KR100374380B1 - Audio level automatic maintenance method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for automatically maintaining an audio level in which volume level data transmitted differently from various types of broadcasting stations are automatically adjusted to a constant volume whenever a channel is changed.

The disclosed automatic audio level maintenance method includes storing volume level data of a current broadcast channel and a volume value of a current viewing mode and searching for a channel change; Extracting the volume level data of the changed channel when the channel is changed to obtain a relative value with the volume level data of the previous channel; Up / down adjustment of the volume of the change channel by the relative value to maintain the volume level of the previous viewing mode.

Accordingly, there is an advantage in that the change of the volume appearing every time the broadcast channel is changed, and the inconvenience that the viewer must manually adjust the volume when changing the channel is excluded.

Description

Method and device for automatic audio level maintenance

The present invention relates to a method for automatically adjusting audio levels in a cable broadcasting, terrestrial broadcasting or satellite broadcasting receiving apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of changing various types of broadcasting channels in a receiving apparatus using a digital transmission method such as a high-definition television. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically maintaining an audio level for extracting volume level data having different levels for each broadcasting station, and automatically adjusting and maintaining the volume level of a previous viewing mode without a user's volume manipulation.

Recently, due to the rapid development of information media, information (data) has been shifted from the analog transmission to the digital transmission.

At this time, in response to a request to transmit more information within the same time, data is compressed and transmitted according to a data compression rule called 'MPEG'.

MPEG stands for Moving Picture Experts Group (International Standard for Integrated Video Compression), which is used for digital video encoding, compression, and multiplex / separation for common use in communications, broadcasting, storage media, and computers. It is a coding method standardized by ISO (International Organization for Standardization).

This MPEG compresses and transmits audio visuals, ie, audio signals, moving images, and still images at a high compression rate, thereby obtaining multi-channel and high-quality transmission effects in broadcasting, and reducing storage volume and low cost in storage media. It is possible to obtain the effect of recording the multimedia information in the storage media of the media, and in the communication media can be obtained the advantage of being able to perform the multimedia communication at a low price, has recently become a core technology of the multimedia era.

On the other hand, general television is standardized to process analog broadcast signals. As satellite broadcasting, cable broadcasting, terrestrial broadcasting, and other digital broadcasting methods are spreading, MPEG is used so that users can watch digital broadcasting signals through analog television. In order to convert the digital broadcast signal compressed and transmitted according to the regulations into an analog broadcast signal, a separate conversion device called a "digital set top box" is provided.

The digital set-top box converts a digital video signal such as a program provider or a service provider, that is, each terrestrial broadcasting station or cable broadcasting station and satellite broadcasting, such as cable television and satellite broadcasting, into an analog video signal and then outputs a signal to a television receiver. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As an apparatus for converting into a broadcast system capable of processing, it is rapidly spreading in recent years thanks to the desire of consumers to watch digital broadcast signals.

Therefore, each terrestrial broadcasting station, cable broadcasting station, and satellite broadcasting station, as is well known, converts and provides a program analog signal of a service into a digital signal.

This converted data is compressed by a predetermined compression method to convey a lot of information, and then transmitted to the subscriber side through the communication network.

The subscriber side is provided with the digital set-top box as described above, receives the transmitted digital data (video signal), converts it to an analog signal, and displays it on the color receiver.

In addition, in order to watch various types of broadcasting such as satellite broadcasting, terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting, and broadcasting of various countries, the level of audio is different from each other. You must do it.

As described above, there is a receiving apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 as an apparatus for processing a digital signal compressed and transmitted by each broadcasting station, cable broadcasting station, or satellite broadcasting station and displaying the same on the color receiving tube.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example of a digital broadcasting receiver according to the prior art.

