KR20000021562A - Method for tuning channels of television - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for tuning channels of a TV is provided to tune all channels by selecting according to stipulations, when tuning the channels, and to have a confirming procedure for keeping previous tuning information, when tuning is completed. CONSTITUTION: A method for tuning channels of a television comprises the steps of: classifying channel tuning stipulations into tuning of all channels, tuning of all channels after a current channel, tuning of channels from the current channel to a last channel, and tuning of channels before the current channel to a first channel; composing the classified channel tuning stipulations to character screen; displaying the channel tuning stipulations composed of the character screen; performing the channel tuning according to tuning stipulations by a user's selection; and confirming deletion of previous tuning information.

Description

METHOD FOR SEARCHING AND MEMORIZING CHANNEL IN A TELEVISION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a channel automatic tuning method for television, and more particularly, to a channel tuning method for television that enables the channel to be tuned in accordance with tuning conditions such as the user can arbitrarily select a starting channel for automatic channel tuning. It is about.

In general, as a method of tuning and receiving broadcast signals, the Frequency Synchronizing (FS) method is used in NTSC (National Television System Committe), and the VS (Voltage Synchronizing) method is used in SECAM.

In the VS method, the band switching voltage corresponding to the band (VHF LOW, VHF HIGH, UHF) is changed, and the tuning voltage of the channel where the broadcast signal is detected is increased by increasing the tuning voltage from the reference tuning voltage in predetermined steps. The channel tuning is performed while memorizing the serial number gradually increasing, and it can be implemented at a lower cost than the FS method.

In other words, in the VS method, the tuned channel number is not a unique channel number assigned to a broadcasting station, but a sequential sequential serial number, so that the user can easily distinguish between channels, for example, in the UK or Europe. And transmit channel information including a broadcast frequency, a broadcast channel, and a broadcast station name in a predetermined section of the broadcast signal (for example, any horizontal line in the vertical blanking period) such as a VPS, a PDC, and the like. It could be stored and the user could distinguish stations by this detected station name.

On the other hand, in the FS system, an AFT (Automatic Fine Tunning) voltage is used to tune the tuner of the receiver to the carrier frequency of each channel. That is, when the PLL data for tuning the frequency of each channel is stored in the microcomputer internal memory of the television receiver, and the user selects a predetermined channel by key operation or the like, the microcomputer applies the PLL data of the selected channel to the tuner. A phase lock loop is formed in the tuner to receive the frequency signal of the channel selected by the user by controlling the oscillation frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator according to the PLL data. Channel tuning was performed by sequentially applying the corresponding PLL data to the tuner up to the last channel (83 channels).

That is, in the conventional channel automatic tuning as described above, the presence or absence of a broadcast signal is detected by tuning from the lowest channel (2 channels) of the VHF LOW band (channels 2 to 6) to detect the presence or absence of a broadcast signal. 83) channel tuning is performed sequentially until the channel being broadcast is detected and checked for the presence of a synchronization signal to store only the channel being broadcast, and when the viewer operates the channel up / down keys, the channel is tuned. Channel switching was performed by only up / down channels.

However, the above-described conventional channel tuning method always performs channel tuning from the lowest channel, so that a channel frequently watched by a user is a higher channel, or a channel tuned after a predetermined channel by carelessness of a user, especially a young child, is deleted. In this case, there was a problem of tuning all channels unnecessarily.

In addition, most of the channels tuned to the automatic channel tuning are not valid channels, and the user can watch channels that the user watches through the editing process to exclude channels tuned into the channel by the channel erase key operation. Only the channel is selected as channel selection information. In a country with a large number of channels, such channel editing becomes a very inconvenient problem. However, when channel editing is performed inadvertently or when a user wants to perform channel selection again, There is an issue that is easily lost to

Accordingly, in the present invention, the channel can be selected and tuned according to conditions such as all channel tuning, all channel tuning after the current channel, channel tuning from the current channel to the last channel, and so on. The verification process to maintain information has been sought to provide the convenience of channel selection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to select a condition selected by a user when channel automatic tuning is performed on a television, for example, all channel tuning, all channel tuning after the current channel, and after the current channel. Channel tuning is performed on the basis of channel tuning from the last channel to the last channel, and whether or not the previous tuning information is deleted can be provided, thereby providing convenience of channel tuning to the user by avoiding channel tuning due to unnecessary channel tuning and user's carelessness. The present invention provides a method for channel selection in a television.

