KR19990026868A - Channel selection method of satellite broadcasting receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a channel selection method of a satellite broadcast receiver that automatically tunes and displays a channel in which a user's preferred broadcast program is received in selecting a channel of a satellite broadcast receiver. Pre-stored with preference category information of a particular program type that a user prefers among various programs, the method includes: a channel up / down key for searching for a channel during a normal viewing mode of the satellite broadcasting receiver; When the signal is input, the first step of tuning the next or previous channel from the current channel position based on the key signal, the type of the broadcast program of the tuned channel is determined and compared with the stored preference category information In a second step, the comparison result, the type of the tuned channel A third step of displaying the broadcast signal of the tuned channel if the category information is matched; and as a result of the comparison in the second step, if the type of the tuned channel and the category information do not match, at the current channel position A fourth step of comparing a next channel or a previous channel with the initial channel when the satellite broadcasting receiver performs the normal viewing mode, and a comparison result of the fourth step, in the case of the same channel; And a fifth step of displaying a message, displaying a broadcast signal of the initial channel, and repeatedly performing the operation after the second step when the message is not the same channel.

Description

Channel selection method of satellite broadcasting receiver

The present invention relates to a satellite broadcast receiver, and more particularly, to a channel selection method of a satellite broadcast receiver suitable for automatically selecting a user's preferred broadcast program among various broadcast programs provided by the satellite broadcast receiver.

In recent years, the broadcast method using satellites, which is rapidly expanding its use, is a method of providing broadcast signals to a wider area by using satellites (communication satellites) located at an altitude of about several thousand to tens of thousands of kilometers from the surface of the earth. In this satellite broadcasting system, for example, an old band RF signal having a frequency band of 11.7 GHz to 12.0 GHz is used.

To this end, the antenna for satellite broadcasting reception is provided with a low noise blockdown converter for converting a radio frequency (RF) signal of a very high frequency into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, which is a high frequency RF signal. Is converted into an IF (intermediate frequency) signal in the hundreds to thousands of MHz bands (e.g., 950 MHz-2050 MHz) receivable by a satellite broadcasting receiver (receiver).

Therefore, in the satellite broadcasting tuner provided in the satellite broadcasting receiver (receiver), the IF signal received through the low noise converter is inputted to tune the channel selected by the user. The satellite broadcasting receiver maximizes channel utilization, image and sound. Along with the improvement of signal quality and the ease of transmitting additional digital service data, the significant improvement of the user interface is a big advantage.

In addition, the bit stream provided from the satellite includes various information such as broadcast signals (video data and audio data), event information table (EIT), and time data table (TDT) for each channel. Information about broadcast channels, that is, channel names for broadcasting stations and program information for each channel is included and displayed on a screen according to a user's request.

Meanwhile, since a general satellite broadcast receiver provides various broadcast channels and various broadcast programs, a user selects a desired broadcast channel and a program using a channel guide screen and a broadcast program guide screen.

However, in the conventional satellite broadcast channel guide screen, the amount of screen information is increased due to a number of channels, and the user has to repeatedly perform cumbersome key manipulations to scroll the screen, and he also prefers among the broadcast channels. There was a lot of inconvenience in searching and watching the channel where the program is aired.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and the user sets the type of a program that the user prefers among a plurality of satellite broadcasting channels, and then selects the type of broadcast program received in each channel when performing channel up / down. It is an object of the present invention to provide a channel selection method of a satellite broadcasting receiver that can automatically discriminate and selectively tune.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, in the channel selection method of the satellite broadcast receiver for receiving and displaying a satellite broadcast signal provided from the satellite after a predetermined signal processing process, the satellite broadcast receiver, the satellite broadcast signal Receive pre-stored preference category information on the type of a particular program that the user prefers among the various programs of the program, the method, the channel up / down to search for a channel during the normal viewing mode of the satellite broadcast receiver When a key signal is input, the first step of tuning the next or previous channel from the current channel position on the basis of the key signal, the type of the broadcast program of the tuned channel is determined and the stored preferred category information and Comparing the second step with the result of the comparison, If the category information matches, the third step of displaying the broadcast signal of the tuned channel, the comparison result in the second step, if the type of the tuned channel and the category information does not match, at the current channel position A fourth step of comparing a next channel or a previous channel with the initial channel when the satellite broadcasting receiver performs the normal viewing mode, and a comparison result of the fourth step, in the case of the same channel; And a fifth step of displaying a message, displaying a broadcast signal of the initial channel, and repeating an operation after the second step if the first channel is not the same channel.

1 is a block diagram of a satellite broadcast receiver suitable for performing a channel selection method of a satellite broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2A is a view for explaining a channel selection method of a satellite broadcasting receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2b is a flowchart illustrating a process of performing a channel selection method of a satellite broadcasting receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10: key input unit 20: tuner and demodulation unit

30: micom 40: MPEG decoder

50, 55: first and second memory sections 60: OSD section

The above and other objects and various advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the preferred embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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 satellite broadcast receiver suitable for performing a channel selection method of a satellite broadcast receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The key input unit 10, the tuner and demodulator 20, and the microcomputer 30 are shown in FIG. , An MPEG decoder 40, first and second memory units 50 and 55, and an OSD unit 60.

