JP2008199337A - Broadcast receiving equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable single-channel broadcast receiving equipment, in which a built-in tuner can select only one channel, to record a broadcast program of a channel different from that of a program being viewed or a program having been reserved to be viewed. <P>SOLUTION: The broadcast receiving equipment having a function of selecting and receiving a broadcast signal and demodulating video data and audio data, a function of recording the video data and audio data, a function of making a connection with a communication line, and a function of accepting an input viewing reservation and a video recording reservation and performing corresponding processing is configured to display and output signals based upon the video data and audio data demodulated by the tuner function for a broadcast program associated with a viewing request or viewing reservation and also receive and record the content of the broadcast program associated with the video recording reservation through the communication line (the Internet). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving device having a function of recording content of a broadcast program, and more particularly to a single channel broadcast receiving device in which a built-in tuner can select only one channel.

  Conventionally, in a single-channel broadcast receiving device in which the built-in tuner can select only one channel, the channel is locked during recording, or a broadcast program of another channel different from the program that the user is watching is recorded. Or if you try to make a recording reservation, the display program on the monitor will change, or if you try to make a recording reservation for a broadcast program on another channel that is different from the program that you reserved for viewing, a message will be displayed on the monitor that the viewing reservation will be canceled, It is common to be configured to alert the user.

In addition, conventional program broadcasts are only available on-air using radio waves or wired broadcasts (cable TV) using dedicated cables. In the near future, so-called server-type program broadcasts using communication lines such as the Internet will be provided. May be realized.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-244577 JP 2005-109671 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-039559

  Conventionally, in a single-channel broadcast receiving device in which the built-in tuner can select only one channel, a program of a channel different from the program selected during viewing is recorded, or the program reserved for viewing is temporally related. It was not possible to make a recording reservation for a broadcast program (back program) of another channel that overlaps with. In addition, there is a problem in that other channel programs cannot be selected unless the recording is canceled during the recording operation. In addition, as inventions of a recording apparatus capable of recording a broadcast program of a channel different from the program reserved for viewing and inventions related to a server-type broadcast program recording apparatus, there are those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, for example. .

  In the invention described in Patent Document 1, when a plurality of AV devices having a recording function are connected to a home network, different channels that overlap in time while avoiding duplicate recording of the same broadcast program are described. Broadcast programs (back programs) can be recorded. In addition, the present invention discloses a technique for simultaneously and synchronously reproducing a plurality of contents already recorded by linking a plurality of AV devices.

  The invention described in Patent Document 2 detects a broadcast program whose end time may be extended from an electronic program guide, collects information related to the extension of the broadcast program from a plurality of terminals via the Internet, The information is disclosed via the Internet, and the recording time of the program reserved by the electronic program guide is automatically changed so that it can be recorded.

  The invention described in Patent Document 3 is a system in which a plurality of recording devices having a recording function are connected via a network, and when a recording reservation for a broadcast program of a plurality of channels overlapping in time is made, A program that cannot be recorded by a recording device that has received a reservation is requested to be recorded to another recording device that can record, so that broadcast programs of a plurality of channels overlapping in time can be recorded. In the prior application invention, the user only needs to prepare one recording device, and can record broadcast programs of a plurality of channels overlapping in time without burdening the server. In addition, a technique is disclosed for enabling recording when it becomes impossible to record other reserved programs as a result of extending the broadcast time of the program being recorded.

  However, in any of the above Patent Documents 1 to 3, in a single-channel broadcast receiving device in which the built-in tuner can select only one channel, a broadcast program of a channel different from the program being viewed or reserved for viewing There is no disclosure of a technique for enabling recording of images.

