KR100331826B1 - Method for indexing picture of broadcasting and Transmitter-receiver TV program - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a broadcast image indexing method of a digital TV, and an object of the present invention is to provide a viewer with a rough plot of a broadcast program. The viewer using the conventional digital TV has a problem that can not see the image on the previous screen, but the broadcast image index method according to the present invention extracting a part of the image from the broadcast program image to set the representative image, representative image And sequentially storing the plurality of images, and outputting the plurality of representative images stored according to a predetermined request signal in sequence according to the sequence number at predetermined intervals. If you do not have the effect that can provide the viewer with the plot of the past broadcast program.

Description

Method for indexing picture of TV and broadcasting program transceiver {Method for indexing picture of broadcasting and Transmitter-receiver TV program}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to digital TV, and more particularly, to digital broadcast image indexing, which is capable of plotting and searching digital images using digital broadcast information.

A digital TV is a device that receives a digital broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcasting station and provides video and audio to viewers. Broadcast information of such a digital broadcast is constructed in accordance with the MPEG standard. In particular, MPEG-2, which is a broadcast MPEG standard, is set with both system, audio, and video standards. For reference, the MPEG-2 system standard number is ISO / IEC 13818-1, the video standard number is ISO / IEC 13818-2, and the audio standard number is ISO / IEC 13818-3.

When the analog video signal is converted into a digital signal, the amount of data increases rapidly, so that it takes a long time to transmit from a broadcasting station, and a lot of memory for storing is required. Therefore, most digital image information is compressed by international compression standards such as MPEG-2 and transmitted in packet units.

According to the MPEG-2 standard, a video signal, an audio signal, and an additional information signal are all time-multiplexed and transmitted in the form of several transport stream packets, all of which are distinguished by PID numbers.

This transport signal sequence is a time-multiplexed signal sequence named Transport Stream Packet. This transport signal string has a header at the beginning of the packet, and the header has a PID (Packet IDentifier) number recorded thereon.

The PID number may be used as information for demultiplexing a time multiplexed signal. In addition, the PID number indicates the type of the current packet. The PID number is analyzed to determine whether the current packet is a video packet, an audio packet, or program specific information.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport stream is divided into a header portion and a payload portion. The packetized transport stream has a length of 188 bytes, and the error of additional information included in the transport is automatically corrected by the CRC.

The transport stream contains various information such as video information, audio information, and control clock. The transport stream is divided into respective video information, audio information, control clock, and the like through the TS demultiplexer (DEMUX) 20 and the channel decoder 10, as shown in FIG. ) Is input to the audio decoding unit 40 and the clock control unit 50.

The PES signal separated from the transport stream via the TS demultiplexer 20 is composed of a packet header portion and a data portion as shown in FIG. The packet header part has a hierarchical structure. In the first part, various flags are gathered, and items corresponding to each flag are arranged in a row. Among the items corresponding to each flag, an unreserved space for the digital program provider to arbitrarily transmit additional information remains.

The digital TV decodes the image information of the transport stream to implement an image on the screen, and at the same time analyzes the additional information data and provides it to the viewer. Such additional information data includes program guide, date, and time.

However, since the conventional digital TV does not include a broadcast program image or a function of displaying an important scene, a viewer cannot see an image of a previous screen. For example, let's take a look at a case in which the viewer leaves the room for a while while watching a broadcast program and then returns.

If a viewer watches a program with a drama or a movie, such as a movie, then leaves for a while for personal reasons and then returns, the viewer may not be able to watch the video of the program that was aired at the time when he was away. . Unlike other programs, dramas or movies are developed along a predetermined plot, and it is difficult for a viewer who is away to grasp the plot of a broadcast program.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a viewer with a rough plot of a broadcast program.

1 illustrates the structure of a transport stream;

2 is a diagram illustrating a process of extracting information from a transport stream;

3 illustrates a separated PES signal in a transport stream.

4 illustrates an encoder of the present invention.

5 illustrates a decoder of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation principle of the present invention.

Symbol description for main parts of drawing

100: representative image setting unit 200: representative image detection unit

210: Demux

The present invention is characterized by sampling a video of a digital broadcast program at a predetermined cycle and providing a sampled video to a viewer.

In the indexing method of the broadcast image according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, a part of the broadcast program images is set as a representative image (S10), a step of sequentially storing the representative image (S20), And outputting the representative image to the screen of the TV in sequence according to the user's request (S30) at predetermined intervals.

