KR20080039597A - Method and apparatus for changing channel in digital receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for changing a channel in a digital broadcasting receiver are provided to improve the channel change speed by two tuners. A memory(38) stores a broadcasting channel frequency table. The first and second tuner members(30) tune other channels. When the channel tuning is started, a microprocessor(36) controls the first and second tuners to search the channels sequentially which are stored in a broadcasting channel frequency table. When a channel change signal is inputted, the output of a signal from the tuner member corresponding to the corresponding channel is performed under the control of the microprocessor. The channel change for performing the channel tuning of the first and second tuner members according to the control of the microprocessor is previously executed according to the channel selection key inputted lately. The channel selection key is a channel up/down key.

Description

Channel switching method and apparatus for a digital broadcasting receiver {Method and apparatus for changing channel in digital receiver}

1 illustrates an exemplary diagram according to a usage state of a general digital broadcast receiver.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation according to channel switching in a conventional digital broadcasting receiver.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration for channel switching control of a digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention;

4 and 5 are flowcharts illustrating operations according to channel switching in the digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

30: Tuner 31: Demux

32,33,34: Buffer 35: MPEG decoder

36: microcomputer 37: OSD generation unit

38: memory 40: HDR system

41: hard disk

The present invention relates to a channel switching method and apparatus for a digital broadcast receiver, and more particularly, to a channel switching method and apparatus for a digital broadcasting receiver capable of improving a channel switching speed using two tuners.

Digital broadcast refers to a television broadcast that compresses and sends out a television signal in a digital form in which information signals are encoded and recorded. Conventional analogue television broadcasting can only carry one image in one radio wave, and voice has to be transmitted in another radio wave. On the other hand, since digital broadcasting can carry a plurality of video, audio, etc. in one radio wave and can compress information without degrading the quality, 4 to 8 channels in the frequency band of the conventional analog broadcasting channel Can be set. Accordingly, the digital broadcast can include various signals in addition to the television broadcast signal.

1 shows an example of a satellite and a television connected to the digital broadcast receiver 300. As shown, the satellite broadcast antenna 200 may be connected to the digital broadcast receiver 300 in order to receive digital satellite broadcasts transmitted through a plurality of broadcast satellites 100, 101, and 102, for example. The digital broadcasting received through the satellite broadcasting antenna is viewed through a television connected to the set top box 300.

The digital broadcast receiver 300 is composed of a television tuner, storage and playback software, a modem, and a hard drive. That is, the digital broadcast receiver is constructed by connecting a hard drive used in a computer, and converts a television program into a digital signal to be stored and reproduced on the hard disk.

Therefore, when the channel is selected, the digital broadcast receiver 300 automatically stores the signals currently broadcasted on the hard drive in digital form and simultaneously reproduces them. If the play button is pressed again after pressing the stop button, the stored broadcast signal is played again from the point where it was stopped. The digital broadcast receiver 300 operated in this way is very convenient in terms of receiving and viewing digital broadcasts.

Meanwhile, in the conventional digital broadcasting, it takes a lot of time to tune, decode, and display a broadcasting channel desired by a user.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of searching for a broadcast channel desired by a user in a conventional digital broadcast receiver and showing a broadcast signal accordingly.

As shown, in the conventional digital broadcast receiver, when a channel search is performed, if a user inputs a channel search signal through a key input unit such as a remote controller for channel search (S10), the channel search signal is input to the tuner only. Instructs the tuning command to tune the corresponding channel. In this way, the channel search of the tuner is started (S11).

When the signal corresponding to the channel searched by the user is received in step S11, the signal processing (including decoding) of the received broadcast signal is performed and then output on the screen (S12).

When a signal according to a channel search command is input again from the user (S13), the channel search process is performed while performing the steps S11 and S12 in the same manner. This process is repeated in the same process until the channel search is completed (S14).

Accordingly, even when a user repeatedly inputs the same channel search key, for example, a channel up key or a channel down key, in the channel search process of a conventional digital broadcast receiver, as shown in FIG. 2, Only after the channel search signal is input is a control instructing the tuner to instruct a tuning command, which causes a problem in that a long time is required for channel switching.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide a channel switching method and apparatus for a digital broadcasting receiver capable of shortening a channel switching speed in a digital broadcasting receiver having two or more tuners. have.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a channel switching apparatus for a digital broadcast receiver, including: a memory storing a broadcast channel frequency table; A first tuner unit and a second tuner unit searching for different channels; When the channel search is started, the first tuner unit and the second tuner unit control to sequentially search the channels stored in the broadcast channel frequency table, and when the channel switching signal is input, the signal output is output from the tuner unit where the corresponding channel search is performed. Characterized in that it comprises a microcomputer to control to be made.

The channel switching for channel searching of the first tuner unit and the second tuner unit under the control of the microcomputer of the present invention may be performed in advance corresponding to a recently selected channel selection key.