  An object of the present invention is to allow a built-in tuner to record a broadcast program of a channel different from a program being viewed or a program reserved for viewing in a single-channel broadcast receiving device that can select only one channel. It is in.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a broadcast receiving apparatus capable of changing a viewing program without canceling a recording operation.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention selects a tuner signal for receiving a broadcast signal and demodulates video data and audio data, a function for recording video data and audio data, and a function for connecting a communication line. And a function for accepting an input viewing reservation and recording reservation and corresponding processing, and a broadcast program related to the viewing request or the viewing reservation is demodulated by the tuner function. A signal based on the data is displayed and output, and the content of the broadcast program related to the recording reservation is received and recorded via the communication line (Internet).

  More specifically, a tuner unit that extracts a signal of a desired channel from the received signals of a plurality of channels and demodulates program content, and decodes the demodulated video data and audio data to generate an audio signal and a video signal A data recording unit for storing audio data and video data in a nonvolatile manner, an interface unit connectable to a communication line, an input processing unit for accepting inputs for viewing reservation and recording reservation, and the data recording And a control unit that controls the interface unit, the control unit determines that a recording reservation has been set, and the interface unit displays the content of the broadcast program related to the recording reservation. The data is received via the communication line and stored in the data recording unit.

  According to the above-described means, a broadcast receiving device having only one channel that can be simultaneously selected by the tuner unit can record a broadcast program of a channel different from the broadcast program related to the viewing request or viewing reservation. It is possible to avoid the reservation being rejected at the stage.

  Preferably, the control unit displays and outputs a signal based on video data and audio data demodulated by the tuner unit when receiving a channel switching input while recording the content of the broadcast program. . As a result, a broadcast receiving device having only one channel that can be simultaneously selected by the tuner unit can view a broadcast program of a channel different from the broadcast program being recorded during recording.

  Further, preferably, when the control unit receives a recording reservation input while displaying and outputting a signal based on the video data and the audio data demodulated by the tuner unit, the control unit displays the content of the program related to the recording reservation. An internal setting is made to receive via a communication line. This makes it possible to record a broadcast program of a channel different from the broadcast program being viewed during viewing.

  In addition, it has a function of determining whether or not the communication line is connected, and when receiving a recording reservation input in a state where the communication line is not connected, the control unit demodulates video data demodulated by the tuner unit. And audio data are stored in the data recording unit. As a result, the broadcast program of the channel being selected can be recorded even in a broadcast receiving device that is limited in channel selection, but not connected to a communication line.

  Further, the content of the broadcast program received via the communication line is compressed data. Thereby, the time required for data transmission can be shortened, which can contribute to energy saving.

  In addition, a tuner function that selects and receives broadcast signals and demodulates video data and audio data, a function that records video data and audio data, a function that connects to a communication line, and an input viewing reservation and recording reservation A first mode for receiving and recording the content of a broadcast program related to a recording reservation via the communication line, and a broadcast related to the recording reservation. A second mode for recording video data and audio data demodulated by the tuner function as program content may be provided, and the first mode and the second mode may be selected. Thereby, a user's freedom of selection can be made high.

  According to the present invention, in a single-channel broadcast receiving device in which the built-in tuner can select only one channel, a broadcast program of a channel different from the program being viewed or the program reserved for viewing can be recorded. In addition, there is an effect that it is possible to realize a broadcast receiving device that can change the viewing program without canceling the recording operation.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an example of a network system suitable for effectively demonstrating the recording function of a broadcast receiving apparatus according to the present invention. Broadcast stations 100A, 100B that provide program broadcasts are installed in a plurality of homes. 1 shows a configuration of a digital broadcast receiving system including broadcast receiving devices 210 to 240 such as STB (set top box) and recording device, and a communication line (including an optical line) 300 such as the Internet connecting them. is there.

  The plurality of user homes 200A, 200B, and 200C include an STB (set top box) 210 to which the present invention is applied, a recording device 220 such as a DVD (optical disk storage device) and an HDD (hard disk storage device), and a digital TV (TV). John device) 230A, 230B, 230C, digital VTR (magnetic tape storage device) 240, and the like. In a home where a plurality of these devices are installed, these devices can be connected to each other via a wired / wireless network such as IEEE1394 or LAN. In FIG. 1, it is assumed that the STB 210, the DVD 220, and the DTV 230 are connected using the IEEE 1394 bus 250 in the user home 200A, and the DTV 230 and the DVTR 240 are connected in the user home 200B. In the user home 200C, a DTV 230 having a recording function is installed alone.

