio / video data and EPG data under the control of the control unit 104 and applies each data to the corresponding decoder. The audio / video decoder 114, which is controlled by the controller 104 through the system bus and decodes the video data stream applied through the network interface 110, and outputs the audio data and the video data, and the demultiplexer 112. The EPG decoder 108 decodes and outputs the EPG data applied from the video output unit, and the video output unit converts the digital video processed by the audio / video decoder 114 into the analog format to convert the digital video into an analog device. An audio / video output unit for outputting to a monitor, and converting the digital audio processed by the audio / video decoder 114 into an analog form and amplifying the digital audio output to a speaker of the TV receiver 118 which is an external device. 116 and a front panel control panel of the set-top box 100, and include a plurality of function keys, and key data corresponding to the key input. It is composed of a key input unit 102 that generates and outputs to the control unit 104.

The set-top box configured as described above provides not only a variety of TV image data but also EPG information as a TV receiver, so that a user can not only watch various TV programs but also search for desired TV programs using the EPG information. Make it easy.

However, the above-described conventional set-top box has not yet been provided with a function for reproducing caption data. Therefore, the user who wants to watch the caption had to be equipped with a TV receiver with a caption display function or a separate caption decoding device. Therefore, if the caption decoding function is built into the set-top box that will be widely used as a multimedia terminal equipment in the future, the usefulness is expected to be great.

As described above, since the caption data is not yet provided in the conventional set-top box, the user who wants to view the caption can only view the caption by providing a TV receiver with a caption display function or a separate caption decoding device. There was a problem.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a set-top box having a caption reproduction function and a reproduction method thereof.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional set-top box,

2 is a block diagram of a set-top box having a caption playback function according to an embodiment of the present invention,

3 is a process flow diagram for caption playback according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a caption extracting unit extracting caption data from video data decoded and applied from an audio / video decoder of the set top box, and extracted from the caption extracting unit is applied to the set top box. A character generator for generating OSD character data according to the caption data, a mixer for mixing video data applied from the audio / video decoder and OSD character data applied from the character generator, and in response to a caption reproduction request; And a control unit for controlling the caption extracting unit, the character generating unit, and the mixer unit to display a character corresponding to the caption data by overlapping the TV receiver.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description and in the accompanying drawings, in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. And a detailed description of known functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention will be omitted.

2 is a block diagram of a set-top box having a caption playback function according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a block configuration of a set top box having a caption reproduction function includes a caption extractor 206 and a character generator 208 in the block configuration of the conventional set top box of FIG. 1. 204 and the mixer 210 are added. The remaining blocks except for the caption extractor 206, the character generator 208, and the mixer 210 perform the same functions as described above with reference to FIG. 1. In operation, the caption extractor 206 extracts caption data from the video data decoded by the audio / video decoder 114 under the control of the controller 202 and applies the caption data to the character generator 208. Accordingly, the character generator 208 generates an On Screen Display (OSD) character according to the caption data and applies it to the mixer 210. Then, the mixer 210 mixes OSD text data according to caption data applied from the character generator 208 and video data decoded and applied from the audio / video decoder 114 under the control of the controller 202. To the audio / video output unit 116. Accordingly, the video screen of the TV program displaying the caption is displayed on the monitor of the TV receiver 118 connected through the audio / video output unit 116.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of generating caption data in a set-top box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The operation according to the flowchart of FIG. 3 is programmed in the memory 106 to be performed by the controller 202 of FIG. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, when a user wants to display a caption while watching a TV program through the monitor of the TV receiver 118, the user inputs a caption reproduction key through the key input unit 102 of the set-top box 200. The caption playback key refers to a key preset by the user so that the set-top box 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention plays a caption data, and may be newly provided in the key input unit 102. You can also use a combination of existing keys. In response, the control unit 202 proceeds from step 300 to step 302 of FIG. 3 to control the caption extractor 206 to extract caption data from the video data applied from the audio / video decoder 114. do. The controller 202 proceeds to step 304 to control the character generator 208 to generate the corresponding OSD character data from the caption data extracted in the step 302. The controller 202 proceeds to step 306 to control the mixer 210 to mix the OSD text data generated in step 304 with the video data decoded and applied from the audio / video decoder 114. do. In step 308, the controller 202 controls the audio / video output unit 116 to convert the mixed data into an analog signal and transmit the converted data to the TV receiver 118. Accordingly, the screen on which the caption is reproduced is displayed on the monitor of the TV receiver 118. Subsequently, the control unit 202 proceeds to step 310 and checks whether there is a key input for stopping caption playback from the user. When there is an input of a caption playback stop key, the controller 202 proceeds to step 312 and the caption playback unit 204 ) To stop caption playback.

As described above, the present invention has an advantage that a caption reproduction function is provided in the set-top box so that a caption reproduction screen can be easily seen without a TV receiver or a separate caption decoder equipped with a caption function.

Claims (2)

In a set top box, A caption extracting unit extracting caption data from video data decoded and applied from the audio / video decoder of the set-top box; A character generator for generating OSD text data according to the caption data extracted from the caption extracting unit; A mixer unit for mixing video data applied from the audio / video decoder with OSD character data applied from the character generator; And a control unit for controlling the caption extracting unit, the character generating unit, and the mixer unit in response to a caption reproduction request to display the characters corresponding to the caption data by overlapping the external display apparatus. One set top box. In the caption playback method in the set-top box having a caption playback function, Extracting caption data from the decoded video data in response to a caption reproduction request; Generating OSD text data corresponding to the extracted caption data; Mixing the generated OSD text data with the video data; And converting the mixed OSD text data and video data into an analog signal and transmitting the same to an external display device for display.