JP2006050455A - Digital broadcast receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital broadcast receiver for acquiring EPG information by executing EPG scans in the order corresponding to a view history of a user. <P>SOLUTION: The digital broadcast receiver comprises: a program guide information storage means (204a) for storing program guide information for each of a plurality of broadcasting stations; a view history information storage means (211) for storing a channel number of a program that a user has viewed, at predetermined time intervals; an EPG scan means (22) for acquiring the program guide information of the broadcasting stations; and a scan control means (23) for controlling a timing for the scan means to acquire the program guide information for each broadcasting station based on a length of a view time for each channel number calculated from the view history information in the view history information storage means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiver that acquires EPG information by executing EPG (Electronic Program Guide) scans in an order corresponding to a user's viewing history.

  In digital broadcasting compliant with ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses) standards, in addition to video / audio streams, program additional information such as PSI (Program Specific Information) information and SI (Service Information) information is multiplexed, It is transmitted and received in a stream form called MPEG transport stream. The PSI information mainly includes information for selecting a predetermined video / audio stream from the MPEG transport stream. The SI information includes additional information accompanying the program such as title, genre, content description, schedule, etc. of the program being broadcast.

  In BS digital broadcasting, when a certain channel, that is, a broadcasting station is selected, the BS digital broadcasting receiver can acquire EPG information of all broadcasting stations from PSI / SI information. The acquired EPG information is displayed on the screen of a TV or the like as a program guide for all broadcast stations at the request of the user.

  On the other hand, in digital terrestrial broadcasting, each broadcast station sends only its own EPG information, and when a certain channel, that is, a broadcast station is selected, the digital terrestrial broadcast receiver receives the EPG of that broadcast station. Only information can be obtained. For this reason, in an area where a plurality of broadcasting stations perform terrestrial digital broadcasting, it is necessary to acquire individual EPG information for each broadcasting station (hereinafter referred to as “EPG scanning” in this specification). Called). Then, EPG scanning is performed on broadcast waves transmitted from all broadcast stations to acquire EPG information, so that a program guide for all broadcast stations can be displayed.

Various proposals have been made to shorten the processing time required for this EPG scan. In the conventional example shown in Patent Document 1, two channel selection processing units are prepared, and all broadcast stations are divided into two, and EPG scanning is performed in parallel to speed up the scanning process.
JP 2003-333441 A

  However, in the conventional method as shown in Patent Document 1, the order of broadcasting stations for EPG scanning is fixed and cannot be changed manually. Therefore, there may be inconvenience for the user when the EPG scan order of the broadcasting station with many interesting programs and frequent viewing opportunities is the last. In other words, it takes a certain amount of time to display the program guide of each broadcasting station after the power is turned on, but the program guide of the broadcasting station is displayed quickly because there are few programs of interest to the user and there are few opportunities to view. Because there are many programs that you are interested in, and there are many opportunities to watch frequently, the program table of the broadcasting station that wants to see the program guide immediately may not be displayed quickly because the EPG scan order is last. is there.

  In addition, the contents of the program table may be changed for reasons such as program extension or insertion of a special program. At that time, it is convenient for the user that the digital broadcast receiver follows the state of the latest program guide as quickly as possible, but the program guide is not changed until an EPG scan is performed. In this case as well, when the EPG scan order of a broadcasting station that is frequently viewed by the user is the last one, the update timing of the program table of the broadcasting station may be delayed.

  Also, in the current operation of terrestrial digital broadcasting, PSI / SI information is exchanged simultaneously with each broadcasting station at midnight. Therefore, when trying to display the program table after 8 days immediately after midnight, there is a large amount of transfer data to be replaced, so the program table of the broadcasting station whose EPG scan is the last is quite easy. It will not be displayed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and based on the user's viewing history, a broadcast station that has a large number of programs that the user is interested in and frequently has a chance to view frequently is determined. A digital broadcast receiver that displays EPG information by executing EPG scans in the specified order is provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that a digital broadcast wave is received from a plurality of broadcast stations, a broadcast signal is extracted, the broadcast signal is demodulated, and an MPEG transport stream is output. Is a digital broadcast receiver capable of outputting at least video signals and audio signals of a broadcast station program desired by a user and outputting program guide information of a plurality of broadcast stations, and stores the program guide information Program table information storage means (204a); viewing history including at least one of the channel number of the broadcast station program viewed by the user, the position number corresponding to the channel number of the program, and the identification number of the MPEG transport stream Viewing history information storage means (211) for storing information at predetermined time intervals; EPG scanning means (22) for acquiring program guide information; Total viewing time for each channel number, position number, channel number and position number, or MPEG transport stream identification number calculated from viewing history information stored in the information storage means. The gist of the invention is that the EPG scanning means is a digital broadcast receiver provided with scan control means (23) for controlling the timing for acquiring the program guide information for each broadcasting station based on the length of time.

