KR101529316B1 - Method and System for providing Broadcasting Service - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a broadcast service providing method and system. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a broadcast service in a broadcast system connected to a broadcast receiving terminal having a first decoder and a second decoder through a network, 1 resolution; Generating a video source for a sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; Encoding the video source for the sub-screen to a second resolution corresponding to the second decoder; And transmitting a transport stream for at least one of a video and a sub-picture for each of the encoded channels to the broadcast receiving terminal, wherein the broadcast receiving terminal uses the video source for the sub- And outputs the sub-video of the channel according to the request to the sub-screen. According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently transmit a video signal to a broadcasting terminal having decoders of different resolutions.

Main Screen, Sub Screen, Video Source, Encoding, HD, SD, Decoder

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a broadcast service providing method and system,

The present invention relates to a method and system for providing a broadcast service, and more particularly, to a method and system for efficiently providing a video signal to a broadcast receiving terminal capable of outputting a main screen and a sub-screen.

In the past, broadcast services have been provided in analog form, but digital broadcast services capable of providing high-quality video are being actively researched.

Currently, the digital broadcasting standard is divided into DVB-MHP (Digital Video Broadcasting - Multimedia Home Platform) and US ATSCDASE (Advanced Television Systems Committee - Digital TV Application Software Environment).

Recently, digital broadcasting standards have been actively researched, and broadcasting signals including video, audio, and data have been compression-processed into digital signals. As a result, multi-channel TV broadcasting has become possible, It is possible to provide a variety of programs.

As the digital broadcasting technology develops, the digital broadcasting system can provide SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition) video.

In the case of SD, the resolution of the screen is 720x480p or 720x480i, or resolution of 640x480i or 640x480p is about 350,000 pixels. In the case of HD class, it is 1920x1080i or 1024x720p, Implementation is possible.

Also, in the case of the video standard, there is a difference in that the SD class has a standard of 4: 3 or 16: 9 and the HD class has a standard of 16: 9.

In the case of HD video, the digital broadcasting system tries to provide the video included in all broadcasting programs as HD video or higher in that it has a clearer picture quality than the SD class.

Meanwhile, recent broadcast receiving terminals provide PIP (Picture In Picture) or a pop-up sub-screen service so that a user can simultaneously check a broadcast program of various channels.

In order to provide such a sub-screen service, the broadcasting terminal must basically have two or more tuners and two decoders.

In the case where the broadcasting system transmits HD video to the broadcasting terminal, in principle, the broadcasting terminal must have two HD decoders for decoding the HD video. However, due to the price and the problem of the installation environment, An HD decoder and a SD decoder are provided in a broadcast receiving terminal equipped with a chipset.

In a broadcast receiving terminal having one HD decoder and one SD decoder, video decoded by the HD decoder is output to the main screen, and video decoded by the SD decoder is output to the sub-screen.

In order to support the sub-screen service at the broadcasting terminal, the conventional broadcasting system transmits one HD program video and one SD video at the same time.

However, this method has a disadvantage in that it requires a large transmission bandwidth because it repeatedly transmits broadcast programs of the same channel.

In addition, in the sub-screen service, in general, when there is a request to change a channel of the user, the HD-level video of the broadcast program provided on the currently requested channel is displayed on the main screen, and the SD-level video of the broadcast program provided on the previously viewed channel And is output to the sub-screen.

In this case, if the tuner for sub-screen output is tuned (tuned) to the first frequency corresponding to the first channel and the second channel is to be output to the sub-screen according to the user's request, There is a problem that a waiting time for sub-picture output is required.

