JP4534103B2 - Receiver, television receiver and receiving method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a receiver, a television receiver, and a receiving method that can effectively save power.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a user may watch a television broadcast program at midnight and sleep while the television receiver is turned on. In this case, the television receiver is turned on until the user (user) notices despite the end of broadcasting, and power is consumed wastefully.
[0003]
However, in a television receiver that receives a terrestrial analog television broadcast signal, it is possible to detect whether or not a non-broadcast channel is selected by detecting the presence or absence of the television broadcast signal. . Specifically, by monitoring the presence / absence of a synchronization signal of the video signal output from the tuner unit of the television receiver, this is easily detected when a non-broadcasting channel is selected. be able to.
[0004]
Therefore, when it is detected that a channel that has not been broadcast has been selected for a certain period of time, power is supplied only to the parts that must be operated at a minimum, and power to the other parts. By stopping the supply of power, wasteful power consumption is prevented.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the case of digital satellite broadcast or analog satellite broadcast, radio waves from the satellite are not interrupted even after the program broadcast ends, and test signals are often transmitted. For this reason, it is impossible to distinguish between a channel on which a broadcast program is broadcast and a channel on which the broadcast program is not broadcast by the same method as in the case of terrestrial analog television broadcasting.
[0006]
Further, in the case of digital broadcasting adopting a transmission frame format of the MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) system called a Transport Stream (hereinafter abbreviated as TS) format, a large number of broadcast programs packetized into one broadcast signal. And various data related to broadcasting are multiplexed and transmitted.
[0007]
In this case, if a unit for selecting one broadcast program is a channel, one broadcast signal includes a plurality of channels. Then, by selecting a channel that broadcasts the target broadcast program from among a number of selectable channels, the target broadcast program can be viewed.
[0008]
However, even with selectable channels, broadcast programs are broadcast during the day, but broadcast programs are not broadcast at night, and vice versa. There are channels that do, but do not broadcast broadcast programs during the day. There are also channels that broadcast programs only on Saturdays and Sundays.
[0009]
Thus, in the case of digital broadcasting, if it is not possible to reliably detect whether or not a broadcast program is being broadcast by a channel selected from a number of selectable channels, the broadcast program is broadcast. It is not possible to reliably save power when a channel not selected is selected.
[0010]
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a receiver, a television receiver, and a receiving method capable of reliably saving power when a channel on which a broadcast program is not broadcast is selected. .
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the receiver of the invention according to claim 1
Transponder search means for searching for a transponder that transmits a digital broadcast signal including the selected channel;
Channel selection means for selecting the digital broadcast signal from the transponder searched by the transponder search means;
In the PAT (Program Association Table) included in the digital broadcast signal selected by the channel selection means, PID search means for searching for the PID of the selected channel;
Information included in the digital broadcast signal selected by the channel selection means and multiplexed on the digital broadcast signal indicating at least the presence or absence of one or more broadcast programs provided by the digital broadcast signal Extraction means to extract EIT (Event Information Table) provided
Monitoring means for monitoring the presence or absence of a broadcast program in the selected channel based on the EIT extracted by the extraction means;
By the transponder search means , The transponder was not found Or By the PID search means , When the PID of the selected channel is not searched Because When the monitoring means detects that the state of selecting the channel that has not provided the broadcast program continues for a predetermined time or longer, the mode is changed to the power saving mode. Control means to control and
It is characterized by providing.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a receiver, a television receiver and a receiving method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In an embodiment described below, a receiver, a television receiver, and a receiving method according to the present invention are applied to a digital television receiver that receives a digital satellite broadcast adopting a transmission frame format of an MPEG system called a TS format. The case where it is applied will be described as an example.
[0018]
Note that the TS format digital broadcast signal is formed by packetizing video data and audio data of a plurality of broadcast programs and various digital data related to broadcasting into one broadcast signal, and so-called time division multiplexing. Therefore, in the case of digital television broadcasting, a digital broadcast signal (RF channel) including a channel for broadcasting a target television broadcast program is selected, and a channel for broadcasting the target broadcast program is selected. Thus, the target broadcast program can be viewed by extracting the data of the target broadcast program from the digital broadcast signal.