The digital broadcasting receiver tunes a compressed hybrid carrier signal transmitted from various broadcasting stations and input through the input terminal 100 to the frequency of a corresponding channel and adjusts the amplitude of the tuned carrier signal. A satellite broadcast tuner 101 which changes in proportion to the magnitude of the phase shift modulated signal input from the outside, and removes mutual interference between the video signal and the audio signal among the tuned carriers and converts the phase shift modulated signal into a satellite broadcast tuner ( The diplexer 102 provided to the 104, the filter unit 105 for filtering the carrier signal input from the diplexer 104 to extract only the digital signal band, and the filtered extracted analog signal as a digital signal The analog-to-digital converter 106 converts and outputs the two signals, and the two digital signals having the same frequency and 90 degrees out of phase of the converted digital signal. Quadrature Ampliture Modulation (QAM) 107 that receives a wave signal and amplitude-modulates it into two discrete signals that can have finite values, and corrects errors caused by interference between adjacent channels. In order to correct the carrier data format modulated and input by the quadrature amplitude modulator 107 based on the surplus information, the automatic error correction unit 108 outputs a packet unit and a carrier wave input through the satellite broadcast tuner 101. In order to change the instantaneous phase is input through the quadrature phase shift modulator 102 and the automatic error correction unit 108 for supplying the phase shift modulated signal to the satellite broadcast tuner 101 through the diplexer 104 The video data and the audio data are restored according to the phase shift modulated signal of the quadrature shift modulator 102 and stored in the memory unit 110, and the original composite video signal and the audio signal are outputted. The MPEG processing unit 103 and the MPEG processing unit 103 convert the signals into an erroneous signal and supply them to the digital video disc player or digital V connected to the 1394 cable through the video output terminal 112 and the audio output terminal 113, respectively. And a high frequency modulator 109 which modulates the restored digital composite video signal and audio signal into a high frequency signal and provides it to a television receiver connected to a 1394 cable through an output terminal 111.

In the conventional digital broadcasting receiver configured as described above, as is well known, a digital video signal and an audio signal for a program are compressed and mixed in various types of broadcasting stations, for example, terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, or cable broadcasting station, so that an input terminal 100 is used. When inputted as a carrier signal through, the satellite tuner 101 tunes the compressed mixed carrier signal received through the input terminal 100 to the frequency of the corresponding channel and the amplitude of the tuned carrier signal will be described later. It is changed in proportion to the magnitude of the phase shift modulation signal of the quadrature phase shift modulator 102 to be.

The carrier signal of which the amplitude is changed through the satellite broadcast tuner 101 is supplied to the diplexer 104.

The diplexer 104 removes the mutual interference of the compressed video signal and the audio signal from the carrier signal tuned and input through the satellite broadcast tuner 101 and supplies the filter unit 105 to the filter unit 105. The phase shift modulated signal generated at 102 is supplied to the satellite broadcast tuner 101.

Meanwhile, the filter unit 105 filters the carrier signal input from the diplexer 104 to detect only the digital band, that is, the 450 MHz to 700 MHz band.

The carrier signal of the analog component detected by the filter unit 105 is converted into a digital signal through the analog / digital converter 106 and then supplied to the quadrature amplitude modulator 107.

The quadrature amplitude modulator 107 receives two digital carrier data having the same frequency from the analog-to-digital converter 106 and 90 degrees out of phase with each other, and amplitude modulates the two discrete signals into two discrete signals.

The carrier data modulated by the quadrature amplitude modulator 107 is corrected by an error generated by interference between adjacent channels in the automatic error correction unit 108 and supplied to the MPEG processor 103 as original video and audio packet data. .

On the other hand, in the quadrature phase shift modulator 102, a phase shift modulated signal is generated and supplied to the MPEG processor 103.

Therefore, the MPEG processor 103 synchronizes and restores the video data and the audio data input from the automatic error correcting unit 108 to the phase shift modulated signal of the quadrature phase shift modulating unit 102 and stores them in the memory unit 110. In addition, by processing the original composite video signal and the audio signal to each of the video output terminal 112 and the audio output terminal 113, and is also supplied to the high frequency modulator 109.

The high frequency modulator 109 modulates the composite video signal and the audio signal processed by the MPEG processor 103 into a high frequency signal, and then outputs the output terminal 111 and an IEEE 1394 (interface circuit) cable (not shown). By feeding it to a television receiver through the viewer, the viewer can watch digital broadcast through the color receiver, and the audio signal can be outputted and listened to by the speaker of the television receiver.

The composite video signal and the audio signal outputted to the video output terminal 112 and the audio output terminal 113 are supplied to a digital video disc player or digital VR via a 1394 cable (not shown) and recorded on the magnetic recording medium. do.

On the other hand, when the viewer changes the channel to watch another broadcast program among various types of broadcasts, that is, a satellite broadcast, a terrestrial broadcast, or a cable broadcast, it is output to the speaker of the television receiver through a 1394 cable. When the level of the audio signal is suddenly increased or decreased, the level of audio transmitted from various types of broadcasting stations, such as satellite broadcasting, terrestrial broadcasting, and cable broadcasting, is different from each other.

Therefore, the viewer can adjust the volume by using the remote controller in order to maintain the volume level before changing the channel.

In the above-mentioned conventional digital broadcasting receiver, as is well known, when the transmitted broadcast signal is a digital signal, it is received and separated, and the video signal is displayed on the color receiver of the television receiver, and the audio signal is a speaker. You can see that the output can be viewed and watched.

