KR20090102978A - Settop Apparatus Having Repeater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A set-top device having repeater is provided to optimize the communication environment without installing a separate repeater. CONSTITUTION: A set-top device(20) having a repeater comprises a broadcasting receiver, an image output unit, a communication unit, and a repeater. The broadcasting receiver(215) receives broadcasting data. The image output unit outputs broadcasting data received by the broadcasting receiver on the display device. The communication unit(210) performs a communication through the return channel for transmitting the actuating signal inputted from a user. The repeater(200) outputs the received signal after amplifying.

Description

Set-top device with relay function {Settop Apparatus Having Repeater}

The present invention relates to a set top apparatus of the present invention, and more particularly, to a set top apparatus equipped with a relay function.

Recently, portable terminal devices such as mobile communication terminals, PDPs, and MP3s having radio functions have been increasing. Recently, with the development of phase wave DMB or terrestrial DMB, real-time broadcasting can be viewed through a portable terminal device. Regardless of the existing analog broadcast TV signal, as well as receiving and playing digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB: Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) signals, regardless of the location.

However, a voice call using a mobile communication terminal or reception of a broadcast signal using another portable terminal device is difficult to receive in an area where the electric field strength is weak, so that the call is not connected well or the broadcast viewing state is not good.

In a mountainous area or an area that is far from a base station such as a subway or a lot of obstacles in the middle, the mobile communication terminal becomes incapable of communication and cannot easily be notified even when an emergency occurs.

In this case, it is best to increase the number of base stations or repeaters so that they can be performed smoothly, but it is difficult to accomplish in all regions and is not easy to solve in terms of cost.

In addition, a mobile carrier must carry a signal measuring device in a car to measure a reception sensitivity in order to identify a shaded area having poor communication conditions. Therefore, it takes a lot of manpower and time to identify the shadow area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is derived from such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a set-top device equipped with a relay function capable of improving communication quality even without a separate repeater in a home or company having a poor mobile communication environment.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a set-top device equipped with a relay function capable of efficiently measuring reception sensitivity information of a wireless signal.

The technical problem is achieved by a set-top device equipped with a relay function including a repeater for relaying a radio signal between a mobile communication network and a mobile terminal and amplifying and outputting a received radio signal.

In addition, the set-top device equipped with the relay function is characterized by measuring the reception sensitivity of the wireless signal received from the mobile communication network, and outputs the result through the return channel.

In addition, the controller detects an abnormal operation of the repeater, outputs it to the return channel, and performs self recovery according to a remote control signal received from the outside.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that can optimize the mobile communication environment even without installing a separate small repeater in the home or company.

In addition, it can reduce the manpower and time required to identify the shaded areas of poor communication environment.

In addition, by automatically monitoring the repeater operation provided in the set-top device, when there is an error, remote repair and control is possible.

1 is a block diagram of a service system including a set-top device according to the present invention,

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a set-top device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a block diagram showing in detail the configuration of a repeater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

20: set-top device 200: repeater

210: communication unit 215: broadcast receiving unit

222: sensitivity measurement unit 224: self-diagnosis unit

226: operation control unit 232: measurement result report unit

234: abnormality notification unit 250: light emitting unit

The foregoing and additional aspects of the invention are described in detail below to enable those skilled in the art to readily understand and reproduce through the embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of a service system including a set-top device according to the present invention.

The service system according to the present invention includes a set-top device (20) equipped with a relay function, a broadcasting station (40) for providing services such as satellite broadcasting, a mobile communication company server (10) for providing a telecommunication service to the mobile terminal (30), and Relay management server 60 for monitoring and controlling the operation of the repeater provided in the set-top box. Relay management server 60 is preferably linked to the mobile communication company server (10).

First, the set top apparatus 20 receives broadcast data from the broadcast station 40 through a satellite. It can be transmitted in satellite signals. Therefore, the set-top device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a satellite antenna.

When the broadcast station 40 receives a request for a specific broadcast signal through a set channel from a user through a set top device, the broadcast station 40 provides a corresponding service. In this case, the set-top device 20 may be connected to the broadcasting station 40 or the relay management server 60 through a cable or the like through a wired communication method or an internet network to form a return channel. However, it is not limited thereto.

In addition, the set-top device 20 amplifies and outputs the signal transmitted and received to the mobile terminal 30 through the mobile communication network. Then, the reception sensitivity of the radio signal received from the mobile communication network is measured. The measurement result is then transmitted to the mobile communication company server 10.

