JP6684014B2 - Real-time signal strength measurement and display of digital television signals - Google Patents

Description

(Cross reference to related application)
This application is a co-pending provisional patent application filed June 16, 1999 with application number 60/139467, and a co-pending application filed July 12, 1999 with application number 60/143341. Nonprovisional patent applications based on pending provisional patent applications.

(Background of the Invention)
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to digital television signals, and more particularly to the reception and measurement of off-air digital television signals.

2. 2. Description of Related Art High definition television (HDTV) devices and other digital set top boxes must be able to receive digital signals, eg, terrestrial television signals. Terrestrial digital television signals are typically received by television equipment in addition to digital television signals from other sources. The standard signal strength of a television signal provided by another source, such as a cable broadcast or a satellite broadcast (that is, a DBS: Direct Broadcast Satellite), generally indicates that a television receiver will receive its incoming digital television signal. The signal strength is sufficient for processing and use.

For analog and digital off-air television signals, it is necessary to connect the antenna to the television equipment. If some digital channels are available, the user may have to manually adjust the antenna to get the best possible reception from all available channels. It is known to perform a channel search routine to obtain all individual samples or "snapshots" of the currently available channels for various antenna inputs. This channel search routine stores the channels detected during the search in memory (eg, EEPROM) and deletes any previously stored channels that are currently unavailable. When the device is powered on, the channels in the EEPROM become a channel list. If the user attempts to adjust or move the antenna, the signal strength of some digital signals (channels) may be too low to be tuned (or received). Thus, at power up or when the user performs a channel search, various channels may be deleted. In addition, weak channels are removed in case the user moves to another broadcast area (off-air, cable or satellite).

Some digital television signals are available to the user, but may only be available when the antenna is manually adjusted to achieve the best possible reception for the various channels. To efficiently achieve the best antenna placement, the user needs to know the signal strength of the various digital television channels. Also, if the signal strength of each digital television channel is known using the rotor and control electronics, the best position of the antenna for each digital television channel is determined and stored. Can be used.

2. Description of the Related Art Currently, a dish pointing screen (on-screen display, that is, On-Screen Display: OSD) is used in a digital satellite broadcast (DBS) product. This dish direction screen shows the direction of the dish, but is not performed simultaneously with the display and / or reproduction of the audio / video signal and the display of the signal strength of the off-air digital television channel. According to one aspect of the invention, the currently tuned channel can be displayed in the background and its entry item is highlighted. If no valid channel is displayed, the first channel in the list is highlighted.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method and apparatus for displaying real-time signal strength of an off-air digital television signal. An antenna information program / routine, preferably utilizing a graphical user interface, aggregates (compiles) a list of receive channels for any antenna input and provides real-time signal strength for all or any of the receive digital channels. Adapted to display and play audio and video on any particular channel. Since the audio and video are in progress (ie, active) while the signal strength is being displayed in real time, the user has the minimum signal strength, which gives an acceptable level of audio and video quality, That is, the cutoff threshold can be found. Finding this cutoff threshold is especially useful when digital broadcasts come from different directions and the terrestrial antenna cannot be aimed in both directions.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the user can switch to another antenna input while the antenna information routine is active. By doing this, the channel list can be refreshed to represent the channels available on that new antenna input. All channels obtained by the channel search over a period of time are kept in the antenna information list used in the antenna information routine. Therefore, the antenna information can be a list of every channel that has been added to the channel list by the channel search. For every channel in the channel list, the antenna information routine attempts to have the tuner (or selector) connect to signals at various channel frequencies. If the tuner successfully receives a usable television signal, the channel is kept in the channel list. If the television signal is digital, the strength of the signal is at least measured and possibly displayed.

The value of the antenna information is for checking the signal strength of the digital channel while changing the position of the antenna. The antenna information usually includes only the current antenna, not both antennas at the same time.

According to one aspect of the invention, a user may scroll through a list of channels currently in the channel list. When any specific channel is selected, the tuner plays the audio and video for that channel, while the real-time signal strength is updated on the screen (digital channels only). The list of currently available channels includes both analog and digital channels. This is to provide the user with an integrated channel screen from which the effects of antenna adjustments on both analog and digital channels can be easily seen.
Corresponding reference numbers and reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the individual drawings.

