KR100207404B1 - Testing apparatus of stu - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tester for a portable STU used in an interactive cable television of the present invention. To this end, the present invention relates to an STU transmitter and receiver capable of communicating with a network system, and to an STU tester. If an error check signal is inputted, the stored standard data information is encoded in accordance with the standardization of MPEG2, the data is provided to the STU, and the STU can be detected therefrom to detect the abnormality of the STU. It provides the effect of not having to replace all of itself.

Description

Set Top Unit (STU) Inspector

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the STU of an interactive television (I-CATV),

2 is a block diagram illustrating a tester of a portable set-top unit (STU) according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

210: first memory 220: MPEG2 encoder modular

230: microprocessor 240: transmitter

250: receiver 260: transmitter and receiver

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a tester for a portable set-top unit (hereinafter referred to as STU) for use in an interactive cable television (I-CATV). In particular, a portable set-top unit (STU) capable of checking for failures in an STU It is about the inspector of).

Nowadays, there is an increasing desire for consumers to obtain information in an interactive and active way, rather than passively acquiring information amid the proliferation of high-speed information and communication infrastructure, which started from the concept of information superhighway. have.

To meet this need, interactive televisions are being studied in developed countries, some of which have been piloted.

That is, digital interactive cable television means that a Video On Demand (VOD) service can be immediately viewed at a time when a viewer wants to view video information.

In order to realize such a VOD service, a subscriber (client) capable of storing and transmitting information, a server (program provider) providing service information such as a broadcasting station, and a network system providing information required by the subscriber are required. Done.

If this requirement is met, teleshopping, telemedicine and distance learning are possible using VOD, and the use of STU is essential for communication between interactive cable television and network systems. to be.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing the STU of an interactive television (I-CATV). In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a transmitter configured to transmit data information generated from the STU of the interactive television (I-CATV) to a server, and 102 denotes a network system that transmits the information data of the server to the network system. Receiving unit configured to receive through the subscriber's STU through.

103 is a transmission and reception control unit for controlling the transmission and reception operations of the data information of the transmitter 101 and the receiver 102, 104 is a CPU having an execution program and controlling the overall STU operation according to this program logic. to be.

105 standardizes the data information to meet the standardized form, and analyzes the standardized data information to be an MPEG2 transport, and 106 is a data that can temporarily store and restore the data information of the MPEG2 transport 105. First memory temporarily stored.

107 is an MPEG2 decoder which receives data from a network system and decodes the encoded data based on the information analyzed by the MPEG2 transport 105 according to the MPEG2 standard, and 108 stores and decodes the decoded data information. The second memory 108 temporarily stores possible data.

109 is a graphics processing unit for graphics processing data information (eg, video and audio) decoded by the MPEG2 decoder 107, and 110 is a graphics processing unit 109 may store and restore the video and audio information processed graphics. The third memory temporarily stores the existing data.

111 is a video and audio output unit for displaying the video signal processed by the graphics processing unit 109 or outputting an audio signal, and 112 is used to record various subscriber unique information and related information to enable communication with the network system. In memory.

As described above, the STU is manufactured in the form of a single board of each module, of which a main CPU, an MPEG decoder module, and a graphics module are essential components.

However, when a failure occurs on the MPEG decoder module during each service transmission or reception through the network, the STU does not have a system for checking the failure of the STU itself. Therefore, when the failure occurs in the MPEG decoder module, the STU itself is replaced. Only.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a tester for a portable set-top unit (STU) that can more accurately check a failure of an MPEG decoder module of an STU.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is connected to the transmitting and receiving unit of the STU that can communicate with the network system, the STU checker for detecting the abnormality of the STU, for performing an abnormal state check of the STU Stores standard data information, the first memory; An MPEG2 encoder modular for encoding the standard data information restored from the first memory to conform to the standardization of MPEG2; And a microprocessor configured to provide data encoded by the MPEG2 encoder modular to the STU based on the STU abnormality check signal, and to control whether the STU abnormality is detected therefrom.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated drawings.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a tester of a portable set-top unit (STU) according to the present invention.

2 is a test apparatus of the present invention comprises a first memory 210, an MPEG2 encoder modular 220, a microprocessor 230, a transmitter 240, a receiver 250, and a transmission and reception control unit 260.

The first memory 210 stores standard bit stream information (eg, audio / video, graphics, etc.) for checking whether there is an abnormality in the STU 100, and checks the microprocessor 230 described later. When the desired control signal is applied, it is configured to restore the stored standard bit stream (eg, audio / video, graphics, etc.) to be provided to the MPEG2 encoder modular 220 which will be described later.

