KR19990066515A - How to control channel guide screen of composite broadcast receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention adds a function for deleting or adding each channel from a channel screen provided by a composite broadcast receiver, and adds a cursor for selecting each menu item or additionally performing a specific function, thereby providing a channel guide screen. The present invention relates to a method of controlling a menu screen of a composite broadcast receiver to allow simultaneous operation in the present invention. To this end, the present invention provides a channel cursor for selecting an arbitrary channel among a plurality of channels and an arbitrary function menu among the plurality of function menus. And a function cursor for selecting and selecting a channel search function menu for searching for an effective channel, and sequentially tuning all channels provided to the composite broadcast receiver to detect and store an effective channel to which an actual broadcast signal is input. Updating the channel guide screen; If a new channel name for a certain broadcasting channel is input, changing and storing the arbitrary channel as the input new channel name, and updating and displaying the channel guide screen; When a key signal for adding an arbitrary channel is input and a channel number and a channel name for an arbitrary channel are input, storing the same and updating and displaying the channel guide screen; When a key signal for deleting an arbitrary channel is input, the method includes deleting the corresponding channel and updating and displaying the channel guide screen.

Description

How to control channel guide screen of composite broadcast receiver

The present invention relates to a composite broadcast receiver, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a channel guide screen of a composite broadcast receiver suitable for more efficiently controlling a menu screen provided from the composite broadcast receiver.

The general broadcast method using satellites is to provide 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 such a satellite broadcast method, for example, 11.7 Ku band RF signals having a frequency band of GHz to 12.0 GHz are used.

To this end, the antenna for satellite broadcasting reception is provided with a low noise blockdown converter for converting a radio frequency (RF) signal of a very high frequency into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, and the low noise converter converts an ultra high frequency RF signal. It converts into an IF (intermediate frequency) signal in the hundreds to thousands of MHz bands (for example, 950 MHz-2050 MHz) that can be received by a satellite broadcasting receiver (receiver).

Therefore, in the satellite broadcasting tuner provided in the satellite broadcasting receiver (receiver), the user selects and tunes a channel selected by inputting an IF signal received through a low noise converter. The satellite broadcasting receiver maximizes channel utilization, video and audio signals. Along with the improvement of quality and the ease of transmitting additional digital service data, the significant improvement of the user interface is a big advantage.

In recent years, as well as satellite broadcasting, CATV broadcasting using cable has been rapidly spreading. If a subscriber (ie, one receiver) wants to receive all of these broadcasting signals, the frequency band of each broadcasting is used. Because of this difference, a satellite tuner, a cable tuner, and a terrestrial tuner will all need to be equipped separately.

Accordingly, in order to accommodate various types of broadcasts as described above, various types of internal or external tuners may be provided, or each type of broadcast may have a separate signal processing path (that is, a satellite broadcast signal processing path and a cable broadcast signal). It may be considered that the receiver employs an integrated complex tuner for processing through a processing path, but this causes not only an unnecessary increase in hardware of the receiver itself, but also an excessive increase in the cost of the receiver. Is caused.

On the other hand, in view of the above, a composite tuner capable of simultaneously receiving satellite broadcast signals, cable broadcast signals, and terrestrial broadcast signals through a single tuning path, and a composite broadcast receiver incorporating such a composite tuner have been proposed.

The composite broadcast receiver controls the passband of the received signal and tunes the bandpassed signal based on the user selection signal when the satellite broadcast signal or the cable broadcast signal is received at the input side, and in accordance with the tuned signal and the user selection. Tuning the corresponding channel of the desired broadcast signal by mixing the oscillating frequencies generated, and the tuned signals are provided to corresponding demodulators through separate signal processing paths (BS path, DSR path, CATV path) respectively provided It is.

Meanwhile, the general composite broadcast receiver detects and stores each valid channel to which an actual broadcast signal is input among a plurality of channels provided to the receiver, and then tunes a broadcast signal of a corresponding channel based on the channel switching signal of the user. The stored effective channel information is displayed as a channel guide screen of a predetermined form when a request signal from a user is input.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a channel guide screen provided in such a conventional composite broadcast receiver. As shown in the drawing, the conventional channel guide screen searches for all channels provided to the satellite broadcast receiver. There is a 'function item' for canceling and a 'channel item' for a plurality of searched channels, and the user uses a key input means to move the cursor displayed on the screen left or right or up or down to select a desired function. And channel can be selected.

