KR19990032224A - How to Display Channel Information on Satellite Broadcasting Receivers - Google Patents

Abstract

Receiving a transmission stream including program service data such as television broadcasting and data broadcasting and program guide data from a satellite, and receiving a program menu screen service request signal from a viewer, the program guide data is formed into a menu screen and displayed on a monitor. A method of displaying channel information of a satellite broadcasting receiver to be displayed on a satellite broadcasting receiver, wherein the satellite body includes program guide data including broadcast program promotion screen data of a still image representing characteristics of each broadcasting program, and characteristics of each broadcasting program. A first step of transmitting a transport stream including broadcast program promotion screen data of a video that can be displayed; The satellite broadcasting receiver stores program guide data including broadcast program promotion screen data of the still image, and when the program menu screen service request signal is input, program guide including broadcast program promotion screen data of the still image. A second step of organizing data into the menu screen and displaying the data on the monitor; In the menu screen, if a selection signal for selecting a predetermined program of a predetermined channel is input, a third step of displaying the menu screen again after displaying a broadcast program promotion screen of a moving picture corresponding to the selected program for a predetermined time is performed. It is characterized by including the.

Description

How to Display Channel Information on Satellite Broadcasting Receivers

The present invention relates to an improved method of displaying channel information in a satellite broadcast receiver, which is particularly suitable for providing viewers with various types of menu screen guide information such as channel information received through satellite channels and broadcast program information for each channel. It is about.

In recent years, the broadcast method using satellites, which is rapidly expanding its use, is a method of providing a broadcast signal to a wider area by using a satellite (communication satellite) located at an altitude of about tens to hundreds of kilos on the surface of the earth. In this satellite broadcasting system, for example, an old band RF (Radio Frequency) signal having a frequency band of 11.7 GHz to 12.0 GHz is used.

for teeth. The antenna for satellite broadcasting reception is provided with a low noise converter for converting an RF signal into an IF (Intermediate Frequency) signal. The low noise converter is capable of receiving an ultra high frequency RF signal from a satellite broadcasting receiver (receiver). It is converted into an IF (middle frequency) signal in a band (e.g., 950 MHz-2050 MHz).

Therefore, in the satellite broadcasting tuner provided in the satellite broadcasting receiver, the IF signal received through the low noise converter is input, and the channel selected by the viewer is tuned. Such a satellite broadcasting receiver maximizes the channel utilization and the quality of the video and audio signals. Besides the improvement and the ease of additional digital service data transmission, the significant improvement of the viewer interface is a big advantage.

Meanwhile, in satellite broadcasting, a transmission signal of a digital broadcasting signal received from a satellite through a fixed channel to a satellite broadcasting receiver is restored to a transport stream through a process of converting to an intermediate frequency, demodulating, and correcting an error. The stream includes program service data such as television broadcasting and data broadcasting, and program guide data.

That is, satellite broadcasting transmits data to the satellite broadcasting receiver through a packet aging based on the MPEG-2 standard, for example, in a packet stream of 188 bytes, in which the packet is mainly divided into a program guide packet and a program service data packet. Each packet contains 4 bytes of header information.

Here, the program guide packet includes a channel information packet having program combination table (PAT) information including N bits of program identifiers (PIDs) (eg, 13 bits of program identifiers) representing a program number of each channel. A program introduction information packet having program map table (PMT) information of N bits of program identifier (PID) information meaning audio, video, text, etc. of a specific channel, and the program service data packet includes audio of each channel. Data packets, video data packets, text data packets, and the like, wherein program guide packets are continuously inserted and transmitted at intervals of several seconds between program service data packets.

Therefore, the satellite broadcasting receiver extracts program guide packets inserted at intervals of several seconds between program service data packets based on the header information (ie, PID) when the viewer is powered on by the viewer. (Ie, channel guide information and channel identifier (CID), program introduction information and program identifier (PID), text information and text identifier (TID), etc.) of each channel are stored in the memory area of the satellite broadcasting receiver. More specifically, the program guide information includes a channel ID, a program name, a start time and a broadcast time of a program, a grade of a program, a voice mode, presence or absence of euro broadcasting, and the like.

