KR100290871B1 - Apparatus and Method for Recording/Playing Caption Information of Digital TV - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for caption information storage / playback of a digital TV, which enables a user to watch caption information of a desired language and the corresponding voice information among multiple caption information and corresponding voice information simultaneously transmitted in multiple languages. In the TV, a caption memory for storing caption information and the corresponding voice information, a control unit for controlling the storage / reproduction of the caption information and the corresponding voice information, and stored in the current caption information or caption memory according to the control signal of the controller It includes an image processing unit for processing the caption information in the main screen or sub-screen format, and a voice processing unit for processing the voice information stored in the current voice information or the caption memory in the main audio or sub-audio format. Improved convenience can maximize user's product satisfaction.

Description

Apparatus and Method for Recording / Playing Caption Information of Digital TV}

The present invention relates to a digital TV, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for caption information storage / playback of a digital TV.

Currently, TV's role as a provider of news, information and entertainment in daily life is increasing, but the hearing impaired are unable to use most TV programs properly.

Therefore, the caption function was developed to solve this problem, and the digital caption is a series of signal processing such as demultiplexing and decoding of caption information included in additional information in a transport stream transmitted from a broadcasting station according to a user's selection. It is a device that outputs the image of the OSD form and the audio synchronized with the through.

In this case, the transport stream is composed of 188 byte packets, and each packet is identified by a packet ID (PID).

In the United States, laws requiring that all TVs 13 inches or larger that are produced or imported in the United States after July 1, 1993, must be equipped with a closed caption decoder to extract caption information and to analyze and display screen data. Enacted.

The caption international standard is EIA-608 as the caption standard established in NTSC, the analog TV standard, and EIA-708 as the caption standard established in the ATSC, the digital TV standard.

At this time, EIA-708, a digital TV standard, has 16 captions, that is, 16 languages, which is about twice that of analog, and the amount of caption data transmitted per second varies greatly. In addition, since caption-related information transmitted on the current channel is included in the additional information and transmitted, it is possible to know which languages are currently served as captions.

As shown in FIG. 1, a digital TV according to the prior art includes a tuner 1 for tuning a broadcast signal, a VSB demodulator 2 for demodulating a VSB signal, correcting an error, and converting it into a transport stream form. Demultiplexer (3) for demultiplexing the multiplexed transport stream into video, audio, and additional information signal streams, MPEG audio / video decoder (4) for expanding and restoring the video and audio signal streams, MPEG audio / video decoder ( The audio processor 5 converts the audio signal output from 4) to an analog audio signal for output through the speaker, and the luminance and color signals to display the video signal output from the MPEG audio / video decoder 4 on the screen. It controls the image processing unit 6, the memory 7 and the system parts to be converted and adds the additional information output from the demultiplexer 3 to the graphical user interface. And a control section 8 for storing in the memory 7 so as to make a database into the information to be displayed.

The caption information display method according to the related art configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

First, the controller 8 determines whether the user has turned on the caption viewing mode (S11).

Subsequently, when the user turns on the caption viewing mode (S11), the corresponding packet ID is set in the demultiplexer 3 so that the caption information selected by the user is transmitted to the MPEG audio / video decoder 4 and the MPEG The audio / video decoder 4 is controlled to request that only the caption information selected by the user is extracted from the caption information and transmitted (S12).

At this time, since the caption information and the corresponding voice information are provided in multiple languages, the user himself selects a desired language.

Subsequently, caption information transmitted from the MPEG audio / video decoder 4 is interpreted, and a corresponding OSD is constructed and temporarily stored in the memory 7 (S13).

In addition, the OSD is transmitted to the image processor 6 to be mixed with the broadcast video and displayed, and the audio information synchronized with the OSD is signal-processed and output (S14).

Digital captions are provided simultaneously in various languages. Digital TVs according to the prior art can only view captions for one of the captions associated with the currently broadcast program, and captions simultaneously transmitted in other languages can be viewed. Also, even in the case of the currently broadcast caption, it is impossible to re-view with a one-time display, so there is a problem in that the information utilization and learning needs of the user cannot be satisfied.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and the user can reproduce the caption information and the corresponding voice information of the desired language among the caption information and the corresponding voice information transmitted simultaneously in multiple languages so that they can be watched at a desired time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a caption information storage / playback apparatus and method for a digital TV.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a digital TV according to the prior art

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying caption information of a digital TV according to the related art.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the caption information storage / playback apparatus of the digital TV according to the present invention

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of storing / playing caption information of a digital TV according to the present invention.

