JP2005072825A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor capable of automatically displaying the program information of a new program on a screen when programs are switched on video data generated from a transport stream. <P>SOLUTION: A video stream and table information are separated from a transport stream in which the video stream and the table information having program data are multiplexed. The separated video stream is processed to generate video data. The program data are generated from the separated table information and the switching of programs in the video data is detected on the basis of the generated program data. When the switching of programs is detected, program information data for displaying the program information on the screen are generated from the program data. The generated video data and the program information data are composited, and the composited data are outputted as a video signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that processes a transport stream in which a video stream and table information having information related to the contents of the video stream are multiplexed, for example, an information processing apparatus including an IEEE1394 interface.

  As a transport stream in which a video stream and table information having program data that is information related to each program in the video stream are multiplexed, there is, for example, a partial transport stream (hereinafter referred to as a partial TS). Partial TS is a bit stream obtained by removing some transport packets from the MPEG2 format (MPEG: Moving Picture Experts Group) transport stream. For example, a standard issued by the Japan Radio Industry Association (ARIB) The contents are defined in the standard ARIB STD-B21.

  In the partial TS, tables such as PAT (Program Association Table), PMT (Program Map Table), and SIT (Selection Information Table) are transmitted together with video and audio streams. Among these, PAT and PMT describe information for separating and decoding various multiplexed streams.

  The data structure of PAT is shown in FIG. PAT represents a place where there is a PMT corresponding to each service existing in the partial TS. The service identification is described in program # number in FIG. 1, and the PID of the stream in which the PMT is transmitted in program # map # PID (Packet Identifier) is described in pairs for each service.

  The data structure of PMT is shown in FIG. PMTs exist for the services that exist in the partial TS, and each represents the location of the stream that constitutes each service. A stream format identification indicating format contents such as video and audio is described in stream # type shown in FIG. 5, and a stream PID is described in elementary # PID as a pair for each stream.

  Based on the information described in PAT and PMT, the information processing device can separate the video and audio streams related to a specific service from the partial TS, decode them, and present them to the user. is there.

  On the other hand, SIT describes information (SI information) related to a program transmitted by a partial TS.

  The data structure of SIT is shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, service identification is described in service # id, and SI information is described in the second descriptor () in association with each service. In the SI information, a descriptor is defined for each type, and a plurality of descriptors can be described in the second descriptor () shown in FIG.

  FIG. 7 shows a data structure of a partial transport time descriptor which is one of descriptors representing SI information. The event start time described in FIG. 7 describes the program start date and time, and the duration describes the duration of the program.

  Further, FIG. 8 shows a data structure of a short format event descriptor as a descriptor representing SI information. In FIG. 8, event # name # char describes the program name, and text # char describes the program content.

  Based on the information described in the SIT, the information processing apparatus can present program information such as a program name and program content for a program related to a specific service to a user as necessary.

  FIG. 9 shows a configuration example of an information processing apparatus that processes a partial TS defined by ARIB STD-B21 and presents video / audio / program information.

  The partial TS fetched from the IEEE1394 bus by the IEEE1394 interface unit 1 is separated into table information, a video stream, and an audio stream by the demultiplexing unit 2.

  First, the system control unit 8 confirms what service exists in the partial TS via the table information processing unit 9 by PAT, and selects a service to be viewed from among them. The service here is indicated by program # number described in PAT (the same applies hereinafter). Next, the video and audio streams existing in the service are confirmed by the PMT, a stream to be viewed is selected from the PMT, and the demultiplexing unit 2 is controlled so that the selected video stream and audio stream are obtained.

  The video data is generated based on the video stream by the video stream processing unit 5 and output as a video signal by the video signal processing unit 6. The audio data is generated based on the audio stream by the audio stream processing unit 3 and output as an audio signal by the audio signal processing unit 4. The video signal output and the audio signal output are supplied to a display device such as a television receiver (shown as television in the drawing) and viewed.

