JP6175208B1 - Broadcast signal transmission / reception system and broadcast signal transmission / reception method - Google Patents

Abstract

The determination of whether or not audio can be reproduced from an audio component received by a receiver is performed more quickly than in the past. A broadcast signal transmission / reception system includes a transmitter (1) and a receiver (2). The transmitter (1) includes a control information generation unit (18) that generates a plurality of MMTP packets obtained by converting content and an MMTP packet including attribute information regarding the audio component of the content as a digital broadcast signal. The receiver (2) includes a control information acquisition unit (42b) that acquires attribute information from a plurality of MMTP packets included in the digital broadcast signal received from the transmitter (1), and a content from the plurality of MMTP packets. And a control information acquisition unit (42b), based on the attribute information, determines whether the audio component can be reproduced by the receiver (2). The attribute information includes attribute information related to an audio component of a content simultaneous broadcast. The content includes a plurality of audio components having the same content but different attribute information. As a result of the determination, the control information acquisition unit (42b) selects one of the audio components when a plurality of audio components can be reproduced by the receiver (2). [Selection] Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a broadcast signal transmission / reception system and a broadcast signal transmission / reception method including a broadcast signal transmission apparatus that transmits a digital broadcast signal and a broadcast signal reception apparatus that receives the digital broadcast signal.

  In recent years, research and development of video technology, etc. that contributes to a dramatic increase in image quality that surpasses high-definition television broadcasting (HDTV) has progressed rapidly, and ultra-high-definition television broadcasting (UHDTV) that supports 4K / 8K. ) Is expected to be realized. For this reason, the UHDTV standard is being developed. Note that 4K UHDTV has a pixel count of 3840 horizontal x 2160 vertical = 8,294,400, which is four times that of a conventional full HDTV (horizontal 1920 x vertical 1080 = 2,073,600). In addition, 8K UHDTV has the number of pixels of 7680 × 4320 = 33,177,600, which is 16 times that of the full HDTV.

JP 06-132912 A (published May 13, 1994)

  The UHDTV standard is compatible with 22.2 ch stereo sound system. In addition, the UHDTV needs to support various audio formats used in conventional TV broadcasting such as the HDTV. In addition, the broadcasting service and the communication service are linked to each other. For this reason, it is necessary to support various audio formats used in the communication service.

  For this reason, a receiver such as a TV receiver includes a memory that stores in advance a plurality of firmwares respectively corresponding to a plurality of audio formats. When receiving the audio data, the audio decoder first analyzes the header of the audio data and specifies the audio format of the audio data. Next, the audio decoder reads firmware corresponding to the specified audio format from the memory, and rewrites the internal memory of the audio decoder with the firmware. The audio decoder decodes the audio data based on the rewritten firmware.

  Thus, the receiver can support various audio formats. However, in this case, it takes time to decode the audio data. As a result, it takes time from when the receiver receives the audio data to output the audio reproduced from the audio data.

  Also, not all of the above receivers are compatible with 22.2 ch stereophonic sound systems. Furthermore, it is difficult for an audio decoder to support all of the various audio formats used in communication services due to device performance and limitations of built-in memory.

  Therefore, if the audio decoder analyzes the header of the audio data and determines that the audio cannot be reproduced from the audio data, the receiver needs to notify a caution (warning) indicating that fact. However, also in this case, since the audio decoder needs to analyze the header of the audio data, it takes time until the receiver notifies the caution after the audio data is received.

  Further, the data length of the header is usually limited. Therefore, compatible audio formats, the number of audio channels, and the like are also limited. On the other hand, in the audio packet decoder described in Patent Document 1, the audio data and the audio control information are configured in separate packets. By decoding the header information from the packet, a packet having audio control information and a packet having audio data can be identified. Then, the audio control information extracted from the packet having audio control information is stored, and the audio information is restored from the packet having audio data using the stored control information and output.

  Thereby, it is possible to cope with more audio formats, the number of audio channels, and the like. However, the audio packet decoder described in Patent Document 1 cannot solve the above-described problem of taking time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to transmit a broadcast signal that can more quickly determine whether audio can be reproduced from audio data received by a receiver than before. It is to provide a device, a broadcast signal receiving device, and the like.

  A broadcast signal transmission / reception system according to an aspect of the present invention is a broadcast signal transmission / reception system including a broadcast signal transmission device that transmits a digital broadcast signal and a broadcast signal reception device that receives the digital broadcast signal, wherein the broadcast signal The transmission device includes packet generation means for generating, as the digital broadcast signal, a plurality of MMTP packets obtained by converting content and an MMTP packet including attribute information relating to the audio component of the content, and the broadcast signal receiving device , Information acquisition means for acquiring the attribute information from the plurality of MMTP packets included in the digital broadcast signal received from the broadcast signal transmission device, and reconfiguration means for reconstructing the content from the plurality of MMTP packets And the audio component based on the attribute information. Determining means for determining whether or not the broadcast signal receiving apparatus can reproduce the broadcast signal receiving apparatus, wherein the content includes a plurality of audio components having the same contents and different attribute information, and the broadcast signal receiving apparatus Is characterized by further comprising selection means for selecting one of the audio components when the plurality of audio components can be reproduced by the broadcast signal receiving device as a result of the determination by the determination means.