  At each user's house, STB 210 and DTV 230 receive digital broadcast programs provided from broadcasting stations 100A, 100B,... Using communication satellites, terrestrial waves, and cables. The servers of the broadcasting stations 100A, 100B..., The STB 210 and DTV 230 of each user's house, and the server 300 of a specific service provider are connected to the Internet 300 so that two-way communication (including optical communication) is possible. Has been made possible.

  In this embodiment, the broadcasting stations 100A, 100B,... Can provide individual contents via the Internet (communication line) 300 by a server in addition to providing contents by radio waves or dedicated cables. It is conceivable that contents are provided free of charge via radio waves and dedicated cables, and contents are provided via the Internet 300 for a fee.

  Also, provision of content via the Internet 300 is possible even during the program broadcast and after the program broadcast ends. It is desirable that the provision of content during the program broadcast should not overtake the broadcast content by air. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide content via the Internet 300 by compressing data. By compressing and transmitting data, the time required for data transmission can be reduced.

  In addition, when compressed and transmitted, it is preferable that data compressed by a compression method requested by the user can be provided. When a recording device owned by the user has a function of compressing (encoding) data, recording it, and decompressing (decoding) it at the time of reproduction, it receives the data compressed by the same compression method, decompresses (decodes), and records By doing so, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to newly add hardware for decompressing (decoding) data. The recording device, for example, by compressing and re-recording when the recorded content is reproduced once and is not reproduced for a predetermined period, or having a function of recording as data compressed from the beginning by a command from the user, The storage capacity can be effectively used. That is, more content can be recorded. Further, when the recording apparatus is configured to be compatible with a plurality of data compression methods, the degree of freedom of selection given to the user is increased.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the STB 210 as a broadcast receiving device having a recording function. The STB 210 to which the present invention is applied is a single-channel device having only one channel that can be simultaneously selected by the built-in tuner.
2 includes a tuner processing unit 201, a descrambler 202, a demultiplexer 203, a decoder 204, a 1394 I / F 205, an input processing unit 206, a recording processing unit 207, a program recording memory 208, a timer management unit 209, and a reception service management unit. 210, a reception service information memory 211, an index information management unit 212, an index information memory 213, an IP network I / F 214, a control unit 215, and the like.

  The tuner processing unit 201 has a function of selecting a signal of a desired channel from signals of a plurality of channels received from the broadcasting stations 100A, 100B... And demodulating digitally modulated program content. The descrambler 202 has a function of releasing the scramble of a broadcast program that has been put in order to be able to receive a pay broadcast program. The demultiplexer 203 has a function of extracting audio data and video data from a broadcast program. The decoder 204 has a function of decoding compressed audio data and video data and expanding the original audio signal and video signal.

  The 1394 I / F 205 has a function of transmitting and receiving AV streams and control commands to and from other AV devices (for example, DTV 230 and DVD 220) connected by the IEEE 1394 bus. The AV stream to be transmitted is encrypted and encrypted. AV stream decoding is also performed. The input processing unit 206 has a function of inputting a command to the STB 210 by a user operating a remote controller, a touch panel, or the like. The recording processing unit 207 has a function of performing recording control for recording in the program recording memory 208 program content received via the Internet 300 or broadcast program content received from a broadcasting station when not connected to the Internet. .

  The program recording memory 208 is a memory for recording the contents of a broadcast program. For example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a hard disk, a memory card, or a hybrid form combining these may be considered. The timer management unit 209 has a function of managing current time information and timer reservation of a broadcast program and generating a timer interrupt to the control unit 215. The reception service management unit 210 has a function of managing information stored in the reception service information memory 211. The reception service information memory 211 stores service information received from a broadcast station server.