In order to implement the present invention, a broadcasting station for transmitting a broadcast program image including a representative image and a TV receiver for outputting the representative image are required. At this time, if the broadcasting station transmits the broadcast program image without setting the representative image, the TV receiver should set the representative image. That is, one of the broadcasting station and the TV receiver should include the function of setting the representative image.

Therefore, the system for implementing the broadcast image indexing method according to the present invention is an encoder for setting and outputting some images of the broadcast program image as the representative image, and stores the representative image set by the broadcasting station and displays the representative image at the user's request. It is configured to include a decoder to output. 4 shows an example in which the encoder is configured, and FIG. 5 shows an example in which the decoder is configured.

The encoder of the present invention has a structure in which a representative image setting unit 100 is separately installed in a basic MPEG-2 image encoder. The representative image setting unit 100 compares the previous frame with the current frame to determine whether to set the index frame, that is, the representative image. As a technique for setting an index frame, methods related to the MPEG-7 standard have been proposed, and thus the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The encoder of the present invention operates on the following principle.

Among the images of the broadcast program, the frame to be set as the representative image is set by the representative image setting unit 100 to the index flag of the transport stream. Then, the index flag is set to off for the remaining frames. The frame in which the index flag is set on is later detected by the TV receiver, stored in a separate frame memory, decoded according to a viewer's request, and output as a representative image. At this time, the encoder of the present invention may be operable to recognize the name of the current program from the broadcast program information and to store the representative image for each program name.

The decoder of the present invention has a structure in which a separate representative image detector 200 is installed to decode the representative image. The representative image detector 200 decodes a frame in which the index flag of the transport stream is set to on and outputs the representative image. The frame output as the representative image is stored in a separate frame memory, and when requested by the viewer, the frame is output from the frame memory and provided to the viewer through the TV screen.

The operation principle of the decoder is as follows.

The transport stream TS decoded into a channel desired by the viewer includes a video signal, an audio signal, and control data. The video PES information is detected from the transport stream TS through a demux 210 installed in the decoder of the present invention, and the representative video detector 200 of the present invention detects an index flag from the video PES information. Extract the frame with the index flag set on. The frame in which the index flag is set is output as the representative image at the request of the viewer. At this time, the decoder of the present invention may output a representative image for each broadcast program so that the viewer can determine the plot of the specific program.

The present invention may be implemented in various embodiments according to a method for setting a representative image or a subject.

(First embodiment)

A first embodiment of the present invention is characterized by setting a representative image in a broadcasting station for broadcasting a broadcast program. That is, the encoder of FIG. 4 is installed in a broadcasting station, and the decoder of FIG. 5 is installed in a TV receiver. Hereinafter, a method of indexing a broadcast program image and providing the indexed image to a viewer according to the first embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

The first embodiment of the present invention operates to include an index flag in the additional information of a frame to be set as the representative video when broadcasting information is transmitted from a broadcasting station, and detect the index flag on the receiving side. That is, the TV receiver decodes broadcast information and simultaneously detects an index flag included in additional information and stores a frame set as a representative image in a memory. This operation process is described in detail as follows.

First, the broadcasting station digitizes broadcast program image data, extracts a part of the image from the digitized image data, and sets the representative image. There are many ways to set the representative image, but setting the representative image under the currently developed digital broadcasting system sets the index flag indicating the representative image to the additional information transport stream of the extracted image data to on. It is the easiest way. Hereinafter, a transport stream having an index flag set to on will be called a representative video packet.

At this time, the image data to which the representative video packet is added, that is, the representative video data may be selected by selecting a frame that plays an important part in the plot of the broadcast program or by designating a frame at regular intervals. However, in order to select a frame that plays an important part in the plot of the program, the program production technician must add a representative video packet manually.

Thereafter, the digital TV receiver receives broadcast program video data and extracts representative video data from the received broadcast program video. The representative image data is sequentially stored in a separate memory. At this time, the TV receiver receives and stores the representative image data in chronological order. The representative image data is not stored indefinitely, but is limitedly stored according to the capacity of the memory. That is, if there is an empty space in which 100 image data can be stored in the memory, the first embodiment of the present invention maintains only 100 representative image data while deleting the oldest data among the representative image data stored in the memory. Let's do it.