  A broadcast signal transmission / reception method according to another aspect of the present invention is a broadcast signal transmission / reception method executed by a broadcast signal transmission device that transmits a digital broadcast signal and a broadcast signal reception device that receives the digital broadcast signal. The broadcast signal transmitting apparatus executes a packet generation step of generating, as the digital broadcast signal, a plurality of MMTP packets obtained by converting content and an MMTP packet including attribute information related to an audio component of the content, The receiving device obtains the attribute information from the plurality of MMTP packets included in the digital broadcast signal received from the broadcast signal transmitting device, and reconstructs the content from the plurality of MMTP packets. Based on the reconstruction step and the attribute information, Determining whether or not the broadcast signal receiving apparatus can reproduce the component, and the content includes a plurality of audio components having the same content and different attribute information, and receiving the broadcast signal The apparatus further includes a selection step of selecting any one of the audio components when the plurality of audio components can be reproduced by the broadcast signal receiving apparatus as a result of the determination in the determination step. Yes.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that it can be determined more quickly than in the past whether audio can be reproduced from audio data received by a receiver.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the principal part structure of the transmitter and receiver which are contained in the broadcast signal transmission system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows an example of EIT containing audio | voice attribute information transmitted / received by the said broadcast signal transmission system, (b) is other than the descriptor containing the audio | voice attribute information in EIT shown to (a). It is a figure which shows an example. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the audio | voice attribute information stored in said EIT in a table format. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process regarding the audio | voice attribute information performed with the said receiver. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a principal part structure of the broadcast signal transmission system which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process regarding the audio | voice attribute information performed with the receiver contained in the said broadcast signal transmission system. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the principal part structure of the receiver contained in the broadcast signal transmission system which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the principal part structure of the receiver contained in the broadcast signal transmission system which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the display screen in the said receiver. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process regarding the audio | voice attribute information performed with the said receiver. It is a figure which shows an example of the electronic program guide which the said receiver produces | generates with reference to EIT containing audio | voice attribute information.

Embodiment 1
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. First, the configuration of the broadcast signal transmission system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a main configuration of a transmitter (broadcast signal transmitting device) 1 and a receiver (broadcast signal receiving device) 2 included in a broadcast signal transmission system 5.

  The broadcast signal transmission system 5 is a system for transmitting a video signal, an audio signal, etc. (hereinafter abbreviated as “video signal etc.”) from the transmitter 1 to the receiver 2. The broadcast signal transmission system 5 can transmit audio signals in various formats. In the next-generation 4K / 8K broadcasting, it is considered that signals are transmitted by the MMT (MPEG Media Transport) method. Thus, in this embodiment, an example in which a video signal or the like is transmitted using the MMT method will be described, but the method for transmitting a video signal or the like is not limited to this. For example, in the current digital broadcasting, a signal is transmitted by the MPEG-2 (Moving Picture Experts Group phase 2) TS (Transport Stream) method, and a video signal or the like is transmitted by the TS method. The broadcast signal transmission system 5 can also be applied.

  The transmitter 1 transmits content in the form of a video signal or the like. More specifically, the transmitter 1 transmits each packet (MMTP (MMT Protocol) packet) that constitutes content on a broadcast path (broadcast transmission path). One receiver 2 has a function for receiving this content (content distributed via a broadcast route), and also has a function for receiving content distributed via a communication route via a communication network such as the Internet. . And the receiver 2 can reproduce | regenerate combining each content received via these two paths | routes. In the figure, only one receiver 2 is shown, but the transmitter 1 broadcasts content to a plurality of receivers 2.

[Configuration of transmitter]
The transmitter 1 includes an audio encoder 10, a video encoder 11, a multiplexing unit (packet generation means) 12, an encryption unit 13, a transmission unit 14, and a control unit 15, as shown in the figure. The control unit 15 includes an encoding control unit 16, an audio attribute acquisition unit (attribute acquisition unit) 17, and a control information generation unit (packet generation unit) 18.

  The audio encoder 10 encodes (encodes) an audio (sound) stream of content transmitted by the transmitter 1 and outputs the encoded audio (audio) stream to the multiplexing unit 12. Similarly, the video encoder 11 encodes (encodes) a video (video) stream of content transmitted by the transmitter 1 and outputs the encoded video (video) stream to the multiplexing unit 12.

  The multiplexing unit 12 multiplexes the audio stream output from the audio encoder 10, the video stream output from the video encoder 11, and the control information output from the control unit 15, converts it into an MMTP packet, and outputs the MMTP packet to the encryption unit 13. .

  The encryption unit 13 encrypts the MMTP packet output from the multiplexing unit 12 and outputs the encrypted MMTP packet to the transmission unit 14. Then, the transmission unit 14 transmits the encrypted MMTP packet output from the encryption unit 13 to the receiver 2 through the broadcast path in the form of a digital broadcast signal.

  The control unit 15 controls each unit included in the transmitter 1. Specifically, the encoding control unit 16 included in the control unit 15 controls the audio encoder 10 and the video encoder 11 to perform encoding.

  The audio attribute acquisition unit 17 acquires audio attribute information that is attribute information regarding the audio of the content transmitted by the transmitter 1, and outputs the acquired audio attribute information to the control information generation unit 18. Here, “content transmitted by the transmitter 1” includes content that the transmitter 1 plans to transmit, that is, content that is scheduled to be broadcast.

  Examples of the audio attribute information include an audio format, the number of audio channels, the number of subwoofer (SW) channels, the form and channel of simulcast, the sampling frequency, and the number of quantization bits. Among these, the audio format, the number of audio channels, the number of subwoofer (SW) channels, the sampling frequency, and the number of quantization bits can be acquired from the encoding control unit 16. On the other hand, the form and channel of the simulcast can be acquired from an external server (not shown) that provides detailed information of the content (program) transmitted (broadcasted) by the transmitter 1. Details of the audio attribute information will be described later.

  The control information generation unit 18 generates control information for the receiver 2 to reconfigure the content transmitted by the transmitter 1. This control information is called MMT-SI (Service Information) in the MMT, and includes various information related to the content. Here, the information related to the content (package) of the MMT-SI is described. The description will focus on the generation of EIT (Event Information Table). In the next-generation ultra-high-definition television broadcasting, an EIT called MH-EIT (MPEG-H Event Information Table) is used. In this specification, the term “EIT” includes both “EIT of current broadcasting” and “MH-EIT”.