However, various levels of broadcasting such as satellite broadcasting, terrestrial broadcasting, and cable broadcasting, and volume level data are transmitted differently from broadcasting stations of various countries. When the channel is changed for viewing, the level of the audio signal suddenly increases or decreases.

Therefore, the viewer has an inconvenient problem of manually adjusting the volume manually using a remote controller or a set operation panel to maintain the audio level before changing the channel every time the channel of the digital broadcasting receiver is changed.

Accordingly, the present invention eliminates the inconvenience of having to adjust according to the broadcasting station transmission level and manually adjust the volume level every time the channel is changed in the above-described prior art, and as one aspect of the present invention, from various types of broadcasting stations It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for automatically maintaining an audio level for detecting volume level data transmitted and automatically adjusting the volume level data to a predetermined volume.

In another aspect of the present invention, an object of the present invention is to automatically maintain a constant audio level with a difference between a volume state of a current viewing mode and a volume state of a previous channel when a channel is changed.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a volume level data including the volume level data when the broadcast signal is transmitted by various types of broadcasting stations.

1 is a block diagram showing a digital broadcasting receiver according to the prior art,

2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment provided in the description of an audio level automatic maintaining apparatus of a digital broadcasting receiver according to the present invention;

3 is a signal flowchart illustrating a method of automatically maintaining an audio level in the digital broadcasting receiver according to FIG.

4 is a diagram illustrating an audio level state generally specified by the 1394 standard of the IEEE.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

101: satellite broadcast tuner 102: quadrature phase shifter

103: MPEG processing unit 104: Diplexer

200: volume level data extraction unit 201: microprocessor

202: channel memory 203: audio amplifier

Audio level automatic maintenance method according to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object,

(1) extracting volume level data included in broadcast data received from a current broadcast channel;

(2) storing the extracted volume level data and the volume value of the current viewing mode and retrieving whether a channel has been changed;

(3) extracting volume level data by receiving broadcast data for the changed channel when the channel is changed;

(4) obtaining a difference value from the volume level data of the previous channel and the volume level data of the change channel;

(5) adjusting the volume of the change channel with the obtained difference value to maintain the volume of the previous viewing mode.

Preferably, the volume of the change channel is adjusted up / down by the difference between the volume level data of the previous channel and the volume level data of the change channel.

Audio level automatic maintenance device according to another aspect of the present invention for achieving the above objects,

In the digital broadcasting receiver for eliminating various types of broadcast signals through a satellite broadcast tuner and a diplexer, and processing the received video signals and audio signals through an MPEG processing means and supplying them to a television receiver.

(1) extracting means for extracting volume level data from the broadcast signal of the current channel received through the diplexer;

(2) a memory for storing the volume level data of the current channel and the volume level value for the current channel obtained by the volume level data extracting means;

(3) A microcomputer that obtains a difference value between the volume level data of the change channel and the volume level data of the previous channel stored in the memory when changing the channel, and adds or subtracts the volume value stored in the memory according to the obtained difference value. A processor; And

(4) audio amplifying means for supplying to a television receiver by adjusting the level of the audio signal processed by the MPEG processing means in accordance with the added and subtracted values obtained by the microprocessor.

Preferably, the volume level data for the current change channel is stored in the memory as the volume level data of the previous channel so as to obtain a relative value with the volume level data for the current change channel during a subsequent channel change. It is done.

In this way, the volume level data of the current channel included in the broadcast signal and transmitted is extracted through the volume level data extracting means, and the volume level data value of the extracted current channel, and the volume level data of the previous channel stored in the memory. After getting the relative value of, we can see that the volume for the current channel is adjusted up / down by that relative value.

As a result, various types of broadcasting volume levels are detected and the volume is automatically adjusted every time the channel is changed, thereby eliminating the phenomenon of volume change when the broadcasting channel is changed, and the viewer must manually adjust the volume every time the channel is changed. There is an advantage that discomfort is excluded.

And, there may be a plurality of embodiments of the present invention, the following will be described in detail for the most preferred embodiment.

Through this preferred embodiment, it is possible to better understand the objects, features and advantages of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of an audio level automatic maintenance apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In addition, the technology of the present invention can be applied to various receivers capable of receiving and watching terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting and cable broadcasting.

Thus, FIG. 2 used in the description is not a specific broadcast receiving apparatus, but various types of sound level data included in various types of broadcast signals can be detected to automatically adjust and view the volume of the current channel according to the volume of the previous channel. The drawing focuses on the receiving apparatus of.

In addition, in the drawing used for description, about the component same as FIG. 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected, and the overlapping description may be abbreviate | omitted.

