KR101396473B1 - System and method for providing Ultra High-Definition image from settop box to a sub terminal and the method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system including a UHD receiving set-top box for providing a UHD image received by a TV receiver capable of displaying UHD images. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for storing UHD image storing large- part; A TV I / F unit for transmitting the UHD image to the TV receiver; A user terminal information storage unit in which identification information and terminal model information of each sub terminal are mapped and stored; A product characteristic information storage unit for storing product characteristic information for each model for each of the sub-terminals; Referring to information stored in the user terminal information storage unit and the product characteristic information storage unit in response to the UHD image data request received from the sub terminal, super high definition image data stored in the UHD image storage unit is optimized for the sub terminal A UHD image optimizing unit for performing image processing on a captured image; And a local wireless communication I / F unit for transmitting the image processed UHD image from the UHD image optimizing unit to the sub terminal through a local wireless communication unit.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method for providing a super-high-definition image from a set-top box to a sub-terminal,

The present invention relates to a system and method for providing ultra-high quality video from a set top box for UHD reception to a sub terminal, and more particularly to a system and method for receiving ultra high definition video signals corresponding to UHD (Ultra High Definition) To a sub-terminal in a set-top box that provides the super-high-definition image from a set-top box to various types of sub-terminals, and a method thereof.

As video technology changes from analog to digital, it has evolved from SD (Standard-Definition) to HD (Hi-Definition) to provide images closer to real-world images. SD supports 704 × 480 resolution and is composed of about 350,000 pixels. HD is divided into HD and Full HD. Full HD with a higher resolution supports 1920 × 1080 resolution and 2 million pixels And provides a considerably high-quality image compared to the SD.

Recently, video technology is growing beyond UHD (Ultra High-Definition) beyond Full HD, and UHD supporting ultra-high definition and ultra high resolution is becoming a next generation media environment. The UHD supports 4K (3840 × 2160) and 8K (7680 × 4320) resolutions and up to 22.2 channels of surround audio. Such a UHD provides 4 times sharper picture quality than 4K UHD compared to HD, and 8K UHD provides 16 times sharper picture quality than HD.

In order to provide an image produced by the UHD, as shown in FIG. 2, the image content produced by the UHD is divided into 4 HD images in order to construct one image frame in the case of 4K UHD, and 8K , It is divided into 16 HD images. That is, 4 input devices supporting HD are required to produce 4K UHD images, and 16 HD input devices are required to support 8K UHD.

In addition, in order to output the UHD-class image input through the external input device to an external output device such as an LCD and a beam projector in real time, in order to output the image so that the user does not feel inconvenience in viewing the image, This means that 4K UHD should support 13.9Gbps throughput, and 8K UHD should support 55.6Gbps throughput.

In addition, in order to provide the UHD image in real time, since a simple video signal is not provided but a voice signal is also provided, the conventional HD requires a transmission speed of 3.7Mbps for 5.1 channel support, It supports up to 22.2 channels and the transmission speed is 48.8Mbps.

Accordingly, a real-time input / output system as shown in FIG. 3 is provided to process the UHD image in real time by maximally utilizing the hardware performance currently provided. 3 is a conventional real-time input / output system for a 4K UHD still image. A real-time input / output system for real-time processing of an image between an external input device and an output device includes four UHD The still image is divided into four screens, and a plurality of storage media 40 are connected in a RAID system, and each screen is stored as raw data in a storage unit.

Such a system relies on one main processor 10 or a graphics processor installed on the motherboard to output a UHD image provided from an external input device to an external output device in real time, And then divides and outputs the HD image to a portion where each HD image is matched to the UHD display of the external output device.

Therefore, the main processor 10 controls the HD video signals transmitted to the input / output interfaces 20 and 30 through the operating system installed in the main processor 10, and controls the operation of the graphics card and the storage unit.

On the other hand, large-sized TVs of 80 inches or more capable of providing UHD (Ultra High-Definition) images beyond Full HD are being developed. However, in order to receive such an ultra high definition broadcast, not only a TV but also a set top box (STB) device is additionally required. The term "set-top box" refers to a device connected to a TV and receiving an ultrahigh-quality video signal coming from the outside and appropriately converting and displaying the contents on a TV.

A set-top box is a home communication terminal required to use a next-generation interactive multimedia communication service (video on demand (VOD), home shopping, network game, etc.) Also called a subscriber signal converter. It is connected to a network such as an interactive TV, a telephone, or a company's video transmission service (for example, a video dial tone provided by a US regional telephone company).