[0019]
Therefore, in the embodiment described below, when simply referring to a channel, it means a unit for selecting a broadcast program, and when selecting a channel, not only selecting a digital broadcast signal but also digital. It includes selection of a broadcast signal and selection of a target broadcast program.
[0020]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a digital television receiver (hereinafter simply referred to as a television receiver) of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the television receiver of this embodiment includes a digital tuner (hereinafter simply referred to as a tuner) 2 connected to a satellite broadcast receiving antenna 1, a descrambler 3, and a demultiplexer 4. , A decoding unit 5 having a video signal decoder and an audio signal decoder, an OSD (On Screen Display) processing unit 6, a video signal processing circuit 7, a DEF (Deflection) processing unit 8, a display 9, an audio signal amplifier 10, and a speaker 11 is provided.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1, the television receiver of this embodiment includes a control unit (digital control unit) 100, a clock circuit 21, and a remote control interface unit (hereinafter abbreviated as a remote control I / F unit) 22. A remote control signal light receiving unit 23, an analog block control unit 25, and a power supply circuit 26 for the analog block. The analog block control unit 25 is connected to the control unit 100 via an interface (hereinafter abbreviated as I / F) 24 and can be controlled by the control unit 100 as will be described later. ing.
[0022]
The control unit 100 is a microcomputer formed by connecting a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) 104 through a CPU bus 105, and controls each part of the television receiver of this embodiment. Is.
[0023]
Here, the ROM 102 stores a processing program executed in the television receiver, necessary data, and the like. The RAM 103 is mainly used as a work area, such as temporarily storing intermediate results of executed processes. The EEPROM 104 is a memory that stores various parameter information set by the user, and is a so-called nonvolatile memory in which the stored information is not lost even when the power of the television receiver is turned off. It is.
[0024]
The clock circuit 21 provides the current time, has a calendar function, and can provide the current year, month, date, day of the week, and the like. As will be described later, the clock circuit 21 is used not only for providing the current time in the process of switching to the power saving mode, but also for realizing a so-called sleep timer function, a current time display function, and the like.
[0025]
In FIG. 1, a remote commander (hereinafter abbreviated as “remote control”) 30 is a remote control device for the television receiver of this embodiment, and an infrared remote control signal corresponding to an operation input from a user. Is sent out. The remote controller 30 is provided with a power on / off key, a channel key for channel selection, a channel up / down key, a volume up / down key, and various other function keys.
[0026]
An infrared remote control signal transmitted from the remote control 30 in response to a key operation by the user is received by the remote control signal light receiving unit 23 of the television receiver of this embodiment and converted into an electrical signal. The remote control signal converted into the electric signal is supplied to the control unit 100 through the remote control I / F 22.
[0027]
Thereby, the control unit 100 forms a control signal for controlling each unit according to the remote control signal, and supplies the control signal to each related unit, thereby turning on / off the power according to an instruction from the user. Various controls such as channel selection and volume adjustment can be performed.
[0028]
Although the television receiver of this embodiment is not shown, a main power on / off button switch is provided in the television receiver body. Then, by turning on the main power on / off button switch and turning on the main power, power is supplied to a minimum necessary circuit portion such as the control unit 100, and an analog block from the remote controller 30 or the like. This is a so-called standby mode (standby state), which is a state of waiting for reception of a remote control signal requesting to turn on the drive power to the.
[0029]
When in the standby mode, the drive power supply can be turned on / off from a remote location through the remote controller 30, and after the drive power is turned on, channel switching, volume adjustment, etc. can be performed through the remote control 30. Various operations can be performed.
[0030]
As described above, in this specification, turning on the main power means supplying power to the minimum necessary circuit portion such as the control unit 100 to enter the standby mode, and turning on the driving power means display. Power is supplied to all circuit parts including analog block parts such as 9, so that the television receiver of this embodiment can receive and select a digital broadcast signal and view a target broadcast program. It means to operate as a John receiver.
[0031]
When the drive power is turned on through the remote controller 30 after the main power is turned on, the television receiver of this embodiment performs the reception of a digital satellite broadcast signal, the channel selection process, etc. as follows. To be able to watch broadcast programs. That is, a digital satellite broadcast signal in TS format (hereinafter simply referred to as a satellite broadcast signal) received by the satellite broadcast receiving antenna 1 installed outdoors is supplied to the tuner unit 2.