That is, the cursor included in and displayed on the channel guide screen is positioned at a predetermined position (for example, the channel search menu of the first item in the guide screen) when the initial channel guide screen is displayed. The user operates the key input means to move the cursor to select the desired item.

In the conventional channel guide screen, since there is only one cursor for selecting each menu item as shown in the drawing, the user moves the cursor to a function item or channel item corresponding to the function that the user wants to perform. There was an inconvenience to move to.

In addition, in the conventional channel guide screen, only the function of searching the entire channel received by the receiver and the function of displaying the respective channels searched are provided, so that various additional services for the channel found in the channel guide screen (for example, , Channel name change, channel addition, channel deletion, etc.) and separate cursors are provided in the 'function item' and 'channel item' for the convenience of user's key operation. Will be satisfied.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and adds a function that can delete or add any channel in the channel guide screen provided by the composite broadcast receiver and change the channel name for the searched channel It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling a channel guide screen of a composite broadcast receiver capable of controlling a channel guide screen by separately configuring a cursor for selecting each item.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a satellite broadcast processing path for processing a plurality of satellite broadcast channels tuned through a composite tuner and a cable broadcast processing path for processing a plurality of cable broadcast channels tuned through the composite tuner. A method of controlling a channel guide screen for a plurality of broadcast channels in a composite satellite broadcast receiver, wherein the channel guide screen includes a plurality of channel information received by the composite broadcast receiver and a plurality of channels for controlling the respective channel information. And a function cursor for selecting any one of the plurality of function menus and a function cursor for selecting any one of the plurality of function menus, the method comprising: a plurality of broadcast channels; The number of the composite broadcasts using the function cursor while the channel guide screen for the is displayed. When the groups to search for available channels received channel search function menu is selected, the first step of detecting a valid channel is a physical broadcast signal input by sequentially tuning to a channel given to the entire composite broadcast receiver; A second step of storing each detected valid channel and updating and displaying the channel guide screen based on the stored valid channel information; If a channel name change menu for the selected channel is selected by using the function cursor after selecting a certain broadcast channel using the channel cursor while the channel guide screens for the plurality of broadcast channels are displayed, Displaying a menu screen; A fourth step of, when the new channel name for the selected channel is input, changes the channel name for the selected channel to the input new channel name, and stores and updates and displays the channel guide screen based on the changed channel name; A fifth step of displaying a channel addition menu screen when a key signal for adding an arbitrary channel is input using the function cursor while the channel guide screens for the plurality of broadcast channels are displayed; When a channel number and a channel name for the arbitrary channel are input, the information about the input channel is added to all channel information of the composite broadcast receiver and stored, and the channel guide screen is updated based on the added channel information. 6 steps to display; If a menu for deleting the selected channel is selected using the function cursor after selecting a certain broadcast channel using the channel cursor while the channel guide screens for the plurality of broadcast channels are displayed, the channel deletion menu screen is selected. Displaying a seventh step; When the delete confirmation key signal is input for the selected channel, the selected channel is deleted to update all channel information of the composite broadcast receiver, and the channel guide screen is updated and displayed based on the updated all channel information. A method of controlling a channel guide screen of a composite broadcast receiver including eight steps is provided.

1 is a block diagram of a composite broadcast receiver suitable for applying a channel guide screen control method of a composite broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a channel guide screen of a composite broadcast receiver according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a flowchart illustrating a channel guide screen control process of a composite broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a view for explaining a channel guide screen of the composite broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a channel guide screen provided in a conventional general composite broadcast receiver.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

105: key input unit 110: control unit

115: tuner and demodulator 120: MPEG decoder

125: video encoder 130: NTSC processing unit

135: memory 140: OSD

145: switching unit 150: image synthesizing unit

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a satellite broadcast receiver suitable for applying a menu screen control process of a satellite broadcast receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The key input unit 105, the controller 110, the tuner, and the demodulator 115 are shown in FIG. ), An MPEG decoder 120, a video encoder 125, an NTSC processor 130, a memory 135, an OSD unit 140, a switching unit 145, and an image synthesizer 150.

