JP3759581B2 - Digital broadcast receiver - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiving apparatus that receives a digital broadcast.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A digital broadcast receiving apparatus that receives a digital broadcast using a satellite or a terrestrial wave selects an arbitrary broadcast wave from a plurality of broadcast waves received through a dedicated antenna or a terrestrial antenna using a tuner, and selects the selected broadcast wave. An arbitrary channel is selected from among a plurality of channels included in the wave by demultiplexing processing, a digital signal of the selected channel is taken out and decoded to output a video / audio signal.
[0003]
In such digital broadcasting, program information is transmitted in addition to transmitting video and audio in the same manner as conventional analog broadcasting. This program information includes various information such as a program name, program start time, program duration, program content information, and program genre information, and an EPG (Electronic Program) using an OSD (On Screen Display) function on the receiving device side. The Guide) display function allows the user to select a program desired by the user from multi-channel broadcasting.
[0004]
FIG. 4 illustrates an EPG screen. In this EPG screen, the vertical axis represents the time axis, and the horizontal axis represents the channel number. By operating up / down / left / right direction keys provided on a remote control transmitter (not shown), the program table can be scrolled up / down / left / right. Then, by placing the cursor in the desired program column (changing the color) and pressing the enter key, the program reservation process is executed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in data broadcasting programs, etc., the user may be asked to select one by one in order to respond to the user's request. When the user follows this selection, the channel is changed several times without the user knowing, and the first channel It may be difficult to return to Also, a digital broadcast receiver having a channel return function is known. This channel return function is a function for returning to the previous channel, and if the channel has been changed many times, the first channel is also used. Can't go back to Also, since many channels are provided in digital broadcasting, it often takes time to find a favorite channel. .
[0006]
In view of the above circumstances, the present invention can easily return to the program reception of the original desired channel even if the channel is changed several times. It is characterized by providing a digital broadcast receiving apparatus capable of easily selecting a channel of the program even when he / she wants to watch it.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the digital broadcast receiving apparatus of the present invention is based on means for extracting program information contained in a digital broadcast wave, means for storing program viewing history, program information and history information. Means for outputting a program guide table reflecting a viewing history displayed in a format in which a program column of a program having a viewing history is distinguished from a display column of another program among the program columns displayed in the program guide table. It is characterized by having.
[0008]
With the above configuration, when it is desired to return to receiving the program of the original desired channel after the channel has been changed several times, the program guide table reflecting the viewing history may be displayed. In this program guide table, the program column of the program with the viewing history is displayed separately from the display column of other programs, so that the user can easily find the desired channel before the change.
[0009]
It is preferable that the process for receiving the program in the selected program column is executed by performing the determination operation in a state where the program column is selected. Further, when the user gives an instruction to output a program guide table during program reception, a normal program guide table including a program column of the received program is displayed, and a predetermined operation is performed in the display state of the program guide table. Sometimes, it is preferable to display a program guide table reflecting the viewing history.
[0010]
Further, the digital broadcast receiving apparatus of the present invention includes a means for extracting program information included in a digital broadcast wave, a means for storing a program viewing history, a guide table for a broadcast-scheduled program based on the program information and the history information. And a means for displaying a viewing history a predetermined day before the display date of the guide table.
[0011]
With the above configuration, for example, it is possible to know which program (channel) was viewed one week ago by comparing with the program guide display. For example, a certain program (program name and channel viewed one week ago can be changed). When you want to see the continuation of a program you don't remember, you can easily find the program.
[0012]
Corresponding to the selection of the program display location of the viewing history, the display of the program guide table is controlled to include the program column of the program, and the program corresponding to the selected viewing history program when a predetermined operation is performed It is preferable to execute the reservation process or the reception process.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Here, a case where a user views a BS (Broadcasting Satellite) digital broadcast is illustrated. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a digital broadcast receiving apparatus 30 of this embodiment, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams of an EPG screen (program guide table) reflecting a viewing history.
[0014]
The antenna 1 is arranged outdoors in a predetermined direction and receives a digital broadcast signal sent from the BS. The antenna 1 is generally provided with a frequency converter, and supplies a received / frequency converted signal to the tuner 2.