[0032]
The tuner unit 2 selects and demodulates the satellite broadcast signal based on the channel selection control signal from the control unit 100, and supplies the demodulated satellite broadcast signal to the descramble unit 3. The channel selection control signal supplied from the control unit 100 to the channel unit 2 is formed in the control unit 100 in accordance with the channel selection operation input from the user received through the remote controller 30.
[0033]
The descrambling unit 3 receives, for example, key information for decryption from the control unit 100, and decrypts (cancels) the scramble process (encryption process) applied to the received satellite broadcast signal. Then, the satellite broadcast signal after the scramble decoding is supplied to the demultiplexer 4.
[0034]
As described above, the satellite broadcast signal is a signal in the TS format, and includes video data and audio data of a plurality of broadcast programs, various digital data related to broadcasting, and digital data for forming an electronic program guide called EPG. Are packetized and so-called time division multiplexed, and a plurality of broadcast programs and various types of information can be provided by one satellite broadcast signal. Each packet is added with a PID (packet ID: packet identifier) so that the television receiver can separate and extract the target packet from the satellite broadcast signal.
[0035]
Therefore, in the demultiplexer 4, based on the channel selection control signal from the control unit 100, the video data and audio data of the broadcast program that is to be broadcasted by the channel selected by the user are decoded. Extract from the satellite broadcast signal from the scramble unit 3, and supply the video data and audio data of the extracted broadcast program to the decode unit 5.
[0036]
Further, the demultiplexer 4 extracts various data relating to broadcasting and data for forming an EPG from the satellite broadcast signal from the descrambling unit 3 and supplies the data to the control unit 100. In this embodiment, the information extracted by the demultiplexer 4 and supplied to the control unit 100 includes Network Information Table (NIT), Program Association Table (PAT), Program Map Table (PMT), and Event Information (EIT). Table).
[0037]
The NIT indicates physical information about the transmission path, information about the orbit of the satellite, information about the polarization, frequency for each transponder (satellite repeater), broadcast program (program) transmitted by each transmission path. It consists of data such as numbers. The PID (packet ID: packet identifier) of the NIT itself is designated by the PAT. The broadcast program number corresponds to the channel selected by the user.
[0038]
The PAT indicates the PID of the PMT that transmits information of packets constituting the broadcast program for each broadcast program number. As the PID of the PAT itself, for example, PID = “0” is fixedly assigned. The PMT indicates the PID of a packet in which a stream such as video, audio, and additional data constituting the broadcast program is transmitted for each broadcast program number. The PID of the PMT itself is designated by PAT.
[0039]
When the user selects a channel that broadcasts the target broadcast program, the transponder that broadcasts the satellite broadcast signal including the selected channel is specified by the NIT information. As a result, as described above, the control unit 100 forms a channel selection control signal so as to select a satellite broadcast signal from the identified transponder, and supplies the channel selection control signal to the tuner 2. It is possible to select a satellite broadcast signal including
[0040]
And PMT which shows PID of the packet of the video data and audio | voice data which comprise the broadcast program provided by the channel selected by the user with the information of PAT is specified. Then, based on the specified PMT, the control unit 100 forms a channel selection control signal and supplies it to the demultiplexer 4, so that the demultiplexer 4 performs the target broadcast as described above. The video data and audio data of the program can be separated and extracted from the satellite broadcast signal.
[0041]
In this embodiment, EIT indicates information for creating an EPG such as a channel number, a channel name, a program start time, and a program end time. Based on the EIT data, an EPG having a time axis and a channel axis is created, and the user can quickly find and select a channel that broadcasts the target broadcast program through the EPG. The
[0042]
Further, based on the information of EIT, as will be described later, it is possible to reliably detect whether or not a broadcast program is being broadcast on the selected channel. That is, in the television receiver of this embodiment, EIT information is used as program related information.
[0043]
In the television receiver of this embodiment, the ES (Elementary Stream) of the broadcast program that is separated and extracted by the demultiplexer 4, that is, the video data and audio data of the target broadcast program is MPEG. The data is compressed by the encoding method.
[0044]
Therefore, the decoding unit 5 decompresses (compresses and decompresses) the video data and audio data so that the television receiver of this embodiment can process them. That is, the decoding unit 5 of the television receiver of this embodiment includes a video signal decoder and an audio signal decoder as shown in FIG. Then, the decoding unit 5 decompresses the supplied video data and audio data according to a predetermined encoding method, and converts the original digital video data before data compression and the original digital data before data compression. Restore audio data.
