KR101452902B1 - Broadcasting receiver and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a broadcast receiving apparatus and a control method thereof that can divide a screen into a plurality of regions and simultaneously display a plurality of broadcast channels through divided regions during a broadcast viewing.
The broadcast receiving apparatus includes a broadcast receiving unit for receiving a video for a channel of a specific channel from a broadcast providing server; A screen output unit configured to output an output screen including the moving image for the channel; The method comprising the steps of: when receiving a user input for dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas while outputting the moving image for the channel, dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas, And controls the video to be output.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving apparatus and a control method thereof.

The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a broadcast receiving apparatus capable of dividing a screen into a plurality of areas during broadcast viewing.

As the transition from the analog broadcasting era to the digital broadcasting era, various products for realizing digital broadcasting and bidirectional broadcasting are being launched. For example, IPTV can provide information service video contents and broadcast moving pictures to a television receiver using an Internet Protocol (IP), and a set-top box can receive digital broadcasting using an analog television.

Due to the termination of analog broadcasting, the utilization of IPTV and set-top box is gradually increasing, and their functions are gradually diversifying.

The present invention proposes a new function that can be implemented in a broadcast receiving apparatus in accordance with a function expansion tide of a broadcast receiving apparatus such as an IPTV and a set-top box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a broadcast receiving apparatus with increased user convenience and a control method therefor.

More specifically, the present invention aims to easily divide the output screen into a plurality of areas so that a user can simultaneously view a plurality of broadcast channels.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a broadcast receiving apparatus including: a broadcast receiving unit for receiving a video for a channel of a specific channel from a broadcast providing server; A screen output unit configured to output an output screen including the moving image for the channel; And a control unit for dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas when receiving a user input for dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas while the moving image for the channel is outputted, And controlling the output of the Mosaic video.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a broadcast receiving apparatus, the method comprising: receiving a moving picture for a channel of a specific channel from a broadcast providing server; Receiving a user input for dividing an output screen into a plurality of areas while the moving image for the channel is output; And dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas corresponding to the user input, and outputting the mosaic video of the specific channel through any one of the divided areas.

The technical solutions obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned solutions, and other solutions not mentioned are clearly described to those skilled in the art from the following description. It can be understood.

The present invention has the effect of providing a broadcast receiving apparatus with improved user convenience and a control method thereof.

Specifically, the present invention has an effect of dividing an output screen into a plurality of areas, and providing a broadcast receiving apparatus in which a user can simultaneously view a plurality of broadcast channels.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

1 shows a schematic diagram of a broadcasting system according to the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a broadcast providing server.
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast receiving apparatus.
4 is a flowchart of the operation of the broadcast operating device.
5 is an exemplary diagram for explaining an operation of dividing an output screen into a plurality of areas.
Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating one of a plurality of areas to be focused.
Fig. 7 is an exemplary diagram for explaining the movement of focus between regions divided by motion information. Fig.

Hereinafter, a broadcast receiving apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

1 shows a schematic diagram of a broadcasting system according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the broadcasting system may include a broadcasting server 100 and a broadcasting receiver 200. The broadcast receiving apparatus 200 may be a fixed type device such as an IP-TV, a digital TV, a set-top box, or the like, or a mobile device such as a smart phone having a digital broadcast receiving module. In FIG. 1, a broadcast receiving apparatus 200 exemplifies a set-top box.

The broadcast providing server 100 processes the broadcast signal received from the PP (Program Provider) and provides the processed broadcast signal to the broadcast receiving apparatus 200 or transmits the video signal received from the Video On Demand server to the broadcast receiving apparatus 200. [ .

The broadcast providing server 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a broadcast providing server. Referring to FIG. 2, the broadcasting server 100 includes a moving picture encoder 210 for encoding a received broadcasting signal into a moving picture for a channel, a mosaic moving picture encoder 220 for encoding the received broadcasting signal into a mosaic moving picture ), A multiplexer 230, and a data transfer unit 240.

The channel moving picture encoder 210 compresses a broadcasting signal received from at least one or more program providers (PPs) into a moving picture for a channel. It is preferable, but not necessarily, that the moving image for the channel has a high resolution of HD class so that it can be output to the full screen of the broadcast receiving apparatus 200.