  As described above, in the transmitter 1, the voice attribute acquisition unit 17 executes the process of acquiring the voice attribute information (voice attribute acquisition step). On the other hand, the control information generation unit 18 refers to the conversion from the audio stream and the video stream to the MMTP packet in the multiplexing unit 12 and executes a process of generating control information (EIT) including the audio attribute information. . Accordingly, in the receiver 2 that has received this EIT, the content is subjected to appropriate processing according to the audio attribute information and output as audio, or a caution indicating that the content does not correspond to audio data is notified. It becomes possible to do.

  The encoding control unit 16 acquires the audio attribute information of each content for each content transmitted by the transmitter 1, and the control information generation unit 18 generates an EIT including the audio attribute information. As described above, by generating EIT including different audio attribute information for each content, it is possible to always reproduce the content by an optimum process.

  As described above, since the transmitter 1 is configured to transmit the EIT including the voice attribute information, the transmitter 1 can transmit the voice attribute information without changing the conventional configuration.

[Configuration of receiver]
The receiver 2 includes a tuner 20, a communication I / F 21, a decoding unit 22, a demultiplexing unit (reconstructing unit) 23, an audio decoder 24, a video decoder 25, a display control unit 27, a display 28, and a control as illustrated. Unit 29, audio output control unit 30, speaker 31, and OSD generation unit 34. The control unit 29 includes a decoding control unit 40, a demultiplexing control unit (reconstruction unit) 41, and a control information acquisition unit (control information acquisition unit, determination unit) 42.

  The tuner 20 receives content or the like transmitted as a digital broadcast signal through the broadcast path and outputs it to the decoding unit 22. On the other hand, the communication I / F 21 receives the content transmitted through the communication path and outputs it to the decoding unit 22.

  When the content received via the tuner 20 and the communication I / F 21 is encrypted, the decryption unit 22 decrypts the content and outputs the decrypted content to the demultiplexing unit 23.

  The demultiplexer 23 demultiplexes the data output from the decryptor 22 (encrypted but decrypted). Then, each component (component) of the content obtained by demultiplexing is processed according to the type of the component. Specifically, in the demultiplexer 23, the audio component is output to the audio decoder 24, the video component is output to the video decoder 25, and the control information is output to the control information acquisition unit 42.

  The audio decoder 24 decodes the audio component output from the demultiplexer 23 and outputs audio data. Similarly, the video decoder 25 decodes the video component output from the demultiplexer 23 and outputs video data.

  The display control unit 27 performs control to display the video data on the display 28. The display 28 displays video data according to the control of the display control unit 27. On the other hand, the audio output control unit 30 performs control to output audio data from the speaker 31. The speaker 31 outputs audio data as audio in accordance with the control of the audio output control unit 30. That is, the receiver 2 is a television receiver having a function for receiving broadcast content and a function for reproducing (displaying and outputting audio). The display 28 and the speaker 31 may be external devices attached to the receiver 2.

  The control unit 29 controls each unit included in the receiver 2 according to the received control information. Specifically, the decryption control unit 40 controls the decryption unit 22 to decrypt the content. In addition, the demultiplexing control unit 41 controls the demultiplexing unit 23 to perform demultiplexing of content.

  This point will be described in more detail. First, the demultiplexer 23 selects an MMTP packet including control information (EIT), acquires the control information, and outputs the acquired control information to the control information acquisition unit 42. The control information acquisition unit 42 transfers the acquired control information to the demultiplexing control unit 41. The demultiplexing control unit 41 can specify the MMTP packet including the audio component of the content and the MMTP packet including the video component of the content by referring to the control information from the control information acquisition unit 42. .

  Then, the demultiplexing control unit 41 controls the demultiplexing unit 23 to select the MMTP packet including the audio component, and output the audio component to the audio decoder 24, and at the same time, the MMTP including the video component. A packet is selected and the video component is output to the video decoder 25. As a result, the MMTP packet is demultiplexed into the control information, the audio component of the content, and the video component of the content.

  In the present embodiment, the control information acquisition unit 42 outputs the acquired control information to the OSD generation unit 34. When the acquired control information includes audio attribute information, the control information acquisition unit 42 outputs audio from the audio component of the content. It is determined whether or not the receiver 2 can reproduce. Since this determination can be performed before the audio decoder 24 decodes the audio component, it can be performed more quickly than in the past.

  The OSD generation unit 34 refers to the control information (EIT) output from the control information acquisition unit 42 and generates an OSD image indicating an electronic program guide (EPG). When the control information includes audio attribute information, the electronic program guide generated by the OSD generation unit 34 can further include audio attribute information of each content. The OSD image generated by the OSD generation unit 34 is superimposed on the video data output from the video decoder 25 and supplied to the display control unit 27. Note that the OSD generation unit 34 may be provided in the control unit 29.

  The OSD generation unit 34 may be configured to acquire control information output by the demultiplexing unit 23 performing demultiplexing. In the above case, the OSD generation unit 34 analyzes the control information to generate an OSD image indicating the electronic program guide. When the audio information is included in the control information, the OSD generation unit 34 converts the information into the audio decoder 24. It is good also as a structure so that it may output to. In the above case, the control information acquisition means can be realized with a minimum change without adding a new configuration to the conventional configuration.

[Example of EIT including voice attribute information]
Next, an example of EIT including voice attribute information will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an example of an EIT including audio attribute information. The illustrated EIT includes a descriptor D1 (version_number) indicating the version of the EIT, a descriptor D2 (service_id) indicating the service ID of the EIT, and a descriptor D3 (descriptor including voice attribute information) ())It is included.

  In the descriptor D3, a predetermined tag descriptor_tag indicating that the descriptor (descriptor) is a descriptor related to the audio attribute information, a descriptor_length indicating the length of the descriptor, and a data body of the audio attribute information Data () is described. Note that the value of descriptor_tag only needs to be able to specify that the descriptor D3 contains a description relating to audio attribute information. For example, in ARIB STD-B21 that defines the standard for digital broadcasting, it indicates other descriptors. An unused value of “0xF8” may be used.