  On the other hand, the system control unit 8 controls the table information processing unit 9 so as to obtain program information related to the service to be viewed, and outputs program data such as program names and program contents extracted from the SIT. The program information data generated on the basis of the program data in the program information generation unit 10 (data for displaying the program information on the screen) is finally output by being superimposed on the video data by the video signal processing unit 6. .

Program information can be switched between display and non-display by a user's remote control operation. The remote control signal receiving unit 7 receives a remote control signal transmitted from the remote control, and provides the system control unit 8 with button press data related to a program information display switching button on the remote control. The system control unit 8 refers to the button press data and controls the program information generation unit 10 to switch display / non-display of the program information. (When there is an instruction to display program information, the program information generation unit 10 is caused to generate program information data.)
Another conventional example is a digital broadcast receiver disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-24962. This digital broadcast receiver displays program update information when it recognizes the start of a program of a service that is not viewed based on the bit stream signal obtained by receiving the digital broadcast signal. This digital broadcast receiver does not handle a partial TS, nor does it detect a change of program of a service being viewed.
JP 2001-24962 A

  In the conventional information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 9, when viewing a partial TS, the user cannot easily recognize the switching of programs. Further, in order to check the program to be viewed, it is necessary to manually operate the remote controller to display the program information.

  For example, a case is assumed in which a digital VTR having an IEEE1394 interface is connected and a program digitally recorded on a tape is reproduced and viewed. FIG. 10 shows a connection configuration.

  By reproducing the tape 13 with the digital VTR 12, the recorded program is output to the IEEE1394 bus 14 as a partial TS. The information processing apparatus 11 processes a partial TS input from the IEEE1394 bus 14 to generate a video / audio signal, and a television receiver (indicated as TV in the drawing) 15 as a display device via a video / audio cable. Output to.

  FIG. 11 shows the recorded contents of the tape 13 used in this explanation. First, program A is recorded for 1 hour from the beginning of the tape (FIG. 11 (a)), and program B is further recorded for 30 minutes from the position of 20 minutes from the beginning of the tape (FIG. 8 ( b)).

  When this tape 13 recorded with these two programs is played back from the beginning, the program A is switched to the program B 20 minutes after the start, but the user clearly indicates that the program has changed depending on how the video and audio are switched. I can't recognize it. In order to determine the switching, it is necessary to manually check the program information such as the program name by operating the remote control.

  In addition, when a user performs playback by cueing operation or the like for viewing from the beginning of program B, the remote control is manually operated to determine whether the reproduced program is program B or not. It was necessary to check the program information.

  The present invention provides a new method when a program is switched in video data generated from a transport stream in which a video stream and table information having program data that is information related to each program in the video stream are multiplexed. An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of automatically displaying program information of a program on-screen.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following information processing apparatus.
(1) Separation means (2) that separates the video stream and the table information from a transport stream in which the video stream and table information having program data that is information about each program in the video stream are multiplexed )When,
Video data generation means (5) for processing the separated video stream to generate video data;
Table information processing means (9) for generating the program data from the separated table information and detecting program switching in the video data based on the generated program data;
Program information data generating means (10) for generating program information data for on-screen display of program information from the generated program data;
Control means (8) for causing the program information data generating means to generate the program information data when switching of the program is detected by the table information processing means;
An output means (6) for combining the generated video data and program information data to output a video signal;
An information processing apparatus comprising:

  As described above, according to the present invention, when the user views the video data generated from the transport stream on the display device and the program is switched in the video data, the program information is automatically updated. Since it is displayed on the screen, the user can easily recognize that the program has been switched to a new program. Furthermore, when the program is switched, the user can confirm the program information of the new program without giving an instruction for on-screen display with a remote controller or the like, and the usability is greatly improved.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described. The configuration of the present embodiment is almost the same as the conventional example shown in FIG. 9, but the operation and configuration of the system control unit 8, the table information processing unit 9 that generates program data, and the program information generation unit 10 that generates program information data. Is partially different from the conventional example. This different operation and configuration will be mainly described below.