If the TV viewer generates a predetermined request signal by operating the TV remote control or the keypad to watch the representative images while watching TV or when he is away from his / her seat, the TV receiver displays the representative image data stored in the memory. Output it to your viewers. At this time, the representative image data are sequentially output based on the order stored in the memory. The first embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the representative image data is output to the main screen region of the TV, but outputs the image data of a broadcast program broadcasted at the current time in the main screen region, and the representative image data It is preferable to output separately to the sub-screen area.

In addition, the TV receiver according to the first embodiment of the present invention outputs representative image data and continuously extracts and stores representative image data from the currently broadcasted program images. That is, the representative image data of a program that is broadcast during the time that the representative image data is output is stored in the memory.

If the representative image data is set at regular intervals, the period at which the representative image data is output should be faster than the period at which the representative image data is set. That is, if the representative image data is set every 1 minute, the cycle for outputting the representative image data should be faster than 1 minute. In general, if the representative image data is set by one frame every minute, it is preferable that the representative image data is outputted by one frame every 10 seconds.

To more effectively provide the viewer with the plot of the program is as follows.

First, the TV receiver according to the first embodiment continuously outputs the representative image data while simultaneously storing the representative image data for the time required for outputting all the stored representative image data from the time when the viewer requests the representative image data. Store in When all of the prestored representative image data are output, the representative image data newly stored in the memory are sequentially output. As described above, since the period in which the representative image data is output is faster than the period in which the representative image data is set, the time required for outputting the newly stored representative image data rather than the time required to output all the previously stored representative image data. This becomes shorter. When the most recent representative image data is output while repeating this process, the output of the representative image data is finished.

That is, when the most recently stored representative image data is output, the image of the broadcast program broadcasted at the present time is continuously output, and the TV receiver of the first embodiment of the present invention extracts and stores new representative image data. In other words, when the representative image data closest to the current time is output among the representative image data stored in the memory, the output of the representative image data ends.

It is preferable to set the unit of the representative image data to an image of one frame, but the unit may not be fixed but may be adjusted according to the environment or operation method of the system.

(Second embodiment)

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, a representative image is set in a TV receiver. That is, both the encoder and the decoder of FIG. 4 are installed in the TV receiver. Hereinafter, the broadcast program index method according to the second embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

The second embodiment of the present invention operates so that the representative video frame is set by the TV receiver itself when the representative video information is not transmitted from the broadcasting station, that is, when the representative video frame is not set by the broadcasting station. This operation process is described in detail as follows.

First, the TV receiver according to the second embodiment extracts some images from the images of the broadcast program received through the antenna and sets the representative image. The representative image is preferably set in units of one frame. At this time, if the broadcast station is set to transmit the representative image, it may be inefficient to set the representative image in fact the TV receiver. Therefore, the broadcast program indexing method according to the second embodiment is implemented when the representative video is not set by the broadcasting station, and when the representative video is transmitted by the broadcasting station, the function of setting the representative video is performed according to the viewer's selection. It is desirable to adjust whether or not.

The image set as the representative image is sequentially stored in the memory. Since this process is the same as in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

If the TV viewer generates a predetermined request signal by operating the TV remote control or the keypad to watch the representative images while watching TV or when he is away from his / her seat, the TV receiver displays the representative image data stored in the memory. Output it to your viewers. At this time, the representative image data are sequentially output based on the order stored in the memory. The second embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the representative image data is output to the main screen region of the TV, but outputs the image data of a broadcast program broadcasted at the current time in the main screen region, and the representative image data It is preferable to output separately to the sub-screen area.

In addition, the TV receiver according to the second embodiment of the present invention outputs the representative image data and continuously sets and stores the representative image data in the currently broadcasted program images. That is, the representative image data is continuously set among the program images that are broadcast during the time when the representative image data is output. The representative image data can be set by setting an index flag of transport stream data of the image to be set as the representative image in the image of the program.

At this time, if the representative image data is set at regular intervals, the period in which the representative image data is output should be faster than the period in which the representative image data is set. This is because when the representative image and the program image broadcasted at the present time are output at the same time, the representative image may be output while the viewer is watching the broadcast program only when the period in which the representative image data is output is earlier than the set period. If the period in which the representative image is set is faster than the period in which the representative image is output, the viewer is inconvenient to continuously watch the representative image that has passed along with the currently broadcasted program image.