In addition, hereinafter, an example applied to a digital broadcasting receiver capable of receiving satellite broadcasting and cable broadcasting will be considered.

2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment provided in the description of an audio level automatic maintenance apparatus of a digital broadcasting receiver according to the present invention.

According to the present embodiment, the input terminal 100 and the satellite broadcast tuner 101 and the diplexer 104 are tuned to the frequency of the corresponding channel and the mutual interference of the video signal and the audio signal is removed at the frequency of the corresponding channel. After the filter is processed, the filter 105, the analog-to-digital converter 106, the quadrature amplitude modulation unit 107, the automatic error correction unit 108, and the MPEG processing unit 103 are processed and supplied to a television receiver or a recording medium. In a digital broadcast receiver:

A volume level extracting unit 200 having different volume level data from various types of broadcasting stations and extracting the volume level data from a carrier signal received and input through the satellite broadcasting tuner 101 and the diplexer 104; And a channel memory 202 for storing volume level data of the extracted current broadcast channel and a volume level value set by a viewer by operating a remote controller in the broadcast channel, and an operation panel provided in the remote controller or set. It is determined whether or not to change the channel according to the operation of, and each time the channel is changed, the relative value K is obtained by using the previous volume level data stored in the channel memory 202 and the volume level data of the changed channel. In the microprocessor 201 and the microprocessor 201 to subtract and output the volume level value stored in the channel memory 202 according to Computed value as to amplify the audio signal that is input is restored from the MPEG processing section 103 is composed of an audio output terminal the audio amplifier unit 203 through 113 supplied to the television set or a high-frequency modulator (109).

3 is a signal flow diagram illustrating an embodiment provided to explain an audio level automatic maintaining method according to FIG. 2.

According to the present embodiment, the audio level value of the broadcasting channel currently being watched is input through the volume level data extracting unit 200 and the volume level value for the current viewing mode is received and stored in the channel memory 201. (ST100), retrieving whether or not the channel is changed from the operation panel or the remote controller attached to the set (ST101), and when the channel is changed, the volume level data of the changed channel through the volume level data extracting unit 200. Detecting (ST102), obtaining a relative value (K) between the stored volume level data of the previous channel and the volume level data of the changed channel (ST103), and whether the obtained relative value (K) is equal to or less than a predetermined value; (Step ST105, ST108) and comparing the steps (ST104, ST106) with the relative value to the volume level value stored in the channel memory 202 according to the result of the comparison (ST105, ST108). be made of .

In the automatic audio level maintaining apparatus according to the present invention, the operation for removing the volume change occurring every time the channel is changed and automatically maintaining the volume at a constant volume regardless of the channel change is as follows.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, while watching a broadcast signal for a current channel through a television receiver, the microprocessor 201 detects the volume level data for the current channel from the volume level data extractor 200, which will be described later. The volume level value for the current channel set by the viewer is read and stored in the channel memory 202 through the remote controller or the operation panel.

In other words, after the carrier signal of the broadcasting station for the channel currently being watched is passed through the satellite broadcast tuner 101 and the mutual interference of the audio signal and the video signal is removed from the diplexer 104, the filter unit 105 described above. ) And the audio level extraction unit 200.

The audio level extractor 200 extracts volume level data as shown in FIG. 4 from a carrier signal of a corresponding broadcast channel input through the diplexer 104.

That is, the volume level data as shown in FIG. 4 is included in the carrier signal of various types of broadcasting stations and transmitted.

Therefore, the volume level data extractor 200 described above extracts the volume level data from the input carrier signal and stores the volume level data in the microprocessor 201.

The microprocessor 201 stores the volume level data extracted by the volume level data extractor 200 in the channel memory 202 and also has a volume level value for the current channel set by the viewer through the remote controller or the operation panel. Is read and stored in the channel memory 202 (step ST100).

Thereafter, whether the channel is changed from the remote controller or the operation panel is searched (step ST101), and if there is a channel change, the volume level data as shown in FIG. 4 for the changed channel extracted by the volume level data extractor 200 is read. (Step; ST102).

In this way, the microprocessor 201 reading the volume level data for the changed channel reads the volume level data of the previous channel stored in the channel memory 202 again to obtain a relative value K through these two values (step). ST103).

That is, the relative value is obtained by subtracting the volume level data of the change channel from the volume level data value of the previous channel.

For example, the volume level data of the previous channel (channel number 9) is '10' and the value of the volume set by the user for the previous channel is '7', and when the channel is changed, the changed channel (channel number. If the volume level data of 11) is '13', the output level is larger than the previous channel, so that the audio signal output to the television receiver becomes large despite the volume being the same.

