KR101083339B1 - Appratus and method for broeadcasting emergency alerting message - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transmitting an emergency alert message and a method thereof.

The apparatus for transmitting an emergency alert message according to the present invention includes a stream buffering unit for receiving and storing a transport stream, a message manager for receiving and managing an emergency alert message for an emergency alert from a manager to a subscriber terminal, and receiving the emergency alert message from the message manager. A message processing unit for receiving and inserting into a null packet of a transport stream, receiving a transport stream containing an emergency alert message from the message processing unit, and outputs the received transport stream as an IP (Internet) packet or as a radio frequency (RF) signal It includes an output unit.

According to the present invention, an emergency alert message is inserted into a null packet of a transport stream in digital broadcast and transmitted to subscribers, so that an emergency alert message can be efficiently transmitted to subscribers receiving digital broadcast. . In addition, messages can be sent for advertisement or other text or image information, which can be extended to various purposes.

Alarm, Null Packet, Digital, Broadcast, Notification, Broadcasting, IP

Description

Apparatus and method for sending emergency alert message {APPRATUS AND METHOD FOR BROEADCASTING EMERGENCY ALERTING MESSAGE}

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transmitting an emergency alert message and a method thereof, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for transmitting an emergency alert message that can efficiently transmit an emergency alert message to a subscriber using a null packet in digital broadcasting.

In the event of a major disaster such as a national disaster, extreme weather, terrorism, or fire that many people need to know urgently, the state or a group protecting people issues an emergency alert message.

Emergency alert messages are managed in a separate system so that they can be delivered quickly and accurately to many people through a systematic system. Such a system is called an emergency alerting system.

The emergency alert system functions to deliver emergency alert messages received by the administrator through a mass media that are easily accessible to people in case of an emergency situation requiring an alarm such as a national disaster, extreme weather or fire. In this case, TV (Television) is used as a representative mass media.

TVs are currently rapidly changing from analog to digital, but broadcast systems using digital still maintain emergency alarm systems using conventional analog.

The conventional emergency alert system uses an open caption method called hardware caption, which encodes and transmits a message into a subtitle form on the original broadcast screen immediately before the broadcast content is encoded. I use it.

However, this method has a problem in that an additional requirement of additional equipment required on the headend side is generated, and an emergency alert message must be merged into all original programs before the broadcast content is encoded when an alert is required.

In addition, when the emergency alert message is to be sent in the place where the program is retransmitted, there is a problem such as decoding the encoded broadcast program and merging it with the message to be sent and re-encoding it. Additional equipment configurations, such as in decoders, encoders and subtitle inserters, will be required. This causes a problem that affects the original broadcast quality through frequent decoding and encoding steps.

In the case of digital broadcasting, in order to solve such a conventional problem, a necessary message may be transmitted using the closed caption function of digital broadcasting, but this function is used to display the status and contents of a program being broadcast in text. It is used for additional service purposes, and can be turned on or off by the user, so it is not suitable for emergency alarm message for alarm.

Therefore, when issuing an emergency alert message during digital broadcasting, the message is transmitted more effectively in the form of text or image separately from the broadcast data, without affecting the broadcast being viewed without the user selecting the emergency message display function. There is a need for a system for transmitting a new emergency alert message that is overlaid on the screen in the form of a caption or an image so that the viewer can recognize the alert content through a message in the form of a caption or image displayed on a TV screen.

One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus and method for transmitting an emergency alert message capable of efficiently transmitting an emergency alert message to a subscriber by using a null packet in digital broadcasting.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical problem, the emergency alert message transmission apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is a stream buffering unit for receiving and storing a transport stream, an emergency alert message for making an emergency alert from the administrator to the subscriber terminal A message manager for receiving and managing a message, a message processor for receiving the emergency alert message from the message manager and inserting the emergency alert message into a null packet of a transport stream, receiving a transport stream including an emergency alert message from the message processor, and receiving the received transport stream. It includes an output unit for outputting an IP (Internet) packet or an RF (Radio Frequency) signal.

In this case, the message processing unit sequentially reads the transport stream stored in the stream buffering unit in packet units to check the null packet, and inserts the emergency alert message into the identified null packet.