  Here, in general, in television broadcasting, video and audio from different sources are continuously transmitted, and there is a possibility that audio from such different sources has different audio attributes. Therefore, in order to deal with such a case, when the source changes, the control information generation unit 18 updates the audio attribute information in the EIT and also updates the EIT version information (the value of the descriptor D1). To do. In the receiver 2, the control information acquisition unit 42 checks the audio attribute information every time the EIT version is updated, and if there is an update, transmits the new audio attribute information to the audio decoder 24. As a result, it is possible to perform appropriate processing according to a change in sound.

  In the example of FIG. 2A, descriptor_length is a value of “Ox20” and is 32 bits. In data (), as the audio attribute information, the number of audio channels (CH1), the number of subwoofer (SW) channels (CH2), the audio format (Format), the audio sampling frequency (Sampl_freq), and the audio quantization The number of bits (Bit_rate), the form of simulcast (Simul) and the channel (Simul_CH), and the audio format of simulcast (Simul_Format) are coded and stored in order. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the audio attribute information stored in the EIT shown in FIG.

  The broadcast signal transmission system 5 of this embodiment corresponds to an ultra-high detail television broadcast system. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3, the audio format (Format) includes PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), MPEG2 (Moving Picture Experts Group phase 2) -AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), MPEG4-AAC, MPEG2-AC3 (Audio Code number 3) etc., and each is assigned to a 4-bit code. Also, in order to support 22.2 ch three-dimensional sound, the number of audio channels (CH1) is in the range of 0 to 24, each being assigned to a 5-bit code, and the number of SW channels (CH2). Are in the range of 0-2, each assigned to a 2-bit code. Further, there are 16, 22.05, 24, 32, 44.1, 48, 96, 192, and the like as audio sampling frequencies (kHz), and each is assigned to a 4-bit code. In addition, there are 8, 10, 16, 24, 32, and the like as quantization bit numbers (bits) of speech, and each is assigned to a 3-bit code.

  By the way, the simulcast means that one broadcast station broadcasts the same program in the same time zone on different channels (frequency bands), different broadcasting systems, or different broadcasting media. In the example of FIG. 3, the forms of simulcast (simul) include terrestrial digital broadcast, BS (Broadcasting Satellite) digital broadcast, CS (Communications Satellite) digital broadcast, the Internet, etc., each assigned to a 4-bit code. ing. The simulcast channel (Simul_CH) includes 1ch to 1000ch, and each is assigned to a 12-bit code. Further, the simulcast audio format (Simul_Format) includes MPEG2-AAC, MPEG4-AAC, MPEG2-AC3, and the like, similar to the audio format (Format), and each is assigned to a 4-bit code. Note that one-segment broadcasting, radio broadcasting, or the like may be used as simultaneous broadcasting.

  Here, in the conventional EIT, an audio component descriptor, which is a descriptor describing information related to an audio component of content, is defined. In the audio component descriptor, for example, component_type indicating the type of the audio component, stream_type indicating the audio stream format (for example, MPEG2 BC (Backward Compatible) Audio, AAC Audio), sampling_rate indicating the audio sampling frequency, audio quality Quality_indicator indicating the mode, simulcast_group_tag for identifying the simulcast group, and the like are included.

  In this embodiment, it should be noted that the audio format of the simulcast is described as the audio attribute information of the audio component of the simulcast of content in the descriptor D3 shown in FIG. Therefore, before playing the reconstructed content, the receiver 2 determines that the sound of the content cannot be played back by itself, refers to the attribute information, and receives the broadcast signal to be received as the content. Can be switched to the simulcast signal. As a result, it is possible to quickly switch to the simulcast.

In the above audio component descriptor, detailed information regarding the audio component is described as text. Therefore, the information indicating the form of simulcast, the channel, and the audio format may be described as text in the audio component descriptor. FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating another example of the descriptor D3 including the audio attribute information in the EIT illustrated in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 2B, “0xC4” indicating a voice component descriptor is described as the value of descriptor_tag in the descriptor D3. In the text_char in the descriptor D3 shown in FIG. 2B, text indicating the form, channel, and audio format of simulcast, for example, “BS digital 2ch
A text such as “PCM” is described. The control information acquisition unit 42 acquires voice attribute information by analyzing the text. Note that if the text described in text_char is described with a predetermined hash tag such as “#”, for example, whether or not the text is text indicating audio attribute information. Such a determination can be facilitated. According to said structure, audio | voice attribute information can be transmitted, without changing the conventional structure significantly.

[Receiver processing for audio attribute information]
Next, the processing of the receiver 2 regarding the audio attribute information will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the control information acquisition unit 42 of the receiver 2 regarding the audio attribute information.

  First, the control information acquisition unit 42 extracts EIT from the control information output by the demultiplexing unit 23, and acquires voice attribute information from the extracted EIT (S1). Specifically, the control information acquisition unit 42 obtains a descriptor (descriptor) whose descriptor_tag value matches the tag value (0xF8 in the example of FIG. 2) assigned in advance to the audio attribute information from the extracted EIT. Extraction is performed, the extracted descriptor is analyzed, and voice attribute information included in the descriptor is acquired.

  Next, the control information acquisition unit 42 extracts an audio format from the acquired audio attribute information, and determines whether or not the extracted audio format can be decoded by the audio decoder 24 of the receiver 2 ( S2). When decoding is possible (YES in S2), the control information acquisition unit 42 transmits the audio attribute information to the audio decoder 24, and decodes the audio data based on the audio attribute information. (S3), and the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the audio format cannot be decoded by the audio decoder 24 (NO in S2), the control information acquisition unit 42 extracts simulcast audio attribute information from the acquired audio attribute information (S4). It is determined whether the audio format of the simulcast can be decoded by the audio decoder 24 of the receiver 2 (S5). If decoding is possible (YES in S5), the control information acquisition unit 42 controls the audio decoder 24 to switch to the simulcast audio format (S6), and the tuner to switch to the simulcast and receive. 20 is controlled (S7). Thereafter, the control information acquisition unit 42 transmits the audio attribute information of the simulcast to the audio decoder 24, instructs the audio decoder 24 to decode the audio data based on the information (S3), and performs the processing. finish.