  FIG. 1 shows a processing procedure for detecting program switching and generating a program switching event to be provided to the system control unit 8 in the table information processing unit 9 of this embodiment.

  The table information processing section 9 first clears the program data previously stored (step S1) and waits for the acquisition of SIT (Selection Information Table) (step S2). When the SIT is acquired with the partial TS, the program data of the service currently being viewed is extracted from the SIT and saved (step S3). The event shown is generated (step S4).

  When the service to be viewed is switched, for example, when the partial TS is switched (step S5), another program is newly viewed, and the process for starting the viewing of the partial TS is performed again (steps S1 to S4). ).

  When a new SIT is acquired during viewing (step S6), program data of the currently viewed service is extracted from the SIT (step S7) and compared with the stored program data (step S8). . As a comparison target, for example, a program start date and time, a program name, or the like is used.

  As a result of the comparison, if it is determined that the programs are the same (step S9), since the program is not switched, the processing is continued as it is (to step S5). If it is determined that they are not the same program, the new program data acquired in step S7 is stored (step S10), and an event indicating that a program change has been detected is generated (step S11). Thereafter, the same process is repeated again (to step S5).

  In FIG. 2, the system control unit 8 according to the present embodiment monitors a program switching event, and controls the program information generating unit 10 so that the program information is displayed for a predetermined time (here, 5 seconds) when the program is switched. The processing procedure is shown.

  When the system control unit 8 detects the program switching event generated in the table information processing unit 9 (step S12), the system control unit 8 controls the program information generation unit 10 to start generating program information data (step S13). Time measurement is started using the timekeeping function possessed (step S14). After that, it waits until 5 seconds elapse (step S15), and the program information generation unit 10 is controlled to end the generation of program information data (step S16). Thereafter, the same process is repeated again (to step S12).

  FIG. 3 shows an example of program information to be displayed when a program change is detected. In FIG. 3A, program start time, end time, and program name are displayed as program information. As shown in FIG. 3B, a message indicating that the program has been switched may be displayed.

  Note that the functions of the information processing apparatus described above may be implemented in a computer by a program. This program may be read from a recording medium and loaded into a computer, or may be transmitted via a communication network and loaded into a computer.

The process procedure which detects the switching of the program in one Example is shown. The processing procedure which performs display control of program information by the change of the program in one Example is shown. The example of a display of the program information in one Example is shown. The data structure of PAT is shown. The data structure of PMT is shown. It shows the data structure of SIT. The data structure of a partial transport stream time descriptor is shown. It shows the data structure of the short format event descriptor. 1 shows a configuration example of a conventional information processing apparatus that processes a partial TS. 2 shows a connection configuration example of a conventional information processing apparatus and a digital VTR. An example of recorded contents of a digital VTR tape is shown.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... IEEE1394 interface part 2 ... Demultiplex part 3 ... Audio | voice stream processing part 4 ... Audio | voice signal processing part 5 ... Video stream processing part 6 ... Video signal processing part 7 ... Remote control signal receiving part 8 ... System control part 9 ... Table information Processing unit 10 ... Program information generation unit 11 ... Information processing device 12 ... Digital VTR (video tape recorder)
13 ... tape 14 ... IEEE1394 bus 15 ... TV (television receiver)
16 ... Video / audio cable

Claims (1)

Separating means for separating the video stream and the table information from a transport stream obtained by multiplexing a video stream and table information having program data that is information about each program in the video stream;
Video data generating means for processing the separated video stream to generate video data;
Table information processing means for generating the program data from the separated table information and detecting program switching in the video data based on the generated program data;
Program information data generating means for generating program information data for on-screen display of program information from the generated program data;
Control means for causing the program information data generating means to generate the program information data when switching of a program is detected by the table information processing means;
Output means for combining the generated video data and program information data to output a video signal;
An information processing apparatus comprising:

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