The set-top box does not necessarily have a built-in tuner. An external signal may include an Ethernet cable, a satellite reception or terrestrial reception antenna, a coaxial cable, a telephone line, an analog Very High Frequency (VHF) UHF (Ultra High Frequency) antenna. The contents that can be obtained through this can be video, voice, internet web page, game, and the like.

As described above, the TV can provide not only broadcast information but also various information services through a set-top box interfaced with the Internet, and it is possible to select and control services through bidirectional communication with a user.

In addition, as the age of smartphones is becoming popular, methods for receiving and reproducing video signals received from a set-top box through each smartphone are being studied.

On the other hand, the improvement of the performance of the smartphone and the development of the wireless communication technology enable the high-quality video service through the smart phone. Accordingly, it is possible to support hardware capable of reproducing HD-level images on a smart phone, and to receive and reproduce high-speed video data through a short-range wireless communication network such as a Wi-Fi.

Although the difference in picture quality is not so large as compared to a large TV (for example, 40 to 80 inches) due to the restriction of the display screen size that can be expressed in a small smart phone (for example, 3 to 4 inches) With the advent of 10-inch portable tablet PCs and the spread of various sizes of mobile terminals, users are seeking higher quality video services through mobile terminals. In addition, although a smart phone or the like is small in size, unlike a large-sized TV, since a user watches an image in close proximity, a difference in image quality can be felt greatly.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method for efficiently providing ultrahigh-quality images (for example, UHD images) of an HD level or more through various types and sizes of mobile terminals, such as a smartphone as a sub terminal and a tablet PC. However, as described above, since the data amount of the UHD original image is considerably large, it is difficult to provide the UHD-class image data to the sub-terminal through the short-range wireless channel without interruption in real-time broadcasting even if the near- .

In addition, since the display screen size, the hardware performance, and the supported resolutions of the mobile terminal carried by each user are different from each other, it is inefficient to compress or resize the UHD images in a batch, which causes a waste of radio resources .

Accordingly, there is a need for a method for efficiently providing UHD-level super-high-quality images received from a set-top box to a variety of sub-terminals of users through a short-range wireless channel.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system for providing an ultra-high-definition image of a UHD level or more received from a set-top box to a sub-terminal from a set-top box that can effectively provide sub- Method.

Another object of the present invention is to effectively utilize the short-range wireless resources by superimposing and processing the ultrahigh-quality image received at the set-top box according to the characteristics of each requested sub-terminal, The present invention provides a system and a method for providing an ultra-high-quality image from a set-top box to a sub terminal capable of providing a high-quality image.

In order to achieve the above-described object of the present invention and to achieve the specific effects of the present invention described below, the characteristic structure of the present invention is as follows.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing a super-high-definition image from a set-top box to a sub-terminal, the system including a UHD receiving set-top box for providing a UHD image received by a TV receiver capable of displaying UHD images The set-top box includes a UHD image storage unit for storing super-high-resolution image data of a large capacity; A TV I / F unit for transmitting the UHD image to the TV receiver; A user terminal information storage unit in which identification information and terminal model information of each sub terminal are mapped and stored; A product characteristic information storage unit for storing product characteristic information for each model for each of the sub-terminals; Referring to information stored in the user terminal information storage unit and the product characteristic information storage unit in response to the UHD image data request received from the sub terminal, super high definition image data stored in the UHD image storage unit is optimized for the sub terminal A UHD image optimizing unit for performing image processing on a captured image; And a local wireless communication I / F unit for transmitting the image processed UHD image from the UHD image optimizing unit to the sub terminal through a local wireless communication unit.

The system further includes an image compressing unit compressing the UHD image optimized by the UHD image optimizing unit.

The product characteristic information may include at least one of a model name, a supportable resolution, a size of a display screen, a supportable image file format, and an optimized image information.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a super-high-definition image from a set-top box to a sub-terminal, the method comprising: receiving a UHD image by a TV receiver capable of displaying a UHD image; The method comprising the steps of: storing a large-capacity super-high-definition image data in a UHD image storage unit in the UHD receiving set-top box; Mapping the identification information and the terminal model information for each sub-terminal in the set top box for UHD reception and storing the mapped terminal model information in a user terminal information storage unit; Storing product characteristic information of each model for a plurality of sub-terminals in the UHD receiving set-top box in a product characteristic information storage unit; Receiving UHD image data request information from the sub terminal in the set top box for UHD reception; The UHD image optimizing unit of the UHD receiving set-top box refers to the information stored in the user terminal information storage unit and the product characteristic information storage unit, and transmits the super-high definition image data stored in the UHD image storage unit to the sub- Processing a video image; And transmitting the image-processed UHD image from the UHD image optimizing unit to the sub-terminal through a short-range wireless communication unit.