Here, the message processing unit,

A PID check unit for reading a TS stored in the stream buffering unit in a packet unit and checking a PID (Packet Identification) of the read packet to determine whether the packet is a null packet, and the emergency response to a null packet determined by the PID check unit. Message insertion unit for inserting alarm message, IP pump unit for encapsulating (TS) in which emergency alarm message is inserted, ASI pump unit for outputting TS inserted emergency alarm mesh to ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface). do.

Here, the emergency alert message includes a packet header including sync byte, PID, and header information, and a pay load including contents of the emergency alert message.

In addition, the method for transmitting an emergency alert message according to the second aspect of the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving and storing a transport stream, receiving an emergency alert message for an emergency alert from an administrator to the subscriber station, and packetizing the stored transport stream. Determining whether the packet is a null packet by reading the unit, and inserting the emergency alert message into the null packet if the null packet is determined as the result of the determination of the null packet; And encapsulating the null packet in which the emergency alert message is inserted into an IP (Internet Protocol) packet and transmitting the encapsulated null packet to the subscriber station or outputting it as a radio frequency (RF) signal to the subscriber station.

In this case, as a result of determining whether the packet is the null packet, if the packet is not the null packet, the stored transport stream is read in packet units to determine whether the packet is a null packet.

In this case, the determining of whether the packet is a null packet includes checking a packet identification (PID) of the packet to determine whether the packet is a null packet.

According to one of the problem solving means of the present invention described above, by sending an emergency alert such as a national disaster, extreme weather, etc. to subscribers receiving digital broadcast through a null packet of MPEG-2 TS, an emergency alert message is transmitted to all programs. It can be expected that the effect that can solve the conventional problems caused by merging the. In addition, it can be expected to effectively transmit an emergency alert message to subscribers receiving digital broadcast.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, it means that it can further include other components, without excluding other components unless specifically stated otherwise.

First, an overall configuration of an apparatus for transmitting an emergency alert message according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an emergency alert message transmission apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 for transmitting an emergency alert message according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a TS (Transport Stream) receiver 110 and a stream buffering unit. 120, message processing unit 130, message management unit 140, IP (Internet Protocol; hereinafter referred to as "IP") output unit 150, ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface; hereinafter referred to as "ASI") output The unit 160 is included.

The TS receiver 110 functions to receive a TS from a higher application and transmit the TS to the stream buffering unit 120. The stream buffering unit 120 functions to temporarily store the TS received from the TS receiving unit 110 in a predetermined size.

The message processor 130 includes a PID checker 131 (hereinafter referred to as a “PID”), a message inserter 132, an IP pump 133, and an ASI pump 134. .

The PID checker 131 reads the TS packet stored in the stream buffering unit 120 and checks the PID of the read packet to determine whether the packet is a null packet. At this time, the PID checker 131 reads the stored TS in units of packets and checks the PID value of the read packet and determines that the packet is null if it is 0x1FFF.

The message inserter 132 receives an emergency alert message from the message manager 140 and inserts an emergency alert message into a null packet.

Specifically, when the message inserting unit 132 receives the emergency alert message to be connected to the message managing unit 140 and transmits to the subscriber, the message inserting unit 132 inserts the emergency alert message into the null packet checked by the PID checker 131 and performs the IP pump unit. 133 and the ASI pump 134. At this time, the emergency alert message inserted in the null packet includes a packet header and a pay load. Such a null packet will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 2.

The IP pump unit 133 encapsulates the TS received from the message insertion unit 132 into IP packets and transmits the encapsulated TS to the IP output unit 150.

The ASI pump unit 134 functions to transmit the TS received from the message insertion unit 132 to the ASI output unit 160 to output to the ASI.

The IP output unit 150 transmits the IP packet received from the IP pump unit 133 to the subscriber station through the IP network using UDP (User Datagram Protocol) or RTP (Real time Transport Protocol).

The ASI output unit 160 converts the TS received from the ASI pump unit 134 into an RF signal and broadcasts it. In this case, the ASI output unit 160 may convert a TS into a Radio Frequency (RF) signal, including a multiplexer or a modulator for remultiplexing, and broadcast the RF signal.