[0045]
Then, the decoding unit 5 performs D / A conversion (digital / analog conversion) on the restored digital video data to form an analog video signal, and supplies this to the OSD processing unit 6. The decode 5 performs D / A conversion on the restored digital audio data to form an analog audio signal, and supplies this to the audio signal amplifier 10.
[0046]
The OSD processing unit 6 performs video signal processing for displaying EPG and various messages in accordance with data supplied from the control unit 100, and includes other characters such as video of broadcast programs. A so-called text / graphic processing circuit for displaying information.
[0047]
For example, when displaying character information indicating a channel to be selected or a volume bar indicating a volume level in accordance with an instruction from the user, information for displaying these is displayed on the control unit 100. To the OSD processing unit 6. Then, characters indicating a channel and a volume bar display from the control unit 100 are superimposed on the video signal of the broadcast program, and this is supplied to the video signal processing circuit 7.
[0048]
In addition, when an EPG is displayed according to an instruction from the user, information for forming the EPG is supplied from the control unit 100 to the OSD processing unit 6. Then, in the OSD processing unit 6, a video signal for displaying the EPG is formed and supplied to the video signal processing circuit 7.
[0049]
The video signal processing circuit 7 forms a signal in a format to be supplied to the display 9 from the analog video signal supplied thereto, for example, three primary color signals of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). This is supplied to the display 9.
[0050]
In this embodiment, the display 9 is a CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) display, and displays a video corresponding to the video signal supplied thereto on its own display screen. Thereby, the video of the broadcast program provided by the satellite broadcast signal and broadcast by the channel selected by the user is displayed on the display screen of the display 9.
[0051]
The DEF processing circuit 8 forms a signal for deflection based on the video synchronization signal and supplies it to the deflection yoke of the display 9 so that the electron beam appropriately scans the display screen of the display 9. To be able to.
[0052]
On the other hand, the audio signal amplifier 10 amplifies the analog audio signal supplied thereto to a necessary level and supplies it to the speaker 11. Thereby, the sound of the broadcast program broadcast on the channel selected by the user is emitted from the speaker 11.
[0053]
In this manner, the television receiver of this embodiment receives and selects a satellite broadcast signal, separates and extracts a target broadcast program from the selected satellite broadcast signal, and plays it back by the user. The target broadcast program can be viewed.
[0054]
In the television receiver of this embodiment, the control unit 100 monitors the EIT information extracted by the demultiplexer 4 and selects a channel that does not provide a broadcast program for a certain time or more. If the operation continues, an automatic shutdown function is provided to stop the supply of power to the analog block of the television receiver of this embodiment, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption.
[0055]
That is, the television receiver of this embodiment includes the clock circuit 21 as described above with reference to FIG. 1, and can measure the time during which a channel that does not provide a broadcast program is selected. It is configured to be able to. When this measurement result exceeds a certain time, the control unit 100 controls the analog block control unit 25 through the I / F 24, and the analog block control unit 25 controls the power supply circuit 26 to Controls the supply of power to the block.
[0056]
In this embodiment, the analog block whose power supply is controlled is a circuit portion that processes an analog video signal and an analog audio signal. In FIG. 1, an OSD processing unit 6 surrounded by a dotted line, This is a circuit portion including a video signal processing unit 7, a DEF processing unit 8, a display 9, an audio signal amplifier 10, and a speaker 11.
[0057]
Next, the operation of the television receiver of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. The processing shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is processing executed in the control unit 100 of the television receiver after the main power is turned on in the television receiver of this embodiment.
[0058]
First, the control unit 100 waits until a remote control signal for instructing to turn on the driving power from the remote controller 30 is received (step S101). In the determination processing in step S101, the control unit 100 instructs to turn on the driving power from the remote controller 30. When it is determined that a remote control signal to be received has been received, the control unit 100 supplies power to all circuit parts such as analog blocks, and the last channel memory function has been selected until immediately before the power is turned off. A channel is selected (step S102).
[0059]
Then, the control unit 100 determines whether or not there is an operation input from the user through the remote controller 30 (step S103), and when determining that there is no selection input from the user, step S118 in FIG. 3 to be described later. Then, the power saving mode switching routine is executed.