As described above, according to the present invention, an ultra-high-definition image of a UHD level or higher received through a set-top box is subjected to image processing and transmission according to the characteristics of each sub-terminal, There is an advantage.

In addition, according to the present invention, there is an advantage that the local wireless resources can be effectively utilized by processing and superimposing ultra-high-quality images received via the set-top box over the set-top box in accordance with the characteristics of each sub-terminal.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for providing an ultra-high-quality image from a set-top box to a sub-terminal according to the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating a process of producing a UHD image.
3 is a block diagram of a real-time input / output system of a UHD image.
4 illustrates a detailed structure of a set-top box for UHD reception according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different, but need not be mutually exclusive. For example, certain features, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in connection with an embodiment. It is also to be understood that the position or arrangement of the individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which the claims are entitled, if properly explained. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar functions throughout the several views.

The present invention proposes a method and system for processing a super high definition video signal corresponding to UHD (Ultra High Definition) received in a set-top box according to various kinds of sub-terminals and providing them to the sub-terminals. To this end, in the present invention, product information of each sub-terminal is received and stored in a UHD receiving set-top box receiving UHD image and provided to the sub-terminal, and the UHD image is transmitted to the sub- The image is processed and transmitted in an optimal size, resolution and image format according to the characteristics of the terminal.

By doing so, it is possible to efficiently transmit the large capacity UHD image data received from the set-top box through the short-range wireless channel, and to reproduce the image data of the highest image quality optimized in the sub-terminal in real time.

In the following description, the sub-terminal of the present invention is applied to a 'smart phone' for clarity of explanation. However, the sub-terminal of the present invention is not limited to a smart phone, It can be applied to any user terminal. For example, mobile phones and tablet PCs having various sizes and resolutions, as well as mobile terminals such as a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP) Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > terminal, etc. < / RTI >

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

First, a system and a concept according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and then a detailed structure of a set-top box for UHD reception according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

Complete system configuration

1 is a diagram illustrating a concept of a system for providing a super-high-quality image to a sub terminal in a set-top box according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the main body providing the UHD image to the set top box 120 for UHD reception may be a terrestrial broadcast server 130, a cable broadcasting server 140, an ISP server 160, and the like. At this time, the UHD image data received from the respective entities in the set-top box 120 is subjected to image processing according to the characteristics of each sub-terminal 110 (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet PC, etc.) , Gbit protocol communication, etc.) to the sub terminal 110.

The terrestrial broadcast server 130 generates terrestrial broadcast video as a UHD video and provides the terrestrial broadcast video in real time. The cable broadcast server 140 produces a cable broadcast video as a UHD video and provides it in real time. Provides streaming or downloading of various UHD moving image data to the UHD receiving set-top box 120 via the communication network 150. [ In the UHD receiver set top box 120, the UHD image received from each of the UHD image providing entities is provided to the UHD TV 100 (typically, a 40-inch or larger-sized TV) and displayed.

The communication network 150 may be configured without regard to its communication mode, such as wired and wireless, and may be a personal area network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network ), A wide area network (WAN), and the like. Also, the communication network may be a known World Wide Web (WWW) or may use a wireless transmission technology used for short-distance communication such as Infrared Data Association (IrDA) or Bluetooth.

Meanwhile, the sub-terminal 110 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an input / output function for communicating with the UHD receiving set-top box 120 through short-range wireless communication in order to perform a function of receiving and reproducing UHD image data Such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a workstation, a palmtop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a web pad, etc., as well as mobile communication terminals including a smart phone or a tablet PC And can be adopted as a sub terminal according to the present invention as long as it is a digital device equipped with a microprocessor and capable of computing.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the UHD receiving set-top box 120 stores unique information (e.g., type of terminal, model name, serial number, user information, etc.) of each sub terminal 110, Information (e.g., display resolution, display size, reproducible codec, optimized video and audio file format, etc.).