  According to the digital broadcast receiver of the present invention, since the program information of a broadcasting station with a large number of programs that the user is interested in and frequently viewed is preferentially acquired, when the user tries to display the program guide, The probability that the user-desired program information is quickly displayed is high, and the convenience for the user can be improved.

  Hereinafter, a digital broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, the apparatus, method, etc. which are used in embodiment of this invention are examples, and of course, this invention is not limited to these.

<First Embodiment>
(Digital broadcast receiver)
As shown in FIG. 1, the digital broadcast receiver according to the first embodiment of the present invention is
Antenna 200, tuner 201, descrambler 202, demultiplexer 203, broadcast information storage unit 204, audio decoder 205, video decoder 206, graphics 207, CPU (Central Processing Unit: Central Controller) 208, ROM (Read Only Memory) 209, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 210, a viewing history storage unit 211, an input interface 212 and a clock unit 213, a flash memory 215, and a bus 214 that connects these devices.

  The antenna 200 receives a broadcast signal. The tuner 201 extracts a broadcast signal having a reception frequency corresponding to a channel number designated by a request from the user or the system from broadcast signals received by the antenna 200, demodulates the extracted broadcast signal, and performs MPEG transport Output a stream. When the digital broadcast receiver enables the EPG scan to be performed on the broadcast waves of other broadcast stations while the user is watching a specific program, the tuner 201 simultaneously receives two or more broadcast signals. Can be demodulated.

  The descrambler 202 is a device that unscrambles the received signal. This is because, for example, if you want to charge for pay broadcasting, etc., you can not view it as it is, and you can scramble and view the signal only when the charging condition is satisfied by inserting a specific card etc. To.

  The demultiplexer 203 transmits each stream (data) of control information such as video, audio, or PSI / SI information corresponding to the channel number or position number specified by the user or program from the MPEG transport stream output from the tuner 201. Column). After the separation, the video stream is output to the video decoder 206, the audio stream is output to the audio decoder 205, and the control information is written to the broadcast information storage unit 204. When the digital broadcast receiver enables the EPG scan to be performed on the broadcast waves of other broadcast stations while the user is watching a specific program, the demultiplexer 203 simultaneously performs two or more MPEGs. It is assumed that each stream is separated from the transport stream.

  The broadcast information storage unit 204 temporarily stores data carousel information and the like that are the basis of SI information and BML document information. The broadcast information storage unit 204 includes an EPG information storage unit 204a for storing information for the EPG generated by the CPU 208 from the SI information. The EPG information storage unit 204a is a program guide information storage unit, and stores a program name, a channel number, a broadcast start time, a broadcast end time, and the like.

  The audio decoder 205 decodes the audio stream output from the demultiplexer 203 to generate and output an audio signal.

The video decoder 206 decodes the video stream output from the demultiplexer 203 to generate and output a video signal.

  The graphics 207 has a function of superimposing a GUI (graphic user interface) screen or the like when displaying a video stream on a monitor owned by the user.

  The ROM 209 stores a program executed by the CPU 208.

  The RAM 210 stores data processed by the CPU 208. For example, variable data used by the CPU 208, BML document information extracted from data carousel information, and the like are stored.

  The viewing history storage unit 211 is a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, and stores a viewing history such as a viewing time for each broadcasting station viewed by the user.

  The input interface 212 is an interface for receiving an operation signal when the user operates program viewing, and indicates a remote controller interface or the like. The operation signal may be wired or wireless.

