KR20000040903A - Subscreen channel scan controlling method of television - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A sub-screen channel scan controlling method of a television is provided to facilitate the broadcast program searching by arbitrarily adjusting the searching time length by a user. CONSTITUTION: A method comprises the steps of: variably setting and storing a search time by genre(300); processing a first tuner-set channel as a main screen if switched to a sub-screen search mode and processing a second tuner-tuned channel as a sub-screen, detecting a genre of a broadcasting signal received channel by channel, and tuning and displaying a next channel corresponding to the detected genre if the stored search time lapses(306, 318); and processing a selected sub-screen channel with the first tuner tuned by finishing the sub-screen search mode if a key input exists for sub-screen channel selections(312,314).

Description

A method for controlling scanning speed of sub picture channel in a television with PIP function

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for controlling a sub-screen channel scan in a television, and in particular, when scanning a channel by using a sub-screen in a television having a PIP function, a scan speed based on a genre-based search speed set by a user. The present invention relates to a sub-screen channel scan control method in a television such that the sub-screen channel can be scanned by varying.

In general, a picture in picture (PIP) function of a television includes first and second tuners for receiving and tuning a broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcasting station, so that a screen can be divided into a main region and a sub region to simultaneously watch two broadcast signals. For example, the viewer may simultaneously search for or watch another broadcast signal of the sub picture displayed in the sub area while watching the broadcast of the main screen displayed in the main area.

In this case, the PIP process converts two broadcast signals or one broadcast signal (for a sub-screen) into a digital signal, performs image reduction processing for adjusting the screen size, and synthesizes the two broadcast signals to match the position of the set home screen. Convert it back to a signal and process it.

Therefore, since the viewer can watch two broadcasts at the same time with the PIP function, a search function for searching for another broadcast channel on the sub-screen while watching the broadcast selected by the user is possible.

FIG. 1A is a schematic block diagram of a television having a general PIP function, and includes a key input unit 10, a microcomputer 20, first and second tuner units 30 and 50, and first and second image signal processing units 40,. 60), a PIP processing unit 70, an RGB converter 80, and a monitor 90.

In such a configuration, the key input unit 10 is provided with a plurality of keys for performing the operation of the television outputs a key signal corresponding to the user's key operation, typically using a remote control that can be input from a remote location A key signal corresponding to a key operation is loaded on a predetermined infrared signal and transmitted, the received infrared signal is received, detected, amplified, and waveform-formed to output the received key signal.

The microcomputer 20 may control the first and second tuner units 30 and 50, the first and second image signal processors 40 and 60, and the PIP processor 70 based on the key signal from the key input unit 10. Selective control to control the overall operation of the television.

Meanwhile, the first and second tuners 30 and 50 output the broadcast signals received and tuned to the channels corresponding to the control of the microcomputer 20 to the first and second image signal processing units 40 and 60, respectively.

Next, the first and second video signal processors 40 and 60 separate the video signals from the broadcast signals from the first and second tuners 30 and 50 and output them to the PIP processor 70.

Then, the PIP processing unit 70 is a means for processing each video signal from the first and second video signal processing units 40 and 60 into a main / sub picture and forming a single screen under the control of the microcomputer 20. After converting the two video signals applied based on the preset size of the housewife screen to a digital signal, synthesizes the two broadcast signals to match the size of the housewife screen and converts them into analog signals and outputs them to the RGB converter 80. .

On the other hand, the R.G.B converter 80 converts the R.G.B signal, amplifies, and outputs the video signal from the PIP processing unit 70 on the monitor 90.

Next, with reference to the detailed block diagram of FIG. 1B to which the PIP processing part 70 mentioned above is attached, it demonstrates further.

As shown in the figure, the PIP processing unit 70 includes the first and second A / D converters 200 and 220, the first and second storage units 210 and 230, the signal processor 240, and the D / A converter 250. ).

In this configuration, the first and second A / D converters 200 and 220 convert the respective analog video signals from the first and second video signal processors 40 and 60 into digital video signals and convert the signals into one horizontal line unit. Output to the first and second storage units 210 and 230, respectively.

Then, the first and second storage units 21 and 230 temporarily store digital image signals from the first and second A / D converters 200 and 220 and output the temporary digital image signals to the signal processor 240.

