KR100554103B1 - Broadcasting receiving equipment, digital broadcasting network and method for providing broadcasting service - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a broadcast receiving device, a digital broadcast network and a method for providing a broadcast service. In particular, the broadcast receiving apparatus includes a receiver for receiving and converting a broadcast signal into broadcast data, a storage for storing data, a controller for extracting output data from broadcast data, an input for converting subscriber input into input data, and an output signal for output data. And an output unit for outputting an output signal to a subscriber. The control unit also generates return data by including return information data in the input data and the broadcast data. In addition, the broadcast receiving apparatus further includes a mobile communication unit for converting the return data into a mobile communication signal in order to transmit the return data to the receiver through the mobile communication network. With this configuration, it is possible to ensure the mobility of the subscriber receiver and to provide an interactive broadcast service through a low cost real time return network.

Description

BROADCASTING RECEIVING EQUIPMENT, DIGITAL BROADCASTING NETWORK AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING BROADCASTING SERVICE}

The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving apparatus, and more particularly, to a broadcast receiving apparatus for forming a return network through a mobile communication network.

First, terms used in the present specification are defined as follows. "Broadcast service provider" means a facility and operation entity that provides a broadcast program to subscribers, and a "mobile communication service provider" means a facility and operation that provides a mobile communication service using a method such as CDMA, GSM, etc. The term "subscriber receiver" means a subscriber by receiving a broadcast signal regardless of its name, such as a set-top box (STB), integrated receiver & decoder (IRD), or DVB-MHP (Digital Video Broadcasting-Multimedia Home Platform). Means a generic term for means that can be output to.

"Broadcast signal" means a signal received by a broadcast receiving apparatus, and in the case of satellite broadcasts, generally means a broadcast signal carried on a carrier of 11 to 12 GHz. "Broadcast data" means a digital signal obtained by modulating a broadcast signal. "Output data" refers to data that is directly output from the broadcast data to a subscriber, and generally refers to streaming data such as video PES (packetized elementary stream) and audio PES of digital broadcasting. The "output signal" refers to a signal obtained by converting output data into a form suitable for actually outputting to a subscriber. An example is an electrical signal for outputting voice output data to a subscriber through a speaker. "Reply information data" means data forming part of broadcast data, and means data forming part of return data, such as reception side information for designating a receiving side when a subscriber transmits return data. The "input signal" refers to a signal generated by an input for the subscriber to operate the broadcast receiving apparatus, and the "input data" refers to data obtained by converting the input signal into a digital signal of a type suitable for processing by the broadcast receiving apparatus.

Conventional broadcast service subscribers have been provided with a broadcast service using a broadcast receiving apparatus that receives a broadcast signal from a broadcast transmitting station through a wireless channel or a wired channel. By the way, the broadcast receiving apparatus includes only a receiving means for receiving a signal of a broadcasting transmitting station without a separate transmitting means, thereby providing only one-way service from the broadcasting transmitting station to the broadcasting receiving apparatus and providing a bidirectional service between the broadcasting receiving apparatus and the broadcasting transmitting station. I do not receive.

Recently, various broadcasting services have been provided according to the development of broadcasting communication technology. In the case of digital satellite broadcasting, home shopping is made possible by using the characteristic that various contents including video and sound are provided in the form of streaming data. Efforts are being made to conveniently provide interactive services such as, distance learning, home banking, real-time voting, interactive games, and Pay Per View (PPV). Currently, the return network of the satellite broadcasting receiver for the bidirectional service that is currently proposed uses a wired communication network such as a PSTN and a cable network.