[0015]
The tuner 2 extracts a signal of a specific frequency from the high frequency digital modulation signal including video / audio data. That is, a process of selecting one from a plurality of transponders of digital broadcasting is performed. Further, the tuner 2 includes a demodulation circuit, a deinterleave circuit, an error correction circuit, and the like, thereby demodulating the selected digital modulation signal and outputting a transport stream.
[0016]
The demultiplexer (DEMUX) 3 separates the transport stream into an MPEG2 (Moving Picture Experts Group 2) video stream, an audio stream, and PSI / SI (Program Specific Information / Service Information). The demultiplexer 3 supplies the video stream and the audio stream to the AV decoder 4 and supplies PSI / SI to the CPU 13. As described above, a plurality of channels are multiplexed in the transport stream, and processing for selecting an arbitrary channel from among these is performed in the transport stream from the PSI / SI. Thus, it becomes possible by taking out data such as which packet ID is multiplexed. In addition, transport stream selection (transponder selection) can also be performed based on PSI / SI information. Further, SI (service information) includes program information (program name, program start time, program duration, program content information, program genre information, etc.).
[0017]
The AV decoder 4 includes a video decoder that decodes a video stream and an audio decoder that decodes an audio stream. The video decoder decodes the input variable length code to obtain a quantization coefficient and a motion vector, and performs inverse DCT conversion, motion compensation control based on the motion vector, and the like. The audio decoder decodes the input encoded signal to generate audio data. The video data generated by the decoding is output to the video processing circuit 5, and the audio data is output to the audio processing circuit 6.
[0018]
The video processing circuit 5 receives the video data from the AV decoder 4 and performs D / A conversion, for example, into a composite video signal. The audio processing circuit 6 receives the audio data output from the AV decoder 4 and performs D / A conversion to generate, for example, a right (R) sound analog signal and a left (L) sound analog signal.
[0019]
The video output circuit 7 and the audio output circuit 8 include an output resistor, an amplifier, and the like. The AV output terminal 9 is provided with an output unit (a set of left and right audio output terminals and video output terminals, etc.). This output unit is provided with a video / audio code 17 and is provided with a picture tube 16a and a speaker 16b. 16 is connected.
[0020]
The OSD circuit 12 outputs video data based on character information and color information instructed to be output from the CPU 13 to the adder 20. The adder 20 performs processing for incorporating the video data into the received video data output from the AV decoder 4. The OSD circuit 12 can perform EPG (Electronic Program Guide) display based on the above-described program information received by the CPU 13.
[0021]
The remote control transmitter 10 is a transmitter for sending a command to the broadcast receiving device 30. When a key (not shown) provided on the remote control transmitter 10 is operated, signal light (remote control signal) indicating a command corresponding to the key is transmitted from a light emitting unit (not shown). The remote control light receiver 11 receives the signal light, converts it into an electric signal, and gives it to the CPU 13. Further, the user can check the viewing history on the EPG screen (program guide table) by using the “history” button, the “up / down / left / right” direction key and the “decision” key, etc. provided on the remote control transmitter 10. It has become.
[0022]
The non-volatile memory (for example, EEPROM) 14 stores viewing history information (viewing channel information, viewing date / time information, etc.) and the like in addition to data (program information) for displaying the EPG screen.
[0023]
The CPU 13 performs overall control in the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 30. In particular, as control according to the present invention, generation control of an EPG screen reflecting a viewing history is executed. Hereinafter, such control will be described.
[0024]
(1) Viewing history information acquisition processing CPU 13 stores viewing history information (viewing date, channel number, viewing start time, viewing end time) in nonvolatile memory 14 every time a channel selection process is performed. However, in order to avoid an increase in the amount of information stored in the memory, in this embodiment, when viewing for only a few seconds to several minutes, the viewing history is not stored. Note that the viewing ratio with respect to the entire program time is calculated (50% when viewing a one-hour program for 30 minutes), and for example, the viewing history may be stored only when viewing 50% or more. The total program time can be determined from program information (program start time, program duration) obtained from digital broadcast waves. In addition to using the program information as a viewing history in such a form, the program information can be used for displaying a program name and a genre on a viewing history display.