  On the other hand, when the audio format of the simulcast cannot be decoded by the audio decoder 24 (NO in S5), the control information acquisition unit 42 displays a caution indicating that the audio data is not supported on the display 28. In this way, the display control unit 27 is instructed (S8), and the process is terminated.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, it is determined whether or not the audio format in the audio attribute information can be decoded. However, the audio format such as the number of audio channels, the number of SW channels, the sampling frequency, and the number of quantization bits is determined. Whether other information necessary for reproduction can be decoded may be determined. In this case, step S2 shown in FIG. 4 may be changed to the following processing.

  That is, the control information acquisition unit 42 extracts various information necessary for audio reproduction from the acquired audio attribute information, and all of the extracted information can be decoded by the audio decoder 24 of the receiver 2. Whether or not (S2 ′). If it can be decoded (YES in S2 '), the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it cannot be decoded (NO in S2 '), the process proceeds to step S4.

  If the audio attribute information of simulcast is described in the text_char in the descriptor D3 (see FIG. 2B), in step S4, the control information acquisition unit 42 analyzes the extracted descriptor. Thus, it may be configured to determine whether or not the text indicating the voice attribute information is included in the descriptor and extract the voice attribute information included in the descriptor.

[Modification]
Note that the audio attribute information shown in FIG. 3 may include the number of audio channels in simulcast and the number of subwoofer (SW) channels. In this case, after switching to the simulcast in step S7 of FIG. 4, the audio decoder 24 may be instructed to decode the audio data based on the audio attribute information of the simulcast.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  Incidentally, even audio data that cannot be handled by the receiver 2 may be able to deal with the audio data by an external audio output device connected to the receiver 2. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the receiver 2 determines that the above case is satisfied based on the audio attribute information included in the control information, the audio data is not decoded and the audio data is converted into the audio data as it is. It is transferred to the output device (sound reproduction device) 6. Thereby, even if the sound data cannot be reproduced by the own device, it can be quickly reproduced and output by the external sound output device 6.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a main configuration of the broadcast signal transmission system 5 according to the present embodiment. The broadcast signal transmission system 5 according to the present embodiment is different from the broadcast signal transmission system 5 shown in FIG. 1 in that an audio output device 6 that is communicably connected to the receiver 2 is added. Further, the receiver 2 shown in FIG. 5 has a switching unit (transfer means) 32 and an audio output communication I / F (external attribute acquisition means, transfer means) 33 added to the receiver 2 shown in FIG. The control unit 29 is different from the control information acquisition unit 42 in that a control information acquisition unit (control information acquisition unit, determination unit, external attribute acquisition unit, transfer unit) 42a is provided, Other configurations are the same.

  The audio output device 6 outputs audio based on audio data received from the outside. The audio output device 6 includes functional blocks similar to the audio decoder 24, the audio output control unit 30, the speaker 31, and the audio output communication I / F 33 in the receiver 2.

  The switching unit 32 is provided between the demultiplexing unit 23 and the audio decoder 24, and the output destination of the audio component from the demultiplexing unit 23 is set to one of the audio decoder 24 and the audio output communication I / F 33. Switching is performed based on an instruction from the control unit 29.

  The audio output communication I / F 33 is for performing data communication with the audio output device 6. In the present embodiment, the audio output device 6 and the audio output communication I / F 33 output digital audio signals as they are, such as SPDIF (Sony Philips Digital InterFace) and ARC (Audio Return Channel). The bit stream output can be handled. The communication between the audio output device 6 and the audio output communication I / F 33 may be wired communication or wireless communication.

  The control information acquisition unit 42a has the following functions added to the control information acquisition unit 42 shown in FIG. 1 and other functions are the same. That is, the control information acquisition unit 42a acquires the audio attribute information (the number of audio channels, the number of SW channels, the audio format, etc.) that can be supported by the audio output device 6 via the audio output communication I / F 33. Have

  Further, the control information acquisition unit 42a instructs the switching unit 32 to switch based on the voice attribute information extracted from the control information from the demultiplexing unit 23 and the voice attribute information from the voice output communication I / F 33. It has a function. Specifically, the control information acquisition unit 42a, when the audio data from the demultiplexing unit 23 is not compatible with the audio decoder 24 of its own, but is compatible with the audio output device 6, The switching unit 32 is instructed to switch so that the audio data is output to the audio output communication I / F 33. As a result, the audio data is output to the audio output device 6 as it is via the audio output communication I / F 33. Note that the control information acquisition unit 42 a instructs the switching unit 32 to output the audio data to the audio decoder 24 in cases other than the above case.

  Next, in the present embodiment, the processing of the receiver 2 regarding the audio attribute information will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the control information acquisition unit 42a of the receiver 2 regarding the audio attribute information. The processing shown in FIG. 6 is the same as the processing shown in FIG. 4 except that steps S11 and S12 are added.

  In step S11, if the audio format cannot be decoded by the audio decoder 24 (NO in S2), the control information acquisition unit 42a transmits the audio attribute from the audio output device 6 via the audio output communication I / F 33. With reference to the information, it is determined whether the audio output device 6 can handle the audio format. If the audio format cannot be handled by the audio output device 6 (NO in S11), the process proceeds to step S4.

  On the other hand, when the audio format can be handled by the audio output device 6 (YES in S11), the control information acquisition unit 42a instructs the switching unit 32 to switch, and the audio data from the demultiplexing unit 23 is transmitted. Is transferred to the external audio output device 6 via the audio output communication I / F 33 in the same format (S12), and the process is terminated.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the process in step S2 may be changed to the process in step S2 'as described above. In this case, if decoding is impossible (NO in S2 '), the process may proceed to step S11 instead of step S4.