  The clock unit 213 is a clock device for holding the current time. The timepiece unit 213 may have a crystal oscillator inside and hold a timepiece function by itself. Further, the time may be held based on time data received as SI information from the received broadcast signal. In this case, the CPU acquires the time information in the SI information from the broadcast information storage unit 204 via the demultiplexer 203 and holds it in the clock unit 213.

  The CPU 208 includes the operation signal identification unit 21, the EPG scan unit 22, the EPG scan control unit 23, the time data acquisition unit 24, the viewing history information acquisition unit 25, the EPG information generation unit 26, the video audio control unit 27, and the like shown in FIG. In combination, the digital broadcast receiving program is executed.

  The operation signal identification means 21 receives an operation signal from the user via the input interface 212 of FIG. 1, identifies what operation command the operation signal is, and delivers it to each means to be operated.

  The EPG scan unit 22 decodes the control information stream output from the demultiplexer 203 based on the instruction from the EPG scan control unit 23, generates EPG information from the SI information, and records it in the EPG information storage unit 204a. To do. There are various methods for obtaining EPG information. In the present embodiment, an example in which SI information is used will be described, but the present invention is not particularly limited thereto.

  The EPG scan control unit 23 performs control when the EPG scan unit 22 performs the EPG scan based on the viewing history of the user in the viewing history storage unit 211. Specifically, the timing of EPG scanning, the order of broadcasting stations to be scanned, the frequency of scanning for each broadcasting station, and the like are controlled so as to increase convenience for each user.

  The time data acquisition unit 24 acquires time data from the clock unit 213 in FIG. 1 according to a certain timing, and delivers it to the EPG scan control unit 23, the viewing history information acquisition unit 25, and the like.

  The viewing history information acquisition unit 25 acquires the channel number from the broadcast stream received by the user's viewing request, generates viewing history information, and records the viewing history information in the viewing history storage unit 211.

  Based on the EPG information display instruction from the operation signal identification unit 21, the EPG information generation unit 26 outputs the EPG information stored in the EPG information storage unit 204a to the graphics 207 or the like.

  The video audio control unit 27 instructs the video decoder 206 and the audio decoder 205 to decode (reproduce) the video stream and the audio stream based on the stream reproduction request from the operation signal identification unit 21.

  In this embodiment, a digital broadcast receiver that receives terrestrial digital broadcast will be described as an example, but any digital broadcast having other similar forms may be used.

(Channel number and position number)
Here, the relationship between channel numbers and position numbers in terrestrial digital broadcasting will be described. The position number in terrestrial digital broadcasting is a number corresponding to buttons 1 to 12 of the TV remote control and is distinguished from the channel number.

A plurality of channels can be assigned to one position number and have the following relationship.

  When only one channel is assigned to one position number, the position number × 10 + 1 is the channel number. Therefore, when the position button 12 is broadcast on 1 channel, the channel number is 121, and when the position button 6 is broadcast on 1 channel, the channel number is 061.

  When a plurality of channels are assigned, the channel numbers increase in the order of +2, +3,... From position number × 10 + 1. For example, when three channels are broadcast corresponding to the position button No. 10, the channel numbers are 101, 102, and 103, respectively. Since these channel configurations may change during broadcasting, in some cases only channel 101 is present, in other cases, channels 101 and 102 are present, and in other cases, channels 101, 102, and 103 are present. May exist.

  In normal operation, when the broadcast format is HD (High Definition), only one channel is often assigned to one position number. In addition, when the broadcasting format is SD (Standard Definition), a plurality of channels are often assigned.

  In general, one MPEG transport stream is assigned to the same position number, and a plurality of channels exist therein. Even if there are a plurality of channels, the EPG information is normally stored for each MPEG transport stream, so EPG scanning is performed for each MPEG transport stream. In the following description, an embodiment is described in which viewing history is collected for each channel number or position number, but viewing history may be taken for each MPEG transport stream. Each MPEG transport stream is assigned an identification number called a unique TS ID. This TS ID is acquired when viewing history is recorded for each MPEG transport stream.

(Operation of digital broadcast receiver)
The important processes of the digital broadcast receiver are (1) acquisition of viewing history viewed by the user, and (2) execution of EPG scan and display of a program guide that reflect the viewing history and is convenient for the user. Hereinafter, these operations will be described with reference to flowcharts.