The mosaic video encoder 220 is for compressing broadcast signals received from at least one PP (Program Provider) into mosaic videos. The motion picture for mosaic is intended to be output through any one of the divided areas when the output screen is divided into a plurality of areas, and preferably has a lower resolution than the motion picture for the channel.

The encoded moving image for the channel and the encoded mosaic image are multiplexed through the multiplexer 230 and provided to the broadcast receiving apparatus 200 through the data transmitting unit 240.

At this time, the moving image for channel and the mosaic image can be processed into IP packets and provided to the broadcast receiving apparatus 200 in a multicast form using the Internet network.

The broadcast receiving apparatus 200 can extract and output a video for a channel corresponding to a broadcast channel selected from one or more video channels transmitted from the broadcast server 100. [ When the broadcast receiving apparatus 200 receives an operation signal for dividing the output screen into a plurality of regions while the moving image for the channel is being output, the broadcast receiving apparatus 200 stops outputting the moving image for the channel, It is possible to output a video for the mosaic of the same broadcasting channel as that of the moving image for the channel. The broadcast receiving apparatus 200 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast receiving apparatus. 3, the broadcast receiving apparatus 200 includes a data receiving unit 110 for receiving a moving image for a channel and a mosaic image from the broadcast providing server 100, a demultiplexer 120 for demultiplexing the received data, A storage unit 130 for storing moving pictures for decoded channels and mosaic videos, a screen output unit 140 for outputting decoded moving pictures for movies and mosaic videos, a remote control receiving unit 150 for receiving user input, And a controller 160 for controlling overall operation of the broadcast receiving apparatus 200 based on user input. The connection relationship between the respective components may be different from that shown in Fig.

The data transmitting unit 240 receives the moving image for the channel and the moving image for the mosaic from the broadcasting server 100. The moving image for the channel and the mosaic for the channel received by the data transmitting unit 240 are demultiplexed through the demultiplexer 120. The moving image for the channel or the mosaic for the separated separated into the individual signals is decoded through the decoding unit, 140, < / RTI >

The storage unit 130 may temporarily store input / output data (e.g., demultiplexed and personalized moving image for a channel or a mosaic image) for outputting a moving image for a channel and a moving image for a mosaic, It is also possible to store a program for operation. Further, an application that can be driven by the control unit 160 may be stored in the storage unit 130. In addition, in the storage unit 130, the usage record of the user's broadcast receiving apparatus 200 may be stored in a database. The control unit 160 can analyze the user's preferred channel based on the usage record stored in the storage unit 130. [ The storage unit 130 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) (Random Access Memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM) A magnetic disk, and / or an optical disk.

The screen output unit 140 may output a moving image for a channel or a moving image for a mosaic image. The screen output unit 140 may include at least one of a display unit and an external interface unit. For example, a broadcast receiving apparatus 200 such as an IPTV, a digital TV, or a smart phone may include a display unit to output a moving image for a direct channel or a moving image for a mosaic. A broadcast receiving apparatus 200 such as a set- A video output device such as a TV, a monitor, and a projector, and can transmit an output signal to an external device connected thereto.

The remote control receiving unit 150 plays a role of receiving a user input from the remote control. The remote controller used as a user's input device may be provided with a sensor capable of recognizing the motion of a user such as a gyro sensor and the remote control receiver 150 may receive user's motion information from the remote controller.

The control unit 160 typically controls the overall operation of the broadcast receiving apparatus 200. For example, the control unit 160 performs related control and processing for determining the type of data to be output to the screen output unit 140. In detail, the controller 160 controls the channel video information corresponding to the selected channel to be output at a normal time, and when the user input for dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas is received, the screen output unit 140 outputs It is possible to determine the type of data to be output in each area after dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electronic units for performing other functions. In some cases, May be implemented by the control unit 160. [

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented with separate software modules that perform at least one function or operation. The software code may be implemented by a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software code is stored in the storage unit 130 and can be executed by the control unit 160. [

The operation of the broadcast receiving apparatus 200 according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to an operation flow chart to be described later.

