KR20010015162A - Apparatus and Method for Channel selecting of Digital TV - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A device and method for selecting a channel in a digital TV are provided so that a user can easily select a wanted channel by applying specific labels to each broadcastings. CONSTITUTION: A user generates a label of a wanted channel in a received digital broadcasting signal, and stores information according to the generated channel label(S11). When the channel labels are generated and stored, the stored channel label is extracted upon the user's request(S12). Referring to the channel labels displayed on the screen, the user selects a wanted channel label(S14). An image signal of the channel corresponding to the selected channel label is displayed on the screen(S14). Here, channel numbers corresponding respectively to the labels are also stored. Accordingly, when the user selects one of the labels displayed on the screen, the corresponding channel is selected and the image of the channel is displayed. As a result, the user can generate labels of wanted broadcasting stations or programs, display the labels on the channel selection screen, select one of the displayed labels, and watch a corresponding broadcasting channel.

Description

Apparatus and Method for Channel selecting of Digital TV

The present invention relates to a digital TV, and more particularly, to a channel labeling of a digital TV and an apparatus and method for selecting a channel of a digital TV using the same.

TV-related technology is rapidly developing quantitatively and qualitatively as TV technology is changed from analog to satellite broadcasting and digital.

In particular, in terms of quantity, the number of channels broadcast on TV will increase exponentially by digital method which can operate much more channels than analog.

Such a digital TV includes a tuner 211 for tuning a broadcast signal, an A / D converter 212 for converting an output signal of the tuner 211 into a digital signal, and the A as shown in FIG. A link 213 that receives the converted signal from the / D converter 212 to perform demodulation and error correction, a remote control interface 221 for inputting a user request signal, and is input through the remote control interface 221. The microcomputer 222 outputs a control signal for controlling the tuner 211 or demuxes the output signal of the link 213 according to a user request signal, and the audio signal is demuxed by the microcomputer 222. MPEG A / V decoder 232 for decoding signals and video signals, NTSC encoder 233 for receiving video signals decoded by MPEG A / V decoder 232 and converting them into image signals that can be displayed on the screen; , MPEG A / V A D / A converter 234 for receiving the audio signal decoded by the coder 232 and converting the signal into an outputable signal through a speaker, a network interface 241 for bidirectional communication such as the Internet, an SDRAM 231, and a DRAM. 224 and a memory 223.

The operation of the general digital TV configured as described above is as follows.

First, the broadcast signal received by the antenna is frequency-converted to a local oscillation frequency and then converted into a 950-2150 MHz frequency band signal.

In addition, the microcomputer 222 transmits a repeater selection value having a different value for each repeater to a phase locked loop (PLL) (not shown) inside the tuner 211 so that the repeater corresponding to the channel to be tuned by the user is an intermediate frequency. To 497.5 MHz.

Subsequently, the tuner 211 outputs an in-phase signal I and a quadrature phase signal Q of a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal, and the A / D converter 212 and the link 213 transmit the QPSK signal. Demodulate and correct the error to output the transport stream.

At this time, the microcomputer 222, the flash memory 223, the DRAM 224, the remote control interface 221 is a part for controlling the entire broadcast receiving system, the microcomputer 222 is a central processing unit (CPU), and I / O It is equipped with Demux and communication port.

The demux of the microcomputer 222 receives the time multiplexed transport stream and performs demultiplexing. In this case, demultiplexing refers to identifying a PID number and dividing it into a video signal sequence, an audio signal sequence, and an additional information signal sequence.

Subsequently, the demultiplexed video signal sequence and audio signal sequence are inputted to the MPEG A / V decoder 232 and returned to the signal before compression via the SDRAM 231. It is a database of information to be displayed.

The output of the MPEG A / V decoder 232 is input to the NTSC encoder 233, encoded as an NTSC signal, and output as a luminance signal (Y) and a color signal (C) for display on a TV or monitor.

In addition, the D / A converter 234 converts the extended digital voice signal into an analog voice signal and outputs the same through a speaker (not shown).

Subsequently, the network interface 241 is used for two-way communication such as the Internet. Control-related data is transmitted and received with the microcomputer 222 through a bus, and video and audio-related data are transmitted through the bus to the MPEG A / V decoder 232. Output video / audio data through.