The message manager 140 functions to transmit the emergency alert message input from the manager to the message inserter 132. In detail, the message manager 140 manages an emergency alert message and, when receiving an emergency alert message from an administrator, transmits the corresponding emergency alert message to the message insertion unit 132. In this case, the message manager 140 may receive an emergency alert message through a message insertion UI and transmit the received emergency alert message to the message inserter 132. Here, the message insertion UI may be designed to receive message information including a message ID, an initiator, a message content, and a message display option (including information on whether audio is generated, text color, scroll format, etc.) from an administrator. .

The apparatus 100 for transmitting an emergency alert message merges an emergency alert message with all programs by transmitting an urgent alert such as a national disaster or extreme weather to a subscriber who is receiving digital broadcast through a null packet of MPEG-2 TS. Solving the conventional problems that occur, and through this there is an advantage that can more efficiently transmit an emergency alert message to subscribers receiving digital broadcast.

 Next, the emergency alert message of the emergency alert message transmission apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

2 is a diagram illustrating an emergency alert message according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 2, the emergency alert message transmitted by the emergency alert message transmission apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention to the subscriber terminal is a sync byte, PID, other having a null value (Null) It includes a packet header including information (Other) and a pay load including an emergency alert message section (Message Section).

The sync byte has a fixed value of 0x47, which is 8 bits in size, and is used to synchronize packets.

The PID is a 13-bit value that indicates the type of data in the payload of the packet to identify the type of packet.

 Meanwhile, the emergency alert message includes a message ID, an issuer code, a sent time, a sequence number, a message display order code, and a message content.

Message ID is an 8-bit size, the unique number of the message and the sender code (Sender) refers to the originator of the message.

Send Time includes the time of message delivery in year, month, date, minute, second, and sequence number. Sequence number includes the serial sequence number of the message in case an emergency alert message is sent in multiple packets. .

The message display method code defines a bit-by-bit flag indicating how the received message is displayed on the screen.

Message Contents includes the contents of the main contents of the emergency alert message to be sent. Message Contents may include images in the form of text or streams, and may include advertising or other general information in addition to urgent information.

Next, an emergency alert message transmission method of the emergency alert message transmission device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is a diagram illustrating an emergency alert message transmission method of the emergency alert message transmission apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 100 for transmitting an emergency alert message according to an embodiment of the present invention receives a TS (S100), stores the received TS in a predetermined size, and reads the stored TS in packet units (S102). ).

In addition, the emergency alert message transmission apparatus 100 determines whether an emergency alert message to be transmitted exists (S104).

As a result of the determination in step S104, if there is an emergency alert message to be transmitted, it is determined whether the PID value of the currently read packet is 0x1FFF or not (S106). At this time, if the PID value is 0x1FFF, it may be determined as a null packet.

When the PID value of the packet is 0x1FFF as a result of the determination in step S106, the emergency alert message transmitting apparatus 100 inserts an emergency alert message in the corresponding null packet (S108) and transmits a flag indicating whether or not to transmit the emergency alert message. field control code) (O1), and then moves to the next stored packet (S110). In this case, the apparatus 100 for transmitting an emergency alert message inserts an emergency alert message and then changes the PID included in the message to 0x1FFE, the PID of the emergency alert message preset with the receiver, and replaces the null packet including the emergency alert message with an IP packet. Encapsulate it and send it to the subscriber station or output it to RF (Radio Frequency) and send it to the subscriber station.

Then, the next packet is read and it is determined whether the next packet is the last packet of the stored TS (S112).

As a result of the determination in step S112, when the next packet is the last packet of the stored TS, the emergency alert message transmitting apparatus 100 temporarily stores the next TS and repeats the operation after the step S110.

As a result of the determination in step S104, if there is no emergency alert message to be transmitted, the emergency alert message transmission apparatus 100 performs after step S110 of receiving and processing a next TS.

As a result of the determination in step S106, when the PID value of the packet is not 0x1FFF, the emergency alert message transmission apparatus 100 performs after step S110 to check the next packet.

As a result of the determination in step S112, if it is not the last packet of the temporarily stored TS, the process after step S104 is performed to process the next packet.

The apparatus 100 for transmitting an emergency alert message has a great advantage in that an emergency alert message can be efficiently transmitted to a subscriber station by inserting an emergency alert message into a null packet through the above process in digital broadcasting.

Meanwhile, the receiving side receiving the emergency alert message transmitted by the emergency alert message transmitting apparatus 100 displays the emergency alert message to the subscriber by the following emergency alert message output method.