[0025]
(2) EPG Display Processing FIG. 2 (a) is an explanatory diagram of a normal EPG screen, and FIG. 2 (b) is an explanatory diagram of an EPG screen reflecting a viewing history. Here, as shown in FIG. 5B, the user is watching the 104 channel baseball broadcast until 1 o'clock, and the channel is changed many times before and after trying to watch the data broadcasting shopping program during the CM. For example, I reached a 103-channel shopping program, watched this program for about a dozen minutes, and then operated the channel to return to baseball broadcasting, but now I can't go back to the 101-channel flowering information program. Suppose that it has reached. The program viewing time at the time of channel operation for returning is several seconds, and is not left as viewing history. Therefore, the latest program on the viewing history is a 103-channel shopping program, and the previous program is a 104-channel baseball broadcast.
[0026]
When the user gives an EPG display command to the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 30 in the viewing state of the flowering information program of the 101 channel, the apparatus 30 executes a normal EPG screen generation process, and the EPG screen as shown in FIG. Display. In this EPG screen, the screen configuration is applied so that the display field of the flowering information program of the 101 channel currently being viewed is arranged in the approximate center of the screen. In the lower part of the EPG screen, key explanation characters / pictograms of the remote control transmitter 10 such as “move”, “reservation”, “next day”, “previous day”, and “history” are written. When the key of the remote control transmitter 10 is operated, an EPG screen reflecting the viewing history is displayed as shown in FIG.
[0027]
In the EPG screen reflecting the viewing history, since the latest program on the viewing history is a 103-channel shopping program, the screen configuration is provided so that the display column of the 103-channel shopping program is arranged in the approximate center of the screen. The left column of the 103 channel column is the 102 channel column, and the right column is the 104 channel column. Then, on the display column of the 103-channel shopping program, based on the viewing start time and viewing end time of the program, a transparent color band area having a predetermined width is displayed corresponding to the time axis of the program guide. Here, since the baseball broadcast that was being watched before the shopping program was 104 channels, this program table also corresponds to the timeline of the program table based on the viewing start time and viewing end time of the baseball broadcast. Then, a transparent color belt-like area having a predetermined width is displayed. By this display, the user knows the channel of the baseball broadcast, places the cursor on the program column (changes color), and operates the enter key of the remote control transmitter 10. Program reception can be performed.
[0028]
Here, when the baseball broadcast is channel 105, for example, the baseball program column is not displayed in the program table, but by operating the up key of the remote control transmitter 10, a process of tracing back the history is executed, Although not shown, a 105-channel baseball program column is arranged in the approximate center of the screen, and a transparent colored band area is displayed by the same processing as described above. On this program guide, the user knows the baseball broadcast channel, A baseball program can be received by placing the cursor in this program column (changing the color) and operating the enter key of the remote control transmitter 10.
[0029]
Note that the state in which the baseball program column is arranged in the approximate center of the screen and the transparent color band area is displayed is treated as a state in which the baseball program is selected, and the baseball program is simply operated by operating the enter key in this state. Processing such as receiving a program is also possible. Of course, in the display state of FIG. 2 (b), a process of tracing back the history is executed, and the baseball program column for 104 channels is arranged in the approximate center of the screen, and in this state, the baseball program is simply operated. It is also possible to perform processing such as receiving
[0030]
As described above, when the channel is changed several times and it is desired to return to the program reception of the desired channel before the change, the EPG screen (program guide table) reflecting the viewing history may be displayed. On this EPG screen, the program column of the program with the viewing history is displayed separately from the display column of the other program, so that the user can easily find the desired channel before the change.
[0031]
To cancel the viewing history display and return to the normal EPG screen of FIG. 2A, such as when there is no program to be viewed, remote control transmission corresponding to “normal” shown in FIG. A button on the machine 10 may be pressed. In addition, for the program column of a program with a viewing history, a transparent color band area having a predetermined width is displayed in correspondence with the time axis of the program guide based on the viewing start time and viewing end time. It is also possible to perform simple processing such as simply changing the background color of the program column without referring to the above, or simply adding pictograms indicating the viewing history.
