JPH10224705A - Channel selection device and method for setting its guide channel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a device to set a guide channel to only a broadcast channel whose reception is best in the case that the same broadcast station is preset to different channels. SOLUTION: In the case of presetting a channel, an output signal level by a channel selected by a tuner circuit 2 is stored in a 5th memory 18. A microprocessor 3 uses the reception levels by selected channels stored in the 5th memory 18, broadcast channel information by districts stored in advance in a 3rd memory 8', and guide channel information by districts having been stored in advance in a 4th memory 17 to discriminate that the same television broadcast program broadcast in the same district is receptible through a plurality of broadcast channels, then the microprocessor 3 presets a broadcast station program with the channel whose output level is higher based on the tuner circuit 2 and sets the guide channel to the preset channel.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a television signal channel selecting device and a guide channel setting method, and more particularly to an automatic channel presetting method, and the result of the automatic channel presetting is provided in advance for each region. The present invention relates to a technology for automatically presetting a G-code guide channel in the light of the above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A video cassette recorder (hereinafter, a video cassette recorder is referred to as a VCR) for performing scheduled recording of a television program using a G code has already been commercialized and spread. FIG. 3 shows an example of such a VCR.

In the VCR shown in FIG. 3, a user operates a remote commander 9 or a key input unit 10 of a VCR main body while watching a TV program section of a newspaper or a TV program guide magazine, etc. When the G code is input, the microprocessor 3 in the VCR body decodes the G code. Then, the start time and end time of the program, which are the recording reservation information, and the channel selected by the tuner circuit 2 corresponding to the guide channel of the G code are set in the reservation memory 14. When the current time information generated by the clock 15 reaches the date and time set in the reservation memory 14, the microprocessor 3
The tuner circuit 2 sends a tuner control signal to the tuner circuit 2 so as to receive the selected channel, and sends a control signal for setting the video recording circuit 4 to the recording mode to the video recording circuit 4. When the tuner circuit 2 successfully receives the television signal according to the tuner control signal, the tuner circuit 2 sends an AFT (Automatic Fr) to the microprocessor 3.
and transmitting a data signal such as an E.T.

In order to convert a G code guide channel (hereinafter simply referred to as a guide channel) into a channel selected by the tuner circuit 2 at the time of the above-mentioned recording reservation, the tuner circuit 2 stored in the first memory 6 Reference is made to a data table indicating the correspondence between the selected channel and the guide channel. This data table is created at the time of automatic channel preset of the tuner circuit 2. The automatic channel preset automatically scans the reception frequency of the tuner circuit 2 from, for example, a lower frequency to a higher frequency, and registers a selected channel on which a television broadcast can be received as a preset channel. VC of FIG.
R has a data table indicating the correspondence between the broadcast station name and the guide channel in the second memory 7 in advance,
A data table indicating the correspondence between the selected channel and the broadcasting station for each region is stored in the third memory 8 in advance. Then, at the time of automatic channel presetting, the correspondence between each channel selected by the tuner circuit 2 and the guide channel is automatically determined for each region from the selected channel from which the television signal has been received and the data table. Can be.

[0005]

However, according to the above-described method of automatically setting a guide channel, the same broadcasting station is broadcasted by the same broadcasting station as in the case where one program is broadcast by the main station and a relay station that relays the program. In an area where television broadcasts can be received on a plurality of channels, a data table indicating the correspondence between the selected channel having the best reception condition and its guide channel is not always created in the first memory 6.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the level of the received signal of the relay station is higher than the level of the received signal of the main station, the first memory 6 stores the selected channel of the relay station and the channel of the broadcast station. It suffices to store the correspondence with the guide channel, but this cannot be realized. The guide channel of a broadcasting station is assigned to each broadcasting station by Gemstar, the developer of the G code, but the assignment is only to the main station. Therefore, if both the main station and the relay station can receive at the time of automatic channel presetting, even if the level of the received signal of the relay station is higher than the level of the received signal of the main station, the correspondence between the broadcast station code of the main station and its guide channel Is written to the first memory 6.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and sets a guide channel for a channel having the best reception condition when different channels are preset in the same broadcasting station. It is intended to provide a means for doing so.