4 is a flowchart of the operation of the broadcast operating device. Referring to FIG. 4, the controller 160 of the broadcasting apparatus may control to display a moving image for a channel corresponding to a broadcasting channel selected through the screen output unit 140 (S401). When the user input for dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas is received while the moving image for the channel is output through the screen output unit 140 in operation S402, the control unit 160 displays the output through the screen output unit 140 (Step S403). After stopping the output of the moving image for the channel, the moving image for the mosaic having the same broadcast channel as the moving image for the stopped channel is displayed on any one of the divided areas (S404). In addition, the control unit 160 controls the display unit 160 to display the mosaic video corresponding to the selected broadcast channel and the at least one mosaic video corresponding to the other broadcast channel, (S404). A detailed description thereof will be made with reference to FIG. In Fig. 5, it is assumed that the output screen is divided into four areas that do not overlap with each other, corresponding to the output screen division command of the user. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the output screen may be divided into a larger number or a smaller number.

5 is an exemplary diagram for explaining an operation of dividing an output screen into a plurality of areas. The output screen output through the screen output unit 140 before receiving the split screen of the output screen is a screen in which the video for the channel corresponding to the selected broadcast channel is displayed on the full screen . ≪ / RTI > When a user input for dividing an output screen into a plurality of areas is received from a user while a moving image for a channel corresponding to the selected broadcasting channel is outputted on the full screen, the controller 160 stops outputting the moving image for the channel, The output screen to be outputted through the screen output unit 140 is divided into a plurality of areas and then output is stopped through any one of the divided areas as in the example shown in FIG. 5 (b) It is possible to control the mosaic video of the same broadcast channel as that for the moving picture to be displayed and to display the mosaic video of another broadcast channel in the other area.

For example, when the divided regions of FIG. 5 (b) are assumed to be the first to fourth regions from the upper left corner to the upper left corner, respectively, 5 ('II' region, 12 ('III' region) and 4 (second region) are displayed in the second through fourth regions Quot; IV " region), a mosaic movie corresponding to another broadcast channel can be displayed. Thus, the user is able to check the contents currently being broadcasted on other broadcast channels while viewing the mosaic video corresponding to the same broadcast channel as the video for the channel which was output to the full screen before the output screen is divided into four regions There is an advantage.

The other broadcast channels allocated to the second to fourth regions II to IV may be broadcast channels that are not selected, broadcast channels recommended by the broadcast providing server 100, broadcast channels having a high audience rating, A channel, and a usage pattern of a user, and can be determined by various methods such as a viewing frequency, a viewing frequency or a viewing time, a broadcasting channel adjacent to the selected broadcasting channel, and the like.

When the output screen to be output through the screen output unit 140 is divided into a plurality of areas, the controller 160 focuses any one of the divided areas and outputs audio corresponding to the mosaic image output through the focused area, So that a signal can be output. Further, the control unit 160 may separate the focused area from the unfocused area, and control the focused area to respond to user input. A detailed description thereof will be made with reference to FIG.

Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating one of a plurality of areas to be focused. When the output screen is divided into a plurality of areas by the user, the controller 160 may control the area where the mosaic motion picture of the same broadcast channel as the motion picture for the channel whose output is first stopped to be focused. This is to help the user to watch the broadcast program of the same broadcast channel with continuity even after the output screen is divided into a plurality of areas. 5B, the first area I for outputting the Mosaic video of the same broadcast channel as the moving image for the channel is focused, and the mosaic output from the first area I The audio signal of the moving picture may be outputted.

When any one of the divided regions is focused, the control unit 160 can control the focused region to be visually identified. In FIG. 6A, the border 610 and the broadcast information 620 of the solid line (the first area I) are outputted in the focused area, thereby indicating that the focused area is visually identified. Here, the broadcast information includes information such as the name of the broadcast program of the mosaic animation outputted in the focused area, the broadcast time, and the like, and can be used to help the user understand the mosaic animation output using the broadcast information. The visual distinction example of the focused area shown in FIG. 6 (a) is for convenience of explanation and does not limit the present invention. In addition to the examples shown, the focused areas can be visually distinguished and displayed in a variety of ways that can be devised by those skilled in the art.

The control unit 160 may change the focusing area based on the user input. For example, when a user input for focusing the second area II is received, the controller 160 controls the second area II in the first area I, as in the example shown in FIG. 6 (b) ), And to control the audio signal in the second area II to be output. The controller 160 fades out the audio signal in the area to be focused out and the audio signal in the area to be focused is fade out in.

The particular user input received while focusing a particular area may be applied only to that particular area. 6 (b), when the channel change input is received from the user while the second region II is being focused, the control unit 160 controls the first, third, and fourth regions (for example, I, III, and IV), the broadcast channel can be controlled to change only in the second region II. Accordingly, as in the example shown in FIG. 6 (c), the Mosaic video of the changed broadcast channel can be output to the second area II.