However, a broadcast receiving device using a wired communication network as a return network has the following problems. First, since the mobility of the broadcast receiving apparatus cannot be guaranteed because the physical connection with the wired communication network is maintained, it is difficult to implement a subscriber station that can be mounted on a mobile body such as a vehicle or a ship. Second, since the return traffic of the satellite broadcasting receiver is usually only tens or hundreds of bps, and is data that is transmitted in bursts according to the subscriber's choice, not the streaming data, it is actually transmitted when connected to the wired network continuously during the broadcast application. The subscriber has to bear heavy communication fee due to occupying the communication line unnecessarily compared to the amount of data.In case of new connection at every return data occurrence, PSTN sets up DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) and pulse dialing. Real-time interactive services can be established through line monitoring, which uses dialing, on-hook, and off-hook status to determine the state of the mode, typically requiring more than five seconds. Not suitable for provision

The present invention is to solve the above problems, a broadcast receiving device, a broadcast system, and a broadcast using a mobile communication network as a return network to ensure the mobility of the broadcast receiving device, and can be provided with a low communication cost and real-time interactive services The purpose is to provide a service providing method.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast receiving apparatus further includes a remote controller with a telephone function, and the broadcast data includes a reply telephone number associated with a broadcast program output to the user, and the subscriber at least responds. It is an object of the present invention to provide a broadcast receiving apparatus and a broadcasting system that can attempt to make a call through a mobile communication network to the reply telephone number with a simple input rather than directly inputting a telephone number.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mobile communication service provider receives broadcast by identifying whether the access probe is received and the base station that has received the access probe through an access probe signal periodically generated through the mobile communication unit. By providing a broadcast service provider with on / off status of a device and location information of a broadcast receiving device, a subscriber can efficiently manage a subscriber and provide a broadcast system and a broadcast service providing method for providing intelligent broadcasting based on a subscriber's current location. The purpose is to provide.

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In order to achieve the above object, the broadcast receiving apparatus according to the present invention includes a receiver for receiving a broadcast signal and converting it into broadcast data, a storage for storing data, a controller for extracting output data from the broadcast data, and a subscriber input. And an input unit for converting the input signal into an input signal, an I / O interface unit for converting the output data into an output signal, and an output unit for outputting the output signal to a subscriber.

The control unit may further include a function of generating return data including reply information data among the input data and the broadcast data; The broadcast receiving device may further include a mobile communication unit for converting the return data into a mobile communication signal in order to deliver the return data to a receiver through a mobile communication network.

In addition, in the digital broadcasting system according to the present invention, there is provided a broadcast service provider for providing broadcast data, a transmission device for converting and transmitting the broadcast data into a broadcast signal, and a broadcast reception device for receiving the broadcast signal and outputting it to a subscriber. The broadcast receiving apparatus may further include a mobile communication unit capable of communicating with a mobile communication network, and the broadcast receiving apparatus and the broadcast service provider may be connected through a mobile communication service provider.

Finally, the broadcast service providing method according to the present invention using a broadcast receiving device capable of receiving broadcast data from a broadcast service provider and accessing a mobile communication network, determines whether the broadcast receiving device receives the broadcast data and is an interactive request signal. In response to the interactive request signal, the first step of receiving the input of the subscriber to generate the return data to transmit the return data to the mobile communication network; Determining whether the broadcast data is a subscriber management signal, and when the subscriber data is a subscriber management signal, generating return data based on request information and transmitting the return data to a mobile communication network; And a third step of determining whether the broadcast receiving device is a subscriber output signal and outputting the subscriber output signal to a subscriber when the subscriber determination signal is a subscriber determination signal.

The above and other objects and features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram showing a broadcast system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing a broadcast receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a block diagram illustrating a remote controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a broadcast service providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

1 is a block diagram of a broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to satellite broadcasting. The broadcasting system includes a broadcast service provider domain consisting of a broadcast service provider 10, a transmitting device 12, and a satellite 14, and a subscriber domain consisting of a broadcast receiving device 20 including a mobile communication unit 22, and mobile communication. The mobile communication network 30 includes a service provider (not shown), a mobile switching center (MSC), a home location register (HLR) 32, and a base station.