In order to solve the problems of the related art as described above, the present invention proposes a broadcasting service providing method and apparatus capable of efficiently transmitting video considering a broadcasting terminal having a decoder for video of different resolutions .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a broadcasting service in a broadcasting system connected to a broadcasting terminal having a first decoder and a second decoder through a network, Encoding the provided video at a first resolution corresponding to the first decoder; Generating a video source for a sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; Encoding the video source for the sub-screen to a second resolution corresponding to the second decoder; And transmitting a transport stream for at least one of a video and a sub-picture for each of the encoded channels to the broadcast receiving terminal, wherein the broadcast receiving terminal uses the video source for the sub- There is provided a broadcast service providing method for outputting a sub video of a channel according to a request on a sub screen.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a program of instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus for providing a broadcast service to a broadcast receiving terminal having a first decoder and a second decoder is tangibly embodied and read by a digital processing apparatus Encoding video provided in each channel to a first resolution corresponding to the first decoder; Generating a video source for a sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; And encoding the sub-picture video source to a second resolution corresponding to the second decoder, wherein the broadcast receiving terminal uses the encoded sub-picture video source to sub- And outputting the video to the sub-screen.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a broadcast receiving terminal apparatus connected to a broadcast system via a network, the apparatus comprising: a first tuner for receiving a transport stream including video encoded at a first resolution from the broadcast system; A second tuner for receiving a transport stream including a video source for a sub-picture encoded with a second resolution from the broadcasting system, the video source for the sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; A first decoder for decoding video of a first resolution received by the first tuner; A second decoder for decoding video of a second resolution received by the second tuner; And an output video editing unit for extracting a sub video corresponding to a channel requested by the user from the video source for sub video output from the second decoder.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a broadcast system connected to a broadcast receiving terminal having a first decoder and a second decoder through a network, the broadcast system comprising: A first encoder for encoding the data; A source generating unit for generating a video source for a sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; And a second encoder for encoding the video source for the sub-picture to a second resolution corresponding to the second decoder, wherein the broadcast receiving terminal uses the video source for the sub- There is provided a broadcast service providing system for outputting video on a sub screen.

According to the present invention, since SD-level video for a plurality of broadcast programs is provided as a video source for a sub-screen, there is an advantage that waste of bandwidth can be prevented.

Further, according to the present invention, sub video according to the audience rating order is included in the video source for the sub-screen, so that the waiting time for tuning can be minimized.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. Like reference numerals are used for like elements in describing each drawing.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component or a combination thereof described in the specification, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

 Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for the same means regardless of the number of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a broadcasting system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the broadcasting system 100 according to the present invention can be connected to one or more broadcast receiving terminals 102 through a network.

The network may include a terrestrial network, a cable network, a satellite network, and the Internet.

The broadcasting system 100 may also be referred to as a head-end, and converts video and audio signals provided in various channels into a form suitable for digital broadcasting and transmits the converted video and audio signals to the broadcasting terminal 102.

In addition, the broadcasting system 100 performs a scheduling function for a broadcasting program and a scrambling function for limiting reception so that no other user can access the subscriber.

The broadcast receiving terminal 102 tunes to a predetermined frequency among broadcast signals transmitted by the broadcasting system 100 and receives a broadcast signal of a predetermined channel, and decodes and displays the received audio and video.

Here, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 may be a set-top box connected to a TV and decoding a broadcast signal and executing an application, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The broadcast receiving terminal 102 processes the video, audio, and data provided in the channel selected by the user and provides the processed data to the user.

In addition, an operating system for an interactive service or the like is installed in the broadcast receiving terminal 102. When an interactive application is included in the broadcast signal, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 executes the application and provides the data coupled to the application to the user.

The application outputs an interface for requesting a predetermined service by the user, parses the data coupled to the interface at the request of the user, and outputs contents combined with data such as text and graphics.

The broadcast receiving terminal 102 according to the present invention is a terminal capable of outputting a sub-screen for outputting a video of a previous channel or a channel according to a request of a user to a predetermined area of the screen as well as a main screen, Tuners, and further includes a decoder for decoding video of different resolutions.

Here, the sub-screen means a small-size area that is output to a predetermined area of the screen in a PIP or pop-up form unlike the main screen displayed on the entire screen.

Hereinafter, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 according to the present invention will be described as having an HD decoder for decoding high-definition HD-level video and an SD decoder for decoding an SD-level video having a lower image quality.

However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that decoding of video having different resolutions can be included in the scope of the present invention only for convenience of explanation.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for the broadcast receiving terminal 102 having the above-described configuration, the broadcasting system 100 provides a video source for a sub-screen which can be processed by an SD decoder.

In the present invention, a video source for a sub-screen includes sub-video for video provided in a plurality of channels.

At this time, the sub video refers to a video which is converted into a small size by resizing video included in a broadcast program of each channel, and means video used for sub-screen output at the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

Preferably, the video source for a sub-picture according to the present invention may include sub-video corresponding to n channels as shown in FIG.

