KR100320211B1 - Channel information store apparatus and channel connection method for digital tv - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a digital TV channel information storage device and method, and in the related art, channels are duplicated and connected to different rings, which causes the information of the same channel to be duplicated and stored in the memory, thereby reducing the efficiency of the memory. There was this. Therefore, in the present invention, the channel list ID is given as a unique value when the channel list is formed, and the complete VC channel list which connects all the receivable channels transmitted to the VCT using the channel index and the unique value when the channel list is formed The channel list ID is given, the VCT channel list connected to each VCT by using the channel index, and the channel list ID is assigned to the unique value when the channel list is formed, and the channel index is displayed for the channels that the viewer views or likes. Receives a user passivated channel list connected with each other, and a channel ID upon receiving the channel as a unique value, and is connected to a previous channel and a next channel using the channel index and the channel array, and uses the channel pointer flag to connect the channel. It is composed of multiple channels connected to the list and transmitted through PSIP. By building the channel information into a flexible and systematic database, it can improve memory efficiency, provide accurate information to users quickly, and can be applied to all terrestrial digital TVs that follow ATSC. There is.

Description

CHANNEL INFORMATION STORE APPARATUS AND CHANNEL CONNECTION METHOD FOR DIGITAL TV}

The present invention relates to a digital TV channel information storage device and method, and more particularly, to a digital TV channel information storage device and a method for accurately and quickly serving channel information to a user.

In 1997, the US FCC adopted the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) standard, which opened a wide market in the digital video age of the 21st century. With the advent of the digital broadcasting era, various storage media have emerged. Until now, DVD (Digital) Video Disc) is a medium widely known to the general user, and the Digital Video Cassette Record (DVCR) is at some stage of realization.

In addition, digital TVs can process more data than conventional analog TVs can handle, and because of the efficient use of bandwidth, many channels are available to receive broadcasts. It provides sound quality, and many applications and peripherals are added to provide various additional services such as home shopping, electronic newspaper, and stock information.

Such a digital TV may be connected to a digital broadcast receiver through a line outside a conventional TV for PAL / NTSC, such as a set-top box for receiving a satellite broadcast, or may be configured by being embedded in the TV itself.

On the other hand, recent users have been familiar with high-definition and high-resolution graphic screens due to the development of multimedia technology, so that the system such as digital TV or Internet TV also feels the necessity of satisfying users' needs using multimedia technology.

Accordingly, it is possible to download multimedia contents described in HTML (Hyper Text Makeup Language) or other scripting languages through a channel such as a broadcasting network or a modem using a digital broadcasting receiver.

At this time, the service provider providing the multimedia contents can be broadly classified into a broadcaster using an existing broadcasting network and an interactive service provider using a back channel such as a modem.

The multimedia contents produced by such service providers are usually provided with the multimedia contents service from the interactive service server using the private section of the MPEG-2 stream or using the DSM-CC protocol.

As information transmitted through the transport stream, virtual channels, events, and system information in addition to video and audio come in a table form, and a standard standard for such information is PSIP (Program and System Information).

A table containing information on channels in the PSIP table is a VCT (Virtual Channel Table).

In the digital TV receiver, the PSIP information is configured and stored in a memory, and the viewer provides a desired service quickly and accurately, and there are various methods of storing the PSIP information. Here, US Microwave's DAVID (Digital Audio / Video Interactive) can be used. The channel structure proposed by the decoder will be described with reference to FIG.

The main ring 101 collects all the receivable channels delivered to each VCT table, the NET-OP ring 102 collects the channels for each VCT, and the channels that viewers frequently watch or like. A ring list (100) consisting of a FAV ring (103); A plurality of channels (2), (3), and (4) connected to the rings 101, 102, and 103, which are different in nature, and connected to adjacent channels, and the plurality of channels (2). And a channel list (200) consisting of channel information storage (20), (30), and (40) for storing information about (3) and (4).

Here, the channel information storage unit 20, 30, 40 is configured to be shared with each other ring 101, 102, 103.

