KR101354794B1 - Channel scan control method for digital set-top box - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a digital set-top box having a plurality of tuners, the method comprising: assigning a first transponder to a first tuner, and assigning a second transponder to a second tuner, wherein the first tuner is a first transponder. The method of the present invention relates to a channel scan control method of a digital set-top box, comprising: recognizing completion of channel information extraction and assigning a third transponder to the first tuner. There is an effect that can significantly reduce the time to perform the channel scan.

Description

CHANNEL SCAN CONTROL METHOD FOR DIGITAL SET-TOP BOX}

The present invention relates to a digital set-top box, and more particularly, to a set-top box channel scanning method for more efficient channel scan for acquiring channel information in a digital set-top box.

A digital set-top box is a device for outputting audio and / or video through a multimedia device by processing a signal transmitted through a satellite or a cable to a multimedia device.

In general, digital satellite broadcasting transmits a plurality of channels simultaneously through a transponder corresponding to one frequency. Accordingly, in order to receive digital broadcasts transmitted through satellites, the set-top box needs to acquire a plurality of channel information transmitted through the transponder and the transponder, and the set-top box transmits a plurality of channel information transmitted through the plurality of transponders. The process of acquiring is called a channel scan.

In order to scan a channel, physical parameters related to the channel (eg, frequency information) are first required. Physical parameters are basically embedded in the set-top box's memory and may be transmitted separately from the satellite.

A tuner is set based on these physical parameters and a signal is received using the set tuner. When the signal is received, the channel is analyzed by extracting the necessary channel information by analyzing the signal, and storing the extracted channel information.

After the channel scan is completed, the user can know the channel information displayed through the display device, and through this, the user can select a desired channel to watch digital broadcasting.

Recently released set-top boxes often have a function of outputting broadcasts transmitted through one channel and storing broadcasts transmitted through another channel. In addition, a display device may have a function of displaying two or more broadcasts through one display device. Accordingly, the set top box supporting the multiple channel reception function has a plurality of tuners.

Problems according to the prior art as described above are as follows.

The channel scan process is a time consuming task. That is, the tuner setting is executed in a randomly set order without receiving an optimized method in the tuner setting process, and the channel information is extracted by receiving a signal through the set tuner, which is not only inefficient but also consumes excessive time. There was this.

Meanwhile, even though a plurality of tuners are provided to receive a plurality of channels, there is a problem in that channel scan time is excessively consumed because the channel scan is performed using only one tuner.

In the present invention, a digital set-top box having a plurality of tuners performs a channel scan, so that channel scans are efficiently performed by using a plurality of tuners according to an optimized tuner setting order. There is a purpose.

The present invention provides a digital set-top box having a plurality of tuners, the method comprising: assigning a first transponder to a first tuner, and assigning a second transponder to a second tuner, wherein the first tuner is a first transponder. Recognizing that channel information extraction has been completed for, and assigning a third transponder to the first tuner.

The present invention has an effect that the digital set-top box can significantly reduce the time to perform a channel scan.

1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a channel scan method according to the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a channel scan control apparatus applied to a set-top box having a plurality of tuners.

1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a channel scan method according to the present invention. In general, a digital set-top box stores information about a fundamental frequency for performing a channel scan in the form of a table. On the other hand, in addition to the basic frequency, information about other frequencies on which broadcasts are transmitted may be transmitted from satellites, in which case the set-top box stores and stores frequency information received from satellites.

In addition to the basic frequency information, the digital set-top box stores symbol rate information and polarization information indicating whether it is vertical or horizontal polarization. Parameters are basic information for tuner setup. In addition, as described above, physical parameters for tuner setting may be transmitted from a satellite or the like.

First, the set-top box reads the table of physical parameters from a memory device (flash memory, hard disk, ROM, etc.) in the set-top box for channel scanning, or receives a table of physical parameters from a satellite or the like to set up the tuner. Obtain (S11).

Table 1 shows an example of a table of basic physical parameters required for tuner setup.

Tracksponder number frequency Symbol rate Polarity of radio waves One 12,665 MHz 3.7 M MS / s Horizontal 2 11,900 MHz 21.3M MS / s Horizontal 3 12,452 MHz 2.5M MS / s Horizontal 4 12,430 Mhz 25.6M MS / s Vertical

As described above, if the channel scan is performed according to the transponder number without additional manipulation, the channel scan time becomes longer. For example, in the case of Table 1, the symbol rate of transponder 1 is a low symbol rate of 3.7M MS / s, the symbol rate of transponder 2 is a high symbol rate of 21.3 M MS / s, and 3 The symbol rate of Burn transponder is 2.5M MS / s as low, and the symbol rate of Transponder 4 is as high as 25.6M MS / s.

As such, when the change in symbol rate is large, a problem that excessive time is required in the process of setting tuner for another transponder after completing extraction of tuner setting and channel information for one transponder is completed.

Therefore, in order to minimize the change in symbol rate, the physical parameters are sorted according to a predetermined criterion (S12). At this time, since the change in symbol rate acts as the largest variable at the tuner setting time, it is preferable to sort in ascending or descending order based on the symbol rate.

Table 2 summarizes the physical parameters in ascending order based on symbol rate.

Tracksponder number frequency Symbol rate Polarity of radio waves 3 12,452 MHz 2.5M MS / s Horizontal One 12,665 MHz 3.7 M MS / s Horizontal 2 11,900 MHz 21.3M MS / s Horizontal 4 12,430 Mhz 25.6M MS / s Vertical

As such, it is desirable to align each transponder based on one physical parameter, to set a tuner for each transponder according to the order, and to extract channel information.