5A to 5D are views illustrating an example of a caption menu screen of a digital TV according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

21: Tuner 22: VSB Demodulator

23: Demultiplexer 24: MPEG Audio / Video Decoder

25: first audio processor 26: video processor

27: Memory for caption 28: MPEG audio decoder

29: second voice processing unit 30: memory

31: first switch 32: second switch

33: control unit

In the digital TV caption information storage / playback apparatus according to the present invention, a caption memory for storing caption information and the corresponding voice information, a control unit for controlling the storage / playback of the caption information and the corresponding voice information, Image processing unit for processing the current caption information or caption information stored in the caption memory in the main screen or sub-screen format according to the control signal of the control unit, and the voice information stored in the current audio information or the caption memory in the main audio or sub-audio format. It characterized in that it comprises a voice processing unit for processing the voice.

The caption information storage / playback method of the digital TV according to the present invention comprises the steps of: database caption-related information among additional information included in a broadcast signal, and when a caption key is input, configure and display a caption menu screen using the caption-related information. And capturing, capturing, or playing captions on the caption menu screen, and selecting corresponding sub-items; and extracting caption information and corresponding voice information corresponding to the settings of the caption menu screen when a caption storage command is input. And storing the caption information corresponding to the set contents of the caption menu screen when the caption reproducing command is input, and configuring and image-processing the OSD, and outputting the voice information by audio processing.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of an apparatus and method for caption information storage / playback of a digital TV according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the caption information storage / playback apparatus of the digital TV according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a flow chart showing a caption information storage / playback method of the digital TV according to the present invention, Figures 5a to 5d Is a view showing an example of a caption menu screen of the digital TV according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus for storing / playing caption information of a digital TV according to the present invention includes a tuner 21 for tuning a broadcast signal and a VSB that demodulates a VSB signal and corrects an error to convert it into a transport stream. A demodulator 22, a demultiplexer 23 for demultiplexing a time multiplexed transport stream into video, audio and side information signal sequences, an MPEG audio / video decoder 24 for extending / reconstructing the video and audio signal sequences, The first audio processor 25 which processes the audio signal output from the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 to be output through the speaker, and the video signal output from the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 can be displayed on the screen. Stored in the caption memory 27 and the caption memory 27 for storing caption information and the corresponding audio information. MPEG audio decoder 28 for decoding sex information, second audio processor 29, memory 30 for signal processing so that the audio information decoded by MPEG audio decoder 28 can be output in the form of sub-audio, such as earphones, The caption information and the corresponding voice information output from the demultiplexer 23 are stored in the caption memory 27, and the caption information stored in the caption memory 27 is read to correspond to the caption storage / playback mode selected by the user. The control unit 33 controls each unit to be output through the caption OSD configuration, image processing, and audio processing, and is output from the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 and the caption memory 27 according to the control signal of the control unit 33. A first switch 31 for selectively switching caption information and a second outputting OSD signal output from the control unit 33 to the image processing unit 26 or a sub-screen processing unit under control of the control unit 33; It is configured to include a switch (32).

Referring to the caption information storage / playback method of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

First, in order to implement a caption menu screen for a user, the present invention extracts caption related information defining a type of a service language from additional information multiplexed and transmitted together with a broadcast signal and makes a database in the caption memory 27.

Subsequently, the controller 33 determines whether the user 'on' the caption viewing mode (S31).

At this time, when the user inputs a caption key, the control unit 33 reads caption menu screen configuration data and corresponding caption information stored in the caption memory 27 and controls the image processing unit 26 to display the caption menu screen as shown in FIG. 5A. Display. Subsequently, when the user selects caption viewing on the caption menu screen, a detailed selection screen as shown in FIG. 5B is displayed. Therefore, the user selects the language and caption view that he / she wants to watch from the detailed selection screen.

Subsequently, when the user determines that the caption viewing mode is turned on (S31), the corresponding packet ID is set in the demultiplexer 23 so that the caption information selected by the user is transmitted to the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 and the MPEG. The audio / video decoder 24 is controlled to request that only the caption information selected by the user is extracted from the caption information and transmitted (S32).

The control unit 33 switches the first switch 31 to the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 to interpret the caption information transmitted from the MPEG audio / video decoder 24, configures the corresponding OSD, and stores the corresponding OSD in the memory 30. Temporary storage (S33).

