JPH11177956A - Digital broadcast receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To select only the free channels by referring to a free channel data base. SOLUTION: The PSI(program specific information) are assigned to some of transport packets to be broadcast, and each PSI includes an SDT(service description information table). The scramble information on every broadcast channel is written into each SDT. A CPU 28 refers to the SDTs to detect the free channels and produces a free channel data base 32b where the service IDs of free channels are registered. The PSI also includes the EIT(event information table) which includes the current and next program information on all broadcast channels. The CPU 28 extracts the scramble information from the current and next program information on the charged channels and retrieves the free programs which are partly included in the charged channel parts. Then the CPU 28 additionally records the service IDs of and the time information on the free programs to the data base 32b.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiver, and more particularly, to a digital broadcast receiver for receiving a digital broadcast broadcast from, for example, a communication satellite (CS).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In digital broadcasting, data of several hundred channels is broadcast, and a pay channel and a free channel are mixed in the broadcast channels. Also, free programs may be partially included in pay channels. The broadcast data of the pay channel (pay program) is scrambled, and the viewer cannot view the data unless he / she purchases the channel (program).

In a conventional digital broadcast receiver, despite the fact that pay channels and free channels are mixed, if an operator operates a channel up / down key, channel selection is performed one by one. Had been switched.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Every time the down key is operated, a free channel is selected or a pay channel is selected, and the operation is troublesome for an operator who wants to select only the free channel. Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a digital broadcast receiver capable of selecting only a free channel.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a first detecting means for detecting first scramble information of all channels from first broadcast data, a channel for detecting a non-scrambled channel from all channels based on the first scramble information. A digital broadcast receiver comprising: a detecting unit; and a creating unit that creates a channel table in which channel information of non-scrambled channels is recorded.

[0006]

The PSI (Program Specific Information) is assigned to a part of the transport packet to be broadcast, and the PSI is provided with an SDT (Service Description infor
mation Table). Then, scramble information of each broadcast channel is written in the SDT.
The CPU detects the free channel (non-scrambled channel) with reference to the SDT, and creates a free channel database that records the service ID (channel information) of the free channel.

[0007] PSI also includes EIT (Event Informati
on Table), and the EIT includes current program information and next program information of all broadcast channels. Therefore, the CPU extracts the scramble information from the current program information and the next program information of the pay channel (scramble channel) and searches for a free program. Then, the service ID and the time information of the free program are additionally recorded in the free channel database.

[0008]

According to the present invention, since a channel table in which channel information of non-scrambled channels is recorded is created, only a free channel can be selected by referring to this channel table. The above object of the present invention,
Other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009]

Referring to FIG. 1, a digital broadcast receiver 10 of this embodiment includes an antenna 12 for receiving CS digital broadcast, and broadcast data received by the antenna 12 is supplied to a CS tuner 14. The CS tuner 14 outputs 4 to 8 signals output from a desired transponder.
Select broadcast data for the channel. In other words, in CS broadcasting, since broadcast data for 4 to 8 channels is output from each transponder (first transponder), the CS tuner 14 selects a transponder including a desired channel (tuning channel). The selected broadcast data is demodulated by the QPSK demodulation circuit 16 to form a transport stream including a plurality of transport packets for 4 to 8 channels.

The descrambler 18 supplies only the transport packets of the channel contracted by the receiver among the 4 to 8 channels to the demultiplexer 20, and the demultiplexer 20 outputs only the packets of the selected channel from the input packets. Is detected. The MPEG decoder 22 decodes the packet detected by the descrambler 18 and supplies the decoded video data to the adder 40. The adder 40 also has an IC3 for on-screen display.
8 receives the bitmap data for on-screen display output from 8. The adder 40 controls the MPEG decoder 22 only when the bitmap data is output from the IC 38.
The bitmap data is added to the video data from. The output data from the adder 40 is the NTSC encoder 24
Is converted into a composite video signal of the NTSC format by the video monitor 2.
6 is output.

