KR100421362B1 - Charactor input apparatus and method for set-top box - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a character input device and method, and more particularly, to provide a user-friendly interface by allowing a user to input Korean, English, numbers, and special characters using a remote control in a set-top box having an Internet browsing function. It is done. To this end, the present invention includes a remote control for transmitting a character code corresponding to the Hangul, English, numbers and special characters input by the user's key operation; A set-top box which receives the character code of the remote controller, stores it in a memory, and outputs a graphic signal corresponding to the character code stored in the memory; Characterized in that consisting of a TV that receives the graphic signal of the set-top box and displays it on the screen. Therefore, the present invention has the effect of providing a user-friendly interface by enabling the character input using the remote control to the set-top box providing the Internet interface.

Description

CHARACTOR INPUT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SET-TOP BOX}

The present invention relates to a character input apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a character input apparatus and method of a set-top box that allows a user to input Korean, English, numbers, and special characters using a remote control to a set-top box having an Internet browsing function. .

In recent years, with the rapid development of the information and telecommunications industry, anyone in the home can access the Internet and search for information.

As shown in FIG. 1, the set-top box 2 installed in a general home is a device that creates an Internet interface to a user by using the TV 1 as a display.

In addition, a home gateway that provides a network environment by integrating a plurality of set-top boxes that provide individual communication interfaces is a device that creates an Internet interface for a user.

In most cases, a user uses a separate wireless keyboard 3 and mouse 4 to search for information by accessing the Internet.

However, in the prior art as described above, an interface using a wireless keyboard or a mouse is unfamiliar to a user familiar with a remote control of a TV.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a character input device and method of a set-top box that is familiar to a user by enabling character input using a remote control to a set-top box that provides an Internet interface. have.

1 is an exemplary view showing a configuration of a character input device of a conventional set top box.

Figure 2 is an exemplary view showing a configuration for a character input device of the set-top box of the present invention.

Figure 3 is an exemplary view showing a configuration of the key arrangement of the remote control of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the operation sequence of the character input method of the set-top box of the present invention.

5 is an exemplary view showing a key input menu of the character input menu and Korean / English of FIG.

** Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings **

10: TV 20: Set Top Box

30: remote control

The present invention for achieving the above object, and a remote control for transmitting a character code corresponding to the Hangul, English, numbers and special characters input by the user's channel selection key, menu key, numeric key operation; A set-top box that receives a character code, stores it in a memory, processes it, and outputs a graphic signal corresponding to the character code stored in the memory; and a TV that receives the graphic signal of the set-top box and displays it on a screen.

The method may further include: transmitting a command to display an initial menu on the set top box when the text menu key is pressed on the remote controller; determining whether the set top box selects a text input mode of the initial menu; inputting the text on the set top box; Switching to a character input mode when selecting a mode; transmitting a character code and a movement code to the set-top box by referring to a code table corresponding to a character and a movement command assigned to a channel selection key, a menu key, and a numeric key on the remote controller; Characterized in that consisting of steps.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the character input device of the set-top box of the present invention, as shown in the remote control for transmitting a character code corresponding to Korean, English, numbers and special characters input by the user's key operation 30; A set top box 20 which receives the character code of the remote controller 30 and stores it in a memory and outputs a graphic signal corresponding to the character code stored in the memory; The TV 10 is configured to receive the graphic signal of the set-top box 20 and display it on a screen.

3 is an exemplary view showing a key arrangement of the remote controller of FIG. 2, comprising: a text menu key 34 for switching to a text input mode by pressing a key of a user; An execution / cancel key 32 for executing or canceling a menu arbitrarily selected from a text menu displayed on a TV screen when the text menu key 34 is pressed; A shift key 33 for moving between menus which are switched by pressing of the Execute / Cancel key 32; It consists of a character key 31 for converting into an Hangul, English, numeric or special character array by the Execute / Cancel key 32 and the movement key 33.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of inputting a character in the set-top box of the present invention, and as shown therein, a first step (S1) of transmitting a command to display an initial menu on the set-top box when a text menu key is pressed; A second step (S2) of transmitting a command to stop the display of the initial menu to the set-top box if the user cancels execution of the initial menu after executing the first step (S1); A third step (S3) of switching to a text input mode for the menu when the user selects one of the initial menus after executing the second step (S2); After the execution of the third step (S3), a fourth step (S4) of transmitting the character code to the set-top box with reference to the character table corresponding to the character key input by the user will be described an embodiment of the present invention .

When the user presses the power key of the remote controller 30 to use the Internet, power is supplied to the set-top box 20 and the TV 10 so that the user interface of the web browser is displayed on the TV screen.

At this time, the user presses the text menu key 34 to search for information using the text input function of the remote controller 30.

The remote controller 30 which receives the pressing of the text menu key 34 transmits a command to the set top box 20 to display an initial menu of the text input menu.

When the set-top box 20 receives a command to display the initial menu, the set top box 20 displays the initial menu as shown in FIG. 5A on the TV screen.