The broadcast service provider 10 converts the broadcast program to be provided to the subscriber into a broadcast signal through the transmitting station 12 and transmits it to the satellite 14 (42), and the subscriber receiver 20 transmits the broadcast signal to the satellite 14. Receive via 42. In addition, if there is data to be transmitted to the broadcast service provider 10, the subscriber receiver 20 generates return data and transmits the return data to the mobile communication network 30 through the mobile communication unit 22 (44). The mobile communication network 30 is connected to the broadcast service provider 10, but may be wirelessly connected like a general mobile communication terminal, but receives return data transmitted from a plurality of broadcast receiving apparatuses 20 and secures them. In order to improve the performance and receive additional information from the mobile communication service provider, it is preferable to be connected through a separate communication network such as an optical transmission path (46).

In addition, the return data from the broadcast receiving apparatus is not necessarily routed to the broadcast service provider, but may be routed to a program provider (PP: not shown) if necessary. For example, when the program provider provides a separate home shopping service, the return data is routed to the program provider through the wireless communication network 30.

2 is a block diagram showing a broadcast receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The broadcast receiver includes a receiver 110, a controller 120, an I / O interface 130, a memory 150, an output 132, and an input unit 134 in the same manner as a conventional broadcast receiver. It further comprises a mobile communication unit 160 for connecting with the return network.

The operation of the broadcast receiving apparatus is as follows. The broadcast data provided by the broadcast service provider 10 is modulated into a broadcast signal through the transmitter 12 and transmitted to the receiver. The receiver 110 restores the broadcast signal in the form of streaming data suitable for processing by the controller through down-converting, demodulation, error correction, and decoding in the same manner as the receiver of the conventional broadcast receiver. Since the receiver 110 may be implemented by a conventional technique, a detailed description of the operation will be omitted.

In the broadcast data, output data is extracted from the controller 120, and when reply information data is included, reply information data is stored in the memory unit 150. The output data is converted from the I / O interface unit 130 into an output signal suitable for processing by the output unit 132 and output through the output unit 132 (in case of video data through a screen and in case of audio data). Through the subscriber).

In this case, the subscriber may input a user operation through an input unit 134 such as an operation panel, a keyboard, a pointing device, or a remote controller provided in the broadcast receiving device. The user operation input through the input unit may first be an operation for generating an input signal for controlling the broadcast receiving apparatus such as channel selection, and secondly, if the broadcast data supports the interactive function, the subscriber's selection (eg For example, an order for a home shopping product, a vote for a specific matter) may be an operation for creating return data.

The operation of the subscriber is converted into an input signal such as an electrical signal through the input unit 134, and the input signal is converted into input data through the I / O interface unit 130 and transmitted to the control unit 120. In response to the interactive function, the controller 120 generates return data using input data by a subscriber's input and reply information data stored in the memory unit 150. Preferably, when the return data includes only brief information, it may be converted into data in SMS format defined by a mobile communication protocol supported by the mobile communication unit 160 such as CDMA and GSM. In addition, to identify which broadcast receiving device 20 returns data, the return data may include a telephone number assigned to the mobile communication unit 160, a MAC address assigned to the broadcast receiving device 20, an identification number assigned to a subscriber, or the like. Any one of the combinations may be included in the return data as an identifier.

The return data is converted into a mobile communication signal suitable for the mobile communication network 30 through the mobile communication unit 160 and provided. As described above, the return data is routed to the broadcast service provider 10 or the program provider according to the reply information included in the reply information data. The mobile communication unit 160 has the same or similar configuration as a general mobile communication modem.

Preferably, the mobile communication unit 160 includes a function of transmitting and receiving e-mail data through the mobile communication network 30, and transmits the e-mail input through the input unit 134 to the mobile communication network 30, The e-mail may be received through the mobile communication network 30 and output to the subscriber through the output unit 132.