FIG. 3 illustrates a multimedia system configured to receive and utilize digital television signals. FIG. 6 illustrates a program flow chart of a search routine called during a channel search in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a program flow chart of a search routine that adds channels to the channel list and antenna information list as a result of entering individual numbers in accordance with an aspect of the invention. FIG. 6 illustrates a program flow chart of a power-up routine according to an aspect of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates a program flow chart of a search routine called during an antenna information search in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates a program screen that can be displayed on a display device, particularly showing the results of antenna information, according to an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic functional block diagram of a multimedia system 10. The multimedia system 10 is provided with, for example, a TV (or monitor) 12 and a satellite broadcast and / or set top box receiver 14. The satellite and / or set top box receiver 14 communicates with the TV 12 via communication line 16 as is known to those skilled in the art. A satellite broadcast (Direct Broadcast Satellite: DBS) receiver 14 communicates with a dish (parabolic antenna) 18 via a communication line 20, as is known to those skilled in the art. The dish 18 receives digital multimedia signals and / or data signals, for example television signals, music signals and / or internet signals (hereinafter these signals are collectively referred to as "television signals"). These television signals are focused and received by a feed horn / LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) unit 22. The feed horn / LNA unit 22 typically slightly amplifies the received television signal and sends the amplified television signal to the satellite receiver 14 for processing. The satellite broadcast unit 14 is also coupled to a CATV or cable system (not shown) via a cable input line 24. The TV 12 is, for example, coupled to an antenna or antenna 26 via a communication line 28. The antenna 26 is designed to receive off-air broadcast or non-satellite broadcast digital or analog television signals. Therefore, the antenna 26 is generally adapted to be manually or automatically adjustable. The off-air television signal is input to the tuner 30. The tuner 30 discriminates, or tunes, the various channels and receives the data signal, if any, as known to those skilled in the art.

The tuner 30 communicates with a microcontroller unit (μC) 32 and the digital television signal received by the antenna 26 is received and processed by the microcontroller unit 32, as known to those skilled in the art. Microcontroller unit 32, in addition to other known functions, controls and / or executes various software programs / routines and communicates with various components in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Microcontroller unit 32 communicates with additional memory 34 (eg, EEPROM, RAM, ROM) and display 36. The TV 12 may also be provided with left and right speakers 38a and 38b, which are coupled to the microcontroller unit 32 via audio communication lines 40a and 40b, respectively, to provide audio output to the user.

In addition, the microcontroller unit 32 includes the functionality to generate, process, and display OSD information / data on the display 36. This OSD information / data may be part of the received television signal or may be internally generated. Such OSD information includes, for example, channel number, time, signal strength, on-screen electronic program guide (EPG), internet data, pop-up window (pop-up window), on-screen electronic programming, etc. Menus etc. are included. The microcontroller unit 32 also executes various software known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and further, as disclosed herein, for processing and / or utilizing incoming digital signals.

The microcontroller unit 32, by itself or with the tuner 30 and the memory 34, forms a module in which the invention can be implemented. This module may be a completely independent module (individual module) or may be a module incorporating an existing configuration of various components (virtual module). In this manner, the module can be incorporated into the TV 12, satellite / set top receiver 14, or any other digital component capable of receiving and / or utilizing digital television signals.

FIG. 6 shows the display 36 displaying the program screen 44. Program screen 44 is an exemplary screen representing a typical programming / menu / information (“program”) screen in which the present invention may be incorporated. The program screen 44 includes a plurality of menu items / programs / functions 50 which the user can select and which the unit can execute. According to one aspect of the invention, one such menu item 50 is "antenna information" 52.

The "antenna information" 52 is a menu selection item for calling the program, function, or routine of the "antenna information" from the main screen or the auxiliary screen or via the individual button of the remote control [remote control]. When "antenna information" is selected by either the button or the menu selection, context sensitive text help (Context Sensitive Textual Help) may be displayed on a part of the program screen 44 to assist the user. .

By processing the "antenna information", the real-time signal strength of the received digital signal (for example, terrestrial television signal or satellite television signal) can be obtained, and the digital television channel where the user satisfies the minimum signal strength threshold. It may be helpful to adjust the ground antenna (eg, antenna 26 of FIG. 1) to receive the maximum number of received signals. Thus, in practice, adding both analog and digital channels to the current tunable one of a television receiver or set top box and building a channel list representing that current tunable , Channel search function / routine. The search performed by the "antenna information" may be called from another program screen separately from the function of the channel search. When a signal scan or channel scan is performed by a channel search routine, only analog and digital channels with signal strength above a certain threshold criterion are stored in memory (eg, EEPROM). Added to the list. Thus, the channel list is a stored list of currently available analog and digital television channels that are displayed by the user during channel scanning / surfing.