[0060]
In the determination process of step S103, when it is determined that there is an operation input from the user, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the received operation input indicates channel selection, that is, the received operation input is Then, it is determined whether or not an instruction to change the channel is given (step S104).
[0061]
If it is determined in step S104 that the received operation input does not instruct channel selection, is the received operation input instructed to turn off the driving power of the television receiver? It is determined whether or not (step S105).
[0062]
When it is determined in the determination process of step S106 that the received operation input is an instruction to turn off the drive power supply, the control unit 100 terminates the supply of power to the analog block or the like. Processing is performed (step S106), and after entering the standby mode, the processing from step S101 is repeated.
[0063]
If it is determined in the determination process in step S106 that the received operation input does not instruct to turn off the drive power supply, the control unit 100 performs a process corresponding to the selection input, for example, a volume or Processing such as image quality adjustment and channel display is performed (step S107), and the processing proceeds to step S118 in FIG. 3 to be described later, and a power saving mode switching routine is executed.
[0064]
Further, when it is determined in the determination process of step S104 that the received operation input is an instruction for channel selection, the control unit 100 first separates and extracts from the satellite broadcast signal to be received and selected. Based on the NIT, a transponder that transmits a satellite broadcast signal including a channel to be selected is searched (step S108).
[0065]
Then, the control unit 100 determines whether there is a transponder including the target channel based on the search result in step S108 (step S109). If it is determined in step S109 that there is no transponder including the target channel, the control unit 100 forms display message information for notifying that the corresponding channel does not exist, and this is displayed in the OSD processing unit. 6 to display a message (step S111). In this embodiment, the process proceeds to step S118 in FIG. 3 to be described later, and a power saving mode switching routine is executed.
[0066]
As described above, when there is no channel to be selected, a message notifying that there is no corresponding channel is displayed on the display screen of the display 9 of the television receiver of this embodiment. The user can be prompted to select another channel.
[0067]
If it is determined in step S109 that there is a target transponder, the control unit 100 controls the tuner unit 2 to select the target transponder, and the satellite broadcast signal from the transponder. The PAT that is separated and extracted in the demultiplexer 4 is searched (step S111), and it is determined whether or not the PID of the target channel exists (step S112). The determination process of step S112 is a process of determining whether or not a broadcast program is being broadcast on the corresponding channel.
[0068]
If it is determined in step S112 that there is no PID of the target channel in the PAT, the control unit 100 forms display message information for notifying that the broadcast on the corresponding channel is suspended. This is supplied to the OSD processing unit 6 to display a message (step S113). In this embodiment, the process proceeds to step S118 of FIG. 3 to be described later, and a power saving mode switching routine is executed. .
[0069]
As described above, when the broadcast program is not broadcast by the corresponding channel, the display of the television receiver of this embodiment is notified that the broadcast program is not broadcast by the corresponding channel. A message is displayed and can prompt the user to select another channel.
[0070]
When it is determined in step S112 that the PID of the target channel exists, that is, when it is determined that the broadcast program is being broadcast by the corresponding channel, the control unit 100, as shown in FIG. Then, based on the PID in the PAT, the PMT for the target channel is separated and extracted (step S114).
[0071]
Then, the control unit 100 controls the demultiplexer 4 based on the extracted PMT information, and the ES (Elementary Stream) of the target channel, that is, the video data and audio of the broadcast program provided by the channel. Data is extracted (step S115).
[0072]
Then, as described above, the extracted ES is decompressed and D / A converted in the decoder unit 5, and the analog video signal is sent to the display 9 through the OSD processing unit 6 and the video signal processing unit 7. The supplied audio signal is supplied to the speaker 11 through the audio signal amplifier 10 so that a broadcast program broadcast on the selected channel can be viewed (step S116).
[0073]
Next, the control unit 100 controls the demultiplexer 4 to separate and extract the EIT from the selected transponder (step S117), and executes a power saving mode switching routine described later (step S118). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the power saving mode is set (step S119). When the power saving mode is set, the processing from step S101 shown in FIG. 2 is repeated. If it is determined in step S119 that the power saving mode is not set, the processing from step S103 shown in FIG. 2 is repeated.