3 is a block diagram showing an I / O interface unit 130 and a remote controller 134 according to an embodiment of the present invention having a remote controller 134 with a telephone function. The broadcast receiving device 20 according to the present invention includes a mobile communication unit 160, and a remote controller 134 with a telephone function to provide a subscriber with a telephone service using a mobile communication network through the mobile communication unit 160. ) May be provided. The mobile communication unit remote controller 134 includes an IR transmitter 180, a near field communication I / O 182, an input unit 186, a speaker 184, and a microphone 183, and the I / O interface unit 130. ) Is composed of an IR receiver 172 and a near field communication I / O 174.

The input unit 186 is composed of various button-keys, and is provided for operation of the subscriber receiving apparatus 20 by the subscriber or preparation of input data on which the return data is based. The IR transmitter 180 of the remote controller 134 and the IR receiver 172 of the I / O interface 130 are mainly used to relay a user input through the input unit 186 to the controller.                 

Microphone 183 and speaker 184 are used for the subscriber's call. The near field communication I / O 174,182 is used to transmit and receive voice data between the remote controller 134 and the subscriber receiver 20 when the subscriber makes a telephone call. Such short range wireless communication may use any one of various methods such as Bluetooth, IrDA, Wireless LAN, etc., and should ensure data transmission rate capable of supporting voice communication and data transmission within a normal remote controller usable distance. In this case, a signal of the input unit 186 may be transmitted to the I / O interface unit using short-range wireless communication I / O. In this case, the IR receiver 172 and the IR transmitter 180 may be omitted.

More preferably, the broadcast service provider 10 includes the reply telephone number associated with the broadcast program in the reply information data in the broadcast data and transmits it to the subscriber, and the remote controller 134 directly inputs at least the reply telephone number. With a simpler subscriber input, the mobile communication unit 160 may attempt to call the call back number. For example, if a home shopping program introduces a product that requires a detailed technical description, the broadcast service provider 10 includes a reply phone number of a person in charge who will explain this information in advance in the broadcast data, so that each broadcast receiving device 20 ), The broadcast receiving device 20 stores the reply telephone number in the memory unit 150, and the subscriber who deems that a detailed description of the product is necessary has a predetermined key (telephone) of the remote controller 134. By pressing the connection key) once, the mobile communication unit 160 attempts to make a call to the reply telephone number stored in the memory unit 150, thereby connecting a call between the subscriber and the explanation manager. Since the memory unit 150 of the subscriber receiving apparatus 20 automatically stores the reply telephone number included in each broadcast data, the subscriber sends a reply telephone number for each program when the subscriber makes a query related to the broadcast currently being viewed. By pressing a predetermined key once without the need for memorizing or inputting, it is possible to provide an effect of conveniently talking to the person in charge.

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According to another embodiment of the present invention, the mobile communication service provider may identify the currently operating broadcast receiving device 20 and provide the identified information to the broadcast service provider 10. The mobile communication unit 160 periodically transmits an access probe signal to the mobile communication network base station 30 for registering its current location in the HLR 32 of the mobile switching center (MSC), similar to a general mobile communication terminal. When the mobile communication unit 160 operates in conjunction with the power of the broadcast receiving device 20, the broadcast receiving device 20 including the mobile communication unit 160, which receives the access probe signal, may be regarded as having turned on the power. As such, the broadcast service provider 10 may receive such information from the mobile communication service provider and perform efficient subscriber management.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the mobile communication service provider grasps the location information of the currently operating broadcast receiving device 20 and provides the location information to the broadcast service provider 20, the broadcast service provider 20 May selectively provide broadcast data corresponding to the position information of the broadcast receiving device 20 for each corresponding broadcast receiving device 20. That is, since the broadcast service provider 20 provides the broadcast service provider 20 with real-time or periodic location information of each broadcast receiving device 20 from the HLR 32 of the mobile communication network 30, the broadcast service provider ( 20 may provide location-related services, for example, navigation information and local information for the mobile broadcast receiving apparatus, and subdivide necessary weather information and advertisement for each region to the subscriber. Intelligent broadcast services that can be provided can be implemented.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a broadcast service providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The broadcast service providing method according to the present invention is largely divided into three stages. The first is the processing step when the broadcast data is the interactive request signal, the second is the processing step when the broadcast data is the interest and management signal, and the third is the processing step when the broadcast data is the subscriber output data. This will be described in detail below.