On the other hand, under the control of the microcomputer 20, the signal processor 240 may convert the digital image signal for the main screen and the digital image signal for the sub-screen applied from the first and second storage units 210 and 230 to the main screen and the sub-screen. The digital image signal synthesized by one horizontal line unit is applied to the D / A converter 250 in units of horizontal lines corresponding to the size of the screen.

Then, the D / A converter 250 converts the digital video signal obtained by synthesizing the main / sub picture from the signal processor 240 into an analog video signal and outputs the analog video signal to the R.G.B converter 80.

On the other hand, in the television having the above-described PIP function, when the viewer scans and searches for another broadcast channel using a subscreen by operating a predetermined key provided in the key input unit 10, the microcomputer 20 is processed as a subscreen. The second tuner unit 50 sequentially tunes all channels at predetermined scan search time intervals, and the PIP processor 70 fixes the first tuner unit 30 applied from the first image signal processor 40. The video signal of the search channel broadcast signal received from the second tuner unit 50 applied from the second video signal processor 60 as the sub picture while processing the video signal of the broadcast signal received from the tuned channel as the main picture. To process the main screen signal and the sub-screen signal and output them to the RGB converter 80 to perform the sub-screen on another broadcast channel while watching the broadcast program selected as the main screen to be watched. Which is able to determine the navigation program.

However, in the above-described search mode using the sub-screen, since the search time interval for switching the sub-screen channel is fixed, there is a problem that the sub-screen is switched to the next channel even before the viewer checks whether the broadcast program is desired.

Accordingly, in the present invention, the search time for channel switching of the sub-screen is varied by the search function, and in particular, the user sets a different search time for each genre of the broadcast program, so that the channel switching of the sub-screen corresponds to the set search time. We will look for ways to make this work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to switch a channel for searching when searching for another broadcast channel using a sub-screen while watching a desired broadcast on a main screen in a television having a PIP function. In the television set, the user can arbitrarily set the search time, which is a time interval, by genre to detect the genre of the sub-screen broadcast program and switch the sub-screen broadcast channel based on the search time set corresponding to the detected genre. The present invention provides a method for controlling a screen channel scan.

1A is a schematic block diagram of a television having a conventional general PIP function.

FIG. 1B is a detailed block diagram of the PIP processing unit of FIG. 1A. FIG.

2 is a schematic block diagram of a television with a PIP function employed in accordance with the present invention;

3 is a flowchart illustrating a sub-screen channel scan control process according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: key input unit 20: microcomputer

30,50: first and second tuner unit 40,60: first and second image signal processing unit

70: PIP processing section 80: R.G.B conversion section

90: monitor 100: KBPS decoder unit

200,220: first and second A / D conversion unit 210,230: first and second storage unit

240: signal processing unit 250: D / A conversion unit

The sub-screen channel scan control method for television according to the present invention is a method of scanning and searching for broadcasts of different channels from a television equipped with a first and second tuner having a PIP function to a sub-screen. Variable setting and storing, and when the sub-screen search mode is switched, the first tuner processes the channel set as the main screen, and sequentially synchronizes channels from the first channel to the last channel with the second tuner to display the sub-screen. When the search time stored corresponding to the detected genre has elapsed, the next channel is synchronized and displayed, and when the sub-screen display is finished to the last channel, the sub-screen search mode is detected. Terminate and process the broadcast signal of the channel tuned to the first tuner and incubate during the search time. And if there is a key input for selecting a screen channel, ending the sub-screen search mode and tuning and processing the selected sub-screen channel with the first tuner.

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.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a television having a PIP function employed in accordance with the present invention, and further includes a KBPS decoder 100 in a television having the general PIP function of FIG.

In this configuration, the KBPS decoder unit 100 is a KBPS (Korea Broadcasting Program System) in the broadcasting system, data for broadcast programs and scheduled recording, for example, channels, broadcast categories (for example, news, drama, sports, etc.). ), And various broadcast program information such as broadcast start / end time and standard time data are converted into digital signals and inserted into an arbitrary horizontal line during the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the video signal. The KBPS data is demodulated from the broadcast signals received from the first or second tuner units 30 and 50 selected under the control of the microcomputer 20 and outputted to the microcomputer 20, and the microcomputer 20 is the KBPS decoder unit. The genre of the broadcast program received through the channel can be determined based on the KBPS data applied from the 100.

In the sub-screen search mode, the microcomputer 20 sequentially controls and controls the second tuner unit 50 for the sub-screen search using the search time for each genre based on the user's key input in the sub-screen search mode to perform the screen-free search mode. Done.