To more effectively provide the viewer with the plot of the program is as follows.

First, the TV receiver according to the second embodiment continuously outputs the representative image data while the viewer receives the representative image data from the time when the viewer requests the representative image data. Set new representative image data and save it in memory. When all of the prestored representative image data are output, the representative image data newly stored in the memory are sequentially output. As described above, since the period in which the representative image data is output is faster than the period in which the representative image data is set, the time required for outputting the newly stored representative image data rather than the time required to output all the previously stored representative image data. This becomes shorter. When the most recent representative image data is output while repeating this process, the output of the representative image data is finished.

That is, when the most recently stored representative image data is output, the image of the broadcast program broadcasted at the present time is continuously output, and the TV receiver of the second embodiment of the present invention extracts and stores new representative image data. In other words, when the representative image data closest to the current time is output among the representative image data stored in the memory, the output of the representative image data ends.

In the second embodiment, since the representative image is set in the TV receiver, a program in which the representative image is not set in the broadcasting station can be provided to the viewer as compared to the first embodiment. It is preferable to set the unit of the representative image data to an image of one frame, but the unit may not be fixed but may be adjusted according to the environment or operation method of the system.

(Third embodiment)

A third embodiment of the present invention is a modification of the first embodiment and the second embodiment, characterized in that the representative image is stored for each broadcast program.

The operation of the third embodiment is as follows.

First, a TV receiver detects and stores broadcast program information transmitted by a broadcasting station for each broadcast program. At this time, by setting the name of the broadcast program that the viewer prefers to the TV receiver, the TV receiver according to the third embodiment may set a part of the video of the broadcast program that the viewer prefers as the representative image. The video frame set as the representative video is stored in a separately installed frame memory.

Then, if the viewer wants the representative video information of the broadcast program, the TV receiver extracts the representative video frame from the frame memory and implements it on the screen.

The program index method of the digital TV according to the present invention has an advantage of allowing the viewer to identify the plot of the program that has passed. Conventional TVs can not provide viewers with the program plot during the time the viewer is away without recording, but the TV to which the present invention is applied provides a part of the screen that passed by the viewer's request, so that separate recording Even without the device, it is effective to provide the viewer with the plot of the broadcast program that has passed to the viewer.

Claims (16)

Extracting some images from the broadcast program images and setting them as representative images, Storing the representative images sequentially and sequentially; And outputting the plurality of stored representative images on a television screen in sequence according to a predetermined request signal according to a predetermined request signal. The method of claim 1, wherein the one representative video is set in units of one frame. The TV program index method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of representative images are stored by a predetermined amount. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the plurality of representative images sequentially one by one is faster than a period of setting the representative image. The method of claim 1, wherein the representative images are output to the sub-screen area of the TV. The method of claim 5, wherein a broadcast program image broadcasted at a current time is output to a main screen region other than the sub-screen region of the TV. The method of claim 1, further comprising: setting a new representative image from among broadcast program images broadcasted at the current time while outputting the representative images in sequence; and And storing the new representative image. The broadcast program index of claim 7, further comprising outputting only an image of a broadcast program broadcasted at a current time when the representative image stored at a time closest to a current time is output among the representative images. Way. The method of claim 1, after setting the representative image of the broadcast program, transmitting all the broadcast program images including the representative image through a predetermined transmitter, and And receiving the transmitted broadcast program image via a predetermined receiving unit. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising extracting a representative image from the received broadcast program image. The method of claim 10, wherein extracting the representative image comprises: And extracting a transport stream including additional information representing a representative image from the broadcast program image. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of the representative image The TV program index method, characterized in that the step of selecting the image of one frame at a predetermined period to set the representative image. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of the representative image And selecting an image of a frame having a high weight according to the broadcast plot from among the program images and setting the image as a representative image. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting of the representative image Detecting a name of the broadcast program; TV program index method, characterized in that the step of setting the representative image for each broadcast program name. An image encoding unit encoding an image of a broadcast program, and And a representative image setting unit for setting an index flag to a representative image frame by setting an index flag on a transport stream of a portion of the encoded images. A video decoder which receives a broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcasting station and decodes a broadcast program image, and A representative image detector for detecting a representative image frame in which an index flag of a transport stream is set among the decoded images, and And a frame memory configured to store the representative video frame.