The bitmap data for on-screen display includes a channel number of a broadcast channel. That is, the remote controller 30 is provided with an up / down key 30a of a selected channel as shown in FIG. 2, and when the operator operates the up / down key 30a while receiving any broadcast channel. , The CPU 28 stores the channel number bitmap data of the selected channel in VR.
Expand to AM36. The channel number bitmap data thus developed in the VRAM 28 is read by the IC 38 in response to the vertical synchronization signal. As a result, a three-digit channel number is displayed at the upper right of the monitor screen. Note that the CPU 28 also performs tuning according to the channel selection operation.

PSI is included in a part of the transport packet.
Is assigned, and PSI is assigned to NIT (Network Inf
ormation Table). The CPU 28 refers to this NIT and, based on the transport packet,
The tuner 14 detects service IDs (channel information) of all receivable broadcast channels and stores them in the DRAM 32. Therefore, in the DRAM 32, as shown in FIG. 3, an all channel database 32a in which the index and the service ID are associated is formed.

[0013] PSI also includes SDT,
In this SDT, scramble information (first scramble information) of all receivable channels is written. The scramble information is information indicating whether the corresponding broadcast channel is a pay channel (scramble channel) or a free channel (non-scramble channel). CP
U28 determines the pay channel / free channel for each broadcast channel, and extracts only the service ID of the free channel.

The CPU 28 further extracts the EIT from the PSI. 4-8 from each transponder as described above
Although only broadcast data for channels is output, the EIT contains program information on all channels only for the currently broadcast program (current program) and the program broadcast next to the current program (next program). I have. Then, the scramble information of the corresponding program is also written in this program information. Since the pay channel partially includes the free program, the CPU 28 determines the current program and the next program in the pay channel as pay / free programs.
Then, the service ID of the free program and the time information of the free program, that is, the start time information and the end time information are extracted.

A free channel database 32b (channel table) as shown in FIG. 4 is created in the DRAM 32 based on the service ID of the free channel and the service ID and the time information of the free program thus extracted. . The CS is provided with a promotion transponder (second transponder), and the program information of the future program broadcasted after the next program is included only in the broadcast data output from the promotion transponder. Therefore, the CS tuner 14 cannot detect future program information when a transponder (first transponder) other than the promotion transponder is selected. When the transponder can be switched, the CPU 28 causes the CS tuner 14 to select a promotion transponder and detects future program information. Then, future program information of the pay channel is extracted from the future program information of all channels, and a free program / pay program is determined based on the scramble information included in the future program information. The CPU 28 updates the time information written in the free channel database according to the determination result.

Therefore, if the operator sets the free channel selection mode using the remote control transmitter 30 and operates the up / down key 30a, the receiving channel is switched according to the free channel database 32b.
That is, the operator can select a free channel or a free program by using the up / down key 30a. CPU2
8 processes the flowcharts shown in FIGS. That is, when the power is turned on, first, in step S1, the NIT is acquired from the PSI. And in step S3,
The service IDs of all receivable broadcast channels are acquired with reference to the NIT, and an all-channel database 32a is created in the DRAM 32 in step S5.

The CPU 28 then proceeds to step S7 where PS
The SDT is acquired from I and temporarily stored in the DRAM 32. In step S9, the all channel database 32a
The index (L index) of the minimum value of the service ID is used as a judgment index. Next, in step S11, the scramble information (CA) of the service ID corresponding to the current judgment index is obtained.
Mode information) is detected from the SDT. If the CA mode is “0”, the corresponding broadcast channel is a free channel, and the processing is performed from step S13 to step S15.
To the service ID corresponding to the current determination index
(Current service ID) free channel database 32b
Register with. At this time, the CA mode information also includes the service ID.
And registered in the free channel database 32b. Then, in step S17, it is determined whether the determination index is equal to the H index, that is, the index of the maximum value in the all channel database 32a.
If "NO", the determination index is incremented in step S19, and the process returns to step S11.

