KR100215435B1 - Method and apparatus for receiving the program of a satallite broadcasting receiver using a modem - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is connected to a service center that provides a necessary program through the built-in modem when only the modification of the software without the need to change or replace the hardware for devices such as satellite broadcasting receiver and VOD receiver with a built-in modem By downloading the desired program and storing it in memory to execute the program, it provides an advantage that the service can be performed without the customer visiting the service center or the service person visiting the consumer directly.

Description

Program receiving method and apparatus for satellite broadcasting receiver using modem

1 is a block diagram showing a program receiving apparatus using a modem according to an embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the device of FIG.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

10: smart card 11: channel part

12: demultiplexer 13: video signal decoder

14: voice signal decoding unit 15: control unit

16: RAM 17: Memory

L8: Descrambler 19: OSD Processing Unit

20: modem

The present invention relates to a satellite broadcast receiver with a built-in modem, and in particular, when a software change such as a program inside the receiver occurs, a program receiver for a satellite broadcast receiver using a modem can receive and use necessary software using a modem. A method and apparatus therefor.

In general, in a pay broadcasting system using a satellite broadcasting receiver or a video-on-demand receiver, only a person who subscribes to a pay broadcasting service by using a method called scrambling before transmitting a signal from a satellite broadcasting station is paid. You can watch the broadcast. The satellite broadcast receiver is equipped with a smart card and a modem. Here, smart guard refers to a kind of IC card in which subscriber number, usage history, etc. are recorded. When watching paid broadcasting, the viewing history information is recorded on the smart card, and when the subscriber management center requests data on the viewing history information, the receiver sends the viewing history information recorded on the smart card to the subscriber management center through the modem. Consists of. In the subscriber management center, the pay broadcasting system is constructed to add a fee according to the viewing history information transmitted through the modem. For example, a microprocessor, which is one of the important components of the satellite broadcasting receiver or the VOD receiver, executes a program stored in a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM, and thus, each device constituting the receiver. It is supposed to be controlled. If any modifications are made to the hardware of the receiver, the customer can either visit the service center or have a service person visit the customer to replace the parts so that they can be sent to the service center for replacement. If there is no hardware modification and only the program of the microprocessor is changed, the customer should visit the service center or the service personnel should visit the customer to replace the parts to replace the ROM containing the program to be modified. There is a hassle.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to receive the necessary software transmitted through the built-in modem when only the modification of the software is required without changing or replacing the hardware for devices such as a satellite broadcasting receiver and a VOD receiver with a built-in modem. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for receiving a program of a satellite broadcasting receiver using a modem capable of servicing software modifications without visiting a service center or directly visiting a consumer.

A feature of the present invention for achieving the above object is that in the program receiving method of a satellite broadcasting receiver equipped with a communication modem, whether the subscriber password that is authorized from the outside based on the subscriber password set in the memory of the receiver is the correct password. A modem comprising a program download step of accessing a service center providing a necessary program through the modem and downloading a desired program and storing it in a memory only when a correct password is input in the subscriber identification step and the subscriber identification step. Program reception method of satellite broadcasting receiver using

Another feature of the present invention for achieving the above object is a modem, subscriber in the program receiving apparatus of the satellite broadcasting receiver, which can be connected to the service center providing a plurality of programs to download the necessary programs according to a predetermined down method A password is stored in advance, and it is determined whether a subscriber password that is externally applied is a correct password based on a memory storing a new program downloaded through the modem in a predetermined program area and a subscriber password preset in the memory. Outputs a control signal to download the necessary program according to a preset down method only when the correct password is set, outputs a control signal so that the program is stored in the memory, and executes the program stored in the memory when the download of the program is completed. Control unit to modify the program of the receiver In the program receiving device of the satellite broadcasting receiver equipped with a communication modem comprising a.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing a program receiving apparatus using a modem according to an embodiment of the present invention. Prior to describing the program receiving apparatus of the present invention, the operation of a general satellite broadcasting receiver will be described first.