≪Get viewing history≫
Acquisition of viewing history information will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

(A) First, in step S01, when the user turns on the receiver and the viewing history information acquisition process starts, the viewing history information acquisition unit 25 in FIG. Whether the time has elapsed is determined with reference to the clock unit 213. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S02. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S01 again.

(B) In step S02, the viewing history information acquisition unit 25 acquires from the broadcast information storage unit 204 the channel number of the broadcasting station that the tuner 201 receives and the user is viewing after inputting the remote control.

(C) In step S03, the viewing history information acquisition unit 25 records the channel number and the acquired time and day information together in the viewing history storage unit 211 as viewing history information.

  As a result, viewing history information for one week as shown in FIG. 4 is generated. For example, it can be seen that the user was watching a broadcast station on channel 021 at 00:00 on Monday. “No viewing” means that the receiver was turned off at that time.

  In the viewing history information shown in FIG. 4, the viewing history is recorded every 5 minutes, but the time interval is not limited to this, for example, a time zone called golden time (7 pm to 9 pm ), A viewing history may be acquired every 3 minutes, and at midnight (0:00 am to 4 am), a viewing history may be acquired every 15 minutes.

  Further, not the channel number but the position number, both the channel number and the position number, or the identification number of the MPEG transport stream may be acquired as the viewing history.

≪Execution of EPG scan≫
FIG. 6 shows the result of total viewing time for each broadcasting station in the viewing history information shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, in this example, it can be seen that the programs of the broadcasting stations J and H are viewed very frequently. Further, it can be seen that the programs of the broadcasting stations A and C are almost not viewed. In the first embodiment, the order in which EPG scans are executed is set in accordance with the total viewing time for each broadcasting station by using the fact that the viewing time varies depending on the broadcasting station.

  Hereinafter, execution of the EPG scan based on the viewing history will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, as preprocessing, the EPG scan control means 23 refers to the viewing history information stored in the viewing history storage unit 211 and integrates the viewing time for each channel number. Here, the integration is performed for each channel number, but the integration may be performed for each position number, both for each channel number and each position number, or for each identification number of the MPEG transport stream. Next, the EPG scan control means 23 sets the order of the EPG scan for each broadcasting station from the longer total viewing time accumulated for each channel number. For example, when the total viewing time as shown in FIG. 6 is accumulated, the order of executing the EPG scan is the order shown in the scan order item of FIG.

(A) In step S <b> 11, the clock data acquisition unit 24 in FIG. 2 acquires the time from the clock unit 213 and passes it to the EPG scan control unit 23. The EPG scan control means 23 detects that the time for executing the EPG scan has been reached.

(B) In step S12, the EPG scan control means 23 acquires the channel number 111 of the broadcasting station J in which the set order of EPG scanning is first as the channel number of the broadcasting station to be subjected to EPG scanning. To do.

(C) In step S13, the EPG scan control means 23 sets the reception frequency of the broadcast wave corresponding to the acquired channel number to the tuner 201, and instructs the EPG scan means 22 to acquire EPG information. The EPG scanning unit 22 decodes the control information stream output from the demultiplexer 203 and acquires EPG information.

(D) In step S <b> 14, the EPG scanning unit 22 returns information indicating whether or not the EPG information has been successfully acquired to the EPG scan control unit 23. If the EPG information is successfully acquired by acquiring the program name, channel number, broadcast start time, broadcast end time, etc. from the decoded EPG information, the EPG scanning means 22 stores the EPG information in the EPG information storage unit 204a. Record and proceed to step S15. If acquisition of EPG information fails, the process proceeds to step S16.

(E) In step S15, the EPG scan control means 23 determines whether an EPG scan has been executed for broadcast waves from all broadcast stations. If EPG scans are not executed for broadcast waves from all broadcast stations, the process proceeds to step S12 to acquire the channel numbers of the broadcast stations whose EPG scan order is “second”. Then, the processing from step S13 is similarly executed. When the EPG scan execution for all broadcast stations is completed, this process is terminated.