Then, referring to the information about the corresponding sub-terminals according to the UHD image information request of each sub-terminal 110, the provided UHD image information is subjected to image processing (e.g., resizing, Format conversion, resolution conversion, and the like), and provides the image-processed UHD image data to the corresponding sub terminal.

Accordingly, the sub terminal can transmit and receive the UHD image data optimized for itself. Since the UHD image data is converted into a format that can be reproduced by the corresponding terminal in the set top box 120 for UHD reception, the sub- A situation in which playback can not be performed does not occur.

UHD  Set-top boxes for reception

4 is a view illustrating a detailed structure of a set-top box for UHD reception according to an embodiment of the present invention. The UHD receiving set-top box 120 receives UHD image data from the terrestrial broadcasting server 130, the cable broadcasting server 140, the ISP server 160, and the like of the UHD TV 100 and the sub terminal 110 ).

4, the UHD receiver set top box 120 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a cable TV I / F unit 410, an Ethernet communication I / F unit 420, a UHD image receiving unit 430, a UHD An image compression unit 450, a control unit 460, a UHD image storage unit 471, a user terminal information storage unit 472, a product characteristic information storage unit 473, a TV I / (480), and a short range wireless communication I / F unit (490).

The cable TV I / F unit 410 receives UHD-quality cable broadcasting data from the cable broadcasting server 140 through a cable, and the terrestrial broadcast I / F unit (not shown) receives cable broadcasting data from the terrestrial broadcasting server 130 And receives terrestrial broadcast data of UHD image quality through an antenna. The Ethernet communication I / F unit 422 is a data communication channel for performing data communication separately from reception of TV broadcast contents received by the cable TV I / F unit 410. The communication means through the interface may be WiFi, 3G communication, or any wired / wireless communication means capable of internet connection.

The UHD image receiving unit 430 selectively transmits the UHD image data transmitted through the cable TV I / F unit 410, the terrestrial broadcast I / F unit (not shown), the Ethernet communication I / F unit 422, And provides it to the control unit 460.

The UHD image storage unit 471 stores image data of UHD format to be provided (for example, image data supporting 4K (3840x2160) or 8K (7680x4320) resolution and up to 22.2 channels of surround audio).

The user terminal information storage unit 472 stores user information, terminal identification information (e.g., terminal unique number, ID information, etc.) and terminal model information for each registered user terminal (i.e., sub terminal).

The product characteristic information storage unit 473 stores characteristic information about various released sub-terminals. (For example, avi, mpeg, wmv, mkv, mp4, etc.), optimization information (e.g., optimal image format, optimal resolution, etc.), and the like .

Meanwhile, the control unit 460 receives the UHD image information request signal from each of the sub-terminals through the short-range wireless communication I / F unit 490. [ At this time, upon receiving the request signal, the user terminal information storage unit 472 confirms the model information of the requested sub terminal. If it is determined that it is an unregistered terminal or the information about the corresponding user terminal is not registered, the terminal requests the terminal information to the sub terminal.

When the model information for the sub-terminal is confirmed, the controller 460 obtains the optimal image format information that can be supported by the corresponding model through the product characteristic information storage unit 473 and transmits the optimized image format information to the UHD image optimizing unit 440 to provide.

The UHD image optimizing unit 440 implements the original UHD image stored in the UHD image storage unit 471 through the provided optimal image format information. That is, in the present invention, since each sub-terminal is different in size, resolution, supported file codec, and the like, the sub-terminal processes the sub-terminal with an optimized file and transmits the file.

For example, in case of a 4.3 inch smart phone of S company, product characteristic information indicating that WVGA 800 * 480 RGB type pixel display screen is supported and 1080p HD video reproduction support is possible is stored in the product characteristic information storage unit 473 in advance do.

Accordingly, the UHD image optimizing unit 440 resizes the UHD original image to a size of WVGA 800 * 480, and converts the file into an optimized file format (for example, mp4).

Meanwhile, the image data optimized by the UHD image optimizing unit 440 may be further compressed by the image compressing unit 450. If the image compressing process of the UHD image optimizing unit 440 includes a file compressing process , The function may be omitted.

In this way, the converted UHD image data optimized for each sub-terminal is transmitted to the corresponding sub-terminal through the short-distance wireless communication I / F unit 490 and the antenna.