Next, the sub-picture channel scan control process according to the present invention in the television having the above-described configuration will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when a user operates a predetermined key provided in the key input unit 10 to set a search time for each genre, the microcomputer 20 stores the search time for each genre input through the key input unit 10 in a memory not shown. (Step 300).

Next, the user inputs a predetermined key provided in the key input unit 10 to scan and search for a broadcast program performed on another channel while watching a broadcast program tuned and received from the first tuner unit 30 when the television is powered on. The microcomputer 20 determines whether to switch to the sub picture search mode (step 302).

In detail, a user may set a long search time for a broadcast genre of interest and a short search time for a broadcast genre that is not of interest to allow time to search for a broadcast program of the genre of interest. .

In this case, when the sub-screen search mode is switched, the microcomputer 20 controls the PIP processing unit 70 to receive an image signal of a broadcast signal received from the first tuner 30 and applied from the first image signal processing unit 40. The video signal of the broadcast signal received by the second tuner unit 50 and applied from the second video signal processor 60 is configured as a sub picture, and is processed. First, the second tuner unit 50 is first processed. Tuning to the channel (step 304).

Then, the broadcast signal tuned by the second tuner unit 50 together with the main screen is displayed on the monitor 90 as the sub picture.

Next, the microcomputer 20 controls the KBPS decoder 100 to detect KBPS data inserted in any horizontal line of the vertical blanking period of the broadcast signal received through the second tuner 50. The detected KBPS data is applied to the microcomputer 20 (step 306).

At this time, the microcomputer determines the broadcast genre of the current channel from the applied KBPS data and determines a pre-stored search time corresponding to the determined broadcast genre, that is, a time interval between switching from the current channel to the next channel in the sub-screen search mode. Read out (step 308).

Next, the microcomputer 20 starts counting to determine whether the search time has elapsed (step 310).

At this time, if the search time has not elapsed, it is determined whether a key signal for selecting a sub-screen is applied from the key input unit 10 (step 312). The key signal for sub-screen selection is a key signal generated by manipulating a predetermined key provided in the key input unit 10 when a broadcast that the user wants to watch in the search mode is found on the sub-screen. The channel is terminated in the search mode and the first tuner unit 30 tunes the channel to view the monitor 90.

Therefore, when a key signal for sub-screen selection is applied, the sub-screen search mode is terminated and the first tuner 30 is tuned to the selected sub-screen channel to output the broadcast program selected based on the search mode to the monitor 90. Control is performed (step 314).

On the contrary, if a key signal for selecting a sub-screen is not applied, the process proceeds to the above-described step 310 to determine whether the search time continues.

On the other hand, when the search time has elapsed in the above-described step 310, the microcomputer 20 determines whether the channel currently tuned to the first tuner unit 50 is the last channel (step 316), and if not the last channel, the next channel The second tuner unit 50 is tuned (step 318), and the process returns to step 306 described above to detect the genre of the received broadcast signal, and after the search time set corresponding to the detected genre, continues to the next channel. To control the sub screen.

When the above process is repeatedly performed and the last channel is processed and displayed as a sub-screen, the microcomputer 20 ends the search for the sub-screen and the broadcast signal received from the channel set in the first tuner unit 30 is monitored. And it is controlled to be output to the speaker not shown (step 320).

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, in the case of scanning and searching a broadcast program performed on another broadcast channel from a television having a PIP function to a sub-screen, a broadcast time corresponding to a broadcast genre of interest is arbitrarily set by the user. There is an effect of providing a convenience to perform the search by adjusting the length of the setting.

Claims (1)

Claims [1] A method of scanning and searching a broadcast of another channel on a sub picture from a television equipped with a first and second tuners having a PIP function. Variable setting and storing a search time for each genre; When the sub-screen search mode is switched to, the first tuner processes the channel set as the main screen, and sequentially synchronizes the channel with the second tuner from the first channel to the last channel to display the sub-screen and displays the broadcast signal received for each channel. Detecting a genre of and tuning and displaying a next channel when the search time stored corresponding to the detected genre has elapsed; When the sub-screen display is finished to the last channel, the sub-screen search mode is terminated and the broadcast signal of the channel tuned to the first tuner is processed, and if there is a key input for selecting the sub-screen channel during the search time, the sub-screen search mode is changed. Terminating and tuning the selected subpicture channel to the first tuner for processing.