(F) In step S16, it is determined whether the retry has been repeated a predetermined number of times. For example, if the predetermined number of times is “5”, the EPG scan control means 23 could not acquire the EPG information when EPG acquisition failed for the same channel five times in succession. Then, the process proceeds to step S15. If the number of EPG acquisitions for the same channel is any one of 1 to 4, the EPG scan control means 23 waits for a predetermined time in step S17 and then proceeds to the process in step S13. Execute EPG scan for the same channel.

  In this way, the EPG information storage unit is obtained by repeating the processes from step S12 to step S17 for broadcast waves from all broadcast stations in the order corresponding to the length of the viewing time, and executing EPG acquisition. In 204a, the latest EPG information for each broadcasting station is accumulated in the order according to the user's preference.

<Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the number of EPG scan retries (the process related to step S16) is the same regardless of the total viewing time. However, it is better for the user to set the number of retries according to the total viewing time. The program guide for each broadcasting station according to the preference can be presented more quickly.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, the number of retries is set according to the total viewing time. Note that the apparatus and method relating to settings other than setting the number of retries are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of the correspondence between the total viewing time and the number of retries. As shown in FIG. 8, the total number of retries is 1 when the total viewing time is 0 to 1 hour, and the number of retries is 2 when the total viewing time is 1 to 2 hours. By setting a large number of retries, EPG information of broadcast stations that are frequently viewed can be reliably acquired.

  The EPG scan operation according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, as preparation, the EPG scan control means 23 refers to the viewing history information stored in the viewing history storage unit 211 and integrates the viewing time for each channel number. Here, the integration is performed for each channel number, but the integration may be performed for each position number, both for each channel number and each position number, or for each identification number of the MPEG transport stream. Next, the EPG scan control means 23 sets the order of the EPG scan for each broadcasting station from the longer total viewing time accumulated for each channel number. For example, when the total viewing time as shown in FIG. 6 is accumulated, the order of executing the EPG scan is the order shown in the scan order item of FIG.

(A) In step S <b> 21, the clock data acquisition unit 24 of FIG. 2 acquires the time from the clock unit 213 and passes it to the EPG scan control unit 23. The EPG scan control means 23 detects that the time for executing the EPG scan has been reached.

(B) In step S22, the EPG scan control means 23 acquires the channel number 111 of the broadcasting station J in which the set order of EPG scanning is first as the channel number of the broadcasting station to be subjected to EPG scanning. To do.

(C) In step S23, the EPG scan control means 23 sets the number of retries according to the total viewing time of the acquired channel number. Since the total viewing time of the broadcasting station J is 20 hours and 15 minutes, the set number of retries is “6”. FIG. 9 shows the number of retries set for each broadcasting station.

(D) In step S24, the EPG scan control means 23 sets the reception frequency of the broadcast wave corresponding to the acquired channel number to the tuner 201, and instructs the EPG scan means 22 to acquire EPG information. The EPG scanning unit 22 decodes the control information stream output from the demultiplexer 203 and acquires EPG information.

(E) In step S25, the EPG scanning unit 22 returns information indicating whether or not the acquisition of the EPG information is successful to the EPG scanning control unit 23. If the EPG information is successfully acquired by acquiring the program name, channel number, broadcast start time, broadcast end time, etc. from the decoded EPG information, the EPG scanning means 22 stores the EPG information in the EPG information storage unit 204a. Record and proceed to step S26. If acquisition of EPG information fails, the process proceeds to step S27.

(F) In step S26, the EPG scan control means 23 determines whether the EPG scan has been executed for the broadcast waves from all the broadcast stations. If EPG scans are not executed for broadcast waves from all broadcast stations, the process proceeds to step S12 to acquire the channel numbers of the broadcast stations whose EPG scan order is “second”. Then, the processing from step S13 is similarly executed. When the EPG scan execution for all broadcast stations is completed, this process is terminated.

(F) In step S27, it is determined whether the retry has been repeated a predetermined number of times. For example, if the predetermined number of times is “5”, the EPG scan control means 23 could not acquire the EPG information when EPG acquisition failed for the same channel five times in succession. Then, the process proceeds to step S15. If the number of EPG acquisitions for the same channel is any one of 1 to 4, the EPG scan control means 23 waits for a predetermined time in step S17 and then proceeds to the process in step S13. Execute EPG scan for the same channel.