この表は、チャンネル・サーチ中に、チャンネル・リストと、このチャンネル・リストとは別に記憶され、且つ、異なる目的で利用されるアンテナ情報リストとに何が起きるかを示している。図２には、チャンネル・サーチのルーチン用のプログラム・フローチャート７０が示されている。チャンネル・サーチは、選択されると、ステップ７２でスタートし、選定された周波数から始まる次の周波数がステップ７４でスキャンされる。もし、次の周波数が存在しなければ、ステップ７６でルーチンは終了する。次の周波数が見つかると、ステップ７８でその周波数／チャンネルに使用可能な信号が在るか否かが判定される。使用可能か否かの決定は、閾値信号強度を、処理しようとする入来信号、他の１つのパラメータ、或いは、１組のパラメータに対して適用することによって行うことができる。閾値信号強度の要件を満たさない各入来周波数／チャンネルについて、ステップ７５でそのチャンネルがチャンネル・リストから削除され、ステップ７４で次の周波数が決定される。使用可能なチャンネルの非受信状態が続くと、ループが形成されるが、このループは、次の周波数が無くなるまで続く。各入来周波数／チャンネルが閾値信号強度の要件を満たす場合、ステップ８０でそのチャンネルがチャンネル・リストとアンテナ情報リストとに加えられる。この処理は、ステップ７４の判定により次の周波数が無くなるまで繰り返される。 The operations performed by the channel search can be summarized as the following table.

This table shows what happens during the channel search to the channel list and the antenna information list stored separately from this channel list and used for different purposes. A program flow chart 70 for the channel search routine is shown in FIG. Once selected, the channel search starts at step 72 and the next frequency starting at the selected frequency is scanned at step 74. If there is no next frequency, the routine ends at step 76. When the next frequency is found, step 78 determines if there is a signal available for that frequency / channel. The determination of availability can be made by applying the threshold signal strength to the incoming signal to be processed, another parameter, or a set of parameters. For each incoming frequency / channel that does not meet the threshold signal strength requirement, that channel is removed from the channel list at step 75 and the next frequency is determined at step 74. A loop will be formed if no available channels continue to be received, and this loop will continue until the next frequency is exhausted. If each incoming frequency / channel meets the threshold signal strength requirements, then that channel is added to the channel list and the antenna information list in step 80. This process is repeated until the next frequency disappears as determined in step 74.

FIG. 3 shows a program flow chart 82 for automatically adding channels to the channel list. The program begins when the user enters an individual number for a particular channel (step 84), typically from a remote control keypad (not shown). When the channel number is received, it is determined whether there is a usable signal on that frequency / channel (step 86). If no enable signal is present, the program ends (step 88). If there is an available signal, the channel is added to the channel list and antenna information list (step 90).

FIG. 4 shows a program flow chart 92 for adding a channel to the antenna information list, generally unknown to the user. When the unit is powered up (step 94), the next channel in the EEPROM is scanned to determine if there is an available signal (step 96). If there is no signal available, the program ends (step 98). If a usable signal exists (is available), it is added to the antenna information list (step 100). The program then determines if another channel is available for viewing. Thus, the channels available by these routines are added to the channel list and antenna information list.

この表は、アンテナ情報サーチ中に、受信信号の強度が十分な場合（受信信号が使用可能な場合）と不十分な場合（強度が低い、或いは、ゼロの場合）に何が起こるかを表している。 The operations performed by the antenna information search can be summarized as in the following table.

This table shows what happens during antenna information search when the received signal strength is sufficient (when the received signal is available) and insufficient (when the strength is low or zero). ing.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the antenna information search routine 104. When the antenna information search starts (step 106), the next frequency / channel in the antenna information list is scanned to see if there is a signal (step 108). If there are no more frequencies / channels and / or the end of the predefined list, then the program ends (step 110). If a usable signal is present on that channel, it is determined whether it is an analog signal or a digital signal (step 112). The analog signal is added (filled) to the channel list (step 114). The unit is then ready to scan the next frequency (step 108). If the signal is digital, its signal strength is measured in real time and updated in the antenna information list and the channel is added to the channel list (step 116). The unit is then ready to scan the next frequency (step 108).