1 is a block diagram of a television employed in accordance with the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a channel tuning process in a television according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings>

10: key input unit 20: microcomputer

30: tuner unit 40: video signal processing unit

50: OSD 60: Monitor

70: audio signal processor 80: speaker

The channel selection method in television according to the present invention is a method of automatically searching for and tuning a channel in a television. If there is a key input for channel tuning, all channel tuning, all channel tuning after the current channel, and last after the current channel Displaying a character screen for receiving channel selection conditions such as channel tuning up to a channel and waiting for user selection; and broadcasting is sequentially performed from the lowest channel to the highest channel if the user selected conditions are all channel selections. Searching for channels and storing the tuned channel information in the memory; and if the condition selected by the user is all channel tuning after the current channel, all channels are sequentially searched after the currently tuned channel to store the tuned channel information in the memory. The saving step and the condition you selected If the channel is tuned from the last channel to the last channel, searching for channels that are being broadcast sequentially from the channel currently tuned to the highest channel, and storing the tuned channel information in the memory, and storing the tuned channel information in the memory. And displaying, on a text screen, whether to maintain the stored channel presetting information and waiting for the user's selection; deleting the previous channel presetting information previously stored in the memory based on the user's selection, and storing the current channel presetting information stored in the memory. Or deleting the current channel presetting information stored in the memory and maintaining the previous channel presetting information.

The above objects and various advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the preferred embodiments of the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by those skilled in the art.

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

1 is a block diagram of a typical television employed in accordance with the present invention, wherein the key input unit 10, the microcomputer 20, the tuner unit 30, the image signal processing unit 40, the OSD unit 50, the monitor 60 ), An audio signal processor 70, and a speaker 80.

In this configuration, the key input unit 10 is provided as a means for performing the operation of the television, and has a plurality of keys including channel tuning keys and the like, and outputs a key signal corresponding to the user's key operation. For the convenience of the user, the above-described key signal is transmitted to the infrared carrier using a remote controller capable of remote input, and the key signal obtained by amplifying and detecting the received infrared carrier is applied to the microcomputer 20.

The microcomputer 20 is a means for controlling the overall operation of the television by controlling each component based on the key signal applied from the key input unit 10. When the channel tuning key signal is applied from the key input unit 10, it will be described later. The OSD unit 50 is controlled to configure and display a character screen for selecting preset channel tuning conditions, for example, all channel tuning, all channel tuning after the current channel, channel tuning after the current channel, and the last channel. The tuner unit 30 to be described below is tuned according to the selected tuning conditions based on a predetermined key signal for selecting the above-described conditions from the key input unit 10, and the channel information is selected. 20) to store in the memory.

In addition, the microcomputer 20 controls the OSD unit 50 to display a text screen for confirming whether or not to maintain the currently tuned channel information, and writes to the memory based on a predetermined selection key signal from the key input unit 10. The channel tuning control is terminated by deleting previously stored channel presetting information, maintaining channel information currently tuned and stored, or maintaining previous channel presetting information previously stored in a memory, and deleting channel information currently tuned and stored.

On the other hand, the tuner unit 30 outputs a broadcast signal received by tuning to a channel corresponding to the tuning signal from the microcomputer 20.

The video signal processor 40 separately detects the audio signal and the video signal from the broadcast signal applied from the tuner 30 and outputs the separated audio signal, and the separated video signal is processed and displayed as a displayable signal. Also, if the synchronization signal is detected from the broadcast signal applied from the tuner unit 30, and if the synchronization signal is detected, the synchronization detection signal is applied to the microcomputer 20, and the microcomputer 20 transmits to the synchronization detection signal at the time of channel selection. On the basis of this, it is determined whether or not the channel is being broadcast.

In addition, the OSD (on screen display) unit 50 corresponds to the character control signal from the microcomputer 20 to an image signal or a blue-back signal (blue background screen) applied from the image signal processing unit 40. Means for synthesizing a character signal (font) to be output to the monitor 60 to display a corresponding character screen on the screen, and in particular, receiving a tuning condition under the control of the microcomputer 20, and receiving the currently tuned channel information. A text screen for confirming whether or not to maintain is configured and synthesized and output to a video signal or a blue back signal applied from the video signal processor 40.

Meanwhile, the audio signal processor 70 processes an audio signal that is separated and detected by the image signal processor 40 into a signal that can be output to the speaker 80.

Next, a detailed description will be given with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 2 attached to a channel tuning process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a television having the above-described configuration.

First, the microcomputer 20 determines whether a channel tuning key signal is applied from the key input unit 10 (step 200).

