KR20000031568A - Device and method for selecting channel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A device and a method for selecting a channel are provided to easily select many channels by navigating only channels of an appropriate group after storing preferential channels for each group. CONSTITUTION: A TV or a set-top box for selecting a channel comprises of: a microcomputer(22) to control a memorization of a preferential channel for each group and to perform a channel navigation of preferential channel group selected by a user; a signal receiving unit of remote controller(21) to transfer to the microcomputer by receiving a key code transmitted from a remote controller; a CPU(23) to store a program to be performed by the microcomputer(22); and an assistant memorizing device(24) to temporarily memorize data needed to the performance of the program. The user conveniently selects the channel without the complexity of the remote controller or the additional key operation by the selecting device of channel.

Description

Channel selector and method

The present invention relates to channel selection of a TV (TV) or a set-top box using a remote control, and more particularly, a channel selection device for navigating channels stored in a selected group after storing the preferred channels for each group. It is about a method.

With the spread of TV and set-top box (for cable TV, etc.) devices, a variety of remote controls have been developed and marketed.

Usually, the remote controller is provided with a channel up / down key for TV tuning. These channel up / down keys are often used by end users for tuning stations.

However, as the number of stations increases exponentially with the diversification of broadcasting media such as current cable TV broadcasting or digital TV broadcasting in the future, several or dozens of key manipulations are required for channel selection using channel up or channel down keys. need.

Accordingly, in order to solve such a problem, a preferred channel is separately stored according to the taste of the viewer among dozens or hundreds of channels, and a user interface (UI) menu is developed or a separate stored channel for a preferred channel is stored. We tried to solve this inconvenience by keeping the height.

However, channel navigation by menu development also requires a large number of additional key operations, and even if a preferred channel is registered, if the number of preferred channels is large, the channel up / down key operations are similarly increased.

In addition, the preferred channel navigation by a separate key located in the remote control could not avoid the complexity of the remote control due to additional keys.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to store a favorite channel by group and then allow the user to navigate only channels of the group, thereby allowing the user to select a plurality of channels. And providing a method.

1 is a plan view of a remote control according to the present invention

2 is a block diagram of a TV or set-top box for channel selection according to the present invention;

3 is a flowchart for performing channel selection for each group according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

21: remote control signal receiver 22: micom

23: main storage 24: auxiliary storage

The channel selection apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the remote control further comprises a group selection switch for selecting a plurality of channel groups to generate a different channel up / down key code for each group, The system main body such as a TV or a set-top box separates and stores input channels into a plurality of channel groups, and analyzes key codes transmitted from the remote controller so that only the channels stored in the group are navigated by the channel up / down keys. .

The channel selection method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: separating and storing the input channels into a plurality of channel groups, placing a group selection switch provided on the remote controller in a desired channel group, and inputting a channel up / down key; And performing navigation only for the channels stored in the channel group selected in the step.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

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

1 is a plan view of a remote controller according to the present invention, in which a preferred channel group selection switch for selecting one of a plurality of channel groups is further provided in an existing key arrangement.

As the preferred channel group selection switch, various switches such as a slide switch 11 or a circular switch 12 may be used, and code values of the channel up / down keys are transmitted differently according to the position indicated by the switch. Meanwhile, a separate key may be set to be electronically selected as the key is pressed, and the selection position may be indicated by a light emitting diode (LED) to indicate which preferred group channel the user has selected.

Table 1 below shows an example of a remote control code value according to the position of the preferred channel group selection switch.

Preferred 1 Preferred 2 Preferred 3 ..... Prefer n Channel up code One 3 5 x Channel down code 2 4 6 y

In Table 1, it can be seen that different codes are transmitted to the TV or the set-top box according to the position of the preferred channel group selection switch.

For example, when the preferred channel group selection switch is set to the preferred channel 1 position and the channel up key is pressed, the code 1 is transmitted from the remote controller and the channel 2 key is transmitted. In addition, when the channel up key is pressed at the position of the preferred channel 3, the code 5 is transmitted, and the code 6 is transmitted when the channel down key is pressed.

In this case, a key scanner method may be used for the remote controller. That is, if the scanner output port is selected differently according to the selection position of the preferred channel group selection switch, the resultant key code value may be changed.