  The index information management unit 212 has a function of managing index information related to broadcast programs recorded in the program recording memory 208 stored in the index information memory 213. The index information memory 213 stores the index information. The IP network I / F 214 has a function of transmitting / receiving data to / from a broadcast station server or a service provider server other than the broadcast station via the Internet 300. The control unit 215 has a function of comprehensively controlling the operation of each unit in the STB 210.

  Furthermore, the STB 210, DTV 230B, 230C, etc. of this embodiment create an EPG (electronic program guide) as shown in FIG. 3 based on information about broadcast programs provided from each broadcasting station, and display and output functions or broadcasts. It has a function of making a reservation for viewing or recording a program. The EPG may be created and distributed by a server of a service provider other than the broadcasting station. Further, the function of creating an EPG may be provided in the DVD 220, the DTV 230A, or the DVTR 240.

  Next, in the system of the present embodiment, a channel that is selected (viewed) or reserved for viewing is reserved using a single-channel broadcast receiving device that has only one channel that can be simultaneously selected by the built-in tuner at the user's home. A specific method in the case of recording a program that overlaps in time with a channel different from that of the current program will be described. The following processing is mainly executed by the control unit 215 in the device of FIG.

  When the user makes a recording reservation for a desired broadcast program, the remote controller is operated to display a program guide as shown in FIG. 3 on a TV screen or monitor, and the cursor is moved to the desired program. In the example of FIG. 3, it is assumed that the program “movie BBB” of the C1 broadcast station has already been reserved for viewing and the cursor is positioned on the program “movie 008 Part 5” of the x2 broadcast station. Here, when the user presses a determination button or the like on the remote controller, a window is formed instead of the program guide or a part of the program guide, and the viewing reservation button B1, the recording reservation button B2, the return button as shown in FIG. A viewing / recording reservation screen including B3 and window W for displaying detailed information of program contents is displayed.

  Here, when the user confirms the program content of the window W, moves the cursor to the recording reservation button B2, and presses the determination button on the remote controller, the recording reservation processing is started inside the device. In the example of FIG. 3, the program “movie 008 Part 5” of the x2 broadcast station partially overlaps with the program “movie BBB” of the C1 broadcast station. In such a case, the conventional device is configured such that a “Reservation impossible” message is displayed and the recording reservation process is rejected. On the other hand, in the broadcast receiving apparatus according to the present embodiment, an internal setting is made so that the content of the program to be reserved for recording is acquired via the Internet, and the recording reservation is accepted.

  Then, when the broadcast start time of the program “Movie 008 Part 5” reserved for recording comes, it is connected to the server of the x2 broadcasting station, and the content of “Movie 008 Part 5” is compressed and transmitted via the Internet. A request is made and recording of the transmitted content is started. Transmission of content via the Internet is performed by compressing data, but reproduction is controlled so as not to overtake the content of an on-air program. Next, when the broadcast start time of the program “movie BBB” of the C1 broadcast station is reached, for example, the control unit 215 controls the tuner unit by timer interruption from the timer management unit 209 to select the channel of the C1 broadcast station, and the tuner unit The image signal and audio signal of the program “movie BBB” demodulated by the above are output to the monitor and display is started.

  x2 broadcast station program “Movie 008 Part 5” is reserved for viewing, and C1 broadcast station program “Movie BBB” is reserved for recording. This is almost the same as above, and both reservations are possible and the reservation ends. After that, when the time of the program reserved for viewing is reached, the main power is automatically turned on and the contents of the program are displayed on the monitor. Then, at the time of the program reserved for recording, the contents of the program reserved for recording are automatically received and recorded via the Internet. With this process, even in a single channel broadcast receiving device, it is possible to make a reservation for viewing and recording a broadcast program that overlaps in time on a plurality of channels.

  As described above, the viewing reservation and the recording reservation of two programs that overlap in time have been described. However, in the present embodiment, the back program is recorded while a user is watching a certain program, and other channels are recorded during the recording operation. It is also possible to switch the channel to view the broadcast program.