Considering that the video source for the sub-screen is encoded in SD-level resolution, the video source for a single sub-screen may include sub-video for 50 channels. The video source for the sub-picture is encoded into a single transport stream and transmitted to the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

If the total number of channels that can be provided is 200, four sub-picture video sources are generated, and the broadcasting system 100 transmits four transport streams to the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

Here, the transport stream is a unit that can be transmitted in one frequency band. The tuner included in the broadcast receiving terminal 102 tunes to a predetermined frequency in a unit time, and receives a broadcast signal on a transport stream basis.

The broadcasting system 100 transmits the HD-level video and the sub-screen video source of each channel to the broadcasting terminal 102.

At the request of the user, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 outputs HD-level video on the main screen and simultaneously outputs video having the SD-level resolution on the sub-screen using the video source for the sub-screen.

As described above, the video source for sub-screen includes sub-videos for a plurality of channels, and the broadcast receiving terminal 102 extracts the sub-video of the channel requested by the user from the sub-screen video source, To the sub-screen.

According to the present invention, since the broadcasting system 100 generates a sub-screen video source including sub-video for a plurality of channels, and transmits the sub-screen video source to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 in a single transport stream, Bandwidth occupancy for video transmission can be minimized.

Hereinafter, the sub-screen service providing process will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2 to FIG.

2 is a detailed block diagram of a broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, an A / V (Audio / Video) receiver 200 receives a broadcast program including an audio signal and a video signal provided from an external broadcast provider or a broadcast station.

The A / V server 202 collects and manages the above-mentioned broadcast programs and outputs them to the first encoder 204.

The first encoder 204 encodes the video included in the broadcast program, i.e., the video provided in each channel, at the first resolution. Here, the encoding means outputting a video provided in a predetermined channel as a transport stream of a predetermined format.

Here, the first resolution may be a resolution that can be processed by the HD decoder included in the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

According to the present invention, the video of each channel received by the A / V receiving unit 200 is transmitted to the video source generating unit 206 for the sub-screen.

The sub-picture video source generation unit 206 processes the delivered video to generate sub-videos for a plurality of channels.

Here, the sub video is a signal obtained by converting the size of video provided in each channel into a small size that can be displayed on the sub screen of the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

According to the present invention, the sub-picture video source generation unit 206 can generate a single sub-screen video source including sub-video for n channels, and if k / n is the total number of channels, It is possible to separately generate video signals for the sub-screen.

The generated secondary video source is transmitted to the second encoder 208.

The second encoder 208 encodes the sub-picture video source to the second resolution according to a predetermined algorithm.

Here, the second resolution may be a resolution that can be processed by the SD decoder included in the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

In the above description, the sub-picture video source generation unit 206 generates a sub-picture video source including sub-videos for n channels in advance. Alternatively, the second encoder 208 may generate a sub- It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that video may be input and the second encoder 208 may output a separate transport stream including sub-video for n channels.

The multiplexer 210 multiplexes the signals provided by the first encoder 204 and the second encoder 208 into one broadcast signal.

The modulator 212 modulates the multiplexed broadcast signal according to a standard according to a broadcast medium (e.g., terrestrial wave, cable, satellite), and the up-converter 214 converts the modulated signal into a desired transmittable frequency Upconverting process.

The transmitting unit 216 transmits the upconverted broadcasting signal through the broadcasting medium.

Meanwhile, according to the present invention, the sub-screen video source can be generated based on the audience rating ranking so that the sub-screen output in the broadcast receiving terminal 102 can be efficiently processed.

The network communication unit 218 is connected to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 through a return network and receives audience viewing information from each broadcast receiving terminal 102.

At this time, the network communication unit 218 can receive the channel information selected by each user and the identifier of the broadcast receiving terminal 102 together.

The audience rating processor 220 statistically processes the audience information received from the plurality of broadcast receiving terminals 102 to calculate the audience rating ranking for each channel.

The sub-screen video source generation unit 206 according to the present invention determines a channel to be included in one sub-screen video source based on the calculated audience rating.

Preferably, the sub-screen video source generation unit 206 may preferentially generate a sub-screen video source including a sub-video of a channel having a higher audience rank order.

Here, the sub-screen video source including the sub video whose ranking is ranked higher than the audience rank order may be defined as the video source for the reference sub-screen.