[Embodiment 3]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the audio is output from either the speaker 31 of the receiver 2 or the audio output device 6 connected to the receiver 2, but the audio is output from both the speaker 31 and the audio output device 6. May be output.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a main configuration of the receiver 2 of the broadcast signal transmission system 5 according to the present embodiment. Compared with the broadcast signal transmission system 5 shown in FIG. 5, the broadcast signal transmission system 5 according to the present embodiment includes two demultiplexing units 23 a and 23 b, and a selector 35 is provided in place of the switching unit 32. Unlike the provided points, the other configurations are the same.

  The illustrated receiver 2 includes two tuners (not shown) and two decoding units (not shown). The receiver 2 receives content transmitted as a digital broadcast signal by one tuner, decodes the content by one decoding unit, and outputs it to the demultiplexing unit 23a. Further, the receiver 2 receives the content of the simulcast of the content received by one tuner by the other tuner, decodes the content by the other decoding unit, and outputs it to the demultiplexing unit 23b. The functions of the demultiplexing units 23a and 23b are the same as those of the demultiplexing unit 23 of the receiver 2 shown in FIG.

  The selector 35 selects either the audio component output from the demultiplexing unit 23a or the audio component output from the demultiplexing unit 23b as an audio component to be output to the audio decoder 24 and the audio output communication I / F 33. In addition, switching is performed based on an instruction from the control unit 29. That is, in this embodiment, the audio component is output to both the audio decoder 24 and the audio output communication I / F 33.

  The control information acquisition unit 42a functions to instruct the selector 35 to switch based on the audio attribute information extracted from the control information from the demultiplexing units 23a and 23b and the audio attribute information from the audio output communication I / F 33. Have

  The specific switching instruction given from the control information acquisition unit 42a to the selector 35 is as follows.

(Case 1)
When the audio data from the demultiplexing unit 23a can be handled by the audio decoder 24 and the audio output device 6, the audio data is output to the audio decoder 24 and the audio output communication I / F 33 to the selector 35. Instruct switching.

(Case 2)
When the audio data from the demultiplexer 23a cannot be handled by the audio decoder 24 and can be handled by the audio output device 6, the audio data from the demultiplexer 23b is sent to the audio decoder 24. The selector 35 is instructed to switch so as to output the audio data from the demultiplexer 23a to the audio output communication I / F 33.

(Case 3)
When the audio data from the demultiplexing unit 23 a can be handled by the audio decoder 24 and cannot be handled by the audio output device 6, the audio data from the demultiplexing unit 23 a is sent to the audio decoder 24. The selector 35 is instructed to switch so as to output the audio data from the demultiplexer 23b to the audio output communication I / F 33.

  Thereby, the receiver 2 can output audio from both the speaker 31 and the audio output device 6.

  In the present embodiment, since the control information includes the audio attribute information of the content simultaneous broadcasting, the audio attribute is used by using the control information from either the demultiplexing unit 23a or the demultiplexing unit 23b. It is good also as a structure which extracts information.

[Embodiment 4]
The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIGS. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  Incidentally, the content may include a plurality of audio components having different audio channel numbers and audio formats. As an example of such an audio component, the number of audio channels is 22.1 ch, the audio format is MPEG2-AC3, the number of audio channels is 5.1 ch, and the audio format is LPCM (Linear PCM ) Is a voice component.

  On the other hand, some receivers 2 can handle a plurality of sets of audio formats and the number of channels. Therefore, in the present embodiment, information on what can be handled by the audio decoder 24 among the plurality of audio components included in the content is displayed on the display 28, and the audio decoder 24 decodes the audio component selected by the user. It is carried out. Thereby, a sound can be reproduced from a sound component desired by the user, and as a result, convenience for the user is improved.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a main configuration of the receiver 2 of the broadcast signal transmission system 5 according to the present embodiment. Compared with the receiver 2 shown in FIG. 1, the receiver 2 of this embodiment replaces the control information acquisition unit 42 in the control unit 29 with a control information acquisition unit (control information acquisition unit, determination unit, selection unit) 42b. The other configurations are the same.

  The control information acquisition unit 42b has the following functions added to the control information acquisition unit 42 shown in FIG. 1, and other functions are the same. That is, the control information acquisition unit 42b determines whether or not the audio decoder 24 can decode a plurality of audio components included in a certain content from the audio attribute information extracted from the control information from the demultiplexing unit 23. Has the function of In addition, the control information acquisition unit 42 instructs the OSD generation unit 34 to generate decode selection image data for displaying the number of audio channels and the audio format related to the audio component determined to be decodable. It has a function.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which the decoding selection image data is displayed on the display 28. In the illustrated display screen, the number of audio channels related to a decodable audio component and a set of audio formats are displayed at the bottom, and various other information such as video of the video component is displayed in the remaining area. When the user selects one of the sets displayed at the bottom, the control information acquisition unit 42b instructs the audio decoder 24 to decode the audio components of the selected set, and only the video of the video component is displayed. Return to the normal display screen.

  Next, in the present embodiment, the processing of the receiver 2 regarding the audio attribute information will be described based on FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the control information acquisition unit 42b of the receiver 2 regarding the audio attribute information. The processing shown in FIG. 10 is the same as the processing shown in FIG. 4 except that steps S21 to S23 are added.

  In step S21, if the audio format can be decoded by the audio decoder 24 (YES in S2), the control information acquisition unit 42b determines whether there are a plurality of audio components that can be decoded. If there is one audio component that can be decoded (NO in S21), the process proceeds to step S3.

  On the other hand, when there are a plurality of audio components that can be decoded (YES in S21), the control information acquisition unit 42b instructs the OSD generation unit 34 to generate the decoding selection image data. The number of audio channels and the audio format of the audio component are displayed for each audio component (S22). Then, the control information acquisition unit 42b instructs the audio decoder 24 to decode the audio component selected by the user among the plurality of audio components based on the audio attribute information (S23), and ends the processing. To do.

  Also in the flowchart shown in FIG. 10, the process of step S2 may be changed to the process of step S2 'as described above. In this case, if decoding is possible (YES in S2 '), the process may proceed to step S21 instead of step S3.