Move key 33 and number on the remote control 30 to select a menu among the first Korean input, two English inputs, three numeric inputs or four special character input menus on the initial menu displayed on the TV screen. Key 31 is pressed.

When the user moves between the menus using the up key or the down key of the navigation key 33 and presses the Execute key of the Execute / Cancel key 32 or presses the number key, the remote controller 30 uses the character keys (numeric keys) 31) is converted into Korean character key, English character key, numeric key or special character key corresponding to the user's key operation.

At this time, when the user presses the previous key of the moving key 33, the remote controller 30 may return to the initial menu by transmitting a command to the set-top box 20 to display the initial menu on the TV screen.

As shown in (b) of FIG. 5 by the user's key operation, when the character key is converted into the Hangul character key, the remote controller 30 sets the character code corresponding to the key combination as shown in Table 1 below. To send).

Representative Key Combination Key Representative Key Combination Key A ㅋ (ㄱ + *), ㄲ (ㄱ + #) ㅏ ㅑ (ㅏ + *) N ㄴ (ㄴ + *) ㅌ (ㄴ + **) ㄸ (ㄴ + * #) ㅓ ㅕ (ㅓ + *) D ㅗ ㅛ (ㅗ + *) M ㅂ (ㅁ + *), ((ㅁ + **), ㅃ (ㅁ + * #) TT ㅠ (TT + *) S ㅅ (ㅅ + *), ㅅ (ㅅ + **), ㅆ (ㅅ + #), ㅉ (ㅅ + * #) ㅣ ㅇ ㅎ (ㅇ + *) ㅡ

As shown in Table 1, all sounds can be expressed by the combination of consonant representative key, vowel representative key, *, and # of the Hangul character keys. For example, ㅕ can press 함께 and * together and ㅠ can also press TT and * together. For example, the word 'curie' can be explained by pressing a → * → TT → ㅣ.

In addition, when the user presses the numeric key 2 in the initial menu, the English input mode is executed. At this time, when the user presses the previous key, it moves back to the initial menu.

When the English input mode is executed by the user's key operation, the remote controller 30 checks the pressing of the execution key of the Execute / Cancel key 32 so that when the execution key is pressed, the uppercase letters of the English characters can be input and executed again. When a key is pressed, a lowercase letter is entered, and when a key is pressed again, a capital letter is entered.

Thus, in English input mode, the run key acts as a toggle button.

In addition, when the user presses the numeric key 3 in the initial menu, the numeric input mode is executed. This arrangement of numeric keys is as shown in FIG. In addition, as described above, pressing the previous key can move back to the initial menu.

Finally, when the user presses the numeric key 4 in the initial menu, the special character input mode is executed. This function uses a font stored in the set-top box 20 and consists of several pages and can be selected while watching a TV screen.

In another embodiment, the present invention is applied to a home gateway that integrates the functions of a plurality of set-top boxes to enable a user to search the Internet using a remote controller without additional input tools such as a wireless keyboard or a mouse.

As described in detail above, the present invention has the effect of providing a user-friendly interface by enabling the text input using the remote control to the set-top box providing the Internet interface.

In addition, by enabling the character input using the remote control, there is no additional burden on the wireless keyboard or the mouse and there is an effect to provide a more convenient Internet using environment for the user.

Claims (4)

A remote controller for transmitting a character code corresponding to Korean, English, numeric and special characters inputted by a user's channel selection key, menu key, and numeric key operation; A set-top box which receives the character code of the remote controller, stores it in a memory, processes it, and outputs a graphic signal corresponding to the character code stored in the memory; Character input device of the set-top box, characterized in that consisting of a TV to receive the graphic signal of the set-top box and display on the screen. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the key arrangement of the remote controller comprises: a text menu key for switching to a text input mode by a user's key press; An execution / cancel key for executing or canceling a menu arbitrarily selected from a text menu displayed on a TV screen when the text menu key is pressed; A navigation key for moving between menus switched by pressing the Execute / Cancel key; Character input device of the set-top box, characterized in that consisting of a character key to switch to the Hangul, English, numbers or special character array by the run / cancel key and the move key. Transmitting a command to display an initial menu on the set-top box when a text menu key is pressed on the remote controller; Determining that the set top box selects a text input mode of the initial menu; Switching to a text input mode when the text input mode is selected in the set top box; Character input of the set-top box, characterized in that for the remote control to transmit a character code, a moving code to the set-top box with reference to the code table corresponding to the channel selection key, the menu key, the numeric key and the movement command Way. According to claim 3, In the combination of the character code, the Hangul character combination is determined by the key combination input according to the combination of the consonant representative key, vowel representative key, * and #, and mapped to the character code stored in the memory, English character combination Switches the mapping of the character code to uppercase and lowercase letters as the execution key is pressed, the combination of numbers maps to the character code corresponding to the key press of each number, and the special character combination refers to the special characters stored in the set-top box. Character input method of the set-top box characterized in that the mapping of the character code.