[0074]
As can be seen from the flowcharts shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the television receiver of this embodiment is powered on through the remote controller 30 after the main power is turned on and enters the standby mode. After selecting the satellite broadcast signal and selecting the channel that broadcasts the target broadcast program, the power saving mode switching routine is always executed until the drive power of the television receiver is turned off. The
[0075]
As will be described below, this power saving mode switching routine stops the supply of power to the analog block when a channel that is not being broadcast is selected for a predetermined time Toff or more. Thus, the mode is changed to the power saving mode so as not to waste power consumption.
[0076]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the power saving mode switching routine executed in step S118 of the main routine shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the power saving mode switching routine, the control unit 100 first detects the current time from the clock circuit 21, and holds this as time T1 (step S201).
[0077]
Then, the control unit 100 determines whether or not there is an operation input from the user through the remote controller 30 (step S202). When it is determined in step S202 that there is an operation input, the process exits the power saving mode switching process shown in FIG. 4 and returns to the main routine, and the process from step S103 of the main routine shown in FIG. 2 is repeated. become.
[0078]
If it is determined in the determination process in step S202 that there is no operation input from the user, the control unit 100 selects the current channel based on the latest EIT information extracted by the demultiplexer 4. It is determined whether there is an event (broadcast program being broadcast) at the present time depending on the channel being broadcast (step S203).
[0079]
As described above, the EIT is information for creating an EPG such as a channel number, a channel name, a program start time, and a program end time. By referring to this EIT, the channel is currently selected. It is possible to reliably determine whether or not a broadcast program is being broadcast at the present time by a certain channel.
[0080]
In the determination process of step S203, when it is determined that there is a broadcast program that is currently being broadcast by the currently selected channel, the control unit 100 continues the reproduction of the broadcast program (step S204). The process from step S201 of the power saving mode switching process shown in FIG. 4 is repeated.
[0081]
In the determination process of step S203, when it is determined that there is no broadcast program currently being broadcast by the currently selected channel, the control unit 100 detects the current time from the clock circuit 21, and detects this. Is held as time T2 (step S205).
[0082]
Then, the control unit 100 calculates ΔT = T2−T1 to obtain a difference ΔT between the time point T2 and the time point T1 (step S206). Then, the obtained difference ΔT is compared with a predetermined time Toff, and it is determined whether or not the predetermined time Toff is longer than the difference ΔT (step S207).
[0083]
The determination process in step S207 detects whether or not the difference ΔT, which is the continuation time, is longer than a predetermined time Toff when a channel that is not broadcasting is continuously selected. It is a judgment process for doing. That is, the fixed time Toff is a time for determining whether to switch to the power saving mode, and is an arbitrary time determined in advance, such as 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and the like.
[0084]
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between a predetermined time Toff and a time difference ΔT. As shown in FIG. 5, ΔT is the difference between time T2 and time T1, and the channel selection after the broadcast program is not broadcast by the selected channel based on the information of EIT. It is a continuous time. When the time ΔT is equal to or longer than a predetermined time Toff, the power saving mode is turned on as shown in FIG.
[0085]
That is, in the determination process of step S207, if it is determined that the fixed time Toff is longer than the difference ΔT, the control unit 100 determines that it is not necessary to switch to the power saving mode yet, and the process from step S202. repeat. If it is determined in step S205 that the difference ΔT is longer than the predetermined time Toff, the control unit 100 selects a channel that has not broadcasted a broadcast program for the predetermined time Toff or more. The analog block control unit 25 is controlled to enter the power mode, and the mode is changed to the power saving mode (step S208).
[0086]
By the process of step S208, the analog block control unit 25 controls the power supply circuit 26 to stop the supply of power to the analog block, which is the part surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 1, and enters the power saving mode. Here, the power saving mode is a state in which the main power is turned on and waiting for reception of a remote control signal instructing to turn on the driving power from the remote controller 30, and is the same state as the standby mode described above.
[0087]
Therefore, in this embodiment, after entering the power saving mode, the operation input from the user to instruct to turn on the drive power is performed by performing the processing from step S101 of the main routine shown in FIG. Will wait.
[0088]
Thus, in the television receiver of this embodiment, the tuner 2 has a function as a channel selection means, a demultiplexer 4 an extraction means, and the control unit 100 has a function as a monitoring means and a control means. When each channel cooperates and channel selection for which a broadcast program is not broadcast continues for a certain period of time, supply of power to the analog block is stopped and power is consumed wastefully. This can be surely prevented.