However, the prior art as described above has a problem in that the channels are duplicated and connected to different rings, which causes the information of the same channel to be duplicated and stored in the memory, thereby reducing the efficiency of the memory.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a channel information storage device and a channel connection method of a digital TV that can use less memory space by avoiding duplicate storage of the same channel in a memory. have.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a digital TV channel information storage device proposed by the conventional DAVID.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the channel information storage device of the present invention digital TV.

Figure 3 is a flow chart showing the channel connection method of the present invention digital TV.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing pointer flag values of channels in FIG. 2; FIG.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary view showing connection of a previous channel and a next channel of channels in FIG. 2; FIG.

Figure 6 shows an embodiment of channel connection in Figure 3;

***** Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *****

1 to 7: Channel 300: Complete VC channel list

400,500: VC Channel List 600: User Favorite Channel List

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a complete VCT channel list in which a channel list ID is given as a unique value at the time of forming a channel list, and connects all receivable channels delivered to the VCT using a channel index. When the list is formed, a channel list ID is given as a unique value, each VCT is connected to the VCT channel list using the channel index, and when the channel list is formed, a channel list ID is given as a unique value, and the viewer sees or likes it. A user passive channel list connecting the channels using the channel index, and a channel ID upon receiving the channel ID, are respectively provided with unique values, and are connected to the previous channel and the next channel using the channel index and the channel array, and a channel pointer. Use a flag to configure a plurality of channels connected to the channel list. It is characterized by goodness.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for checking a channel list and generating a channel list if the channel list does not exist, assigning a channel list ID value and a channel index value, storing data, and then connecting with another channel list. Step 1; Reading a channel and creating a new channel if there is no corresponding channel in the complete VC channel list; And a third step of connecting the channel according to the second step to a corresponding channel list using a channel index value.

Hereinafter, operations and effects of the digital TV channel information storage device and channel connection method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital TV channel information storage device. As shown in FIG. 2, a channel list ID is given as a unique value when a channel list is formed, and all receiveable channels delivered to a VCT are channels. Complete VC channel list 300 connected using an index, and a channel list ID as a unique value when a channel list is formed, and connected to each VCT using a channel index for each VCT channel list 400. 500 and a user passivation channel list 600 which is given a channel list ID as a unique value when the channel list is formed and connects the channels watched or liked by the viewer using the channel index, and each channel upon reception. ID is given as a unique value and connected to the previous channel and the next channel using the channel index and the channel array, The channel pointer flags are used to configure a plurality of channels 1 to 7 connected to the channel lists 300 to 600.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of connecting a channel of a digital TV according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, if the channel list 300 to 600 does not exist, the channel list 300 to 600 is checked. Generating a channel list ID value and a channel index value, storing the data, and connecting the other channel lists 300 to 600 with each other; Reading a channel 1 to 7 and generating a new channel if a corresponding channel is not included in the complete VC channel list 300; The third step of connecting the channel according to the second step to the corresponding channel list 300 to 600 by using a channel index value will be described.

First, the complete VC channel list 300 connects all the receivable channels delivered to the VCT, and the VC channel lists 400 and 500 connect the channels for each VCT, and the user passive channel. The list 600 connects channels to viewers, and the channel list 300 to 600 as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

First, the channel lists 300 to 600 are formed in a circular double linked list in order to freely move between lists.

In this case, the important information of the channel list 300 to 600 includes a channel list ID and a channel index. The channel list ID is an ID that uniquely distinguishes the corresponding channel list 300 to 600. This value is a channel list search ( It is used as a key value at the time of 300 ~ 600) and is given a unique value when the first channel list 300 ~ 600 is generated. Also, the channel index is a channel index of the corresponding channel list 300 ~ 600 and uses the index value as a channel index. Used to connect (1 ~ 7).

As shown in FIG. 2, the channels 1 through 7 are connected to the corresponding channel lists 300 through 600, and like the channel lists 300 through 600 so as to freely navigate between the channels 1 through 7. It consists of a Circular Double Linked List.

Important information about the channels 1 to 7 includes a channel ID, a channel array, and a channel pointer flag.