Then, the second switch 32 is switched to the image processor 26 to read the OSD stored in the memory 30 and transmit it to the image processor 26. Accordingly, the image processor 26 mixes the OSD with a broadcast image and outputs the audio information, and the audio information synchronized with the OSD is output from the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 via the first audio processor 25 (S34). .

On the other hand, if the determination result (S31), the caption viewing mode is not 'on', it is determined whether the caption storage mode is 'on' (S35).

At this time, if the user selects the caption storage mode in the caption menu screen of FIG. 5A, the control unit 33 displays the detailed selection screen as shown in FIG. 5C. Accordingly, the user selects one or more of the language types of the caption information listed on the left side among the items of the detailed selection screen of FIG. 5C, selects one or more of the language types of the corresponding voice information listed on the right side, and then selects save.

Subsequently, when the caption storage mode is 'on', the determination result (S35) sets the corresponding packet ID to the demultiplexer 23 so that the caption information selected by the user is transmitted to the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 and the MPEG audio / video. The decoder 24 controls to extract and transmit only caption information selected by the user from the caption information (S36).

The controller 33 switches the first switch 31 to the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 to interpret caption information transmitted from the MPEG audio / video decoder 24 and stores the caption information in the caption memory 27. At the same time, the demultiplexer 23 is controlled to extract the voice information selected by the user and store the extracted voice information in the caption memory 27 (S37).

On the other hand, if the determination result (S35), the caption storage mode is not 'on', the control unit 33 determines whether the user 'on' the caption playback mode (S38).

Subsequently, when the user selects caption play on the caption menu screen, the detailed selection screen as shown in FIG. 5D is displayed. Therefore, the user selects one of the language types of the caption information listed on the left side of the detailed selection screen, one of the language types of the corresponding voice information listed on the right side, and then selects playback.

Subsequently, when the determination result (S38), the user 'turned on' the caption playback mode, the control unit 33 switches the first switch 31 to the caption memory 27 side is stored in the caption memory 27 The caption information corresponding to the user's selection is read from the caption information and the corresponding voice information is transmitted to the MPEG audio decoder 28 (S39).

In addition, the controller 33 configures an OSD according to the caption information read from the caption memory 27 and allows the corresponding voice information to be processed through the MPEG audio decoder 24 and the second voice processor 29 (S40). .

The OSD and voice processed in this way are output in various formats according to the user's selection (S41).

In other words, various types of outputs are possible, such as mixing the reproduced captions with the program currently being viewed and outputting the voices as sub-audios (earphones), or outputting the reproduced captions and the corresponding voices as sub-pictures and sub-audios. .

In addition, as described above, the caption image and the voice may be output in different languages among the language types of the reproduced caption and the corresponding voice.

As a result, according to the present invention, various combinations of output forms, such as a main screen / subscreen and a main audio / sub-audio, can be output, and video and audio can be output in different languages for each output form. will be.

The apparatus and method for storing / playing caption information of a digital TV according to the present invention can play a caption type desired among the currently available caption information, that is, multi-language, so that the user can watch the video and audio in an independent language form at a desired time. Video and audio can be combined into the desired output form such as main screen / subscreen and main audio / sub-audio, which can maximize user's product satisfaction by improving application learning function and convenience.

Claims (4)

In digital TV, A caption memory for storing caption information and corresponding voice information; A control unit controlling storage / reproduction of the caption information and the corresponding voice information; An image processor configured to process current caption information or caption information stored in the caption memory in a main screen or a sub-screen format according to a control signal of the controller; Caption information storage / playback apparatus for a digital TV, characterized in that it comprises a voice processing unit for voice processing the current voice information or the voice information stored in the caption memory in the main voice or sub-audio format. In the caption information storage / playback method of the digital TV, Databaseting caption-related information among additional information included in the broadcast signal; Constructing and displaying a caption menu screen using the caption related information when a caption key is input; Selecting, viewing, storing or playing captions and corresponding sub-items on the caption menu screen; Extracting and storing caption information and corresponding voice information corresponding to a setting of the caption menu screen when a caption storage command is input; Caption information of the digital TV, comprising the steps of reading the caption information corresponding to the set contents of the caption menu screen when the caption playback command is input, OSD configuration and image processing, and outputting by processing the corresponding voice information How to save / play. The method of claim 2, The caption information storing / playing method of the caption information of the digital TV, characterized in that the caption information and the type of language provided with the corresponding voice information and start and cancel. The method of claim 2, Caption information storage / playback method of the digital TV, characterized in that at least one type of the caption information and the corresponding voice information is selected according to the user's selection in the caption storage details.