Therefore, in order to prevent this, the volume level data '13' of the current channel, that is, the change channel ('13') is subtracted ('10 -13 ') from the volume level data' 10 'of the previous channel, and the relative value (K =- Obtain 3).

In this way, the relative value K is obtained, and then it is searched whether the relative value K is equal to or less than zero (steps ST104 and ST105).

If the relative value K is zero (0), that is, there is no difference between the volume level data of the previous channel and the volume level data of the change channel, the volume level value '7' stored in the channel memory 202 is changed. If the relative value K is zero or less ('0'), the volume of the change channel is loud and the volume level value '7' is set as much as the relative value K. In step S108, the audio amplifier 203 is provided.

In addition, if the relative value K is equal to or greater than zero (0), the sound of the change channel is small, so that the volume level value '7' is increased by the relative value K (step ST107). Provided at 203.

The audio amplifying unit 203 changes the amplification degree by the volume value adjusted by the microprocessor 201 so that the audio for the changed channel among the video signal VD and the audio signal AD reconstructed from the MPEG processing unit 103 described above. By amplifying the signal AD and providing it to the television receiver via the audio output terminal 113, an audio signal of the same level as the volume level data of the previous channel is output from the speaker of the television receiver.

On the other hand, as a comparative example, unlike the prior art, that is, the viewer must manually adjust the volume in order to maintain the volume level data before the channel change at every channel change, the present invention provides various types of broadcasting at every channel change. The volume level data can be detected and automatically maintained at the previously set volume level.

As a result, according to the present invention, by automatically adjusting the volume every time the channel is changed, the change of the volume appearing when the broadcasting channel is changed is eliminated, and the inconvenience of manually adjusting the volume every time the channel is changed by the viewer is minimized. You can.

According to this application example, the volume change generated every time the channel is changed and the inconvenience of manually operating the volume is eliminated, resulting in improved product reliability.

In addition, although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated above, it is obvious that the present invention may be variously modified and implemented by those skilled in the art.

Such modified embodiments should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or the prospect of the present invention, and such modified embodiments should fall within the appended claims of the present invention.

It is clear from the above description that according to the method and apparatus for automatically maintaining the audio level according to the present invention, the relative value between the volume level data of the current channel and the volume level data of the previous channel which is included in the broadcast signal and transmitted is obtained. By automatically adjusting the volume up / down for the current channel, the volume change that occurs every time the channel is changed is eliminated, and the inconvenience of having to manually adjust the volume every time the channel is changed is eliminated. It works.

Claims (6)

(1) extracting volume level data included in broadcast data received from a current broadcast channel; (2) storing the extracted volume level data and the volume value of the current viewing mode and searching for channel change; (3) extracting volume level data by receiving broadcast data for the changed channel when the channel is changed; (4) obtaining a difference value from the volume level data of the previous channel and the volume level data of the change channel; And (5) adjusting the volume of the changed channel with the obtained difference value to maintain the volume of the previous viewing mode. The method of claim 1, And adjusting the volume level of the change channel up / down by a difference between the volume level data of the previous channel and the volume level data of the change channel. The method of claim 1, Storing the volume level data of the current change channel as the volume level data of the previous channel so as to obtain a relative value with the volume level data of the current change channel during a subsequent channel change. Maintenance method. A digital broadcasting receiver for receiving various types of broadcast signals through a satellite broadcast tuner and a diplexer, and processing the received broadcast signals through MPEG processing means to supply them to a television receiver. (1) extracting means for extracting volume level data contained in a broadcast signal of a current channel received through the diplexer; (2) a memory for storing the volume level data of the current channel and the volume level value for the current channel obtained by the volume level data extracting means; (3) A microcomputer that obtains a difference value between the volume level data of the change channel and the volume level data of the previous channel stored in the memory when changing the channel, and adds or subtracts the volume value stored in the memory according to the obtained difference value. A processor; And And (4) an audio amplifying means for supplying to a television receiver by up / down adjusting the volume value of the audio signal processed by the MPEG processing means in accordance with the acceleration and deceleration value obtained by the microprocessor. The method of claim 4, wherein The microprocessor obtains a difference between the volume level data of the previous channel and the volume level data of the change channel, and changes the amplification degree of the audio amplification means by the difference value to adjust the volume level value for the changed channel up / down. Audio level automatic maintenance device characterized in that. The method of claim 4, wherein The microprocessor stores the volume level data for the current change channel in the memory as the volume level data of the previous channel so as to obtain a relative value with the volume level data for the current change channel in the subsequent channel change. An audio level automatic maintenance device.