The channel ID is an ID that uniquely distinguishes the corresponding channels 1 to 7, and this value is used as a key value when searching for channels 1 to 7 and is given as a unique value when received.

The channel array is divided into a previous channel array and a next channel array, where the index of the previous channel array is the address of the previous channel and the index of the next channel array is the address of the next channel.

The channel pointer flag is 4 bytes and expresses in bits which channel list 300 to 600 is connected to the corresponding channel 1-7. If the corresponding channel 1-7 is a channel list 300 ~ When the index of 600) is connected to '0' and '2', the '0' and '2' bit values are enabled and the remaining bits are disabled.

As shown in FIG. 2, the other channel lists 300 to 600 except for the complete VC channel list 300 refer to existing channels 1 to 7, that is, the first VC channel list 400 is a complete V. Reference is made to channel 1, which is connected to the Citi channel list 300, and again 2 and 3 are connected behind this channel.

As described above, all of the other channel lists 300 to 600 except for the complete VC channel list 300 refer to the same channel (1) by referring to the existing channels 1 to 7 without newly creating a database of channel information. 7) Use memory efficiently by avoiding duplication of information in the database.

4 shows point flag values of the channels 1 to 7 connected to the complete VC channel list 300. In the case of channel 1, 0 bits are connected to channel list 0 and channel list 1. And 1 bit are enabled as '1' and the remaining bits are disabled as '0'.

If channel 7 is connected to channel list 0, 2 and 3, the corresponding bit is enabled as '1' and the remaining bits are disabled as '0'.

That is, as described above, the point flag has information on which channel list (300 to 600) the channel is connected to, and when the channel is newly connected to the channel list (300 to 600), the channel list (300 to 600) Enable the bit corresponding to the index to '1' using the channel index value of.

When the channel is actually connected to the channel lists 300 to 600, the previous channel and the next channel of the channel are connected to each other by using an index of the channel list 300 to 600 in the channel array to be used.

In more detail with reference to FIG. 5, first, channels 5, 6, and 7 connected to VC channel list 2 in FIG. 2 are connected, that is, the channel index of VC channel list 2 is 2; The first channel connected to this channel list is 5, so if you follow index 2 of channel 5, the previous channel is 7 and the next channel is 6.

Again, if the next channel follows 6, channel 5 is connected to the previous channel, and channel 7 is connected to the next channel. If you follow the next channel 7, the previous channel is 6 and the next channel is 5 do.

That is, channels 5, 6, and 7 are connected to the circular double linked list by using the index of the corresponding channel list. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing channels connected as described above. to be.

Therefore, when the channel list is connected to the channel as described above, even after the VCT contents are changed and the channel is deleted, the channel can be easily configured by simply connecting or disconnecting the link without leaving the actual channel. In case of erasing, check pointer flag in channel and if all bit value is '0', delete the channel completely in database.

As described in detail above, the present invention improves memory efficiency and provides accurate information to users quickly by constructing a channel system that is transmitted through PSIP as a flexible and systematic database, and also in terrestrial digital TVs conforming to ATSC. As it can be applied, the viewers can be provided with a quality service.

Claims (2)

The channel list ID is given as the unique value when the channel list is formed, and the complete VC channel list which connects all the receivable channels delivered to the VCT using the channel index, and the channel list ID as the unique value when the channel list is formed VCT channel list connected to each VCT using the channel index for each VCT and a channel list ID as a unique value when the channel list is formed, and a user connecting the channels watched or liked by the viewer using the channel index. Passive channel list and each receiving channel ID as a unique value, connected to the previous channel and the next channel using the channel index and the channel array, and connected to the channel list using a channel pointer flag Digital TV characterized by consisting of channels The information storage device. Checking a channel list and generating a channel list if the channel list does not exist, assigning a channel list ID value and a channel index value, storing data, and then connecting the channel list with another channel list; Reading a channel and creating a new channel if there is no corresponding channel in the complete VC channel list; And connecting the channel according to the second step to a corresponding channel list using a channel index value.