In addition, the set-top device 20 periodically monitors the operating state of the repeater mounted therein, and outputs it to the outside when an abnormality occurs. Specifically, the set top apparatus 20 may transmit this fact to the relay management server 60 when an error occurs in the mounted repeater. According to an additional aspect, whether the abnormality is detected may also be output through a light emitting LED provided on the set top apparatus 20 or a screen for broadcasting output.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the set-top device 20 according to the present invention may recover an abnormality according to a control signal received from the relay management server 60.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the set-top device according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a set-top device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the set-top device 20 according to the present invention includes a broadcast receiver 215, a communication unit 210, an image output unit 245, and a repeater 200. The broadcast receiver 215 includes a satellite antenna and receives a satellite broadcast signal provided by a satellite broadcast service. The broadcast signal received by the broadcast receiver 215 is decompressed by the decoder 240 and output to the screen through the image output unit 245.

The communication unit 210 may include both wired and wireless communication modules. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 210 may be implemented by at least one technology of LAN, WiFi, and Modem. However, it is not limited thereto. The communication unit 210 is interpreted to cover all technical configurations capable of forming a return channel through an internet network or a telephone line.

The repeater 200 performs communication between terminals through a mobile communication network including a transmission and reception antenna. In this embodiment, the mobile communication unit 210 transmits a radio signal received from the base station of the mobile communication network to the mobile terminal, and transmits a radio signal received from the mobile terminal to the base station of the mobile communication network.

The repeater 200 relays a radio signal transmitted and received between the mobile communication network and the mobile terminal, and amplifies and outputs the received signal. The repeater 200 reproduces the attenuated signal newly as the transmission distance increases and transfers it again.

3 is a block diagram showing in detail the configuration of a repeater according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The base station side antenna 305 is an antenna that transmits and receives a signal with a base station, and the terminal side antenna 315 is an antenna that transmits and receives a signal with a mobile communication terminal. The A duplexer 201 filters the signal received from the base station side antenna 305 through the feed line to the frequency band for each carrier. In addition, the A duplexer 201 receives a signal to be transmitted to the base station side and outputs the signal to the base station side antenna 305 through the feed line.

The B duplexer 202 filters and outputs the signal received from the terminal-side antenna 315 through the feed line to the frequency band for each carrier. In addition, the B duplexer outputs a signal to be transmitted to the terminal side to the terminal side antenna 315 through a feed line.

In more detail, the A duplexer 201 outputs a wireless signal received through an antenna to a first low noise amplifier (LNA) 205. The first low noise amplifier 205 performs low noise amplification to minimize noise included in the radio signal. A first linear power amplifier (LPA) 206 power amplifies the low noise amplified wireless signal in the first low noise amplifier 205. The B duplexer 202 outputs the radio signal amplified by the first linear power amplifier 206 to the terminal-side antenna 315 through a feed line.

In addition, the B duplexer 310 receives the radio signal received through the terminal-side antenna 315 and outputs it to the second low noise amplifier 204 as described above. The second low noise amplifier 204 performs low noise amplification to minimize noise included in the wireless signal. The second linear power amplifier 203 power amplifies the low noise amplified radio signal from the second low noise amplifier 204. The A duplexer 201 outputs a radio signal amplified by the second linear power amplifier 203 to the base station side antenna 305 through a feed line.

Although not shown in the drawings, the repeater 200 may further include a configuration for modulating and demodulating a signal between the low noise amplifier and the power amplifier as necessary.

Accordingly, even if a separate repeater is not installed in the home or company, the mobile communication environment may be improved in the home or company using the set-top device 20.

However, the configuration of the repeater is not limited to this. In another embodiment, it may be implemented by one antenna. In this case, the repeater further includes a splitter capable of dividing one signal into different signals in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 3. The antenna receives both broadcast signals and radio signals from the base station and the mobile terminal through one antenna. The splitter divides the broadcast signal from the radio signal, and transmits the broadcast reception signal to the broadcast receiver 215, and the radio signal is transmitted to the low noise amplifier through the duplexer.

In addition, the set-top device 20 according to the present invention includes a relay manager 220 for monitoring, diagnosing and controlling the operation of the repeater 200 and a controller 230 for controlling the overall operation of the set-top device 20. do. The relay manager 220 and the controller 230 may be implemented as a program and a logic circuit that are stored and operated in a microprocessor included in the set-top device 20.

According to a characteristic aspect of the present invention, the relay manager 220 includes a sensitivity measurer 222, and the controller 230 transfers the measurement result from the sensitivity measurer 222 to the return channel through the communicator 210. It includes a measurement result report unit 232 to transmit.

The sensitivity measuring unit 222 measures the reception sensitivity of the wireless signal received by the repeater 200 from the mobile communication network. The sensitivity measuring unit 222 may be implemented including a detection circuit. In the present exemplary embodiment, the sensitivity measuring unit 222 may detect the radio signal received from the base station of the mobile communication network through the antenna of the mobile communication unit 210 to detect the magnitude of the signal. In one embodiment, the sensitivity measurement unit 222 detects the received signal strength indication (RSSI) strength of the radio signal received from the base station.