At the same time as various antenna information screens prompting the user to be displayed, the channel data grid 54 displays information about each channel which has been received or has been received from all terrestrial antennas. Display 64 channels per channel. That is, the channel number (column 58), station name (if possible NBC, column 60 for example), whether the channel is digital or analog (column 58), which antenna is capturing the channel (column 60), And, for digital channels only, their current signal strength (column 62) is displayed. Other types of information can be displayed for various channels. The channel data grid 54 includes a screen name 56 (antenna information), and several lines are displayed at once, and here, five lines 64a to 64e are displayed. Arrows 67 and 68 indicate that there are more channels available for viewing by scrolling the grid up and down.

The antenna information screen shows that it was previously measured in the past antenna information measurement process, but is insufficient to exceed the "signal strength threshold criterion / level" for being added to the channel list from the channel search. The channel that is the intensity is retained. The reason this is desirable is that the user may not know what local channels are available, but once he / she knows which channels are available he / she will, at his discretion, decide to This is because the antenna adjustments can be attempted so that the channel has sufficient strength to be added to the channel search list.

When the measurement of the signal strength is completed, the antenna information result screen in the program screen 44 is displayed on the display 36. The user moves the grid part defined by the channel numbers and their various attributes or characteristics (each row 64 and columns 58, 60, 62) up and down the looping / wrap-around list. You can scroll by scrolling to find out which channels are available using your current antenna position. For example, a digital channel marked with a "-" instead of a number may indicate that the signal strength is insufficient for viewing the channel or for adding it to the channel list from the channel search. It is shown (see 64d). All analog channels have "N / A" displayed as their strength, indicating that no signal strength measurements are available for those channels (see 64c). Channels currently unavailable through the channel search can be made to appear in the list from previous signal strength measurements, or in the list from information obtained from the guide or in other ways described in this article. You can also do so.

When the user selects the "antenna information" function, the signal strength for that channel is measured and / or updated. As the user scrolls through the various channels, the tuner attempts to connect to the highlighted / highlighted channel. When that channel is detected, signal strength measurements are performed and / or updated. Channels are never automatically truncated due to insufficient signal strength. This helps the user to know which channels are available and try to adjust the antenna so that some channels have sufficient signal strength to be added to the channel list.

The list can be sorted such that the lowest channel number is at the top and the highest channel number is at the bottom. For channels where the analog and digital channels share the same virtual channel number, the analog and digital channels appear next to each other in the list.

The user can update the information for that channel by simply moving the highlight to each channel in the antenna information screen (see 64b). In addition, the video screen behind the antenna information display area shows the current channel, including audio, to assist the user in making antenna adjustments. To switch between antenna and antenna input, the user either presses the "antenna" button on the remote control or selects "antenna" from a menu selection. Each time a full antenna information search is performed, the signal strength for all digital channels is measured. Each highlighted channel in the grid has its signal strength updated in real time as the audio and video for that channel is played behind the program screen 44 on the display 36. In an alternative embodiment, the signal strength of each available channel is not automatically displayed. That is, the signal strength is displayed when the channel is selected.

When the signal strength measurement process is complete, a dialog box appears on the display 36. At this time, the dialog box is typically superimposed or appears in the current screen. When the user selects "Continue", the highlighting in the antenna information screen moves to the first channel row (64a) in the channel data grid 54. If the user aborts the signal measurement process, a dialog box is displayed and the displayed intensities in the channel data grid 54 have been determined by the time the measurement process was aborted. To inform the user.

When a channel in the list is highlighted (64b), the information about that channel is continuously updated. This is particularly useful when a digital channel sending a "Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP)" (ATSC Document A / 65) guide changes its channel lineup. This is the case when including an analog channel having the same major channel number as the digital channel. In this case, the antenna information list is expanded to include this new analog channel as a separate entry (row 64) in the channel data grid 54. This new analog channel will have the same channel number as the digital channel, but is marked in column 58 as an analog channel rather than as a digital channel. This updating and expanding of the list is done entirely automatically and in real time.

Adjusting the terrestrial antenna for the best signal strength for a given set of digital channels requires several antenna information searches for each terrestrial antenna receiving the digital television signal. There is a high possibility that The signal strength for various digital television channels needs to be monitored in relation to the orientation of the antenna while adjusting the position of the antenna. The optimum antenna position can be found by performing the antenna information search many times. After locating the antenna in that way, a channel search must be performed to add the channel to the channel list.