When the broadcast channel of the focused area is changed, if the broadcast channel to be changed is the same as the broadcast channel of the mosaic broadcast signal output from the other area, the control unit 160 skips the broadcast channel to be changed, Or to automatically change focusing to an area where a broadcast signal for a mosaic of the same broadcast channel as the broadcast channel to be changed is output.

For example, when the broadcast channel of the second area II shown in FIG. 6C is changed to 12, since the broadcast channel 12 is already displayed through the third area III, The control unit 160 may control the broadcast channel of the second area II to be changed to 13 or to automatically change the focusing position to the third area III.

When the focused area is selected, the controller 160 stops dividing the output image and controls the moving image for the channel having the same broadcast channel as the mosaic image output from the selected area to be displayed on the full screen.

For example, when the user selects the second area II in FIG. 6C, the controller 160 may generate a broadcast channel (i.e., Ch. 11) that is the same as the mosaic movie output in the second area II, Can be controlled so that the moving image for the channel of the " channel "

The focus movement between divided areas can be realized by the direction key operation of the remote controller, but is not limited thereto. The control unit 160 may control the focus of the divided regions to be moved using the motion information received by the remote control receiving unit 150 from the remote controller. A detailed description thereof will be made with reference to FIG.

Fig. 7 is an exemplary diagram for explaining the movement of focus between regions divided by motion information. Fig. When the focus between regions divided by the motion information is moved, the control unit 160 controls the motion of the user on the output screen to be output through the screen output unit 140, as in the example shown in FIG. 7 (a) It is possible to control the moving cursor 710 to be displayed. By displaying the cursor 710, it is possible to help the user who moves the remote control to understand the movement of the remote control.

The control unit 160 may control the focus to move to the area designated by the cursor 710 while moving the cursor 710 along the motion of the user. For example, when the cursor 710 moves from the first area I to the second area II, the controller 160 controls the first area I as in the example shown in FIG. 7 (b) To the second area (II).

The broadcast receiving apparatus 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may control the genre to match a specific genre for each divided region when the output screen output through the screen output unit 140 is divided into a plurality of regions.

For example, the first area is assigned to the drama, the second area to the sports, the third area to the movie, and the fourth area to the entertainment program, and in each area, the mosaic video of the broadcasting channel for outputting the broadcasting program to the genre is output can do. Furthermore, when the channel is changed in each area, it is possible to control so that the Mosaic video of another broadcast channel outputting a broadcast program of the same genre is output by channel change. For example, in a state where the second area is focused, when the channel change input is received, the controller 160 controls to output a Mosaic video of another broadcast channel outputting a broadcast program of the sports genre corresponding to the channel change signal .

In the above-described embodiment, it is exemplified that a plurality of divided regions output mosaic videos. However, a plurality of divided regions do not necessarily output a mosaic video. According to another example of the present invention, a Video On Demand (VOD) and an application execution screen may be executed through at least one of the plurality of divided regions. While the mosaic video is displayed in the first area, an application execution screen may be displayed in the second area, a video promised by the user or a video recommended by the on-demand video server, a third area and a fourth area. If a web browser is executed as an application, a received web page may be displayed by connecting to a predetermined URL address through at least one of the divided regions.

The control unit 160 may output the most purchased video or its publicity video provided by the video-on-demand server, or may control the output of the most downloaded application or its installation page from the application management server. As another example, the controller 160 may analyze the usage pattern of the user, and may control the video to be output in any one of the user-watched video most watched by the user or the user's most used area. That is, the control unit 160 may analyze the usage pattern of the user to control the personalized screen to be configured.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the kind of data displayed through the divided areas can be preset by user setting, and a plurality of combination sets may be predetermined. For example, a mosaic movie is output through two of the four areas, and a first set is set to output an on-demand movie in the two areas. The mosaic movie is outputted through the two areas, If the second set is set to output an application execution screen, the control unit 160 may change the screen configuration depending on whether the first set or the second set is selected. If a change to the second set is requested while the first set of screen configurations are being displayed, the controller 160 may control the two areas that output the video on demand to output the execution screen of the application.