[0032]
FIG. 3 shows another example of the viewing history reflecting EPG screen. In order to configure this EPG screen, viewing history information for one week is recorded in the nonvolatile memory 14. In the EPG screen of FIG. 3, an EPG screen of a broadcast-scheduled program and a viewing history column for the same day of the week before that are displayed in correspondence with each other. For example, when today is November 14 and the EPG screen of the scheduled broadcast program on November 15 of the following day is displayed, the viewing history of November 8 which is one week before is displayed in the viewing history column. Is displayed. In this viewing history display, viewing time zones of past viewing programs are divided into regions on the vertical time axis, and viewing channel numbers and the like are displayed in each region. If the key operation corresponding to “next day” on the screen is performed, the EPG screen of the program scheduled to broadcast on November 16 is displayed, and the viewing history of November 9 that is one week before is displayed. The user can select (change color) a program (time zone) on the viewing history column by operating, for example, the up / down direction key. In FIG. 3, when the time zone part of the movie of channel 101 (X series episode 3) in the viewing history is selected and the enter key is pressed, a broadcast scheduled program column of the same time zone is included in the same channel as this past viewing program. The display of the EPG screen area is controlled as described above. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the channel 101 column is displayed in the EPG screen area by this processing, and the user knows that a movie (X series episode 4) will be broadcast from PM1. The user can make a reservation for this movie (X Series Episode 4) by moving the cursor to the display location of the movie (X Series Episode 4) and pressing the Enter key.
[0033]
In this way, you can know from the viewing history what kind of program you were watching one week ago for a certain date and time (today or a certain date in the future). If there is a program you want, you can specify the display location to know the actual program scheduled to be broadcast on the same channel at the same time, and if the program is exactly what you want to see, reserve the program. Will be able to watch. That is, even if you cannot remember what program you were watching a week ago, you can easily find a program that you can't miss by referring to the program you watched in the past.
[0034]
In the above example, the viewing history one week ago is displayed. However, the viewing history is not limited to one week. For example, the viewing history one day ago may be displayed. Further, it may be possible to select how long the previous viewing history is to be displayed by a user operation.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when the channel is changed several times and it is desired to return to the program reception of the original desired channel, the program guide table reflecting the viewing history is displayed. The user can easily find the original desired channel and return to viewing the program. Further, for example, even if it is impossible to remember what program was watched a week ago, it is possible to easily find a program that cannot be overlooked with reference to a program that has been viewed in the past.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is an explanatory diagram of a normal EPG screen, and FIG. 2B is an explanatory diagram of an EPG screen reflecting a viewing history.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of another EPG screen in which viewing history information is reflected.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional EPG screen.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Antenna 2 BS Digital Tuner 3 Demultiplexer (DEMUX)
4 AV decoder 12 OSD circuit 13 CPU
14 Nonvolatile memory

Claims (3)

  Means for extracting program information included in the digital broadcast wave, means for storing the viewing history of the program that was actually viewed, and the program information displayed in the program guide table based on the program information and the viewing history. A history reflecting program guide output means for outputting a viewing history reflecting program guide table for displaying on the screen a program column of the viewed program in a format distinguishable from a display column of a program having no viewing history; When the reflected program guide output means detects that the predetermined button has been operated, the reflected program guide output means executes a process of going back one viewing history, and shows the program column of the actually viewed program based on the viewing history one step back without a viewing history. A digital broadcast receiving apparatus, characterized in that it is displayed on a screen in a format distinguishable from the display field.   The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the digital broadcast receiving apparatus is configured to execute a process for receiving a program in the selected program column by performing a determination operation while the program column is selected. A digital broadcast receiver characterized by the above.   In the digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, when an instruction to output a program guide table is given by a user during program reception, a normal program guide table including a program column of the received program is displayed. A digital broadcast receiving apparatus, wherein a program guide table reflecting the viewing history is displayed when a predetermined operation is performed in the display state of the program guide table.

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