The program guide information stored in this area in the memory is then used to tune a particular channel selected in the transport stream received over the satellite channel when the particular channel is selected by the viewer, and also by the viewer to display a plurality of channel information and When providing the program introduction information (i.e., display) of each channel is required, it is composed of a menu screen and displayed on the monitor. Herein, the present invention relates to an improvement of a technique of providing channel information and program introduction information of each channel on a monitor according to a viewer's request.

That is, in the conventional satellite broadcasting receiver, when there is a request signal of a program guide menu screen from a viewer, channel information stored in a memory area and program introduction information of a corresponding channel (that is, channel information and program information that can be displayed on a monitor). By using a graphical tool prepared by withdrawing), as an example, a menu screen in the form of a letter as shown in FIG. 4 is configured, and then displayed on a monitor.

Therefore, the user can view or search for programs that are to be broadcasted or broadcasted in each channel or select a desired channel to watch or watch through a program guide menu screen service based on a simple key operation while watching a satellite broadcast.

However, as described above, the conventional method of guiding only channel information and program information of each channel on the menu screen in a text form is insufficient to satisfy viewers' desire for providing more various types of information.

Therefore, in recent years, the need for new techniques for providing a variety of services, rather than simply providing a program guide service has emerged in reality.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, when the satellite broadcasting receiver provides a program guide service to the viewer, a menu screen consisting of a still picture broadcast program promotion screen that can represent the characteristics of each program well, An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of displaying channel information in a satellite broadcast receiver that can provide a guide service consisting of a broadcast program promotion screen of a video for each program on a monitor.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention receives a transport stream including program service data and program guide data, such as television broadcasting and data broadcasting, from a satellite, and receives a program menu screen service request signal from a viewer. A channel information display method of a satellite broadcasting receiver for forming guide data into a menu screen and displaying the same on a monitor, wherein the satellite body includes program guide data including broadcast program promotion screen data of a still image that well represents characteristics of each broadcast program. And a first step of transmitting a transport stream including broadcast program promotion screen data of a video that can well indicate characteristics of each broadcast program. The satellite broadcasting receiver stores program guide data including broadcast program promotion screen data of the still image, and when the program menu screen service request signal is input, program guide including broadcast program promotion screen data of the still image. A second step of organizing data into the menu screen and displaying the data on the monitor; In the menu screen, if a selection signal for selecting a predetermined program of a predetermined channel is input, a third step of displaying the menu screen again after displaying a broadcast program promotion screen of a moving picture corresponding to the selected program for a predetermined time is performed. It is characterized by including the.

1 is a hardware configuration diagram for performing a channel information display method of the present invention;

2 is a flow chart according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

3A illustrates an example of a menu screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

3B is a view showing another example of a menu screen according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a view showing an example of a menu screen based on the channel information display method of the prior art.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

102: tuner and demodulation block 104: MPEG decoding block

106: video encoding block 108: control block

110: memory block 112: menu generation block

114: image mixing block

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

1 is a block diagram of a satellite broadcast receiving system for performing the method of displaying channel information according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a satellite broadcast reception system includes a tuner and demodulation block 102, an MPEG decoding block 104, a video encoding block 106, and a control block 108. , A memory block 110, a menu generation block 112, and an image composition block 114.

In order to provide the viewer with improved channel information according to the present invention, a promotional packet carrying video data for promoting a broadcast program for promoting a broadcast program of each channel on a transport stream received by the satellite broadcast receiving system through a satellite receiver antenna. These are inserted at predetermined intervals, and the identifier (PID) information for these promotional packets is included in program introduction information packet data having program introduction information of each channel, and also program introduction information packet carrying broadcast program introduction information. In the data, for example, still image program introduction information composed of still images for promoting each program as shown in FIG. 3A is included.