  In this way, EPG information is obtained by repeating the processes from step S22 to step S28 on the broadcast waves from all the broadcasting stations in the order and the number of retries according to the length of the viewing time, and executing the EPG scan. The storage unit 204a and the viewing history storage unit 211 store the latest EPG information and viewing information for each broadcasting station in the order that suits the user's preference.

<Third Embodiment>
In the third embodiment, the EPG scan frequency is set according to the total viewing time. EPG scans are frequently executed for broadcast waves from broadcasting stations with a long total viewing time, and EPG scans are canceled at a predetermined frequency for broadcast waves from broadcast stations with a short total viewing time.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of the correspondence between the total viewing time and the EPG scan frequency. As shown in FIG. 11, when the total viewing time is 0 to 2 hours, the EPG scan frequency is once every 3 times (2 times is canceled). When the total viewing time is 2 hours to 5 hours, the EPG scan frequency is 3 times. EPG information of broadcast stations that are frequently viewed while shortening the time required for EPG scanning by setting a high frequency according to the length of the total viewing time. Make sure you can get

  For example, the execution of the EPG scan is controlled according to the value of the remainder when the number of EPG scans is divided by a predetermined numerical value. When the frequency of scanning is “twice every three times”, the EPG scan is executed when the remainder is 0 or 1, and the EPG scan is canceled when the remainder is 2. Since it is desirable that the EPG scan immediately after midnight when the SI information is switched is executed for all channel numbers, it is executed for all channel numbers with a remainder 0 immediately after midnight. .

  Hereinafter, the operation of the EPG scan according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, as preprocessing, the EPG scan control means 23 refers to the viewing history information stored in the viewing history storage unit 211 and integrates the viewing time for each channel number. Here, the integration is performed for each channel number, but the integration may be performed for each position number, both for each channel number and each position number, or for each identification number of the MPEG transport stream.

(A) In step S31, the number of EPG scans is set to zero.

(B) Next, in step S 32, the clock data acquisition unit 24 in FIG. 2 acquires the time from the clock unit 213 and passes it to the EPG scan control unit 23. The EPG scan control means 23 detects that the time for executing the EPG scan has been reached.

(C) In step S33, 1 is added to the number of EPG scans. (D) In step S34, the EPG scan control means 23 acquires the channel number of the broadcast station that is the target of the EPG scan according to the set order. . At this time, the channel number to be acquired is acquired according to the EPG scan frequency for each channel as shown in the table of FIG. 12 obtained based on the correspondence table between the total viewing time and the EPG scan frequency of FIG. .

  An example of the channel number acquisition procedure is shown below.

  According to FIG. 12, channel 011 (broadcast station A) has an EPG scan frequency of once every three times. Therefore, for example, the EPG scan frequency is the first, fourth, seventh, etc. every three times. Get target channel number. The same applies to channels such as channel 021 (broadcasting station B) where the frequency of EPG scanning is once every three times. Channels with EPG scan frequency of once every two times, such as channel 121 (broadcasting station K), are subject to EPG scans at the first, third, fifth ... To get. Similarly, the channel where the frequency of EPG scan is 2 times in 3 times like channel 041 (broadcast station D), the EPG scan frequency is 1st time, 2nd time, 4th time, 5th time, etc. Get target channel number. Channels 081 and 082 (broadcast station H) acquire the channel number for each EPG scan since the frequency of EPG scans is every time.

  According to the above channel number acquisition example, a specific channel number acquisition example for each EPG scan count of the channels shown in the table of FIG. 12 is as follows.

  1st: Acquire all channels.

Second time: Channels 041, 051, 061, 062, 071, 072, 081, 082, 111 are acquired. Third time: 081, 082, 111, 121 are acquired.

(E) In step S35, the EPG scan control means 23 sets the reception frequency of the broadcast wave corresponding to the acquired channel number to the tuner 201, and instructs the EPG scan means 22 to acquire EPG information. The EPG scanning unit 22 decodes the control information stream output from the demultiplexer 203 and acquires EPG information.

(F) In step S <b> 36, the EPG scanning unit 22 returns information indicating whether or not the EPG information has been successfully acquired to the EPG scanning control unit 23. If the EPG information is successfully acquired by acquiring the program name, channel number, broadcast start time, broadcast end time, etc. from the decoded EPG information, the EPG scanning means 22 stores the EPG information in the EPG information storage unit 204a. Record and proceed to step S37. If acquisition of EPG information fails, the process proceeds to step S38.