In each sub-terminal, since the transmitted UHD image data is already optimized for itself, it is possible to perform real-time reproduction with a fast optimized image without performing a separate image processing process. In addition, since the image processing is performed in the UHD receiving set-top box 120 according to the present invention, the processing load of each sub-terminal can be reduced. On the other hand, when compression for transmission is performed on the optimized image by the image compressing unit 450 of the UHD receiving set-top box 120, it is necessary to restore the compressed image back to the optimized original image in the sub terminal Do.

Full service procedure

5 is a signal flow diagram illustrating a procedure for providing an ultra-high-quality image to a sub-terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, in the UHD receiving set-top box 120, characteristic information for each product of the launched sub-terminal is stored in advance (S501).

Then, the user terminal information is registered from the specific sub terminal 110 (S502), and the registered user terminal information is stored (S503).

Upon receipt of the request for the UHD image (S504) from the registered sub terminal 110, the UHD receiving set-top box 120 confirms the information about the corresponding sub terminal, (S505).

The UHD original image requested in accordance with the search is optimized in accordance with the characteristics of the terminal, and the image is processed (S506). At this time, the UHD image data optimized for each image-processed terminal may be selectively added (S507).

The transformed UHD image data is transmitted to the sub terminal 110 in step S508. The sub terminal 110 receives the converted UHD image data and decompresses the transmitted UHD image data in step S509, .

By doing so, it becomes possible to reproduce the highest quality data in the optimal transmission file regardless of the size of the terminal, the resolution, and the supportable codec.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, such as specific elements, and specific embodiments and drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above- And various modifications and changes may be made thereto by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described, and all of the equivalents or equivalents of the claims, as well as the following claims, belong to the scope of the present invention .

100: UHD TV 110: Sub terminal
120: UHD receiver set top box 130: terrestrial broadcasting server
140: cable broadcasting server 150: communication network
160 ISP server 410 Cable TV I / F unit
420: Ethernet communication I / F unit 430: UHD image receiving unit
440: UHD image optimizing unit 450:
460: Control section 471: UHD image storage section
472: user terminal information storage unit 473: product characteristic information storage unit
480: TV I / F unit 490: short-range wireless communication I / F unit

Claims (5)

A system including a UHD receiving set-top box for providing a UHD image received by a TV receiver capable of displaying UHD images,
The set-
A UHD image storage unit for storing super-high-resolution image data of a large capacity;
A TV I / F unit for transmitting the UHD image to the TV receiver;
A user terminal information storage unit in which identification information and terminal model information of each sub terminal are mapped and stored;
A product characteristic information storage unit for storing product characteristic information for each model for each of the sub-terminals;
Referring to information stored in the user terminal information storage unit and the product characteristic information storage unit in response to the UHD image data request received from the sub terminal, super high definition image data stored in the UHD image storage unit is optimized for the sub terminal A UHD image optimizing unit for performing image processing on a captured image;
An image compressing unit compressing the UHD image optimized by the UHD image optimizing unit; And
And a short range wireless communication I / F unit for transmitting the UHD image processed by the UHD image optimizing unit to the sub terminal through a short distance wireless communication unit.
delete The method according to claim 1,
The system for providing an ultra-high-quality image to a sub terminal in a set-top box, the system comprising: a model name, a supportable resolution, a size of a display screen, a supportable image file format, and optimized image information.
A method for providing an ultra-high-quality image to a sub-terminal other than the TV receiver in a UHD receiving set-top box that provides a UHD image received by a TV receiver capable of displaying UHD images,
Storing large-capacity super-high-resolution image data in the UHD image storage unit in the UHD receiving set-top box;
Mapping the identification information and the terminal model information for each sub-terminal in the set top box for UHD reception and storing the mapped terminal model information in a user terminal information storage unit;
Storing product characteristic information of each model for a plurality of sub-terminals in the UHD receiving set-top box in a product characteristic information storage unit;
Receiving UHD image data request information from the sub terminal in the set top box for UHD reception;
The UHD image optimizing unit of the UHD receiving set-top box refers to the information stored in the user terminal information storage unit and the product characteristic information storage unit, and transmits the super-high definition image data stored in the UHD image storage unit to the sub- Processing a video image;
Compressing the UHD image optimized by the UHD image optimizing unit; And
And transmitting the image-processed UHD image from the UHD image optimizing unit to the sub-terminal through a short-range wireless communication unit.
5. The method according to claim 4,
Wherein the at least one sub-terminal is one or more selected from a model name, a supportable resolution, a size of a display screen, a supportable image file format, and optimized image information.

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