The MPEG2 encoder modular 220 converts standard data information (video / audio bitstream information, graphic adaptation bitstream information, and another bitstream information) restored from the first memory 210 into a standardized form of MPEG2 (eg, a head). Information, data information, etc.), and output the data to the STU (corresponding to FIG. 1) to check for an abnormality of the STU.

The microprocessor 230 has an auxiliary program for confirming the abnormality of the STU 100 (direct memory access: DMA), and transmits the modified test data from the MPEG2 encoder modular 220 in response to a test operation signal. It is configured to output to STU 100 via 240.

Referring to the present invention configured as described in detail as follows.

First, referring to FIG. 1, since the STU 100 is connected to the network system, data information transmitted from the server through the network system is provided to the MPEG2 transport 105 via the receiver 102.

In the MPEG2 transport 105, the received data information is processed in accordance with the MPEG standard and then provided to the MPEG2 decoder 107 or, if necessary, part of the data is stored in the first memory 106.

The MPEG2 decoder 107 decodes (restores) standardized data information of MPEG provided from the MPEG2 transport 105 and is provided to the video and audio output unit 111 through the graphic processor 109.

Thus, the video and audio output 111 will display the decoded data information.

Referring to FIG. 2, when an operation of the STU 100 is normally operated or an abnormality occurs on the STU 100, the inspection apparatus of the present invention is used.

First, after confirming that an abnormality has occurred in the network system communicating with the STU 100, and when an abnormality has not occurred in the network system, the abnormality is checked using the STU 100.

That is, the transmission and reception units 101 and 102 of the STU 100 are connected to the transmission and reception units 240 and 250 of the inspection apparatus of FIG. The test signal for checking whether the test signal, that is, the STU abnormality test signal, is applied to the microprocessor 230.

The microprocessor 230 operates the program logic for performing the inspection operation of the STU 100 in response to the inspection signal, and temporarily stops the operation of the CPU 104 of the STU 100 and the STU 100. Is controlled by the microprocessor 230 in the inspection apparatus of the present invention.

Then, the MPEG2 encoder is sequentially updated, for example, a video / audio adaptation bitstream, a graphics adaptation bitstream, and another bitstream stored in the first memory 210 by the control signal of the microprocessor 230. Provided to the modular 220.

The MPEG2 encoder modular 220 encodes a video / audio adaptive bitstream, a graphic applying bitstream, another bitstream, etc., which are updated and restored from the first memory 210 into a standardized form of MPEG2, and then transmits the transmission unit 240. Through the receiver 102 of the STU (100) through.

The receiving unit 102 processes the standardized and encoded data information received under the control of the transmitting and receiving control unit 103 to conform to the MPEG standard through the MPEG2 transport 105, and then to the MPEG2 decoder 107. Will be provided.

Accordingly, the MPEG2 decoder 107 decodes the standardized and encoded video / audio adaptation data, and decodes the standardized and encoded graphic adaptation data to the video and audio output unit 111 through the graphic processing unit 109. Is output.

The video and audio source section 111 can determine whether the state of the STU 100 is normal according to the data information displayed by the received video and audio signals and graphic signals.

For example, if an error occurs in the standard video and audio signal restored and displayed from the first memory unit 210, it may be understood that an error has occurred in the MPEG2 decoder 107, and from the first memory unit 210, If an error occurs in the graphic signal of the standard that is restored and displayed, it may be understood that the error occurs in the graphic processor 109.

Here, although limited data information recorded in the first memory 210 has been described, it is possible to easily identify abnormal parts of the STU more accurately by other data.

As described above, in the case of using the tester of the present invention, the operation of each functional member of the STU can be inspected more accurately. Accordingly, the functional member having an abnormality (failure) can be effectively inspected and repaired. It has an effect.

Claims (1)

In the STU checker 200 which is connected to the transmitting and receiving units 101 and 102 of the STU 100 capable of communicating with a network system and detects the abnormality of the STU 100, the abnormal state inspection of the STU is performed. A first memory 210 storing standard data information for the first memory 210; An MPEG2 encoder modular 220 for encoding the standard data information restored from the first memory 210 to conform to the standardization of MPEG2; The microprocessor 230 provides data encoded by the MPEG2 encoder modular 220 to the STU 100 based on the STU abnormality test signal, and controls the STU 100 to detect the abnormality therefrom. Inspector of the set-top unit (STU) comprising a.