Referring to FIG. 1, in the tuner and demodulation block 102, additional information (ie, channel information, program introduction information) inserted on a transport stream received through an antenna when power of a satellite broadcasting system is turned on. ), That is, channel information packet data having program combination table (PAT) information of N-bit program identifier (PID) information representing a program number of each channel, and audio, video, text, etc. of a specific channel. Extracts program introduction information packet data having program map table (PMT) information of N-bit program identifier (PID) information, and converts the extracted packet data into an intermediate frequency, demodulation, and error correction. After restoring to the transport stream through the process, it is provided to the control block 108 to be described later through the line L12.

At this time, the channel information packet data and the program introduction information packet data extracted from the transport stream and provided to the control block 108 through the line L12 are received through the satellite channel when a specific channel desired by the viewer is selected. It is used to tune a specific channel selected in U. In addition, it is used as actual content information of a menu screen when a user needs to provide (i.e., display) a plurality of channel information and broadcast program information of each channel.

In the tuner and demodulation block 102, the broadcast signal received through the broadcast signal receiver (i.e., the satellite reception antenna), not shown, is transmitted to the viewer based on the tuning control signal provided from the control block 108 through the line L11. Tunes the selected broadcast channel, restores the tuned broadcast channel signal to a transport stream through a process of converting to an intermediate frequency, demodulation, and error correction, and then restores the transport stream to Provided to the MPEG decoding block 104.

The tuner and demodulation block 102 also includes a promotional packet extraction signal provided from the control block 108 via line L11, i.e., a broadcast program promotion packet identifier (PID), when a viewer requests a program guide service while watching satellite broadcast television. Extracts the broadcast program promotional video packet of a specific channel inserted into the transport stream at predetermined time intervals and restores it to the original signal, and the restored broadcast program promotional video data is transmitted through an MPEG decoding block through line L13. Provided at 104.

On the other hand, the control block 108 includes, for example, a microprocessor that performs overall operation control of the reception system. When the user broadcast channel selection signal is input from the outside, the control block 108 generates a corresponding tuning control signal to receive the line L11. To the above-described tuner and demodulation block 102, and when program guide data (i.e., channel information and program introduction information of each channel) is provided from the tuner and demodulation block 102 via line L12, To sequentially store in predetermined areas of the memory block 110.

In addition, when the broadcast channel menu service request signal is input from the outside, the control block 110 extracts broadcast program promotion packet data corresponding to a promotional video for a specific broadcast program of a specific channel selected by the tuner and demodulation block 102. In order to do this, the PR packet identifier (PID) information in the program guide information of a specific channel (that is, the selected channel) previously stored in the memory block is extracted and transmitted to the tuner and the demodulation block 102 through the line L11. Here, the selected specific channel may be a channel currently being watched, may be a channel arbitrarily selected by the viewer among a plurality of channels, and a cursor that is movable up, down, left and right according to the viewer's key manipulation is located. It can be a channel.

At this time, the base station that transmits the satellite broadcast signal can insert and transmit the broadcast program promotional video data of the moving picture for the program guide service for each channel, and change the broadcast program promotional video data previously assigned to each channel at predetermined time intervals. Can also be sent.

In addition, when the broadcast channel menu service request signal is input from the outside, the control block 108 extracts the channel information data previously stored in the predetermined area of the memory block 110 and the program introduction information data of each channel, and then menus through the line L17. On the line L19, a selection signal for displaying the program guide menu composed of still images of a predetermined size for promoting each program, or for displaying the program promotional image of a moving image for a few seconds, is provided to the generation block 112. Occurs.

On the other hand, in the MPEG decoding block 104, the spatial and spatial correlation of the compressed coded audio signal and the video signal, for example the video signal, of the selected broadcast channel provided from the above-described tuner and demodulation block 102 via the line L13. In consideration of the present invention, the compressed coded video signal is restored to the original signal before encoding by using a decoding technique such as variable length decoding, inverse DCT, inverse quantization, motion compensation, and the like. The promotional video data of the moving picture is restored to the original signal before encoding. The reconstructed digital broadcast video signal and the promotional video data of the moving picture are provided to the next video encoding block 106 via the line L15, and the reconstructed audio signal is provided to an audio signal processor (not shown).