(G) In step S37, the EPG scan control means 23 determines whether or not EPG scans have been executed for broadcast waves from all broadcast stations. If EPG scans are not executed for broadcast waves from all broadcast stations, the process proceeds to step S12 to acquire the channel numbers of the broadcast stations whose EPG scan order is “second”. Then, the processing from step S13 is similarly executed. When the EPG scan execution for all broadcast stations is completed, this process is terminated.

(F) In step S38, it is determined whether the retry has been repeated a predetermined number of times. For example, if the predetermined number of times is “5”, the EPG scan control means 23 could not acquire the EPG information when EPG acquisition failed for the same channel five times in succession. Then, the process proceeds to step S37. If the number of EPG acquisitions for the same channel is any one of 1 to 4, the EPG scan control unit 23 waits for a predetermined time in step S39 and then proceeds to the process of step S35. Execute EPG scan for the same channel.

  As described above, the number of EPG scans actually varies depending on the number of EPG scans, and the EPG scans are performed more complicatedly for channels with a longer total viewing time. In this case, in combination with the first embodiment, EPG scanning may be performed in order of total viewing time at each time. For example, the second EPG scan may be performed in the order of 111, 081, 082, 071, 072, 041, 051, 061, 062, in descending order of total viewing time.

  Further, when the EPG scan of the channel is given up after exceeding the predetermined number of retries in step S38 of FIG. 10, the EPG scan of the channel may be always performed for the next EPG scan. For example, when the channel 011 scan fails in the first EPG scan, the second scan is also performed.

  Furthermore, when the EPG scan of the channel is given up after the number of retries as described above and the EPG scan of the channel is always performed at the next EPG scan, the EPG scan is performed prior to the other channels. May be performed. For example, when the channel 011 fails in the first EPG scan and is executed the second time, the total viewing time is shorter than the other EPG scan target channels, but the EPG scan is performed first, and 011, 111, 081, 082 , 071, 072, 041, 051, 061, 062 in this order.

<Fourth Embodiment>
In the fourth embodiment, the total viewing time is integrated for each time zone, and the order of EPG scan is set according to the length of the total viewing time in that time zone at the time when the EPG scan is executed.

  For example, FIG. 13 shows an example of a result obtained by dividing one day into a plurality of time zones and integrating the total viewing time for one week in each time zone. As shown in FIG. 13, it is expected that broadcast stations that are frequently viewed differ depending on the time of day. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the order in which the EPG scan is executed is set according to the total viewing time for each broadcasting station in the time zone to which the time for executing the EPG scan belongs.

  For example, when an EPG scan is executed at midnight, the broadcasting station with the longest viewing time in the time zone from midnight to 3:00 am is broadcasting station H, the second is broadcasting station J, and the third is broadcasting station A. ..., and when EPG scan is executed at 4 am, the broadcast station with the longest viewing time in the time zone from 3 am to 6 am is broadcast station H (no other viewing) The digital broadcast receiver changes any of the EPG scan orders in accordance with the length of the total viewing time in each time slot, and either one of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment. The EPG scan is executed in the same processing procedure as the EPG scan execution procedure shown in.

  In this way, the total viewing time is accumulated for each time zone, the EPG scan order is set according to the length of the total viewing time in that time zone at the time when EPG scan is executed, and EPG scan is executed according to this order As a result, the latest EPG information for each broadcasting station is stored in the EPG information storage unit 204a in the order according to the user's preference.

  As for the time zone classification, one day may be equally divided, and the length is generally divided into a time zone that is often referred to as golden time and a time zone in which the program is not often viewed at midnight. The day may be divided by changing. Furthermore, since the EPG scan immediately after midnight replaces all the data for one day only at the time, the order may be rewritten accordingly based on the integrated time of day as in the first embodiment.

<Fifth Embodiment>
In the fourth embodiment, the total viewing time is integrated for each time zone, and the order of EPG scanning is set according to the length of the total viewing time in that time zone at the time of executing the EPG scan. In the fifth embodiment, the total viewing time is accumulated for each time zone for each day of the week, and the order of EPG scanning is set according to the length of the total viewing time in that time zone at the time when the EPG scan is executed.