[0008]

A channel selecting apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first means for selecting a television signal and a level of an output signal of the first means for each of the first means for selecting a channel. A second means for storing, a third means for storing broadcast channel information for each area in advance, a fourth means for storing guide channel information for each area in advance, and a second to a fourth means. If the same television broadcast can be received on a plurality of selected channels within the same area by using the storage contents of the means, the broadcast station of the selected channel having the higher output level of the first means is preset. And a fifth means for setting a guide channel.

A guide channel setting method for a channel selection device according to the present invention includes a first step of storing the level of a received signal for each channel selection, and a method for receiving the same television broadcast on a plurality of channel selection channels. Presets the broadcast station of the selected channel with the higher received signal level,
And a second step of setting a guide channel.

According to the present invention, at the time of channel presetting, the output signal level of each channel selected by the first means is stored in the second means. The fifth means stores the reception level for each selected channel stored in the second means, the broadcast channel information for each area stored in the third means in advance, and the storage means in the fourth means in advance. If it is determined that the same television broadcast can be received on a plurality of selected channels in the same area using the area-specific guide channel information, the first means having the higher output level of the first means is selected. Preset the broadcast station of the station channel and set the guide channel.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a VCR to which the present invention is applied. Here, the same portions as those in the block diagram of FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG.

The VCR shown in FIG. 1 includes a tuner circuit 2 for selecting a desired channel from a television broadcast wave received by an antenna 1, a microprocessor 3 for controlling the whole VCR, and a tuner circuit 2. The tuner circuit 2 includes a video recording circuit 4 for recording the broadcasted video signal, and a reception level detection circuit 16 for detecting a level in the video signal selected by the tuner circuit 2.

The VCR shown in FIG. 1 has a first memory 6 for storing a data table indicating a correspondence between a selected channel of the tuner circuit 2 and a guide channel, and a correspondence between a broadcast station name and a guide channel. , A correspondence table between the selected channel for each region and the broadcasting station, and a correspondence relation between the main station name and the relay station name (or the main station frequency and the relay station frequency). A data table indicating the relationship between
8 ', a fourth memory 17 in which an area-specific guide channel information table is stored in advance, and a reception result storage memory 18 for storing a reception level of each selected channel at the time of automatic channel presetting. . Here, the first memory 6 is constituted by an EEPROM, and the second memory 7, the third memory 8 ', and the fourth memory 17 are constituted by a ROM (including a rewritable type such as an EEPROM). And the reception result storage memory 18
Is constituted by a RAM. Further, the second to fourth memories 7, 8 ', 17 may be formed in different areas in one storage device.

Further, the VCR shown in FIG. 1 has a remote commander 9 for outputting an infrared signal in response to a user's input operation, a key input section 10, and an infrared light receiving section for receiving a transmission signal of the remote commander 9. A circuit 11, an on-screen display circuit 12, a monitor television 13 for displaying an output of the on-screen display circuit 12, a video signal selected by the tuner circuit 2, or a reproduction signal of the video recording circuit 4, and recording reservation information , And a clock 15.

In FIG. 1, a radio wave of a television broadcast received by an antenna 1 is sent to a tuner circuit 2. A tuner control voltage such as a tuning voltage is supplied from the microprocessor 3 to the tuner circuit 2, and a desired channel is selected. On the other hand, a data signal such as an AFT signal is sent from the tuner circuit 2 to the microprocessor 3.

The video signal of the channel selected by the tuner circuit 2 is sent to a video recording circuit 4, where recording is performed when the recording mode is set under the control of the microprocessor 3.

The video signal of the channel selected by the tuner circuit 2 is also sent to a reception level detection circuit 16, and the level of the reception signal selected by the tuner circuit 2 is detected during automatic channel preset.

Since the operation of the VCR shown in FIG. 1 at the time of recording reservation is the same as that of the VCR shown in FIG. 3, its operation will be omitted to avoid duplication, and the automatic channel will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The processing at the time of preset will be described.

First, when the user operates the remote commander 9 or the key input unit 10 to start the tuner preset operation set in the menu or the like of the VCR body, the microprocessor 3 starts the receiving operation (step S1). .