On the other hand, in the case of the conventional analog TV, the number of channels is not as large as that of digital, so the inconvenience of user's channel selection is not large, but in the case of digital, the number of channels is much higher than that of digital, so simply select the channel up / down or specific channel number In this case, the inconvenience of the user's channel selection will be increased.

Digital TVs according to the prior art have much more channels than analog TVs, so users must memorize each channel number in order to select a desired channel or search many channels by using channel up / down keys. There is a problem that causes inconvenience.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a channel control selection apparatus and method for digital TV, which allows a user to tune a channel more easily by applying a unique label to each broadcast. have.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a typical digital TV

2 is a block diagram showing a channel selection apparatus of a digital TV according to the present invention.

3 is a flowchart showing a channel selection method of a digital TV according to the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of a method for generating a label of a digital TV according to the present invention.

5 is a view illustrating a region designation method of FIG. 4.

6 is a flowchart showing a second embodiment of a method for generating a label of a digital TV according to the present invention.

7 is a view showing an example of the OSD configuration showing the progress of receiving channel label data of the digital TV according to the present invention.

8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a channel label image data packet according to the present invention.

9 illustrates a storage format of graphic image data according to the present invention.

10 illustrates an embodiment of a channel selection screen of a digital TV according to the present invention.

The channel selection apparatus of the digital TV according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises a tuner unit for tuning a broadcast signal, switching of audio signals and video signals of the broadcast signals tuned through the tuner unit, and performing image processing of the broadcast signal. A switching and signal processing unit, a CPT for reproducing an image signal output from the switching and signal processing unit, an EEPROM for storing various program information and channel selection screen configuration related information, and a user designating a predetermined region of the broadcast image. A label memory for storing received channel label information included in the label information and the additional information of the generated image, an area designation for generating the label information, an area designation and key input unit for inputting various operation commands, and the key Channel received through the input unit and included in the image information and the additional information of the designated area position And a microcomputer to control each part of the TV system to store bell information in the label memory and read channel selection screen configuration information from the EEPROM and the label memory according to a channel selection menu key input and display the image on the screen through image processing. It is composed of its features.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a channel selection method for a digital TV. Extracting and displaying the stored channel label on a screen according to a user's request; selecting a desired channel label by referring to the channel label displayed on the screen, and displaying a video signal of a channel corresponding to the selected channel label It is characterized in that it comprises a step of displaying on the screen.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of an apparatus and method for channel selection of a digital TV according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a block diagram showing a channel selection apparatus for a digital TV according to the present invention, 3 is a flowchart showing a channel selection method for a digital TV according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a label generation method for a digital TV according to the present invention. 5 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment, FIG. 5 is a view showing a region designation method of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a second embodiment of a method for generating a label for a digital TV according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an OSD configuration indicating a channel label data reception progression of a digital TV according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a channel label image data packet according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram of storing graphic image data according to the present invention. 10 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a channel selection screen of a digital TV according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the channel selector of the digital TV according to the present invention includes an analog tuner 41 for tuning an analog broadcast signal, a digital tuner 42 for tuning a digital broadcast signal, and an analog tuner 41. And A / V switching and analog / digital signal processing unit 43, A / V switching and analog for switching audio signals and video signals among the broadcast signals tuned through the digital tuner 42 and image processing of analog / digital broadcast signals. / Color signal amplification unit 44 for amplifying the color signal output from the digital signal processing unit 3, CPT (Color Picture Tube) 45 for reproducing the image, various program information and channel selection screen configuration related information is stored A label memory 47 for storing channel label information received by being included in label information and additional information of an image generated by a user designating a predetermined region of the broadcast image; Area label for generating label information, area for inputting various operation commands, and a key label input through the key input unit 48 and the key input unit 48 and included in the image information and the additional information of the designated area position and received. Controls each part of the TV system so that information is stored in the label memory and the channel tuning screen configuration information is read from the EEPROM 46 and the label memory 47 according to a channel tuning menu key input and displayed on the screen through image processing. The microcomputer 49 is configured to include.

A channel selection method in the channel selection apparatus of the digital TV according to the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

First, a label of a channel desired by a user is generated from the received digital broadcast signal, and information about the generated channel label is stored (S11).

When the channel label is generated and stored as described above (S11), the stored channel label is extracted according to a user's request and displayed on the screen as illustrated in FIG. 10 (S12).