Receiving the emergency alert message, the receiving party first temporarily stores the received TS in a memory having a predetermined buffer size, reads one packet of the stored TS, and checks the PID of the packet. If the PID value is 0x1FFE, if the packet has an emergency alert message, the contents of the message are read and sent to the caption API for display. Then, the process is repeated until the next packet is read in sequence until all packets of the temporarily stored TS are processed. At this time, if all the packets in the buffer have been processed, the next TS is read as much as the specified buffer size, and the above-mentioned emergency emergency message output procedure is repeated.

According to the apparatus and method for transmitting an emergency alert message according to an embodiment of the present invention, an emergency alert message can be transmitted by effectively utilizing a null packet of a transport stream, and can be efficiently transmitted without affecting the multiplexed digital broadcast stream and bit rate. Emergency message transmission is possible. Furthermore, it is possible to easily transmit an emergency message using an emergency message transmission system at any service stage of creating, multiplexing, transmitting, and retransmitting related agencies and other digital broadcasting programs or contents that serve digital broadcasting. In particular, even when a digital broadcasting program is affected by the influence of a communication environment such as noise, good transmission and reception of emergency messages is possible.

One embodiment of the present invention can also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing instructions executable by a computer, such as a program module executed by the computer. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. In addition, computer readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information delivery media.

The foregoing description of the present invention is intended for illustration, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be easily modified in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the above description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an emergency alert message transmitting apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a diagram illustrating an emergency alert message according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a diagram illustrating an emergency alert message transmission method of the emergency alert message transmission apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: emergency alert message transmission device 110: TS receiver

120: stream buffering unit 130: message processing unit

131: PID check unit 132: message insertion unit

133: IP pump section 134: ASI pump section

140: message management unit 150: IP output unit

160; ASI output

Claims (5)

An apparatus for transmitting an emergency alert message from a digital broadcast to a subscriber terminal, A stream buffering unit for receiving and storing a transport stream; A message manager for receiving and managing an emergency alert message for providing an emergency alert to a subscriber station; A message processor for receiving the emergency alert message from the message manager and inserting the received emergency alert message into a null packet of the transport stream; And Receiving a transport stream including the emergency alert message from the message processing unit, and outputs the transport stream including the received emergency alert message as an IP (Internet Protocol) packet or an RF (Radio Frequency) signal , The message processing unit, Read the transport stream stored in the stream buffering unit sequentially in packet units to check the null packet, and insert the emergency alert message into the identified null packet; The message processing unit, A PID checker which reads the transport stream stored in the stream buffering unit on a packet basis and determines whether the packet is a null packet by checking a PID (Packet Identification) of the read packet; A message insertion unit inserting the emergency alert message into a null packet determined by the PID checker; An IP pump encapsulating the transport stream into which the emergency alert message is inserted; And And an ASI pump unit configured to output the transport stream into which the emergency alert message is inserted, through an Asynchronous Serial Interface (ASI). delete The method of claim 1, The emergency alert message, A payload including a contents of the emergency alert message including a sync byte, a packet header including PID information, and one or more of an image in a character or stream form. Emergency alarm message transmission device. An emergency alert message transmission method of a device for transmitting an emergency alert message to a subscriber station in a digital broadcast, Receiving and storing a transport stream; Receiving an emergency alert message for an emergency alert to the subscriber terminal; Reading the stored transport stream on a packet basis and determining whether the stored transport stream is a null packet; Inserting the emergency alert message into the null packet as a result of determining whether the packet is the null packet; And Encapsulating the null packet into which the emergency alert message is inserted, and encapsulating the IP packet into an Internet Protocol (IP) packet and transmitting the encapsulated packet to the subscriber station or outputting a radio frequency (RF) signal to the subscriber station. Including; Determining whether or not the null packet, Reads the stored transport stream sequentially in packet units and checks a PID (Packet Identification) of the read packet to determine whether the packet is a null packet, The transport stream in which the emergency alert message is inserted is output to an Asynchronous Serial Interface (ASI). The method of claim 4, wherein As a result of determining whether the packet is the null packet, repeating the steps of sequentially reading the stored transport stream in packet units until it is determined to be the null packet and determining whether the packet is a null packet, Determining whether or not the null packet, Determining whether the packet is a null packet by checking a packet identification (PID) of the packet.

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