The channel selection key of the present invention is characterized by being a channel up / down key.

In addition, a channel switching method of a digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the channel switching control method of a digital broadcast receiver having two or more tuners, the first step of setting a broadcast channel frequency table; A second step of controlling to sequentially search for channels stored in a broadcast channel frequency table by the first tuner unit and the second tuner unit when the channel search is started; And a third step of controlling a signal of a tuner unit in which a corresponding channel search is output when the channel switching signal is input.

The channel switching for channel search of the first tuner unit and the second tuner unit of the present invention may be performed in advance corresponding to a recently selected channel selection key.

Hereinafter, a channel switching method and apparatus of a digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a control block diagram for channel switching of a digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention.

The present invention can be applied to a digital broadcasting receiver such as a set top box (STB) or a digital television capable of receiving digital broadcasting, and a personal video recorder, a vehicle and a portable digital broadcasting receiver. will be.

As shown, the digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention includes a tuner 30 for receiving a broadcast signal and a demux for separating the MPEG transport stream of the broadcast program received through the tuner 30 into audio / video / data. (31), an audio buffer 32 for temporarily storing the audio output from the demux 31, a video buffer 33 for temporarily storing the video output from the demux 31, and the demux 31 A data buffer 34 for temporarily storing data outputted from the NCR, an MPEG decoder 35 for decoding signals of the buffers 32, 33, and 34, an OSD generator 37 for generating OSD data, And a memory 38 for storing various data and programs necessary for the operation of the digital broadcast receiver.

The tuner 30 is configured to include at least two tuners. Therefore, it is possible to control to receive and watch a broadcast signal using the first tuner unit, and to simultaneously receive and record another broadcast signal using the second tuner unit. You can even have more than one tuner built in.

Therefore, the demux 31, the audio buffer 31, the video buffer 33, the data buffer 34, the MPEG decoder 35, and the like are provided to enable signal processing as long as the tuner 30 is provided. Of course.

The memory 38 stores an operation program for performing a channel switching operation in the digital broadcast receiver of the present invention and various data required during operation of the operation program. For example, the broadcast signal standard frequency data for each country is stored, and the standard frequency data includes a frequency band and a center frequency for each broadcast channel. Therefore, it is possible to read and use the standard frequency data corresponding to the region or country where the digital broadcasting receiver is used from the memory.

In addition, the digital broadcast receiver 300 of the present invention includes an HDR (HDD Record) system 40, a hard disk 41, and the like for recording on a hard disk. The hard disk 41 stores a broadcast signal received through the tuner 30. For example, in the tuner 30, any of the digital satellite broadcasts received through the satellite broadcast antenna 200, desired by the user. Tunes into a broadcast channel. The demux 31 demultiplexes the digital broadcast data stream received through the broadcast channel, and outputs the demux to audio, video, and data streams, respectively. The audio and video data streams are temporarily stored in the audio buffer 32 and the video buffer 33 and then read and signaled by the MPEG decoder 35 and output as audio and video signals. The broadcast signal output from the MPEG decoder 35 is encoded by the HDR system 40 and then recorded on the hard disk 41. The data stream is temporarily stored in the data buffer 34. For example, the microcomputer described later reads and searches service information SI stored temporarily in the data buffer, and performs broadcast signal signal processing and various controls. It is used as reference information for

Accordingly, the digital broadcast receiver 300 of the present invention can receive digital broadcast programs through the tuner 30, record arbitrary broadcast programs on the hard disk 41, play back broadcast programs stored on the hard disk 41, and the like. The microcomputer 36 performs various controls required by the digital broadcasting receiver. The microcomputer 36 controls the channel tuning operation of the tuner 30 to control the channel search operation. In particular, since the tuner 30 includes the first and second tuners, the tuner 30 is controlled to increase the accuracy of the channel switching operation and to perform the fast channel switching by using all the tuners.

The digital broadcasting receiver according to the present invention having the above configuration controls the channel switching operation by using two or more tuners, which will be described in detail below.

4 is an operation flowchart for channel switching control of a digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention.

During the channel search operation (S20), the microcomputer 36 checks the channel information that the user wants to search by using a standard broadcast frequency table stored in the memory 38, and provides channel information to the tuner 30. By doing so, a tuning operation can be made (S21).

When the tuner 30 receives the message according to the completion of tuning, the microcomputer 36 receives the received signal of the tuner 30 through the demux 31, the buffers 32, 33, 34, and the decoder 35. Control to be processed, and the signal-processed broadcast signal is output on the screen (S22).

When the channel search operation is performed as described above, the microcomputer 36 counts the number of channel search times, and when the channel search count reaches a value larger than a reference value (about two times) to determine the channel search direction, After the channel search starts, the channel search direction is determined based on the direction in which the channel search is performed (S23, S24).