Alternatively, an analog / digital key scan method that scans keys according to the analog level may be used. That is, by changing the offset voltage according to the position of the group selection switch, the key code value to be scanned can be changed.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a TV or set-top box for channel selection according to the present invention, which controls the storage of a favorite channel for each group and performs channel navigation of a preferred channel group selected by a user, and is transmitted from a remote controller. A remote control signal receiver 21 for receiving a key code to be transmitted to the microcomputer 22, a main memory 23 for storing a program to be executed by the microcomputer 22, and temporarily storing data necessary for executing the program. It consists of an auxiliary memory 24. In addition, the auxiliary storage device 24 stores the preferred channels selected by the user for each group.

3 is a flowchart for performing channel navigation for each group according to the present invention.

In the present invention configured as described above, the user first stores the preferred channels in the auxiliary storage device 24 for each group. In this case, the channel storage process may use a menu of the UI. In the present invention, the name of each channel group is referred to as preferred channel 1, preferred channel 2, ..., preferred channel n for convenience.

For example, the preferred channel 1 stores all broadcast channels, the preferred channel 2 stores sports-related channels, and the preferred channel 3 stores drama channels. At this time, the preferred channel may be stored for each genre as described above but may be stored for each person. For example, the favorite channel 1 may store the channels that the father likes, and the favorite channel 2 may store the channels that the mother likes. That is, the channels desired by the user can be stored for each channel group.

As described above, when the preferred channel group selection switch is placed in the desired preferred channel group while the preferred channels are stored for each group, only the channels stored in the selected preferred channel group are navigated by pressing the channel up / down keys.

That is, when different channel up / down key codes are transmitted from the remote controller according to the position of the preferred channel group selection switch, the remote controller signal receiver 21 of the TV or the set-top box receives them and transmits them to the microcomputer 22.

At this time, since the received key code is an analog signal, the remote control signal receiver 22 converts it to digital and transmits it to the microcomputer 22.

In other words, when a key is input from the remote controller (step 301), the microcomputer 22 receives a code corresponding to the key through the remote controller signal receiver 21. In this case, it is determined whether the code is a channel up / down key code (step 302). If it is determined that it is not, the operation is performed (303). If it is determined that the code is a channel up / down key code, the key code is analyzed (step 304). .

That is, it is analyzed whether the key code is a channel up / down key code of a preferred channel group. Then, only the channels of the channel group matching the key code among the preferred channel 1, the preferred channel 2, ..., the preferred channel n are navigated (any one of steps 305 to 30n). If it is determined that the channel up / down key in the preferred channel 1 is selected, the microcomputer 22 navigates only channels stored in the preferred channel 1 of the auxiliary storage device 23.

For example, if a user wants to search for a sports channel while memorizing sports-related channels in the favorite channel 2, the user can set the preferred channel group selection switch on the remote control to the position of the preferred channel 2 and press the channel up or down key on the remote control. . Then, the remote controller transmits 3 or 4 as key code values, and the microcomputer 22 of the TV or set-top box receives 3 or 4 as channel up / down key code values. Only relevant channel numbers are navigated.

According to the channel selection apparatus and method according to the present invention as described above, by storing the preferred channels for each group for all input channels, and by generating a different channel up / down key code for each group, If you press a channel up / down key after selecting a group, only the channels memorized in the group are navigated, so the user can conveniently select a channel without the complexity of the remote controller or additional key operation.

Claims (5)

In the channel selection device using a remote control, A remote control further comprising a group selection switch for selecting one of a plurality of channel groups, wherein the remote controller generates different channel up / down key codes for each channel group; And a system main body which analyzes the key code transmitted from the remote controller and navigates only channels stored in the corresponding channel group by channel up / down keys. The channel selection device of claim 1, wherein the group selection switch of the remote controller is configured as a slide switch. The channel selection device of claim 1, wherein the group selection switch of the remote controller is configured as a circular switch. The system of claim 1, wherein the system body is And a user interface menu, and inputs and stores preferred channels for each group from the user. In the channel selection method using a remote control, Separating and storing the input channels into a plurality of channel groups; Positioning a group selection switch provided in the remote controller in a desired channel group and inputting a channel up / down key; And performing navigation only for the channels stored in the channel group selected in the step.