In addition, the video encoding block 106 converts the selected digital broadcast video signal and the broadcast program promotional video data of the moving picture provided in the MPEG decoding block 104 described above into an NTSC or PAL analog video signal, and then the image synthesis block through the line L16. Provided at 114.

In the menu generation block 112, when there is a service request signal, the channel information data and the program introduction information data of each channel, which are provided from the control block 108 described above through the line L17, by using graphics, the initial menu screen data ( That is, the menu screen data occupying approximately the entire monitor) is generated, and the generated initial menu screen data is converted into an NTSC or PAL analog signal, and then provided to the image synthesizing block 114 through the line L18.

The image synthesizing block 114 selects and omits the illustrated analog satellite broadcast signal on the line L16 or the initial menu screen data on the line L18 based on the selection signal provided from the control block 108 via the line L19. To the display side. In addition, when a specific program of a specific channel is selected on the initial menu screen, the image synthesizing block 114 selects a broadcast program promotion image of a moving image for the selected program and transmits the same to the display side, not shown.

Accordingly, a menu screen made up of the broadcast program promotion screens of still images that can well represent the characteristics of each program is displayed on the monitor on the display side, which is not shown, or as shown in FIG. 3B. As shown on the screen, the broadcast program promotion screen will be displayed.

Next, a process of performing the channel information display method according to the present invention based on the satellite broadcasting reception system having the above-described configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 2 provides a monitor screen with a menu screen consisting of channel information, broadcast program promotion screens that can well represent characteristics of each channel program, and a broadcast program promotion screen of a moving picture in a satellite broadcast receiving system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. This is a flow chart showing the process.

Here, in order to fold the improved display of channel information according to the present invention, the base station that transmits the satellite broadcast signal is a broadcast program promotion data for promoting the broadcast program carried on each channel for the program guide service for each channel. Insert into packet and send. In addition, the channel information packet on the transport stream includes a delimiter for distinguishing each channel and character program title information. The identifier (PID) information for the motion picture promotion packets for promoting a broadcast program is provided in each channel's program introduction information. Included in the program introduction information packet data having a, and also the program introduction information packet data includes still picture program introduction information composed of still pictures for promoting the program.

Referring to FIG. 2, when a viewer is watching satellite broadcast television in a state in which program guide packet data, that is, channel information data and program introduction information data for each channel are received and stored in the memory block 110 of FIG. 1 ( In step 202, it is checked whether there is a program menu guide service request (step 204).

In this case, the program content information received and stored in the memory block 110 are program introduction information of a still picture for promoting each program of each channel as shown in FIG. 3.

If it is determined in step 204 that there is a request for a program menu screen guidance service from the outside, the control block 108 of FIG. 1 extracts program guide information data previously stored in the memory block 110 and displays a menu through the line L17. Output to generation block 112, the menu generation block 112 converts the channel information and program introduction information into initial menu screen data (i.e., menu screen data occupying the entire monitor) using graphics, and generates the generated information. The generated initial menu screen data is converted into an NTSC or PAL analog signal (step 206).

At this time, each broadcast program guide information in the channel includes not only various information such as title, airing time, paid broadcasting, etc., but also broadcast program promotion screens of still images which are the most characteristic elements of the present invention.

In the image synthesizing block 114, menu screen data is selected and provided on a monitor on the display side. Therefore, on the monitor, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, broadcast program promotion screens consisting of still images of a predetermined size for promoting each program will be displayed as a menu screen.

As described above, when the program guide information is displayed on the monitor as a menu screen according to a program menu screen service request from the viewer, the control block 108 checks whether the viewer selects a specific program of a specific channel ( Step 208).

If the selection signal is not input within a predetermined time (T = t1) as a result of step 208 (step 210, 212), the control block 108 causes the menu screen to be turned off (step 214), and then the satellite broadcasting reception system is placed in the viewing mode. Automatic switching (step 216).