First, the broadcast receiving device 20 goes through a first step of receiving broadcast data (S20). The received signal may use airwaves as in a general TV broadcast, a signal transmitted from a satellite broadcast such as satellite broadcast, or a signal received through a cable network such as cable broadcast.

Next, it is determined whether the broadcast data is the interactive request signal, and if the interactive request signal is the second step of performing an interactive signal processing process (S30). The interactive request signal refers to a signal for distinguishing an interactive broadcast capable of receiving a user's input from among broadcast contents, or a signal for enabling the user's input. For example, a signal including data for voting, polling, interactive movies, and games for returning an order through the broadcast receiving device 20 of the home shopping broadcasting program as the return data or requesting the user's input to the user's input. Means.

Next, when the received broadcast data is not the interactive request signal as a result of the determination in the second step (S30), it is determined whether the broadcast data is a subscriber management signal, and if the subscriber management signal is a third subscriber signal processing process; Go through the step (S40). The subscriber management signal is a signal for identifying the operation state of the broadcast receiving device 20 regardless of the broadcast program currently being viewed. Unlike the interactive request signal, the broadcast receiving device 20 returns itself without waiting for subscriber input. Signal to request to generate and return data.

Next, when it is determined that the third step S40 is not a subscriber management signal, the fourth step of outputting broadcast data to the subscriber is performed (S70). This signal is a general broadcast signal and operates in the same manner as the conventional broadcast receiver 20 receives a broadcast signal. That is, the video signal is transmitted to the subscriber through the speaker of the broadcast receiving device 20 on the screen of the broadcast receiving device 20.

However, in the above-described interactive signal processing, after the fifth step (S35) of waiting for subscriber input, the sixth step (S60) of generating return data including the subscriber input, and transmitting the return data through the mobile communication network It consists of seven steps (S60). As described above, subscriber input is performed by the input unit 134, return data generation by the control unit 120, and return data transmission by the mobile communication unit 160.

For example, when the interactive request signal includes data for home shopping service, the subscriber input of the fifth step S35 is an input for purchasing product selection, and the sixth and seventh steps S50 and S60 of the subscriber input. The return data may include information about the subscriber input and the product to be purchased, and if the interactive request signal includes data for voting, polling, interactive movie, and game requiring the subscriber's selection, the fifth step ( The subscriber input of S35) is an input for selecting a subscriber, and the return data of the sixth and seventh stages may include information about the subscriber's input and the selected item.

Similarly, the subscriber management signal processing process includes an eighth step (S50) of generating return data including information required by the subscriber management signal, and a ninth step (S60) of transmitting the return data through the mobile communication network. do. For example, when the subscriber management signal is a signal requesting information about a channel that the subscriber is currently watching or a channel watched for a predetermined period of time, the return data of the eighth and ninth steps S50 and S60 may be determined by the subscriber. It may include information about the channel currently being watched or the channel watched for a certain period of time.                 

Preferably, the broadcast receiving device 20 further includes a telephone function, and the interactive request signal is a reply call request signal, and when the reply call number information is included, the subscriber input of the fifth step (S35) is a call back call number. Is an input for making a call with a simple reply telephone rather than inputting at least a reply telephone number, and the return data of step 7 (S50, S60) is data for requesting a telephone connection to the reply telephone number through the mobile communication network. Can be. Since the operation related to this has already been described in connection with FIG. 3, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