[0089]
In the television receiver of this embodiment, if it is determined in step S109 shown in FIG. 2 that there is no satellite broadcast signal including the target channel, and step S112 is determined. In the process, the power saving mode switching process is also executed when the PMT of the target channel cannot be detected and it is determined that the broadcast of the broadcast program by the target channel is suspended.
[0090]
In this case, EIT is not detected, and in the process of step S203 of the power saving mode switching routine shown in FIG. 4, there is no broadcast program currently being broadcasted due to the currently selected channel. To be judged. For this reason, even when a channel that does not exist remains selected and when a channel that is not being broadcast is still selected, if the state continues for a certain period of time or more The power supply to the analog block is stopped and the power saving mode is set.
[0091]
Of course, when it is determined in the determination process of step S109 shown in FIG. 2 that there is no satellite broadcast signal including the target channel, and in the determination process of step S112 shown in FIG. If the PMT cannot be detected and it is determined that broadcasting of the broadcast program by the target channel is paused, it is immediately after the user is instructed to change the channel. It is also possible to wait for an operation input instructing the user to change the channel while the message is still displayed.
[0092]
In this embodiment, when the power saving mode is set, the supply of power to the analog block, which is a circuit block surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. 1, is stopped. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. For example, at least the supply of power to the display 9 may be stopped. Also, the main power supply may be turned off.
[0093]
For example, the fixed time Toff is determined in advance by the manufacturer, and is set in advance in the EEPROM 104 or the like. This fixed time Toff can be set to an arbitrary time such as 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 15 minutes. Further, the user may be able to set or change the fixed time Toff time through the remote controller 30 by the user. In addition, whether the auto shutdown function is used or not can be set by the user through the remote controller 30 or the like.
[0094]
In this embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a television receiver that receives a digital satellite broadcast has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a receiver called STB (Set-Top Box), IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder), etc., a VTR (video tape recorder) having a broadcast signal receiving function, and a DVD having a broadcast signal receiving function The present invention can be applied to various electronic devices having a receiving function such as a machine.
[0095]
As an example of the receiver, an apparatus that does not include the display 9 and the speaker 11 of the television receiver described with reference to FIG. Even in the case of the receiver, when the power saving mode is set, a circuit portion for processing an analog video signal or an analog audio signal, for example, an OSD processing unit, a video signal processing unit, an audio signal amplifier, etc. What is necessary is just to stop supply.
[0096]
That is, when the power saving mode is set, power is supplied only to a minimum necessary circuit portion such as a relatively small digital control unit that manages the standby mode, and power is not supplied to other circuit portions. What should I do? Further, the processing performed in the receiver may be performed similarly to the processing described above with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, and the present invention is applied to both the television receiver and the receiver. The receiving method can be applied. Of course, in the case of the receiver, when the power saving mode is set, supply of all the power may be stopped.
[0097]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a television receiver capable of receiving a digital satellite broadcast has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to analog broadcasting. The present invention can be applied not only to television broadcasting but also to radio broadcasting receivers.
[0098]
In other words, the broadcast signal is broadcast not only when the broadcast program is distributed, but also when the test signal is transmitted at all times, such as when the test signal is transmitted. Information relating to a broadcast program (broadcast program related information) that can be determined whether or not is performed is superimposed or multiplexed.
[0099]
On the receiving side, the broadcast program related information superimposed or multiplexed on the broadcast signal is extracted, and even if a broadcast signal exists based on the extracted broadcast program related information, depending on the broadcast signal, When it is determined accurately whether or not a broadcast program is provided and a channel on which the broadcast program is not broadcast is selected for a predetermined time or more, the mode can be shifted to the power saving mode.
[0100]
When there is only one broadcast program provided by one broadcast signal, such as a conventional television broadcast signal or radio broadcast signal, channel selection is broadcast signal selection.
[0101]
Broadcast signals are not only digital satellite broadcast signals, but are also provided via wired channels such as analog satellite broadcast signals, terrestrial analog broadcast signals, terrestrial digital broadcast signals, or cable television broadcasts. The present invention can be applied to a receiver, a television receiver, or the like.