On the other hand, as a result of checking in step 208, when a selection signal for selecting a specific program of a specific channel, for example, the Jurassic park program of CH11, is input to the control block 108, the control block 108 writes to the memory block 110. The program introduction information data of the selected channel is searched, and the identifier (PID) of the broadcast program promotion video packet data of the moving picture for the specific program of the selected specific channel is extracted and transmitted to the tuner and the demodulation block 102 through the line L11. Meanwhile, a screen configuration control signal for displaying a broadcast program promotion image of a moving image of the selected program is provided in the image synthesizing block 114.

In step 218, the tuner and demodulation block 102 detects only the broadcast program promotion video packet data of the moving image from the input data stream based on the identifier (PID) of the broadcast program promotion video packet data, and then the MPEG decoding block 104. And the MPEG decoding block 104 restores the promotional video data of the encoded moving picture provided from the above-described tuner and demodulation block 102 to the video encoding block 106 through the line L13 to the original signal before encoding. do.

The video encoding block 106 converts the broadcast program promotional video data of the selected channel provided in the MPEG decoding block 104 described above into an NTSC or PAL analog video signal and then provides the video synthesis block 114 through the line L16. .

Accordingly, the image synthesizing block 114 selects and outputs a broadcast program promotional video for a specific program of a specific channel, for example, a promotional video for promoting a Jurassic Park program of CH11 to the display side.

Accordingly, the monitor may display a promotional screen of a moving image or a still image for promoting a specific program as shown in FIG. 3B (step 218).

Thereafter, the control block 208 checks whether the program selected in the above-mentioned step 208 is again selected within a predetermined time T = t2 (steps 220, 222, and 228). As a result of the check, if a selection signal for reselecting the program selected in step 208 above is input to the control block 208 within a predetermined time, the control block 208 turns off the promotional screen of the moving image (step 224), The satellite broadcast reception system is switched to the viewing mode so that a service for a specific program of the channel is performed (step 226).

However, if the selection signal for reselecting the program selected in step 208 described above is not input to the control block 208 within a predetermined time, the promotional screen of the moving image displayed in step 218 is turned off (step 230), and then in step 206 Similarly, broadcast program promotion screens including still images of a predetermined size for promoting each program are controlled to be displayed as a menu screen.

As described above, according to the present invention, when a viewer requests a guide of a broadcast program, the present invention provides a viewer with a guide service including broadcast program promotion screens that can display characteristics of each program on a monitor. There is an effect that can provide a variety of information.

Claims (4)

Receiving a transmission stream including program service data such as television broadcasting and data broadcasting and program guide data from a satellite, and receiving a program menu screen service request signal from a viewer, the program guide data is formed into a menu screen and displayed on a monitor. In the channel information display method of the satellite broadcasting receiver to display: The satellite body transmits a program guide data including a broadcast program promotion screen data of a still image that well represents the characteristics of each broadcast program, and a broadcast program promotion screen data of the same image that can well represent the characteristics of each broadcast program. A first step of transmitting a stream; The satellite broadcasting receiver stores program guide data including broadcast program promotion screen data of the still image, and when the program menu screen service request signal is input, program guide including broadcast program promotion screen data of the still image. A second step of organizing data into the menu screen and displaying the data on the monitor; In the menu screen, if a selection signal for selecting a predetermined program of a predetermined channel is input, a third step of displaying the menu screen again after displaying a broadcast program promotion screen of a moving picture corresponding to the selected program for a predetermined time is performed. Channel information display method of a satellite broadcast receiver comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel information display method of the satellite broadcasting receiver is: And in the third step, if a predetermined program of the predetermined channel is selected again within the preset time, further comprising a fourth step of servicing a broadcast program for the selected program. The system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: displaying the menu screen; Channel information display method of a satellite broadcasting receiver displayed according to the NTSC system. The system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: displaying the menu screen; Channel information display method of a satellite broadcast receiver to display based on the PAL method.