[Modification]
Note that this embodiment relates to a case where there are a plurality of audio components that can be decoded. On the other hand, some audio decoders 24 can down-convert 22.2 ch audio components into, for example, 5.1 ch, 2 ch audio data.

  Therefore, the present embodiment can also be applied when there are audio components that the audio decoder 24 can down-convert. In this case, the control information acquisition unit 42b causes the OSD generation unit 34 to set the number of audio channels (for example, 22.2ch, 5.1ch, 2ch, etc.) that can be selected by the user in the lower part of the display screen shown in FIG. It suffices to instruct the audio decoder 24 to generate image data to be displayed and output audio data of the number of audio channels selected by the user.

  Further, the transmitter 1 of the above embodiment has both a function as a control information generation device that generates control information for reproducing content and a function as a transmission device that transmits a digital broadcast signal. However, a function similar to that of the transmitter 1 can be realized by a combination of a control information generating device and a transmitting device that are independent from each other.

[Electronic program guide in receiver 2]
Next, the electronic program guide in the receiver 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electronic program guide generated by the OSD generation unit 34 of the receiver 2 with reference to an EIT including audio attribute information. As shown in FIG. 11, in the electronic program guide generated by the OSD generation unit 34, cells indicating each content are arranged on a two-dimensional plane extended by an axis indicating the content channel and an axis indicating the time. . As shown in FIG. 11, when an operation for focusing on one of the cells of the electronic program guide is performed, information related to the content corresponding to the cell is displayed in close-up. Examples of the information related to the content include a program name, a broadcast time, a performer, and text indicating the content.

  In the present embodiment, a configuration in which audio attribute information is included in the EIT is adopted. Therefore, in this embodiment, the audio information of each content can be presented in the electronic program guide generated by the OSD generation unit 34. As shown in FIG. 11, as information about each content, in addition to the program name, the broadcast time, the performer, and the text indicating the content of the content, the text indicating the audio attribute information of the content is “22.2ch,. "Is further presented.

  In addition, it is good also as a structure which shows the audio | voice attribute information of each content to a user by changing the color of each cell in an electronic program guide according to the audio | voice attribute information contained in EIT.

[Example of software implementation]
The control blocks (especially the control unit 15 and the control unit 29) of the transmitter 1 and the receiver 2 may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or a CPU (Central It may be realized by software using a Processing Unit.

  In the latter case, the transmitter 1 and the receiver 2 are a CPU that executes instructions of a program that is software that realizes each function, and a ROM (Read that records the above-described program and various data so that the computer (or CPU) can read them. Only Memory) or a storage device (these are referred to as “recording media”), a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program, and the like. And the objective of this invention is achieved when a computer (or CPU) reads the said program from the said recording medium and runs it. As the recording medium, a “non-temporary tangible medium” such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. The program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) that can transmit the program. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Summary]
A broadcast signal transmission apparatus (transmitter 1) according to an aspect 1 of the present invention is a broadcast signal transmission apparatus that transmits a digital broadcast signal, and includes attribute acquisition means (audio attribute acquisition unit) that acquires attribute information related to an audio component of content. 17) and packet generation means (multiplexing unit 12, control information generation unit 18) for generating a digital broadcast signal to which an event information table (EIT) including the attribute information is added. Includes attribute information related to the audio component of the content simulcast.

  According to the above configuration, the event information table (EIT) includes attribute information (audio attribute information) related to the audio component of the content. Thereby, when the receiving device that receives the digital broadcast signal to which the EIT is added reconstructs the content, the audio attribute information of the content is already acquired. Therefore, before the reconstructed content is reproduced, it can be determined whether the audio component of the content can be reproduced by the own device, and as a result, the determination can be performed more quickly than before. In the above configuration, the attribute information includes attribute information related to the audio component of the content simulcast. Therefore, before the reconstructed content is reproduced, the receiving device determines that the sound of the content cannot be reproduced by the own device, refers to the attribute information, and receives the broadcast signal to be received as the content. Can be switched to the simulcast signal. As a result, it is possible to quickly switch to the simulcast.

The broadcast signal receiving device (receiver 2) according to aspect 2 of the present invention is a broadcast signal receiving device that receives a digital broadcast signal, and obtains control information that includes an event information table that includes attribute information related to the audio component of the content. Means (control information acquisition unit 42);
Based on the event information table acquired by the control information acquisition unit, the reconfiguration unit (demultiplexing unit 23) for reconfiguring the content, and the audio component based on the attribute information extracted from the event information table. Determination means (control information acquisition unit 42) for determining whether the sound can be reproduced by the own device, and the attribute information includes attribute information related to the audio component of the content simultaneous broadcasting.

  According to said structure, the event information table (EIT) containing the attribute information regarding the audio | voice component of a content is acquired, and a content is reconfigure | reconstructed based on the acquired EIT. At this time, attribute information (audio attribute information) regarding the audio component of the content included in the EIT has already been acquired. Therefore, before reproducing the reconstructed content, it is possible to determine whether or not the audio can be reproduced from the audio component of the content, and as a result, the determination can be performed more quickly than before. . In the above configuration, the attribute information includes attribute information related to the audio component of the content simulcast. Therefore, before the reconstructed content is reproduced, the receiving device determines that the sound of the content cannot be reproduced by the own device, refers to the attribute information, and receives the broadcast signal to be received as the content. Can be switched to the simulcast signal. As a result, it is possible to quickly switch to the simulcast.

  The broadcast signal receiving device according to aspect 3 of the present invention is the above-described aspect 2, wherein the attribute information of the audio component capable of reproducing audio by the audio reproduction device from the external audio reproduction device that is communicably connected to the own device. External attribute acquisition means (control information acquisition unit 42) for acquiring the audio, and the determination means outputs the audio from the audio component of the content based on the attribute information acquired by the external attribute acquisition means. If it is further determined whether or not it can be played back by the playback device, and if the result of the determination is that playback is possible by the audio playback device, the audio component reconfigured by the reconstructing means is sent to the external audio playback device. You may further provide the transfer means (switching part 32, audio | voice output communication I / F33) to transfer.