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As described above, according to the broadcast receiving apparatus, the digital broadcasting network, and the broadcasting service providing method according to the present invention, as in the broadcasting technology having a conventional return network, an interactive service can be provided to a subscriber and the mobile network can be returned to a mobile communication network. Because it does not require a separate physical connection for the return network, it is easy to install the broadcasting receiver, guarantees mobility for vehicle and ship mounting, and can transmit a small amount of burst data in real time at low cost. That has a remarkable effect.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast receiving apparatus uses a remote controller equipped with a telephone function, and includes a reply telephone number in the broadcast data, so that the subscriber can search for and directly enter a related telephone number for each program. It is easy to connect the phone call related to the program.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the broadcast service provider may increase the convenience of subscriber management by receiving the ON / OFF status and location information of the subscriber receiver from the mobile communication service provider, and provide the intelligent broadcast service to the subscriber. There is an effect that can be provided.

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According to another embodiment of the present invention, since the broadcast service provider may identify a broadcast program watched by each broadcast receiving apparatus for the current or a predetermined period of time through the subscriber network through the subscriber management signal for the viewer rating survey, the service provider survey ratings. For this purpose, it is possible to conveniently perform rating surveys without the need for a separate telephone survey or a separate rating system.

In addition, preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed for the purpose of illustration, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications, changes, additions, etc. within the spirit and scope of the present invention, such modifications and modifications belong to the scope of the claims You will have to look.

Claims (20)

In the broadcast receiving device for receiving a broadcast signal and outputting to the user, A receiver which receives the broadcast signal and converts the broadcast signal into broadcast data; An input unit for converting a subscriber input into input data; A control unit for extracting output data and reply information data from the broadcast data and generating return data including input data and reply information data; A mobile communication unit transmitting the return data to a mobile communication network; And The input unit includes a remote controller having a microphone and a speaker; The mobile communication unit performs a telephone function through a mobile communication network and the remote controller, The controller determines whether the reply information data includes a reply telephone number associated with a broadcast program, and responds to the input through the remote controller in a manner simpler than at least a subscriber input directly inputting the reply telephone number. And controlling the mobile communication unit to attempt a call to the reply telephone number. delete delete The method of claim 1, wherein the return data, Comprising a data communication method of a mobile communication network supported by the mobile communication unit, and includes a return data identifier composed of any one of a MAC address assigned to the broadcast device, a MAC address of the broadcast receiving device, a subscriber identification number or a combination thereof. Broadcast receiving apparatus, characterized in that. delete delete delete The method of claim 1, wherein the control unit, Receives the received email from the mobile communication unit and outputs it to the user; And a transmission e-mail is created based on a subscriber's input through the input device, and the transmission e-mail is transmitted through the mobile communication unit. According to claim 1, The mobile communication unit includes a function for transmitting and receiving e-mail data through the mobile communication network, and transmits an e-mail input through an input unit to a mobile communication network, receives an e-mail through the mobile communication network, and receives a subscriber through an output unit. Broadcast receiving apparatus, characterized in that output to. A digital broadcasting system comprising a broadcast service provider for providing broadcast data, a transmission device for converting the broadcast data into a broadcast signal, and transmitting the broadcast data; and a broadcast receiving device for receiving the broadcast signal and outputting the broadcast signal to a subscriber. The broadcast receiving device includes a mobile communication unit capable of communicating with a mobile communication network and a remote controller capable of performing a telephone function through a mobile communication network in association with the mobile communication unit, wherein the broadcast receiving device and the broadcast service provider are mobile communication. Can be connected through a service provider, The broadcasting service provider further includes a reply telephone number in the broadcasting data and transmits the same through the transmitting apparatus. And the remote controller causes the mobile communication unit to attempt a call to the reply telephone number with a simple subscriber input rather than directly inputting at least the reply telephone number. delete The method of claim 10, The mobile communication service provider grasps location information of the currently operating broadcast receiving device and provides the location information to the broadcast service provider. And the broadcast service provider selectively provides broadcast data corresponding to the location information of the broadcast receiving device for each corresponding broadcast receiving device. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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