For example, when the total number of channels is 200 and the sub video for the sub video is set to include 50 sub videos, the video source for the sub video 206 may be classified into the first to 50th The video source for the reference sub-screen including the sub-video of the channel can be preferentially generated.

According to the present invention, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 is set to receive the video source for the reference sub-screen at the initial time, and thus the waiting time for outputting the sub-screen can be shortened.

This is because the user is likely to request a channel having a high audience rating as a sub screen in addition to the main screen.

3 is a detailed block diagram of a broadcast receiving terminal according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

3, a broadcast receiving terminal 102 according to the present invention includes a first tuner 300, a second tuner 302, a demodulator 304, a demultiplexer 306, a first decoder 308, A video memory 312, an output video editing unit 314, a control unit 316, and a key signal receiving unit 318. The control unit 316 controls the operation of the output video editing unit 314,

The first tuner 300 tunes to a predetermined frequency in a broadcast signal transmitted by the broadcasting system 100 and selectively receives a broadcast signal of a predetermined channel.

In the present invention, the first tuner 300 may selectively receive a transport stream including a first resolution (e. G., HD) video to be output on the main screen.

The second tuner 302 receives a transport stream including a video source for a sub-picture among the signals transmitted by the broadcasting system 100.

The second tuner 302 preferentially receives the video source for the reference sub-screen including the sub video (second resolution video) of the channel corresponding to the upper audience rating at the initial time when the broadcast receiving terminal 102 is driven can do.

The demodulator 304 demodulates the signals output from the first tuner 300 and the second tuner 302.

The demodulated signal is a signal including both audio, video, and data, and the demultiplexer 306 extracts and outputs each audio signal, video signal, and data signal from the demodulated signal. This can be done through Demuxing and Section Filtering.

The video signal received through the first tuner 300 among the video signals extracted from the demultiplexer 306 is input to the first decoder 308.

The first decoder 308 decodes the compressed video signal at the first resolution according to a predetermined algorithm.

The video signal received through the second tuner 302 among the video signals extracted by the demultiplexer 306 is input to the second decoder 310. The second decoder 310 receives the video signal having the second resolution To decode the compressed video signal.

The video frames decoded and outputted by the first decoder 308 and the second decoder 310 are temporarily stored in the video memory 312. [

The video memory 312 temporarily stores video frames.

According to the present invention, the video frame output from the second decoder 310 includes sub-video for a plurality of channels, and only sub-video of one channel requested by the user needs to be output to the sub-screen.

To this end, the output video editing unit 316 clips and scales a predetermined area of the video source for the sub-picture, corresponding to the channel requested by the user, among the temporarily stored video frames in the video memory 314 Scaling, and Transiting.

The editing process is a process for selectively outputting only a sub-video of a channel requested by a user among a plurality of sub-videos.

After the process described above, the video output from the first decoder 308 is output to the main screen at the first resolution, and the video output from the second decoder 310 is output to the sub-screen.

The control unit 316 identifies a channel to be output to the main screen or the sub screen in cooperation with the key signal receiving unit 318. The first tuner 300 and the second tuner 302 transmit the transport stream of the channel requested by the user .

In addition, the controller 316 controls the second tuner 302 to receive the transport stream of the video source for the reference sub-picture at the initial point of time when the broadcast receiving terminal 102 is powered on.

In this way, when the second tuner 302 receives the video source for the reference sub-screen at the initial time, it is highly possible for the user to check the channel having the high audience rating as the sub-screen, so that the waiting time for outputting the sub-screen can be shortened. This shortening of the waiting time can be similarly displayed when a user who has already watched the sub-screen requests the change of the sub-screen channel.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a sub-screen service providing process according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the broadcast system 100 receives a broadcast program from a terrestrial broadcast station or a program provider (step 500).

The broadcast program may include audio and video signals.

The broadcast system 100 encodes the video signal for each channel to a first resolution (e.g., HD grade) (step 502).

On the other hand, the broadcast system 100 generates a sub-screen video source including sub-videos for a plurality of channels (504).

In step 504, the broadcasting system 100 displays a video for a reference sub-screen including a sub-video of a channel belonging to the upper audience according to an audience rating of each broadcast program calculated based on the audience information collected from each broadcast receiving terminal 102 The source can be created with priority.

Thereafter, the broadcasting system 100 encodes the video source for the sub-screen to a second resolution according to a predetermined algorithm (step 506).