Referring to FIG. 1, the key input unit 105 is composed of key metrics on a remote controller or its own panel to generate a corresponding key signal by a user's operation and provide the corresponding key signal to the controller 110, and the controller 110 receives the received signal. A microprocessor that performs overall operation control of the system. When a user broadcast channel selection signal (ie, an operation signal) is input from the key input unit 105, a microcontroller generates a tuning control signal corresponding thereto, and the tuner and demodulator 115 described below. ) Will be provided.

The tuner and demodulator 115 is a broadcast channel selected by a user in a broadcast signal received through a broadcast signal receiver (i.e., antenna, cable, etc.), not shown, based on a tuning control signal provided from the controller 110. And demodulate the tuned broadcast channel signal into the original signal before transmission. When the satellite broadcast signal is tuned, the demodulated satellite broadcast channel signal is provided to the MPEG decoder 120, and the cable broadcast signal or the terrestrial broadcast signal is When tuned, the demodulated broadcast channel signal is provided to the NTSC processor 130.

That is, the tuner and demodulator 115 is composed of a composite tuner capable of receiving and tuning all satellite broadcast signals, CATV broadcast signals, and terrestrial broadcast signals provided through an antenna or transmission path, not shown.

The MPEG decoder 120 restores the compressed coded video signal of the tuned satellite broadcast channel provided by the tuner and demodulator 115 to the original signal before encoding, and the digital video signal reconstructed here To video encoder 125. Next, the video encoder 125 converts the tuned digital video signal provided by the MPEG decoder 120 described above into an NTSC or PAL analog video signal and then provides it to the switching unit 145.

Meanwhile, the NTSC processor 130 processes the tuned analog video signal (a cable broadcast signal or a terrestrial broadcast signal) provided by the tuner and the demodulator 115, for example, level amplification, noise cancellation, gain control, and the like. Various signals are processed and provided to the switching unit 145. The memory unit 135 stores data on various menu screens and additional information screens, information on each channel, and the like, and when the transmission of a message or a guidance screen to a monitor (not shown) is requested, the memory unit 135 extracts the corresponding OSD data and controls the controller 110. It is provided to the OSD unit 140 through). The OSD unit 140 configures OSD screen data based on the vertical and horizontal sync signals generated for setting the position of the OSD data to be transmitted when the OSD data is provided from the controller 110. The OSD screen data is provided to the switching unit 145 through the mixer.

On the other hand, the switching unit 145 is provided from the control unit 110 to provide a video signal output of the tuned cable or terrestrial broadcast (or a mixed video signal mixed with OSD data) and the video signal output of the tuned satellite broadcasting channel. The switch is selectively switched based on the switching control signal and provided to the image synthesizing unit 150.

In addition, the image synthesizing unit 150 synthesizes a satellite broadcasting signal or CATV broadcasting signal selectively output from the switching unit 145 and various menu screens and guide screens provided from the OSD unit 140 and displays a display side (not shown). Display on the screen. In the composite broadcast receiver configured as described above, when a user operates the key input unit 105 to input a channel guide key signal to display information on a channel received by the composite broadcast receiver, the controller 110 may include a memory unit ( The menu screen information and the channel information stored in the predetermined region of 135 are read and provided to the OSD unit 140.

In addition, the OSD unit 140 displays the channel guide screen as shown in FIG. 2 based on the menu screen information provided from the controller 110 and the broadcast channel information received by the composite broadcast receiver. In this case, the displayed channel guide screen includes a respective function item 210 for controlling a menu screen and a channel item 202 for a plurality of broadcast channels received by the composite broadcast receiver, and the function item 210 is displayed. Channel search function for searching each effective broadcast channel received by the composite broadcast receiver, Channel name change function for changing the channel name for an arbitrary channel, Channel addition function for allowing the user to additionally set an arbitrary channel, and arbitrary It consists of a channel delete function that can delete a channel.

In addition, separate cursors exist in the function item 201 and the channel item 202 displayed on the channel menu screen as shown in FIG. 2, and the cursor provided in the function item 210 is a key input unit of the user. (105) Only the left and right movements are possible to select the desired function menu (channel search, channel name change, channel addition, channel deletion) based on the operation, and the cursor provided in the channel item 202 is Only the up and down movement is performed so that an arbitrary channel can be selected by the key input unit 105 operation. Therefore, the user can operate the key input unit 105 left and right to select respective function menus or operate the key input unit 105 up and down to select an arbitrary channel.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling a channel guide screen of a composite broadcast receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. As follows.