[0102]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, although a broadcast signal exists, for example, a test signal is broadcast, and even if a broadcast program is not broadcast depending on the broadcast signal, the broadcast signal is broadcast. It is possible to reliably detect that the program is not broadcast. When a channel on which a broadcast program is not broadcast is continued for a predetermined time or longer, the mode can be changed to the power saving mode so that power is not consumed unnecessarily.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a television receiver to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a main routine executed in the television receiver shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart following FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a power saving mode switching routine executed in the television receiver shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between a predetermined time Toff determined in advance and a time difference ΔT.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Satellite broadcasting receiving antenna, 2 ... Digital tuner, 3 ... De-scramble unit, 4 ... De multiplexer, 5 ... Decode unit, 6 ... OSD (On Screen Display) processing unit, 7 ... Video signal processing circuit, 8 DEF (Deflection) processing unit, 9 ... Display, 10 ... Audio signal amplifier, 11 ... Speaker, control unit 100, 101 ... CPU, 102 ... ROM, 103 ... RAM, 104 ... EEPROM, 21 ... Clock circuit, 22 ... remote control interface unit (remote control I / F unit), 23 ... remote control signal light receiving unit, 24 ... interface, 25 ... analog block control unit 25, 26 ... power supply circuit 26

Claims (3)

Transponder search means for searching for a transponder that transmits a digital broadcast signal including the selected channel;
Channel selection means for selecting the digital broadcast signal from the transponder searched by the transponder search means;
In the PAT (Program Association Table) included in the digital broadcast signal selected by the channel selection means, PID search means for searching for the PID of the selected channel;
Information included in the digital broadcast signal selected by the channel selection means and multiplexed on the digital broadcast signal indicating at least the presence or absence of one or more broadcast programs provided by the digital broadcast signal Extraction means to extract EIT (Event Information Table) provided
Monitoring means for monitoring the presence or absence of a broadcast program in the selected channel based on the EIT extracted by the extraction means;
By the transponder search means, whether the transponder is not found, or the by PID search means, in a case where PID of the channel selected is not found, by the monitoring means, predetermined for a predetermined Control means for controlling to shift to a power saving mode when it is detected that the state of selecting the channel that does not provide a broadcast program is continued for a period of time or longer. Receiver. Transponder search means for searching for a transponder that transmits a digital broadcast signal including the selected channel;
Channel selection means for selecting the digital from the transponder searched by the transponder search means;
A display element for displaying a video of a broadcast program provided by a digital broadcast signal selected by the channel selection means;
In the PAT (Program Association Table) included in the digital broadcast signal selected by the channel selection means, PID search means for searching for the PID of the selected channel;
Information included in the digital broadcast signal selected by the channel selection means and multiplexed on the digital broadcast signal indicating at least the presence or absence of one or more broadcast programs provided by the digital broadcast signal Extraction means to extract EIT (Event Information Table) provided
Monitoring means for monitoring the presence or absence of a broadcast program in the selected channel based on the EIT extracted by the extraction means;
By the transponder search means, whether the transponder is not found, or the by PID search means, in a case where PID of the channel selected is not found, by the monitoring means, predetermined for a predetermined Control means for controlling to stop the supply of power to at least the display element when it is detected that the state of selecting the channel that does not provide a broadcast program is continued for a period of time or longer. A television receiver comprising: A transponder search step of searching for a transponder that transmits a digital broadcast signal including the selected channel;
A channel selection step of selecting the digital from the transponder searched in the transponder search step;
In the PAT (Program Association Table) included in the digital broadcast signal selected in the channel selection step, a PID search step for searching for the PID of the selected channel;
Information included in the digital broadcast signal selected in the channel selection step and multiplexed on the digital broadcast signal indicating at least the presence or absence of one or more broadcast programs provided by the digital broadcast signal An extraction step to extract the EIT (Event Information Table) provided,
A monitoring step of monitoring presence or absence of a broadcast program in the selected channel based on the EIT extracted in the extraction step;
In the transponder search step, whether the transponder is not found, or, in the PID search step, in a case where PID of the channel selected is not found in the monitoring step, predetermined for a predetermined A power saving mode transition step for controlling to shift to the power saving mode when it is detected that the state in which the channel not providing the broadcast program is selected continues for a time or more. A method for receiving a digital broadcast signal.

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