  For example, when making a recording reservation for the program “movie BBB” of the overlapping C1 broadcast station while watching the program “movie 008 part 5” of the x2 broadcast station in FIG. 3, the remote control is operated without switching the channel. Then, the screen or window shown in FIG. 4 is displayed, the cursor is moved on the screen, the cursor is moved to the recording reservation button B2, and the reservation button is pressed to complete the reservation.

  In addition, when recording the program “movie BBB” of the C1 broadcast station which is overlapped with the program “movie 008 part 5” of the x2 broadcast station in FIG. Even though the channel is locked and switching is rejected, the device to which this embodiment is applied allows the switching of the channel because the program being recorded is received via the Internet, and the tuner is The program “Movie BBB” of the C1 broadcasting station is displayed on the monitor using the signal from.

  Further, since the content data of the program to be recorded is compressed and transmitted, the transmission time is shortened. Therefore, not only when the viewing reservation and the recording reservation of the two programs overlap in time, two or more Even when recording reservations for the two programs overlap in time, the recording can be completed in accordance with the regular program time.

  Further, although not particularly limited, the STB of the present embodiment is provided with a function for determining whether or not the Internet is effectively connected, and the user is not connected to the Internet effectively. 4 is started, for example, the recording reservation button B2 is changed from green display to red display on the screen of FIG. 4 to notify that the button operation is invalid. The reservation button B4 is displayed.

  When the remote control enter button is pressed while the cursor is positioned on the recording reservation button B4, the image data and audio data demodulated by the tuner or the like are stored in the program recording memory as in the case of the recording reservation in the conventional device. The internal switching is performed so as to record in 208, and even when a channel switching operation is performed during the recording operation, the channel is locked and the switching is rejected.

  If the content is compressed and transmitted, the image quality often deteriorates. Therefore, the recording reservation buttons B2 and B4 are displayed on the screen of FIG. 4 at the same time regardless of whether the content is connected to the Internet. The user may be allowed to select. In other words, in this case, the user selects the recording reservation button B4 when recording a program with high image quality, and selects the recording reservation button B2 when recording with priority to channel switching even when the image quality is low. That's fine. When the reservation button B4 is selected, the content demodulated by the tuner is recorded, and when the reservation button B2 is selected, the content received via the Internet is recorded.

  Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a system has been described in which a broadcast station provides content via the Internet. However, there are service providers that provide content via the Internet separately from the broadcast station. It can also be applied to a system in which such a service provider provides program content on behalf of a broadcasting station.

  In the above embodiment, the STB has a recording function and an Internet connection function. However, the STB at the user's home does not have a recording function, and the STB has a recording device such as a DVD connected to the STB. The present invention can also be applied to a case where the system is configured to be outsourced or a DTV (digital television) having a recording function and an Internet connection function. The present invention can also be applied to a recording apparatus such as a DVD having a broadcast receiving function (tuner) and an Internet connection function. In that case, the recording device is also included in the broadcast receiving apparatus which is the subject of the present invention.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the recording when the broadcast time overlaps before the start of the broadcast of the reserved program has been described, but also when the broadcast time overlaps by extending the broadcast time of the program started first, It is possible to cope with this by changing the recording time by obtaining the extended information of the broadcasting time from the broadcasting station or other service providers.

  In the above description, the case where the invention made mainly by the present inventor is applied to a broadcast receiving device having a broadcast receiving function and a recording function, which are the fields of use behind it, has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the present invention can be applied to a personal computer having a broadcast receiving function and a recording function.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the network system suitable for making the video recording function of the broadcast receiving apparatus which concerns on this invention exhibit effectively. It is a block diagram which shows one structural example of STB (set top box) as a broadcast receiving apparatus. It is screen structure explanatory drawing which shows an example of the electronic program guide produced with a broadcast receiving apparatus. It is screen structure explanatory drawing which shows an example of the screen displayed in the case of reservation operation using an electronic program guide.