The above principle is illustrated with an example. A new terrestrial antenna (antenna 26 of FIG. 1) adapted for receiving off-air digital television signals is coupled to the receiving unit (TV 12 of FIG. 1). After power-up, the initial state of both the channel list and the antenna information list is empty. The channel search is carried out by the user during the initial setup of the unit, because some new channels have been added since the previous channel search. The first channel search finds two channels with signals above a given threshold level for minimal reception, namely channels "10" and "20". At this point, the channel list contains channels "10" and "20" and the antenna information list also contains channels "10" and "20". The user then adjusts the antenna 26 and performs another channel search. This search detects two additional channels with signals above a given threshold level for minimal reception, namely channels "30" and "40", but with the antenna pointing in a new direction. Therefore, the previous channels “10” and “20” are not detected. At this point, the channel list contains channels "30" and "40", and the antenna information list contains channels "10", "20", "30" and "40". Since the user knows that there are 4 available channels, the antenna information search is performed every time the position of the antenna is changed slightly in an attempt to determine the optimum position of the antenna. Channel "10" is checked according to the program flow chart of FIG. Now, suppose that the signal intensity of channel “10” is higher than a predetermined threshold value. Therefore, channel "10" is added to the channel list, and the contents of the channel list are channels "10", "30" and "40", while the antenna information list remains unchanged. Once again, antenna adjustment and antenna information search are performed. If the signal strength of the channel “20” is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the channel “20” is added to the channel list, and the contents of the channel list and the antenna information list are both included in the channel “20”. 10 "," 20 "," 30 "and" 40 ".

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments, the present invention can be further modified within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, this application is intended to cover any variations and uses of the adaptations of the invention using the principles of the invention. Moreover, this application is intended to cover techniques that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art or that depart from the present disclosure within the scope of conventional techniques.

The claims of WO00 / 078039 are as follows.
Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A video processing device for receiving a television signal and generating an output signal suitable for being supplied to a display device to generate a displayable image,
Means for selecting one television signal from a plurality of received television signals;
Control means for controlling the video processing device;
Means for measuring the signal strength of the selected television signal,
By the control by the control means,
A first operating mode included in the output signal such that the selected television signal is displayed in the display image;
The signal strength operates in any one of a second operation mode displayed on the display device simultaneously with the selected television signal,
Video processor.
[Claim 2] The means for measuring the signal strength includes means for updating the signal strength of the selected television signal, and the second operation mode includes indicating an update of the signal strength. A video processing device according to claim 1.
[Claim 3] The means for updating the signal strength includes means for determining whether the television signal is digital or analog. In the second operation mode, the television signal is digital or analog. The video processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for displaying which of the two.
[Claim 4] A video processing device,
Means for receiving a plurality of television signals having audio and video information components;
Means for displaying one selected video information component of the television signal on a display device coupled to the video processing device;
Means for determining the signal strength of each one of the plurality of television signals;
Means for selectively displaying the signal strength of the selected television signal while the audio and video of the selected channel are active.
5. The means for selectively displaying signal strength selectively displays signal strengths of a plurality of television signals in a grid format while audio and video of the selected television signals are active. The video processing device of claim 4, including means for performing.
6. The video processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for selectively displaying the signal strength includes means for selectively displaying whether the television signal is digital or analog.
7. The video processing device according to claim 5, further comprising means for updating the signal strength of the selected television signal in real time.
8. A video processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for storing a channel number corresponding to a television signal in a memory when the signal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold level.
[Claim 9]
a) selecting the initial position of the antenna,
b) displaying the signal strength of each received digital signal,
c) selecting a final receiving position of the antenna based on the measured signal strength of at least one channel.
A method of locating an antenna that receives a digital television signal.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of selecting the initial position of the antenna and displaying the signal strength are repeated until the signal strength of each received digital signal is optimized.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the digital signals are simultaneously viewable while the signal strength for the selected channel is displayed in real time.

Claims (3)

Video processor:
Means for receiving a plurality of signals that are digital signals having an audio information component and a video information component and selecting a signal from the plurality of received signals;
Means for displaying the video information component of the selected signal on a display device coupled to the video processing device;
Means for determining the signal strength of each of the plurality of received signals;
Means for displaying real-time signal strength of the plurality of received signals while displaying the video information component of the selected signal by the means for displaying the video information component;
A video processing device having. The video processing device of claim 1, wherein the displayed real-time signal strength is displayed in a grid format. The video processing device of claim 1, further comprising means for storing in memory a channel number corresponding to the received signal when the signal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

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