RSSI indicates the performance of how much strength a portable terminal device can receive radio waves. Therefore, the reception state of the portable terminal device can be measured according to the RSSI value. In a typical mobile communication terminal, the antenna bar is displayed according to the RSSI value, and the user can know the current reception state according to the display. Thereafter, the RSSI may be compared with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether recovery of the reception state is necessary.

The sensitivity measuring unit 222 may periodically perform sensitivity measurement by using time coefficient information of a timer provided in the set-top device 20.

The measurement result report unit 232 outputs the reception sensitivity measurement result of the wireless signal measured by the sensitivity measurement unit 222 to the outside through the communication unit 210. In this case, the measurement result reporter 232 may output the real-time measurement result to the outside, or periodically collect and collectively transmit data. Alternatively, the measurement result reporter 232 may store the reception sensitivity measurement result in a memory provided in the set-top device 20. In addition, the relay management server 60 stores and manages the collected information. These may be set to be accessible by the configured administrator. The information stored in this way may be provided to the mobile communication company server later, and may be used as service quality management history information.

Accordingly, the reception sensitivity information may be obtained in an area where the set-top device 20 is used without a separate shadow area measurement process. Mobile operators can also save labor and time by eliminating the need for operators to travel around with signal-sensitivity measurement equipment to find shadowed areas where service is poor.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the relay manager 220 of the set-top device 20 according to the present invention further includes a self-diagnosis unit 224 and an operation control unit 226, and the control unit 230 includes an abnormality notification unit 234. More). In addition, the set-top device 20 further includes a light emitting unit 250.

The self diagnosis unit 224 detects whether the repeater 200 is abnormal. For example, if a circuit fault or software bug occurs, it can be detected. In the present embodiment, the self-diagnosis unit 224 may periodically detect an abnormal operation by using the time count information of the timer provided in the set-top device 20.

The abnormality notification unit 234 outputs the detection result of the self-diagnosis unit 224 to the outside through the mobile communication unit 210 or the broadcast communication unit 210. In the present embodiment, the relay is sent to the relay management server 60. The abnormality notification unit 234 may collect the detection results of the self-diagnosis unit 224 for a predetermined period and periodically transmit them collectively.

In addition, the abnormality notification unit 234 may notify that the abnormality is detected to the outside through the light emitting unit 250. For example, a green LED may be emitted as an indication that power is being applied and in operation, and a red LED may be emitted when an abnormality is detected to indicate whether an abnormality is present. In addition, the abnormality notification unit 234 may output a text or the like whether or not the abnormality occurs through the image output unit 245 for the screen output.

Accordingly, self-diagnosis may be performed on whether the repeater 200 is operated, and thus it may be recognized immediately. That is, quick repairs can be made to keep the call quality consistently good.

The operation controller 226 controls the operation of the repeater 200 according to a control signal received from the relay management server through the broadcast communication unit 210 or the mobile communication unit 210. When a simple software bug occurs, the operation controller 226 may control and recover the repeater 200 according to a remote control signal received by the broadcast communication unit or the mobile communication unit 210.

So far I looked at the preferred embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the present invention.

The set-top apparatus equipped with the relay function according to the present invention can be used in digital and satellite broadcasting set-top boxes and their applications.

Claims (7)

A broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast data; An image output unit which outputs broadcast data received by the broadcast receiving unit to a screen display device; And a communication unit performing communication through a return channel for transmitting an operation signal input from a user. Repeater for relaying a radio signal transmitted and received between the mobile communication network and the mobile terminal, amplifying and outputting the received radio signal; Set-top device with a relay function, characterized in that it further comprises. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the set top device is: A sensitivity measuring unit for measuring a reception sensitivity of a wireless signal received from the mobile communication network to the repeater; And And a measurement result report unit for transmitting the measurement result of the sensitivity measuring unit to the return channel through the communication unit. The method of claim 2, The sensitivity measuring unit periodically equipped with a relay function, characterized in that for measuring the reception sensitivity of the wireless signal. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the set top device is: A self-diagnostic unit for detecting an abnormal state of an operation state of the repeater; And And an abnormality notification unit for transmitting the self-diagnosis result to the return channel through the communication unit. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the set top device is: It further comprises a light emitting unit; And the abnormality notification unit further outputs a sensing result through at least one of the light emitting unit and the image output unit. The method according to claim 4 or 5, The self-diagnostic unit is a set-top device equipped with a relay function, characterized in that for periodically detecting whether or not the operation state of the repeater. The method of claim 1, And a control unit for controlling the operation of the repeater according to the received control signal.