Explanation of symbols

100A, 100B Broadcasting station 210 Broadcast receiving equipment (STB: Set Top Box)
220 Recording device (DVD: optical disk storage device)
230 Broadcast receiving equipment (DTV: digital television)
240 Recording device (DVTR: Digital magnetic tape storage device)
300 Communication line (Internet)
201 Tuner processing unit (tuner unit)
202 Descrambler (decoder part)
203 Demultiplexer (decoder part)
204 Decoder (Decoder part)
206 Input processing unit 208 Program recording memory (data recording unit)
209 Timer management unit 214 IP network I / F (interface unit)
215 control unit

Claims (7)

A tuner unit that extracts a signal of a desired channel from the received signals of a plurality of channels and demodulates the program content; a decoder unit that decodes the demodulated audio data and video data and generates a video signal and an audio signal; A data recording unit for storing the recorded audio data and video data in a nonvolatile manner, an interface unit connectable to a communication line, an input processing unit for accepting inputs for viewing reservation and recording reservation, the data recording unit, and the data recording unit A broadcast receiving device comprising a control unit for controlling the interface unit,
The tuner unit has one channel that can be simultaneously selected, and a signal based on the video data and audio data demodulated by the tuner unit is output to a monitor,
When the control unit receives a recording reservation input while outputting a signal based on the video data and audio data demodulated by the tuner unit to the monitor, the control unit outputs the program of the channel being output to the monitor and other than the channel The program table describing the program is output to the monitor, the recording reservation process of the program selected in the program table is performed, and the content of the program related to the recording reservation is internally set to be received via the communication line. ,
When a predetermined time comes, a timer interrupt is generated from the timer management unit to the control unit, and the control unit transmits the recording reservation to the broadcast station or service provider server via the interface unit via the communication line. The content of the broadcast program related to is requested to be transmitted, and the content data compressed and transmitted in response to the request is received by the interface unit and stored in the data recording unit. Broadcast receiving equipment characterized by this. A tuner function that selects and receives broadcast signals and demodulates video data and audio data, a function that records video data and audio data, a function that connects to a communication line, and accepts input viewing reservations and recording reservations A broadcast receiving device equipped with a function to perform corresponding processing,
Broadcast programs related to viewing requests or viewing reservations display and output signals based on video data and audio data demodulated by the tuner function, and broadcast program contents related to recording reservations are received and recorded via the communication line. The broadcast receiving device is configured as described above. A tuner unit that extracts a signal of a desired channel from the received signals of a plurality of channels and demodulates the program content, a decoder unit that decodes the demodulated video data and audio data, and generates a video signal and an audio signal, and video A data recording unit for storing data and audio data in a nonvolatile manner, an interface unit connectable to a communication line, an input processing unit for receiving inputs for viewing reservation and recording reservation, and the data recording unit and the interface unit. A broadcast receiving device comprising a control unit for controlling,
When it is determined that the recording reservation is set, the control unit is configured to receive the content of the broadcast program related to the recording reservation via the communication line by the interface unit and store the content in the data recording unit. Broadcast receiving equipment characterized by that.   The tuner unit has one channel that can be selected at the same time, and the control unit receives video channel and audio data demodulated by the tuner unit when receiving a channel switching input while recording a broadcast program content. 4. The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a signal based on the display is output.   The tuner unit has one channel that can be selected at the same time, and the control unit receives a recording reservation input when a signal based on video data and audio data demodulated by the tuner unit is displayed and output. 5. The broadcast receiving device according to claim 3, wherein an internal setting is performed so that the content of the program related to the recording reservation is received via the communication line.   The controller has a function of determining whether or not the communication line is connected, and when receiving a recording reservation input without the communication line being connected, the control unit receives the video data and audio demodulated by the tuner unit The broadcast receiving device according to claim 3, wherein data is stored in the data recording unit.   The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the content of the broadcast program received via the communication line is compressed data.

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