At this time, when the channel selection key signal is applied, the microcomputer 20 controls the OSD unit 50 to display a text screen for receiving the channel selection condition by controlling the OSD unit 50 (step 202).

That is, the channel tuning conditions such as all channel tuning (A), all channel tuning (B) after the current channel, and channel tuning (C) from the current channel to the last channel, that is, the lowest channel, are displayed.

Then, the user operates a predetermined key provided in the key input unit 10 to select one channel tuning condition among the three channel tuning conditions described above, so that the microcomputer 20 receives the key signal from the key input unit 10. Based on the determination, the channel selection condition selected by the user is determined (step 204).

At this time, if the selected channel tuning condition is all channel tuning (A), the microcomputer 20 sequentially applies the tuning signal corresponding to the channel to all channels from the lowest channel to the highest channel to the tuner unit 30 and the image signal processing unit. A channel automatic tuning function for storing only the channel to which the synchronization detection signal is applied from 40 is stored in a memory (not shown) (step 206).

On the other hand, if the selected channel tuning condition is all channel tuning (B) after the current channel, the microcomputer 20 sequentially applies the tuning signal corresponding to the channel to all the channels after the current channel to the tuner unit 30 and the video signal. A channel automatic tuning function for storing only the channel to which the synchronization detection signal is applied from the processor 40 in the memory is performed (step 208).

That is, the user can arbitrarily set the channel selection start channel.

On the other hand, if the selected channel tuning condition is the channel tuning C from the current channel to the last channel, that is, the lowest channel, the microcomputer 20 transmits a tuner signal corresponding to the channel to the tuner unit 30 after the current channel. In step 210, the channel auto-tuning function is applied to sequentially store the channel to which the synchronization detection signal is applied from the image signal processing unit 40 to the memory.

On the other hand, when looking at the channel band of each broadcasting station, unique channels such as SBS, KBS1, KBS2, MBC, and EBS broadcasting stations are concentrated in the lower region among all the channels, and the channels allocated to these broadcasting stations are often effective channels. Therefore, the channel selection (C) condition from the current channel to the last channel after the current channel can be changed to the channel selection from the current channel to the first channel, that is, the lowest channel, because the channel can be prevented from being unnecessarily tuned. Conditions can be added further.

Next, when channel tuning is completed in the above-described steps (206, 208, 210), the microcomputer 20 displays a predetermined text screen for confirming whether or not to keep current channel information currently tuned and stored in the memory. Control to display (step 212).

At this time, the user selects whether to maintain the currently tuned channel information or the previously selected channel information by operating a predetermined key provided in the key input unit 10, so that the microcomputer 20 is the key input unit 10 The determination is made based on the key signal from (step 214).

At this time, if the input key signal is a key signal for maintaining the current channel selection information, the microcomputer 20 deletes the previous channel preset information previously stored in the memory, and keeps the currently stored channel preset information from the key input unit 10. When the channel up / down key signal is applied, channel switching is performed using this channel information (step 216).

On the contrary, if the input key signal is a key signal for not maintaining the current channel tuning information, the microcomputer 20 deletes the current channel tuning information stored in the above-described steps 206, 208, or 210, and previously stored. Channel switching is performed using the previous channel selection information (step 218).

On the other hand, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, channel selection is performed by the channel selection conditions for all channel selection, all channel selection after the current channel, and channel selection after the current channel to the last channel. Also, by confirming whether the channel selection information is deleted, channel channel tuning due to unnecessary channel tuning and user's carelessness can be avoided, thereby providing convenience of channel tuning to the user.

Claims (1)

A method of automatically searching for and tuning channels on television. If there is key input for channel tuning, it displays a character screen for inputting channel tuning conditions such as all channel tuning, all channel tuning after the current channel, and channel tuning after the current channel to the last channel and waits for user selection. Steps; Searching for channels in which broadcasting is sequentially performed from the lowest channel to the highest channel if the condition selected by the user is all channel tuning, and storing the tuned channel information in the memory; Searching for all channels sequentially after the currently tuned channel and storing the tuned channel information in the memory if the user-selected condition is all channel tuning after the current channel; If the user-selected condition is channel selection from the current channel to the last channel, retrieving channels in which broadcasting is sequentially performed from the currently tuned channel to the highest channel and storing the tuned channel information in a memory; After storing in the memory, displaying on the text screen whether to maintain channel tuning information currently tuned and stored and waiting for user selection; Deleting previous channel preset information previously stored in the memory and maintaining current channel information stored in the memory, or deleting current channel preset information stored in the memory and maintaining the previous channel preset information according to a user's selection. A channel tuning method in a television comprising the steps.