  According to the above configuration, before reproducing the reconstructed content, it is determined that the audio can be reproduced from the audio component of the content by an external audio reproduction device, and the audio component of the reconstructed content is It can be transferred to the audio playback device. As a result, even if the audio component cannot be reproduced by the own device, it can be quickly reproduced and output by an external audio reproduction device.

  The broadcast signal receiving apparatus according to aspect 4 of the present invention is the broadcast signal receiving apparatus according to aspect 2 or 3, wherein the content includes a plurality of audio components having the same content and different attribute information, and the result of determination by the determination means When the audio can be reproduced from the plurality of audio components by the own device, the audio apparatus may further include a selection unit (control information acquisition unit 42b) that allows the user to select one of the audio components. According to said structure, an audio | voice can be reproduced | regenerated from the audio | voice component which a user desires, As a result, a user's convenience improves.

  A television receiver according to the fifth aspect of the present invention includes the receiving device according to the second to fourth aspects. Therefore, there exists an effect similar to the broadcast signal receiver of the said aspects 2-4.

  A broadcast signal transmission system (5) according to aspect 6 of the present invention includes the broadcast signal transmission apparatus according to aspect 1 and the broadcast signal reception apparatus according to aspects 2 to 4. Therefore, the same effects as the broadcast signal transmitting apparatus according to aspect 1 and the broadcast signal receiving apparatuses according to aspects 2 to 4 are achieved.

  Note that the attribute information preferably includes information necessary for reproducing sound from the sound component. Examples of the information include the audio format of the audio, the number of channels, the sampling frequency, the number of quantization bits, and the like.

  Further, the attribute information may include information for specifying a simulcast of the content. In this case, before playing the reconstructed content, the receiving device determines that the audio of the content cannot be played back by the device, refers to the attribute information, and receives the broadcast signal to be received. It is possible to switch to a content simultaneous broadcast signal. As a result, it is possible to quickly switch to the simulcast.

  The broadcast signal transmitting apparatus and the broadcast signal receiving apparatus according to each aspect of the present invention may each be realized by a computer. In this case, the computer is provided as each unit included in the broadcast signal transmitting apparatus and the broadcast signal receiving apparatus. A control program that causes the broadcast signal transmitting apparatus and the broadcast signal receiving apparatus to be realized by a computer by operating the apparatus and a computer-readable recording medium that records the control program also fall within the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, a new technical feature can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

  In the present invention, the control information for reconstructing the content includes attribute information related to the audio component of the content, so that the audio component of the content can be read by the own device before the reconstructed content is played back. Since it can be determined whether or not it is reproducible, it can be applied to any broadcast signal transmission system that transmits the control information.

1 Transmitter (broadcast signal transmitter)
2 Receiver (Broadcast signal receiver)
5 Broadcast signal transmission system 6 Audio output device (audio playback device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Audio encoder 11 Video encoder 12 Multiplexer (packet generation means)
13 Encryption unit 14 Transmission unit 15 Control unit 16 Encoding control unit 17 Audio attribute acquisition unit (attribute acquisition means)
18 Control information generator (packet generator)
20 Tuner 22 Decoding unit 23 Demultiplexing unit (reconstruction means)
24 audio decoder 25 video decoder 27 display control unit 28 display 29 control unit 30 audio output control unit 31 speaker 32 switching unit (transfer means)
33 Communication interface for audio output (external attribute acquisition means, transfer means)
40 Decoding control unit 41 Demultiplexing control unit (reconstruction means)
42 Control information acquisition unit (control information acquisition means, determination means)
42a Control information acquisition unit (control information acquisition unit, determination unit, external attribute acquisition unit, transfer unit) 42b Control information acquisition unit (control information acquisition unit, determination unit, selection unit)

Claims (2)

A broadcast signal transmission / reception system including a broadcast signal transmission device that transmits a digital broadcast signal and a broadcast signal reception device that receives the digital broadcast signal,
The broadcast signal transmission device includes:
A plurality of MMTP packets obtained by converting content, and MMTP packets including attribute information related to audio components of the content, the packet generation means for generating as the digital broadcast signal;
The broadcast signal receiving device includes:
Information acquisition means for acquiring the attribute information from the plurality of MMTP packets included in the digital broadcast signal received from the broadcast signal transmission device;
Reconstructing means for reconstructing the content from the plurality of MMTP packets;
Determination means for determining whether the audio component can be reproduced by the broadcast signal receiving device based on the attribute information,
The content includes a plurality of audio components having the same content and different attribute information,
The broadcast signal receiving device includes:
A broadcast signal transmission / reception system further comprising selection means for selecting one of the audio components when the plurality of audio components can be reproduced by the broadcast signal receiving device as a result of the determination by the determination means. . A broadcast signal transmitting / receiving method executed by a broadcast signal transmitting apparatus for transmitting a digital broadcast signal and a broadcast signal receiving apparatus for receiving the digital broadcast signal,
The broadcast signal transmission device includes:
A packet generation step of generating a plurality of MMTP packets obtained by converting content and an MMTP packet including attribute information related to the audio component of the content as the digital broadcast signal;
The broadcast signal receiving device includes:
An information acquisition step of acquiring the attribute information from the plurality of MMTP packets included in the digital broadcast signal received from the broadcast signal transmission device;
A reconfiguration step of reconfiguring the content from the plurality of MMTP packets;
Determining whether the audio component can be played back by the broadcast signal receiving device based on the attribute information; and
The content includes a plurality of audio components having the same content and different attribute information,
The broadcast signal receiving device includes:
As a result of the determination in the determination step, when the plurality of audio components can be reproduced by the broadcast signal receiving device, a selection step for selecting any of the audio components is further executed. Transmission / reception method.

Images