  For example, FIG. 14 shows an example of a result obtained by dividing one day into a plurality of time zones and integrating the total viewing time for one week in each time zone for each day of the week. For example, on Saturdays and Sundays, the viewing time becomes longer even during the daytime, and on the weekday (Monday to Friday), the daytime time is rarely watched. Broadcasters are expected to be different.

  Therefore, in the fifth embodiment, the digital broadcast receiver changes the order of EPG scan according to the length of the total viewing time in each time zone for each day of the week, while the first embodiment and the second embodiment. The EPG scan is executed in the same processing procedure as the EPG scan execution procedure shown in any of the above and third embodiments.

  For example, when EPG scan is executed at midnight on Sunday, the EPG scan order is set according to the length of total viewing time in the time zone from midnight to 3:00 am on Sunday, and EPG scan is performed at midnight on Monday. Is executed, the EPG scan order is set by the length of the total viewing time in the time zone from 0:00 am to 3:00 am on Monday, and the digital broadcast receiver executes the EPG scan.

  As for the time zone classification, similarly to the fourth embodiment, the day may be equally divided, or the time zone for viewing the program well called the golden time is generally watched and the program is often watched at midnight. The day may be divided by changing the length of the time period when it is not.

  In this way, by adding up the total viewing time for each day of the week for each day of the week, setting the order of EPG scans, and executing EPG scans in accordance with this order, the EPG information storage unit 204a has user preferences. The latest EPG information for each broadcasting station is stored in the order in which they were recorded.

It is a figure which shows the function structure of a digital broadcast receiver. It is a figure which shows the concept of the internal operation | movement of CPU of a digital broadcast receiver. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of acquiring viewing-and-listening history. It is a figure which shows an example of viewing history information. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of performing EPG scan in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the result of having totaled viewing time totaled viewing history information for every broadcasting station. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of performing the EPG scan in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows a response | compatibility with total viewing time and the frequency | count of a retry. It is a figure which shows the frequency | count of retry set for every broadcasting station. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of performing the EPG scan in 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows a response | compatibility with the total viewing time and the frequency of an EPG scan. It is a figure which shows a response | compatibility with the total viewing-and-listening time for every broadcasting station, and the frequency of an EPG scan. It is a figure which shows the result of integrating | accumulating the total viewing time of 1 week in each time slot | zone. It is a figure which shows the result of having accumulated the total viewing time of 1 week in each time slot | zone for every day of the week.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Operation signal identification means 22 ... EPG scan means 23 ... EPG scan control means 24 ... Time data acquisition means 24 ... Clock data acquisition means 25 ... Viewing history information acquisition means 26 ... EPG information generation means 27 ... Video audio control means 200 ... Antenna 201 ... Tuner 202 ... Descrambler 203 ... Demultiplexer 204 ... Broadcast information storage unit 204a ... EPG information storage unit 205 ... Audio decoder 206 ... Video decoder 207 ... Graphics 208 ... CPU
209 ... ROM
210 ... RAM
211 ... Viewing history storage unit 212 ... Input interface 213 ... Clock unit 214 ... Bus

Claims (1)

A digital broadcast wave is received from a plurality of broadcast stations, broadcast signals are extracted, the broadcast signals are demodulated, an MPEG transport stream is output, the MPEG transport stream is decoded, and the broadcast station desired by the user is decoded. A digital broadcast receiver that outputs at least video signals and audio signals of a program, and is capable of outputting program guide information of the plurality of broadcast stations,
Program guide information storage means for storing the program guide information;
Viewing history information including at least one of the channel number of the broadcast station program viewed by the user, the position number corresponding to the channel number of the program, and the identification number of the MPEG transport stream is stored at predetermined time intervals. Viewing history information storage means,
EPG scanning means for acquiring the program guide information;
Viewing for each channel number calculated from the viewing history information stored in the viewing history information storage unit, for each position number, for each channel number and for each position number, or for each identification number of an MPEG transport stream EPG scan control means for controlling the timing at which the EPG scanning means acquires the program guide information for each broadcasting station based on the total viewing time length. Digital broadcast receiver.

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