After obtaining the physical parameter information (S11) and aligning the obtained information according to a predetermined criterion (S12), a tuner for receiving a signal is set for the first aligned transponder (S13). When the tuner setting is completed, the signal corresponding to the physical parameter is found and signal locking is performed (S14). When the signal is received, the channel name, frequency, symbol rate, broadcaster information, video, and the like are received from the received signal. And / or extract channel information including the audio PID (S15).

After acquiring channel information corresponding to the corresponding transponder, it is checked whether there is another transponder that needs to acquire the channel information (S16), and if it is necessary to acquire channel information corresponding to another transponder (the last transponder is If not), the tuner is reset to correspond to the transponder (S13), and the signal locking (S14) and channel information extraction (S15) processes are repeated.

When the transponders are arranged as shown in Table 2, tuner setting and channel information extraction are performed in the order of transponder 3, transponder 1, transponder 2, and transponder 4.

When the channel information for all the transponders is obtained, the acquired channel information is stored in a table device in a memory device (flash memory, hard disk, etc.) in the form of a table (S17), thereby terminating the channel scan.

In general, since a plurality of broadcasts are transmitted through one transponder, channel information corresponding to one transponder is extracted, and channel information corresponding to the plurality of broadcasts is obtained.

2 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a channel scan control apparatus applied to a set-top box having a plurality of tuners.

Referring to FIG. 2, the channel scan control unit 22 assigns the transponders to the tuners 23a, 23b, and 23c based on the transponder information stored in the memory unit 21. Each tuner 23a, 23b, 23c performs tuner setup for receiving a signal for the assigned transponder. When the tuner setting is completed, signal locking is performed, and channel information is extracted from the locked signal. The extracted channel information is stored in the memory unit 21.

In the channel scanning process as described above, it is preferable to align each transponder based on any one physical parameter, set a tuner for each transponder according to the order, and extract channel information.

3 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method of controlling a channel scan in a set top box having a plurality of tuners.

Table 3 shows an example of a table of basic physical parameters required for tuner setup.

Tracksponder number frequency Symbol rate Polarity of radio waves One 12,665 MHz 3.7 M MS / s Horizontal 2 11,900 MHz 21.3M MS / s Horizontal 3 12,452 MHz 2.5M MS / s Horizontal 4 12,430 MHz 25.6M MS / s Vertical 5 11,853 MHz 5.6 MS / s Vertical 6 12,523 MHz 6.8 MS / s Horizontal

An example of how to assign the transponders to the tuners shown in Table 3 is as follows.

First, rearranged transponders as shown in Table 3 based on certain physical parameters (S31). Table 4 is sorted in ascending order based on the symbol rate.

Tracksponder number frequency Symbol rate Polarity of radio waves 3 12,452 MHz 2.5M MS / s Horizontal One 12,665 MHz 3.7 M MS / s Horizontal 5 11,853 MHz 5.6 MS / s Vertical 6 12,523 MHz 6.8 MS / s Horizontal 2 11,900 MHz 21.3M MS / s Horizontal 4 12,430 MHz 25.6M MS / s Vertical

As described above, the aligned transponders are allocated to the respective tuners (S32), and the respective tuners perform signal locking and channel information extraction on the assigned transponders.

In the process of assigning the transponders to each tuner, the sorted transponders may be assigned to each tuner in order. For example, in Table 4, if there are three tuners, a third transponder is assigned to the first tuner, a transponder no. 1 is assigned to the second tuner, and a transponder no. 5 is assigned to the third tuner.

Then, it is checked whether channel information extraction for all transponders has been completed (S33), and if so, transponder allocation is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is not completed yet, it is checked whether there is a tuner whose channel information extraction is completed first (S34), and if so, the next transponder is allocated. In the above example, when channel information extraction for the first transponder is completed first in the second tuner, the sixth transponder is allocated to perform channel information extraction. Next, when channel information extraction for the third transponder is completed in the first tuner, channel information extraction is performed by assigning the second transponder.

As described above, the channel scan control unit 22 of the set-top box having a plurality of tuners checks whether there is a tuner for extracting channel information for the assigned transponder and, if found, according to the arrangement order of the transponders. Assign to the tuner where channel information extraction is completed.

In the present embodiment, the physical information corresponding to the transponder is mainly stored in the memory of the digital set-top box, but may also occur when receiving physical information corresponding to the new transponder from the satellite.

In this case, Table 4 may be updated according to the same criteria in consideration of the physical information of the received transponders, and assigned to each tuner according to the updated transponder order.

As such, by allowing multiple tuners to perform channel scans in parallel, the time for performing channel scans is significantly reduced.

In addition, if the transponders arranged without any criteria are sorted according to a certain criterion and the tuner is set according to the sorting order, the tuner setting time becomes very fast. In particular, aligning the transponders on the basis of symbol rate significantly reduces the tuner setup time, thereby reducing the overall channel scan time.

In the above embodiment, a method of arranging transponders based on symbol rates and assigning them to a tuner in which channel scan is completed in real time according to the sorted order is described. However, the transponder may be arranged based on the symbol rate, and then divided into groups corresponding to each tuner according to the symbol rate, and each group may be assigned to each tuner from the beginning.

Claims (2)

In a digital set-top box having a plurality of tuners,
Assigning a first transponder to the first tuner;
Assigning a second transponder to the second tuner;
Recognizing that the first tuner has completed extracting channel information for a first transponder; And
Assigning a third transponder to the first tuner
, ≪ / RTI >
And the first transponder, the second transponder, and the third transponder are in order of symbol rate.
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