The key input unit 10 is composed of key metrics on a remote controller or its own panel to generate a corresponding key signal to the microcomputer 30 by a user's manipulation, and the tuner and demodulator 20 is a satellite not shown. The satellite broadcast signal received through the antenna is received to tune the bitstream of the channel corresponding to the tuning control signal of the microcomputer 30, and then demodulate it and provide it to the MPEG decoder 40.

The MPEG decoder 40 separates and decodes a broadcast signal provided from the tuner and the demodulator 20 into an audio signal, a video signal, and various program information, and then provides the signal to a signal processing unit, not shown, to display on a monitor. Data for various menu screens provided from the OSD unit 60 are also provided to the signal processing unit after a predetermined signal processing process.

In addition, the microcomputer 30 controls a control signal for tuning a broadcast channel, a control signal for tuning a broadcast channel, and a control for driving the OSD unit 60 based on a key signal from the key input unit 10. A signal is generated and various program information separated from the MPEG decoder 40 is stored in the first memory unit 50.

In addition, the type of the broadcast program set by the user is separately stored in the second memory unit 55, which will be described later, based on a key signal provided from the key input unit 10, and the corresponding operation is performed.

That is, the first memory unit 50 stores various types of information provided from the satellite broadcasting system under the control of the microcomputer 30, and the second memory unit 55 is also set by the user under the control of the microcomputer 30. Only information about one program type is stored.

The OSD unit 60 configures a control signal and various data provided from the microcomputer 30 as a menu screen of a predetermined type and provides the same to the MPEG decoder 40 described above, thereby displaying on a monitor not shown.

In the satellite broadcasting receiver configured as described above, when the user selects the type of a program that he or she prefers through the key input unit 10, the microcomputer 30 may provide information about the type of the input program to the second memory unit ( 55).

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a channel setting process of a satellite broadcasting receiver according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The above-described process will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

During operation of the satellite broadcasting receiver in the normal viewing mode or the standby state (step 201), when the user inputs a key signal for setting a category (type) of the favorite program through the key input unit 10, (Step 203), a menu screen of a predetermined form stored in the first memory section 50 is read by the microcomputer 30 and displayed on the screen via the OSD section 60 (step 205).

When the user selects a category for a favorite program with reference to the displayed menu screen (step 207), the microcomputer 30 stores the information about the selected category in the second memory unit 55. If a category selection key signal is not input for a predetermined time period while the menu screen for a category selection is displayed via the above-described step 205 (step 209), under the control of the microcomputer 30 The currently displayed menu screen is automatically turned off.

On the other hand, the user can repeat the above-described step 207 to select a plurality of categories of the user's favorite, the information on each category selected at this time through the above-described step 211, the second memory unit 55 )

When the key signal for terminating the category selection process is input by the user (step 213), the operation of the OSD unit 60 is blocked by the control of the microcomputer 30, and the menu screen displayed in step 205 is displayed. Is turned off, and the operation of the satellite broadcast receiver is switched to the normal viewing mode or the standby mode as in the initial step 201 (step 215).

As a result, the user selects only the types of programs he prefers among various types of satellite broadcasting programs, and the selected program information is stored in the second memory unit 55.

FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating a channel selection process of a satellite broadcasting receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the above process, channel selection of the satellite broadcasting receiver is selected in a state in which information on a type of a program preferred by a user is preset. The process is described in detail as follows.

In the state where the user's preferred category is pre-stored through the process as shown in FIG. 2A (251), when the user inputs the channel up / down key signal through the manipulation of the key input unit 10 (step 253), The microcomputer 30 generates a tuning control signal for tuning the previous or next channel. That is, when the channel up key signal is input in step 253, the microcomputer 30 generates a tuning control signal for tuning the next channel and provides the tuner and demodulator 20, and in step 253, the channel up key signal is input. When the down key signal is input, a control signal for tuning a channel previously located from the current channel is generated.

Accordingly, the tuner and the demodulator 20 tune the corresponding channel based on the control signal of the microcomputer 30 (step 255). In this case, the microcomputer 30 inserts program information inserted into the bitstream of the tuned channel. The category information is read (step 257) and compared with the user's preferred category stored in the second memory unit 55 (step 259).

If, as a result of the comparison in step 259 described above, the category of the broadcast program of the currently tuned channel does not belong to the user's preferred category stored in the second memory unit 55, the microcomputer 30 is the next or previous By generating a control signal for tuning the channel and providing it to the tuner and demodulator 20, the corresponding channel is tuned (step 261).