As described above, the service ID and the CA mode information of the free channel are registered in the free channel database 32b shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to select only the free channel by referring to the free channel database 32b. If "YES" in the step S17, the CPU 28 acquires the current program information and the next program information of all the channels from the EIT in a step S21, and sets the determination index to the L index of the all channel database 32a in a step S23. Then, in step S25, it is determined whether the service ID (current service ID) of the current determination index has been registered in the free channel database 32a. If "NO", since the channel indicated by the current service ID is a pay channel, in step S27, the current program and the next program of the channel indicated by the current service ID are discriminated as a pay program / free program, and the free channel is determined. The service ID and time information of the free program are registered in the database 32b. Then step S
At 29, the determination index is incremented, and the process returns to step S25. If “YES” in the step S25,
In step S31, it is determined whether or not the current determination index is equal to the H index of the all channel database 32a. If "NO" is determined here, the step S
Go to 29.

In step S27, the CPU 28 processes a subroutine shown in FIG. First, step S2701
Then, CA mode information is detected from the current program information corresponding to the current service ID, and it is determined in step S2703 whether the CA mode is “0”. If "NO" here, the current program is a pay program, and the process is performed in step S2.
In step S2705, the current service ID, the start time information and the end time information of the current program are registered in the free channel database 32b, and the process proceeds to step S2707.
To set the flag 32c, and step S2709
Proceed to. In step S2709, the CPU 28 detects CA mode information from the next program information corresponding to the current service ID. It is determined in step S2711 whether the CA mode is "0". If "NO", the flow directly advances to step S2721. If "YES", in step S2713, it is determined whether the flag 32c is set. I do.

If "NO", the current program with the current service ID is a pay program, and the current program is not registered in the free channel database 32b. Therefore, in step S2719, the current service ID, start time information and end time information of the next program that is a free program, and CA mode information are registered in the free channel database 32b, and the process returns. If “YES” in the step S2713, the current program of the current service ID has already been registered in the free channel database 32b, and therefore, in the step S2715, only the end time information of the current program is updated to the end time information of the next program. Then, in step S2717, the flag 32c is reset, and the process returns.

If "YES" in the step S31, that is, if the current determination index becomes equal to the H index, the CPU 28 determines in step S32 the end time information indicating the latest end time closest to the current time from the free channel database 32b. Extract. Then, step S3
At 3, it is determined whether the current time has recently reached the end time. If "YES", the service ID corresponding to the latest end time, the start time information, and the end time information are deleted from the free channel database 32b, and step S
Return to 21.

As described above, based on the current program information and the next program information of all channels, the service ID of the free program and the start time information and the end time information of the program are registered in the free channel database 32b shown in FIG. Therefore, when a free program is partially broadcast on a pay channel, the free program can be selected by referring to the free channel database 32b.

If "NO" in the step S33, CP
U28 determines in step S37 whether transponder switching is possible. In step S37, it is determined as "NO" if the operator is watching the digital broadcast, and "YES" is determined when the power is turned on but the operator is not watching the digital broadcast.
When the determination is “NO”, the CPU 28 proceeds to step S
At 39, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. If "NO", the process returns to the step S33, and if "YES", the process returns to the step S21. That is, the processing of steps S21 to S32 is executed every predetermined time (for example, 15 minutes), and only the comparison between the current time and the latest end time is performed in other periods. If "YES" in the step S37, the process proceeds to a step S41, and thus the step S41
Until the subsequent processing is completed, the current time and the latest end time cannot be compared. Therefore, in step S33, "YES" is determined not only when the current time has reached the latest end time but also when the current time has passed the latest end time.

In step S41, the CPU 28 selects a promotion transponder, and then in step S43
Sets the judgment index to the L index. Then, in step S45, the service ID of the broadcast channel corresponding to the current determination index is detected, and in step S47, it is determined whether the service ID has been registered in the free channel database 32b. If "YES" here, it is determined in a step S51 whether or not the service ID has a time limit, that is, whether or not the service ID is a pay channel on which a free program is partially broadcast. If “NO” in the step S47, a step S4
At 9, a free program is detected from future programs, and the free program is registered.