With the user operating the key input unit 105 to display a guide screen for each broadcast channel received by the composite broadcast receiver (step 301), the entire effective channel received by the composite broadcast receiver via the key input unit 105 is replayed. When a channel search key signal for searching is input (step 311), the control unit 110 generates a tuning control signal for the tuner and the demodulator 115 to sequentially tune all channels assigned to the composite broadcast receiver, thereby providing the respective signals. You will tune the channels sequentially.

Then, the controller 110 detects the presence or absence of a synchronization signal from the channel signal tuned and output by the tuner and demodulator 115 to search for an effective channel to which an actual broadcast signal is input (step 313).

When the effective channel search process for all channels assigned to the composite broadcast receiver is completed through the above-described process (step 315), the controller 110 stores the detected effective channel information in the memory unit 135, The entire channel information of the composite broadcast receiver is updated (step 317), and the channel guide screen displayed on the current screen is also updated and displayed based on the updated channel information (step 351).

On the other hand, on the other hand, based on the above-described initial step 301, that is, the channel guide key signal input by the user, the channel guide screen of the composite broadcast receiver as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed (step 301). When the cursor displayed on the item 202 is moved up and down to select an arbitrary channel, and the cursor displayed on the function item 201 is moved again to input a channel name change key signal (step 323), the controller 110. Since the channel name change menu screen information is read out from the various menu screen information previously stored in the memory unit 135 and provided to the OSD unit 140, the channel name change menu screen information is selected for the channel selected by the channel item 202 as shown in FIG. The channel name change menu screen including the current channel name is displayed (step 323).

In this case, the displayed channel name change menu screen is overlaid and displayed on the channel guide screen displayed on the current screen through step 301 described above. If the new channel name for the currently selected channel is not input for a predetermined time while the channel name change menu screen is displayed through the above-described process, the controller 110 displays the channel name change menu screen as shown in FIG. 4A. It automatically turns off and returns to the channel guide screen in the initial step 301 (step 325).

On the contrary, if the user operates the key input unit 105 again while inputting a new channel name for the currently selected channel in the state in which the channel name change menu screen is displayed through step 323 (step 324), the controller ( 110 updates the channel name for the corresponding channel and stores it in the memory unit 135 (step 327), and turns off the channel name change menu screen (step 329).

Then, the controller 110 changes the channel guide screen displayed on the current screen based on the channel name input by the user through step 301, thereby displaying the updated channel guide screen (step 351).

If the channel addition key signal is input through the key input unit 105 while the channel guide screen is displayed through the initial step 301 described above (step 331), the controller 110 is stored in the memory unit 135. By reading menu screen information according to channel insertion from various menu screen information and providing the same to the OSD unit 140, as shown in FIG. 4B, a channel addition menu screen is displayed superimposed on the channel guide screen displayed on the current screen. (Step 333).

Subsequently, when a user inputs a channel number and a channel name to be added through the key input unit 105 using the channel add menu (step 335), the controller 110 adds the additional input channel information to the memory unit 135. In step 337, it is included in the total effective channel information of the composite broadcast receiver stored in the &quot;

If the channel number and channel name to be added for a predetermined time are not input in the state in which the channel addition menu screen is displayed through the above-described step 333, the controller 110 automatically turns off the channel addition menu screen. Only the channel guidance screen is displayed as in step 301 (step 336).

Meanwhile, when the channel information additionally set by the user is stored in the memory unit 135 through the above-described step 337, the controller 110 turns off the channel addition setting menu screen (step 339) and updates the updated channel information. That is, the channel guide screen is updated and displayed based on the entire channel information including the channel additionally set by the user (step 351).

On the other hand, while the channel guide screen of the composite broadcast receiver as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed through the initial step 301 described above (step 301), the user moves the cursor displayed on the channel item 202 up and down. After selecting an arbitrary channel by moving, and moving the cursor displayed on the function item 201 to select the channel deleting function (step 341), the controller 110 displays various menu screen information previously stored in the memory unit 135. By deleting the channel name deletion menu screen information from and providing it to the OSD unit 140, the channel deletion menu screen as shown in Fig. 4C is displayed (step 343). At this time, the displayed channel deletion menu screen is overlaid and displayed on the channel guide screen displayed on the current screen, including the current channel number for the channel selected in the channel item 202.