On the other hand, based on the tuning control signal of the microcomputer 30 as described above, while tuning the next channel (when performing the channel up) to reach the maximum range of the channel allocated to the satellite broadcast receiver (for example, CH 900) In this case, the microcomputer 30 automatically tunes from the minimum channel (for example, CH 100) of the satellite broadcasting receiver under the control of the microcomputer 30 to continue the channel up operation.

Similarly, when tuning the previous channel from the position of the current channel (when performing channel down), when the minimum range of the channel allocated to the satellite broadcasting receiver (eg, CH 100) is reached, the satellite is controlled by the microcomputer 30. Channel down operation is performed by automatically tuning from the maximum channel (eg, CH 900) of the broadcast receiver.

Through this process, while the next or previous channel is tuned from the current channel, the microcomputer 30 recognizes whether the currently tuned channel is an initial channel located at an initial channel, that is, an initial channel located at step 253 where a channel up-down key signal is input. In step 263, if the currently tuned channel is the initial channel, it is determined that the category search for all the channels of the satellite broadcasting receiver is completed, and a guide message of a predetermined form is displayed through the OSD unit 60. For example, the program of the set type does not exist (step 265), and then the broadcast signal of the initial channel is tuned and displayed (step 267).

In other words, as a result of the determination in step 263, when the currently tuned channel and the initial channel match, when there is no channel on which a program corresponding to a user's preferred category is broadcast among all channels received at the current satellite broadcasting receiver. For this reason, after the guidance message of a predetermined type is displayed under the control of the microcomputer 30, the channel in the initial stage is tuned and displayed on a monitor (not shown).

On the other hand, as a result of the comparison in the above-described step 263, if the currently tuned channel is not the initial channel, the process after step 257 is repeatedly performed under the control of the microcomputer 30 to continue to be preferred by the user. The channel in which the broadcast program corresponding to the category is received is searched.

During the program search process, when the comparison program in step 259 matches the broadcast program of the currently tuned channel with the user's preferred category, the microcomputer 30 generates a control signal corresponding to the tuner and the demodulator 20. The tuner and demodulator 20 continuously tunes and demodulates the broadcast signal of the current channel so that the broadcast signal of the channel is displayed on a monitor (not shown) through a predetermined signal processing process. Step 269).

As a result, when the channel up / down key of the key input unit 10 is manipulated to change the channel to be watched, the user's favorite broadcast program is automatically searched for and displayed.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide convenience for searching for a specific program by automatically searching for and displaying a channel in which a program of a user's preferred type is received among various broadcast programs provided by the satellite broadcasting receiver. As a result, the overall performance of the satellite broadcasting receiver can be improved.

Claims (8)

In the channel selection method of the satellite broadcast receiver for receiving a satellite broadcast signal provided from the satellite and after a predetermined signal processing process, The satellite broadcast receiver, Pre-stored by receiving the preferred category information on the type of the specific program that the user prefers among the various programs of the satellite broadcast signal, The method is: A first step of tuning a channel located next or previous from a current channel position based on the key signal when a channel up / down key signal for searching for a channel is input during the normal viewing mode of the satellite broadcasting receiver; ; A second step of determining a type of a broadcast program of the tuned channel and comparing it with the stored preferred category information; A third step of displaying a broadcast signal of the tuned channel if the type of the tuned channel matches the category information as a result of the comparison; As a result of the comparison in the second step, if the type of the tuned channel and the category information do not match, an initial channel when the general broadcasting mode of the satellite broadcasting receiver is performed by tuning the next or previous channel at the current channel position. A fourth step of comparing whether the channel is the same as; As a result of the comparison in the fourth step, when the same channel is displayed, a predetermined type of guidance message is displayed, the broadcast signal of the initial channel is displayed, and when the same channel is not the same, the operation after the second step is repeated. A channel selection method of a satellite broadcasting receiver comprising a fifth step. The method of claim 1, wherein the preference category information comprises: a first process of displaying a menu screen including a plurality of preset categories based on the key signal when a setting key signal for setting the preference category is input; A second process of storing one of the plurality of preset categories as the preferred category; And a third process of turning off the menu screen when a setting completion key signal for the preferred category is input. The channel selection method of claim 2, wherein the second process comprises automatically turning off the displayed menu screen when the preference category is not input for a predetermined time. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the preference category may include at least two preset categories. The method of claim 2, wherein the menu screen is displayed in an OSD form. The channel search key signal of claim 1, wherein the first step tunes a channel corresponding to a next position from a current channel position when the input channel search key signal is a channel up key signal, and wherein the input channel search key signal is a channel. If the down key signal, the channel selection method of the satellite broadcasting receiver, characterized in that for tuning the channel corresponding to the previous position from the current channel position. The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth step comprises: tuning the next channel at the current channel position when the current channel position is the maximum channel of the satellite broadcast receiver; And when the current channel position is the minimum channel of the satellite broadcasting receiver when tuning the previous channel at the current channel position, tuning from the maximum channel of the satellite broadcasting receiver. . The method of claim 1, wherein the guide message of the fifth step is displayed in an OSD form.