In FIG. 1, the digital input signals, ie, video signals and audio signals, which have passed through the channel section 11 are input to the demultiplexer 12. The demultiplexer 12 separates the video signal and the audio signal and outputs them to the video signal decoder 13 and the audio signal decoder 14, respectively. The video signal decoder 13 and the audio signal decoder 14 decode and output the digital video signal and the audio signal. Meanwhile, when the demultiplexer 12 receives the encrypted input signal, the demultiplexer 12 outputs a scramble signal indicating that the encrypted signal is input to the controller 15. Therefore, the control unit 15 reads the subscriber password information recorded in the smart card 10 to determine whether the user who wants to watch the current pay broadcasting is eligible for viewing. In addition, the controller 15 reads subscriber password information preset in the memory 17. Here, the memory 17 uses an EEPROM or a flash memory, and system setting parameters and data which are to be stored even when the power of the receiver is turned off are stored in a predetermined area of the EEPROM or the flash memory. The controller 15 determines whether the subscriber password information currently read from the smart card 10 is the correct subscriber password based on the subscriber password information preset in the memory 17. If the correct subscriber password is not input, the controller 15 outputs a control signal to the demultiplexer 12 to receive only free broadcasting. On the other hand, if the correct subscriber password is input, the control unit 15 outputs a control signal to the descrambler 18 to decipher the password applied to the digital input signal applied from the demultiplexer 12. The descrambler 18 decrypts and outputs an authorized digital input signal. That is, the signal is restored to a signal before sampling and output to the demultiplexer 12. The video signal decoder 13 and the audio signal decoder 14 receive and output the restored signal. Each time the pay-TV signal is received, the controller 15 stores the viewing history information in the smart card 10. When a command to transmit the viewing history information is transmitted from the subscriber management center, the controller 15 connects to the host computer of the subscriber management center through the modem 20 by using the telephone number of the subscriber management center stored in the memory 17. do. The viewing history recorded on the smart card 110 is transmitted to the host computer through the modem 20. When the controller 15 receives a command from the host computer to delete the viewing history recorded on the smart card 10, the controller 15 erases the viewing history recorded on the smart card 10. As such, the modem 20 embedded in the receiver is not used except for transmission of viewing information once or twice a month. Therefore, in the present invention, a necessary software program can be downloaded from a service center using a modem which is not frequently used during operation of the receiver, and the program can be modified. Such operation of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the device of FIG.

First, the receiver manufacturer or service center informs consumers that there is a service through a broadcast, a newspaper, and the like. The consumer turns on the receiver and selects a corresponding service item from a plurality of service items provided by the service center in the OSD screen menu (step 210). First, when the controller 15 receives a service request signal from the outside, that is, a signal input by the user to receive a service, the subscriber password is input through the OSD processing unit 19 to determine whether the current user is entitled to use the receiver. Request a message (step 220). The user inputs a subscriber password by operating a key input unit (not shown). The controller 15 determines whether the subscriber password inputted in the memory 17 is a correct password (operation 230). If the password is not correct, the controller 15 determines that the current user does not have a user qualification and terminates the service. However, if the correct password, in order to receive the necessary service through the modem 20, the control unit 15 checks the use state of the modem 20 to determine whether it is currently in use (step 240). If the modem 20 is currently in use, the controller 15 outputs a control signal to the OSD processor 19 to send a message to be performed again later, and then terminates the service. However, if the modem 20 is not in use, the telephone number of the subscriber management center pre-stored in the memory 17 is used to connect to the host computer of the service center which provides a plurality of software programs through the modem 20 ( Step 250). When connected to the host computer of the service center, the controller 15 outputs a control signal to the modem 20 to download the necessary program according to the preset down method (step 260). At this time, the controller 15 first stores the downloaded program data in the RAM 16. The controller 15 determines whether the program download is completed (operation 270). If the program down is not completed, step 270 is repeated until the program down is completed. When the program down is completed, the controller 15 stores the downloaded new program in a predetermined program storage area of the memory 17. For this purpose, the memory 17 should use a flash memory and a memory that can be written and erased many times instead of a PROM that cannot be erased once. The controller 15 may modify the program of the receiver by executing the downloaded new program.

Therefore, in the present invention, if only software modification is required without changing or replacing hardware for devices such as a satellite broadcasting receiver and a VOD receiver with a built-in modem, a consumer service is provided by receiving necessary software through the built-in modem. It provides the advantage that the service can be performed without visiting the center or having service personnel visit the customer.

Claims (3)

A program receiving method of a satellite broadcasting receiver equipped with a communicable modem, the program receiving method comprising: the subscriber identification step of determining a correct encryption factor of a subscriber password applied from the outside based on a subscriber password preset in a memory of the receiver; And a program download step of accessing a service center providing a necessary program through the modem and downloading a desired program and storing it in a memory only when a correct password is input in the subscriber identification step. Receive method. A program receiving apparatus of a satellite broadcasting receiver, comprising: a modem capable of downloading a necessary program according to a predetermined down method by connecting to a service center providing a plurality of programs; A memory that stores a subscriber password in advance and stores a new program downloaded through the modem in a predetermined program area; And determining whether the subscriber password, which is authorized from the outside, is a correct password based on the subscriber password set in the memory, and outputs a control signal so as to download a necessary program according to a preset down method only when the correct password is set. And a control unit for outputting a control signal to be stored in a memory, and when the download of the program is completed, executing a program stored in the memory to modify a program of the receiver. The communication modem of claim 2, wherein the memory is a read / write memory capable of storing a new program and deleting an existing program in order to receive a plurality of new programs provided by a service center through the modem. Program receiver of the installed satellite broadcasting receiver.