The broadcast system 100 transmits the video encoded at the first resolution of each channel and the video source for the sub-picture encoded at the second resolution to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 (step 508).

The first tuner 300 of the broadcast receiving terminal 102 receives the broadcast signal including the video of the first resolution (step 510), and the second tuner 302 includes the sub-picture video source of the second resolution (Step 512).

The broadcast receiving terminal 102 decodes the video of the first resolution through the first decoder 306 and outputs the decoded video to the main screen (step 514).

Also, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 decodes the sub-picture video source of the second resolution through the second decoder 308 (step 516), extracts the sub-video of the channel requested by the user from the decoded signal (Step 518), and outputs the extracted sub video to the sub-screen (step 520).

It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The appended claims are to be considered as falling within the scope of the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a broadcasting system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig.

 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001]

3 is a view showing a detailed configuration of a broadcast receiving terminal according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a video source for a sub-screen according to the present invention.

5 is a diagram illustrating a sub-screen service providing process according to the present invention.

Claims (10)

A method for providing a broadcast service in a broadcast system connected to a broadcast receiving terminal equipped with a first decoder and a second decoder through a network, Encoding video provided in each channel to a first resolution corresponding to the first decoder; Generating a video source for a sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; Encoding the video source for the sub-screen to a second resolution corresponding to the second decoder; And Transmitting a transport stream for at least one of a video and a video source for the encoded channel to the broadcast receiving terminal , ≪ / RTI & Generating a video source for a sub-picture includes generating a video source for a sub-picture including a sub-video for a channel whose audience rating is equal to or greater than a predetermined rank, Wherein the broadcast receiving terminal outputs the sub video of the channel requested by the user on the sub screen using the video source for the sub screen, Delivery method. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the first resolution is a high definition (HD) resolution and the second resolution is a standard definition (SD) resolution. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the sub video is a signal obtained by adjusting a video size included in a broadcast program of each channel. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the video source for the sub-picture includes sub-video corresponding to all channels. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the step of generating a video source for a sub-picture includes sub-video for a preset number of channels in consideration of encoding in the second resolution. delete delete There is provided a recording medium on which a program of instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus for providing a broadcast service to a broadcast receiving terminal provided with a first decoder and a second decoder is tangibly embodied and can be read by a digital processing apparatus, Encoding video provided in each channel to a first resolution corresponding to the first decoder; Generating a video source for a sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; And Encoding the video source for the sub-picture to a second resolution corresponding to the second decoder, Generating a video source for a sub-picture includes generating a video source for a sub-picture including a sub-video for a channel whose audience rating is equal to or greater than a predetermined rank, Wherein the broadcast receiving terminal outputs the sub-video of the channel requested by the user using the encoded sub-screen video source, and receives the video source for the reference sub-screen at the initial stage of driving the broadcast receiving terminal And the program is recorded on the recording medium. A broadcast receiving terminal apparatus connected to a broadcast system via a network, A first tuner for receiving a transport stream including video encoded at a first resolution from the broadcast system; A second tuner for receiving a transport stream including a video source for a sub-picture encoded with a second resolution from the broadcasting system, the video source for the sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; A first decoder for decoding video of a first resolution received by the first tuner; A second decoder for decoding video of a second resolution received by the second tuner; And An output video editing unit for extracting a sub video corresponding to a channel requested by a user from a video source for a sub-picture output from the second decoder, , ≪ / RTI & Wherein the video source for the sub-screen includes a video source for a reference sub-screen including a sub-video for a channel whose rating is higher than a predetermined rank, Wherein the second tuner receives the video source for the reference sub-screen at an initial point in time when the broadcast receiving terminal apparatus is driven. A broadcast system connected via a network to a broadcast receiving terminal having a first decoder and a second decoder, A first encoder for encoding video provided in each channel to a first resolution corresponding to the first decoder; A source generating unit for generating a video source for a sub-screen including sub-videos for a plurality of channels; And And a second encoder for encoding the video source for the sub-picture into a second resolution corresponding to the second decoder, Wherein the source generating unit generates a video source for a reference sub-screen including a sub-video for a channel whose rating is higher than a predetermined rank, The second encoder encodes the reference sub-screen video source to the second resolution, Wherein the broadcast receiving terminal outputs the sub video of the channel requested by the user on the sub screen using the video source for the sub screen, Delivery system.

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