In addition, the user may determine whether to delete the corresponding channel using the channel deletion menu screen as shown in FIG. 4C. In this case, the key signal according to whether to delete the corresponding channel is not input or the cancel key is set for a predetermined time. When a signal is input, the controller 110 automatically turns off the channel deletion menu screen and returns to the channel guide screen as in the initial step 301 described above (step 346).

On the contrary, if the delete confirmation key signal is input for the corresponding channel, that is, the channel in which the cursor of the channel item 202 is located while the channel deletion menu screen shown in FIG. 4C is displayed (step 345), the controller 110 The effective channel information is updated by deleting information on the corresponding channel from all the effective channel information stored in the memory unit 135 (step 347).

Subsequently, the channel deletion menu screen is turned off (step 349), and then the channel guide screen displayed on the current screen is changed and displayed based on the updated all valid channel information (step 351). As a result, the user may delete, add, or change a desired channel by using the channel guide screen.

By providing the function of deleting and adding channels and changing the channel name in the channel guide screen of the composite broadcast receiver, the function of the guide screen can be improved, and each cursor is provided separately according to the menu items in the guide screen. Therefore, there is an effect that can provide other convenience to the user's key operation.

Claims (4)

A plurality of broadcast channels in a composite satellite broadcast receiver having a satellite broadcast processing path for processing a plurality of satellite broadcast channels tuned through a complex tuner and a cable broadcast processing path for processing a plurality of cable broadcast channels tuned through the complex tuner. In the method for controlling the channel guide screen for, The channel guide screen, A plurality of channel information received by the composite broadcast receiver and a plurality of function menus for controlling the respective channel information, and a channel cursor for selecting an arbitrary channel among the plurality of channels and any of the plurality of function menus. Includes a function cursor to select a function menu for, The method is: If a channel search function menu for searching for an effective channel received by the composite broadcast receiver using the function cursor is selected while the channel guide screens for the plurality of broadcast channels are displayed, the total number of channels assigned to the composite broadcast receiver is selected. A first step of sequentially tuning channels to detect an effective channel to which an actual broadcast signal is input; A second step of storing each detected valid channel and updating and displaying the channel guide screen based on the stored valid channel information; If a channel name change menu for the selected channel is selected by using the function cursor after selecting a certain broadcast channel using the channel cursor while the channel guide screens for the plurality of broadcast channels are displayed, Displaying a menu screen; A fourth step of, when the new channel name for the selected channel is input, changes the channel name for the selected channel to the input new channel name, and stores and updates and displays the channel guide screen based on the changed channel name; A fifth step of displaying a channel addition menu screen when a key signal for adding an arbitrary channel is input using the function cursor while the channel guide screens for the plurality of broadcast channels are displayed; When a channel number and a channel name for the arbitrary channel are input, the information about the input channel is added to all channel information of the composite broadcast receiver and stored, and the channel guide screen is updated based on the added channel information. 6 steps to display; If a menu for deleting the selected channel is selected using the function cursor after selecting a certain broadcast channel using the channel cursor while the channel guide screens for the plurality of broadcast channels are displayed, the channel deletion menu screen is selected. Displaying a seventh step; When the delete confirmation key signal is input for the selected channel, the selected channel is deleted to update all channel information of the composite broadcast receiver, and the channel guide screen is updated and displayed based on the updated all channel information. 8. The method of controlling a channel guide screen of a composite broadcast receiver comprising 8 steps. The channel name change menu screen is automatically turned off if the new channel name for the selected channel is not input for a predetermined time while the channel name change menu screen is displayed. When the channel number and channel name for the predetermined channel are not input for a predetermined time while the channel addition menu screen is displayed, the sixth step is automatically turned off. And returning to the channel guide screen. The method of claim 1, wherein the eighth step comprises: when the channel deletion key signal for the selected channel is not input or the channel deletion cancellation key signal is input for a predetermined time while the channel deletion menu screen is displayed. And automatically turning off the channel deletion menu screen and returning to the channel guide screen. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu screens are displayed by being superimposed on the channel guide screen.