It is needless to say that a preset set can be created in various combinations other than the listed ones, and a set can be configured for each type of data. For example, the first set may be set to output the mosaic video through all four regions, and the second set may be set to output video on demand through all four regions. As another example, the first set may include a mosaic video of a channel previously registered by a user as a preferred channel, a set 2 of four recommended VODs of an on-demand video provider, a third set of mosaic videos of four channels having the highest rating May be set.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method (operation flow diagram) can be implemented as a code that can be read by a processor on a medium on which the program is recorded. Examples of the medium that can be read by the processor include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, etc., and may be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (e.g., transmission over the Internet) .

The broadcasting providing server 100 and the broadcasting receiving apparatus 200 described above are not limited to the configuration and method of the embodiments described above, All or a part of the above-described elements may be selectively combined.

100: Broadcast providing server
110: Data receiving unit
120: Demultiplexer
130:
140:
150: Remote control receiver
160:
200: Broadcast receiver
210: Video encoder for channel
220: Video encoder for mosaic
230: Multiplexer
240: Data transfer unit

Claims (19)

A broadcast receiving unit for receiving a video for a channel of a specific channel from a broadcast providing server;
A screen output unit configured to output an output screen including the moving image for the channel; And
Wherein when the user input for dividing the output screen into a plurality of areas is received while the moving image for the channel is being output, the output screen is divided into a plurality of areas, A mosaic video of the specific channel having a low resolution is output,
A control unit for controlling the output of a Mosaic video of a broadcast channel different from the specific channel through a remaining area excluding a region where the Mosaic video of the specific channel is output,
, ≪ / RTI &
The control unit may determine a broadcast channel to be output through the remaining area based on at least one of a recommendation channel received from the broadcast providing server, a higher order of viewership, a frequency of watching the user, and a pre-registered favorite channel And the broadcast receiving apparatus. delete The apparatus of claim 1,
Wherein the focusing unit focuses any one of the divided areas, wherein the focusing position is variable based on user input. The apparatus of claim 3,
And controls only the audio signal corresponding to the mosaic moving picture allocated to the focused area among the divided areas to be output. The apparatus of claim 3,
Wherein the control unit controls the specific area to automatically focus on the specific area in which the Mosaic video of the specific channel is output. The apparatus of claim 3,
Wherein when the user input for selecting the focused area among the divided areas is received, control is performed such that an image for a channel having the same broadcast channel as the Mosaic video output through the selected area is output as a full screen. The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 3,
And a remote control receiver for receiving a remote control signal from the remote controller,
Wherein the remote control receiver receives motion information of the remote controller from the remote controller. 8. The apparatus of claim 7,
Wherein the control unit controls the cursor to move along the movement of the remote controller on the output screen. 9. The apparatus according to claim 8,
And adjusts the focusing position based on the position of the cursor. The method of claim 3,
Wherein when a user input for changing a broadcast channel is received, the control unit changes the broadcast channel only in the focused area of the divided area. Receiving and outputting a moving image for a channel of a specific channel from a broadcast providing server;
Receiving a user input for dividing an output screen into a plurality of areas while the moving image for the channel is output; And
The output screen is divided into a plurality of regions corresponding to the user input and a mosaic video of the specific channel having a lower resolution than that of the video for the channel is output through any one of the divided regions, Outputting a Mosaic video of a broadcast channel different from the specific channel through the remaining area excluding the area where the Mosaic video is output
, ≪ / RTI &
Wherein the broadcast channel output through the remaining area is determined on the basis of at least one of a recommendation channel received from the broadcast providing server, a higher order of the current audience rating, a frequency of watching the user, and a previously registered favorite channel A method of controlling a receiving device. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the broadcast channel output through the remaining area is determined on the basis of at least one of a recommendation channel received from a broadcast providing server, an order in which a current audience rating is high, an order of viewing frequency of a user, A method for controlling a broadcast receiving apparatus. 12. The method of claim 11,
And wherein one of the divided areas is focused. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein only the audio signal corresponding to the Mosaic moving picture assigned to the focused area is output from the divided areas. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the specific area in which the Mosaic video of the specific channel is output is first automatically focused. 14. The method of claim 13,
And outputting, when the user input for selecting the focused area is received, an image for the channel of the same broadcast channel as the Mosaic video output through the selected area to the full screen. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein a cursor moving along the movement of the remote controller is displayed on the output screen. 18. The method of claim 17,
Wherein the focusing position is adjusted based on a position of the cursor. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein when a user input to change a broadcast channel is received, the broadcast channel is changed only in the focused area of the divided area.

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