More specifically, for future programs broadcast for three hours after the next program, a paid program / free program is determined, and the service ID and time information of free programs and CA mode information are stored in the free channel database 32b. Register with. When the pay program is detected, the process of step S49 ends. Therefore, when there are a plurality of free programs sandwiching the pay program, only the first detected free program is registered. However, only when a pay program is detected first, the pay / free determination is performed until a free program is found within the three hours of interest.

If "YES" in the step S51, in a step S53, a pay / free determination is made for a future program for three hours to be broadcasted after the next program, and the end time registered in the free channel database 32b To extend. The processing in step S51 is the same as step S49 except that the end time information is updated instead of registering the service ID, the time information, and the CA mode information, and thus the duplicated description will be omitted.

In step S55, the CPU 28 determines whether or not the current determination index is equal to the H index. If "NO", the CPU 28 increments the determination index in step S57 and returns to step S45. on the other hand,
If “YES” in the step S55, a step S59 is performed.
Then, it is determined whether or not the end time of the three-hour time zone searched in step S49 or S53 is equal to the end time of the time zone in which the program information can be obtained. Where "N
If "O", the search time zone is shifted to the future by 3 hours in step S61, and the process returns to step S43, but "YES".
If so, the process returns to step S33.

Since the free channel database 32b in which only free channels and free programs are registered is created in this manner, the operator sets the free channel selection mode and operates the up / down key 30a to display the free channel. Tuning is performed according to the database 32b. That is, operability when selecting a free channel is improved.

If the pay channel selection is prohibited in accordance with the setting of the free channel selection mode and a password is required to change the setting so that the pay channel can be selected, a third party can be selected. Purchase of a pay program can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a remote control transmitter;

FIG. 3 is an illustrative view showing an all channel database;

FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing a free channel database;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a part of the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing another portion of the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another portion of the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing yet another portion of the operation of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

[Description of Signs] 10: Digital broadcast receiver 18: Descrambler 20: Demultiplexer 28: CPU

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. The first scramble information of all channels is stored in a first
First detection means for detecting from broadcast data, channel detection means for detecting non-scrambled channels from all the channels based on the first scramble information, and creation means for creating a channel table recording channel information of the non-scrambled channels A digital broadcast receiver comprising: 2. A scramble channel partially including a non-scramble program, a second detection means for detecting second scramble information of a current program in the scramble channel from the first broadcast data, and a second scramble channel according to the second scramble information. The digital broadcast receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a first recording unit that records the channel information and the time information of the current program in the channel table. 3. The current program information detecting means for detecting current program information of all channels from the first broadcast data, and the current program information of the scramble channel from current program information of all channels. 3. The digital broadcast receiver according to claim 2, further comprising: program information extracting means for extracting the second scramble information from the current program information of the scramble channel. 4. A third detecting means for detecting third scramble information of a next program in the scramble channel from the first broadcast data, and at least time information of the next program in the channel table according to the third scramble information. The digital broadcast receiver according to claim 2, further comprising a second recording unit that records on the digital broadcast receiver. 5. The second recording means, when the next program is a non-scrambled program and the current program on the same channel as the next program is a scrambled program, the time information of the next program and the channel information of the next program. The digital broadcast receiver according to claim 4, wherein the following are recorded in the channel table. 6. The time information includes at least end time information, and the second recording means is configured to record the current program and the next program on the same channel in the channel table when both the current program and the next program are non-scrambled programs. Updating the end time information of the current program to the end time information of the next program;
A digital broadcast receiver according to claim 4. 7. Time information extracting means for extracting the time information having the latest end time closest to the current time from the channel table, and correlating with the latest end time when the current time becomes the latest end time. The digital broadcast receiver according to claim 2, further comprising a deletion unit configured to delete the channel information and the time information from the channel table. 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit that selects a first transponder that outputs said first broadcast data.
8. The digital broadcast receiver according to any one of items 7 to 7. 9. A second transponder outputs second broadcast data including future program information of all the channels, control means for controlling the selecting means so as to select the second transponder, and said second transponder comprising: 9. The digital broadcast receiver according to claim 1, further comprising an updating unit that updates the channel table based on future program information.