When the reception operation is started, the microprocessor 3 scans the reception frequency of the tuner circuit 2 from, for example, a lower frequency to a higher frequency, and stores the reception level of each selected channel in the fifth memory 18 ( Step S2). At this time, the reception level is, for example, n stages (n is an integer of 2 or more).
Is divided into levels. When storing the reception level, a label for identifying which channel is the reception level of the selected channel is added.

This process is repeated until the reception level of the last selected channel (for example, the channel with the highest frequency) is stored (step S).
3).

When the reception levels for all the selected channels have been stored, the microprocessor 3 stores it in the regional broadcast channel storage table stored in the third memory 8 'and the fourth memory 17. The area-specific guide channel storage table is read and compared with the reception result stored in the fifth memory 18 (step S4). Then, based on the comparison result, the area is specified and the guide channel of the broadcasting station is set accordingly.

Here, the correspondence relationship between the station selected for each region and the broadcasting station, and the correspondence between the head office name and the relay station name (or the head office frequency and the relay station frequency) are stored in the area-specific broadcasting channel storage table 8 '. And the corresponding relationship) is written. In the guide channel storage table for each area, guide channels assigned to broadcast stations (only the main station) in each area are written.

The microprocessor 3 first reads out all the reception levels for each selected channel from the fifth memory 18 and reads the correspondence between the selected channel and the broadcast station for each area from the broadcast channel storage table for each area. Fifth
By detecting a pattern that matches the correspondence between the selected channel read from the memory 18 and the broadcast station,
Identify the region. Next, it is checked whether or not there is a broadcast station that performs the same broadcast as the broadcast station of the selected channel (that is, the relation between the main station and the relay station).

If there is no broadcasting station performing the same broadcast, a guide channel is set for the selected channel. This guide channel is a guide channel assigned to the broadcasting station of the selected channel.

On the other hand, if there is a broadcast station that performs the same broadcast as the broadcast station of the above-mentioned selected channel, the reception levels of a plurality of broadcast stations (main station and relay station) that perform the same broadcast are compared, and the reception levels are compared. The higher-level broadcasting station is identified as a broadcasting station in the area. Then, a guide channel is set for the specified broadcast station. This guide channel is a guide channel assigned to the head office.

After the result of specifying the local broadcasting station and setting the guide channel is stored in the first memory 6 (step S6), the automatic setting process is terminated.

In steps S3 and S4, the fifth
The reception result data stored in the memory 18 and the regional broadcasting station channel table are compared in ascending order of reception level (eg, from level 1 to level n).
You may be comprised so that the process which specifies the local broadcasting station for every reception level may be performed.

Although the above description has been given of the case where the present invention is applied to a VCR, the present invention is applicable to a television receiver, an audio device, a personal computer, and the like equipped with a G code.

[0030]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, even when the same broadcasting station is preset with different channels depending on the area, the reception state that should be originally received in that area is the best. Stations are preset.

Further, according to the present invention, since the guide channel can be set according to the reception situation at the time of tuner presetting, the guide channel can be automatically set with the best reception situation.

Further, the setting can be performed without the user being conscious of the true meaning of the guide channel at all.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a VCR to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process of a microprocessor when an automatic channel preset of the VCR shown in FIG. 1 is performed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a VCR that performs scheduled recording of a television program using a G code.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an area where television broadcasting of the same broadcasting station can be received on a plurality of channels.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... Tuner circuit, 3 ... Microprocessor, 6 ... First
, 7 ... second memory, 8 '... third memory, 1
7 ... fourth memory, 18 ... fifth memory.

Claims (2)

[Claims] A first means for selecting a television signal; a second means for storing a level of an output signal of the first means for each tuning position of the first means; The third in which broadcast channel information is stored in advance
A fourth means in which guide channel information for each area is stored in advance; and a plurality of stations selecting the same television broadcast in the same area using the storage contents of the second to fourth means. And a fifth means for presetting a broadcast station of a selected channel having a higher output level of the first means and setting a guide channel when reception is possible on a channel. Tuning device. 2. A method for setting a guide channel of a channel selection device for selecting a television signal, comprising: a first step of storing a level of a received signal for each channel selected; A second step of presetting a broadcast station of a selected channel having a higher received signal level and setting a guide channel when reception is possible on a channel. Guide channel setting method.