In the step S24, when the channel search is successively used after the channel search is started in the step S20, the control for the channel search of the two tuner units is sequentially controlled upward (S25). The upward direction indicates a direction in which channel switching is sequentially performed when the channel up key is continuously pressed.

However, if the channel search is continuously used since the channel search is started in the step S20, the control for the channel search of the two tuner units is sequentially controlled downward (S26). The downward direction indicates a direction in which channel switching is sequentially performed when the channel down key is continuously pressed.

Through the above process, the microcomputer 36 can identify the channel switching direction at the time of channel search. Thereafter, the microcomputer 36 controls the tuning operation of the two tuner units to be performed in advance before the key signal for channel search is input, thereby controlling the waiting time according to the channel switching. This operation is as follows.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of controlling a tuning operation to be performed before a channel switch key signal is input using two tuners in the digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention.

The microcomputer reads the broadcast channel frequency table stored in the memory 38 during the channel search (S30, S31). In the broadcast channel frequency table, tuning frequencies are stored in association with available broadcast channels, and the stored broadcast channels are sequentially recorded.

Next, the microcomputer provides the channel information to the tuner (denoted as the first tuner section) in which the channel search is not currently performed according to the direction determined in the process of FIG. 4 before the next channel search signal is input. The channel information provided at this time becomes the channel information in the up or down direction based on the search channel direction determined in step S25 or step S26. If 10 channels are searched in the previous channel search step and it is determined to be upward, the next channel is searched for channel 11. However, in the previous channel search step, 10 channel searches were performed, and if it is determined to be downward, the next channel is searched for channel 9 (in this case, the channel must be set to at least 9, 10, 11 channels). ).

Therefore, the first tuner unit controls the tuning operation based on the channel information provided by the microcomputer 36 (S32).

While the above control is being performed, the microcomputer 36 continuously monitors whether the next channel search signal is input (S33). When the next channel search signal is input, the channel search signal of the first tuner unit which is already searched is output (S34).

At the same time, the microcomputer 36 provides channel information to the second tuner before the next channel search signal is input to control the tuning operation of the second tuner. In this case, the channel information provided to the second tuner unit is next channel information of the channel provided in step S22. Therefore, the second tuner unit controls the tuning operation based on the channel information provided by the microcomputer 36 (S35).

When the next channel search signal is input, the microcomputer 36 controls the output of the second tuner unit to be displayed on the screen (S36 and S37). At the same time, the next channel search of the first tuner unit is controlled (S38).

The above operation control is repeatedly performed until the channel search is completed. In this case, the channel search direction and the tuning operation for the next channel must be prioritized before the next channel search signal is input. It is matters (S29).

As described above, the channel switching method and apparatus of the digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention are characterized by determining the direction of channel search in the digital broadcast receiver having two or more tuners. The present invention is characterized in that a tuning operation is performed in advance by predicting a channel to be tuned by a tuner which is not operated based on the determined search direction. With this control, the present invention can shorten the time required for channel switching of digital broadcasting, thereby preventing the waiting time due to channel switching.

The above-described preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed for purposes of illustration, and when performing channel switching in the digital broadcast receiver, the tuning operation for the next channel to be searched in advance is completed, so that the time required for channel switching is determined. It can be applied in the case of shortening. Therefore, those skilled in the art will be able to improve, change, substitute or add other embodiments within the technical spirit and scope of the present invention disclosed in the appended claims.

The channel switching method and apparatus of the digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention described above are characterized by determining the direction of channel search in the digital broadcast receiver having two or more tuners. The present invention is characterized in that the tuning operation is performed in advance by predicting a channel to be tuned by a tuner which is not operated based on the determined search direction. With this control, the present invention can shorten the time required for channel switching of digital broadcasting, thereby preventing the waiting time due to channel switching from becoming longer.

Claims (5)

A memory storing a broadcast channel frequency table; A first tuner unit and a second tuner unit searching for different channels; When the channel search is started, the first tuner unit and the second tuner unit control to sequentially search the channels stored in the broadcast channel frequency table, and when the channel switching signal is input, the signal output is output from the tuner unit where the corresponding channel search is performed. Channel switching device of the digital broadcast receiver comprising a micom to control to be made. The method of claim 1, Channel switching device for the channel search for the first tuner unit and the second tuner unit under the control of the microcomputer is made in advance corresponding to a recently selected channel selection key. The method of claim 2, And the channel selection key is a channel up / down key. In the channel switching control method of a digital broadcast receiver having two or more tuners, Setting a broadcast channel frequency table; A second step of controlling to sequentially search for channels stored in a broadcast channel frequency table by the first tuner unit and the second tuner unit when the channel search is started; And a third step of controlling a signal of the tuner unit in which a corresponding channel search is output when the channel switching signal is input. The method of claim 4, wherein The channel switching method for channel searching of the first tuner unit and the second tuner unit is performed in advance corresponding to a recently selected channel selection key.

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