Subsequently, the user selects a desired channel label by referring to the channel label displayed on the screen (S13).

The video signal of the channel corresponding to the selected channel label is displayed on the screen (S14).

At this time, since the channel number is stored according to the label, when the user selects a label from the labels displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. 10, the corresponding channel is tuned to display an image of the corresponding channel.

Meanwhile, a method of generating a label of a channel desired by a user and storing information according to the generated channel label will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the first embodiment of the method of generating a label of a channel desired by the user and storing information according to the generated channel label, the user designates a region and a key input unit 48, that is, a mouse type. Alternatively, using a key input device such as a remote controller, a specific image that can be easily recognized in place of a channel number is displayed in place of a channel number, that is, an image including a name of a broadcasting station or a partial image representing a broadcasting station (S111). ).

In this case, the video stream of the transport packet has a GOP (Group of Picture) as its substructure, and the GOP is composed of I, B, and P pictures, and image acquisition is performed by extracting and storing the I picture.

Subsequently, the user designates a partial area capable of representing the broadcast station name or the broadcast station in the captured image as shown in FIG. 5 using the area designation and key input unit 48 (S112).

The microcomputer 49 calculates the position and size of the area designated by the user (S113).

At this time, the broadcast image is transmitted in one of several sizes already defined, and the size information is also included in the additional information and transmitted, so that each pixel is matched with the size of the image by knowing the size of the acquired image. A two-dimensional plane can be configured. Accordingly, the position can be calculated by reading the coordinates of the region designated by the region designation and the key input unit 48 on the two-dimensional plane.

Subsequently, the image corresponding to the calculated position and size is set as the label of the corresponding channel, and the label memory 47 together with the channel information, that is, the channel number, the acquisition time, and the corresponding program title, on which the image acquired in step S111 is broadcast, is broadcast. Stored in step S114).

The generated label may use a title or a specific video of a favorite program as a label, not a broadcast station name or a logo, and store the program title or the specific video as a label to display on a channel selection screen as shown in FIG. 10. Can be.

Meanwhile, a second embodiment of a method of generating a label of a channel desired by a user and storing information according to the generated channel label will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

According to a second embodiment of the method for generating a label of a channel desired by the user and storing information according to the generated channel label, first, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether the viewer agrees to the channel label configuration ( In step S211, when the viewer agrees to the channel label configuration, the preset channel label information transmission reservation time is displayed on the screen (S212).

As a result of the determination (S211), if the viewer does not agree with the channel label configuration, the previously stored channel label information is deleted (S213), and it is determined whether or not the transmission reservation time displayed on the screen (S214).

Subsequently, in the determination result (S214), if it is the transmission reservation time, it is determined whether the power of the digital receiver is on (S215), and if the power of the digital receiver is not on, the power of the digital receiver is turned on (S216).

When the digital receiver is turned on, the digital receiver tunes to the preset channel (S217), receives label information of the corresponding channel, and displays the current channel label information reception state in an OSD form (S218).

Subsequently, only specific information packets are extracted from the received channel label information (S219), and it is determined whether all the channel label information is transmitted (S220).

If all of the channel label information has been transmitted, it is determined whether the power state of the digital receiver was previously on (S221). If the power state of the digital receiver was on, the power of the digital receiver is turned off (S222).

Subsequently, the channel label information is stored in the label memory 147.

As described above, in the method of transmitting channel label information according to the present invention, the transmitting side includes the channel label information in the broadcast signal and transmits the received channel label information according to the user's request to analyze and store the label information of the corresponding channel.

Here, a method of configuring a broadcast signal including channel label information is as follows. That is, the digital broadcast signal includes a video PES, an audio PES, and a PSI. In particular, the PSI plays a role of transmitting additional information, and transmitting the channel label information to the PSI together is a method of constructing a transmission signal according to the present invention.

The transmitting side transmits the image data necessary to enable the receiving side to graphically configure the channel label, and the transmission scheme proposed by the present invention for transmitting such image data has the following characteristics.

The first is to transmit graphic image data for a channel label configuration only at a specific time, and the second is to make the packet stream containing the graphic data have a specific PID.

In order to allow the sender to transmit image data with such characteristics, the present invention proposes a scheme in which information transmitted through the PSI is configured to have two types as follows.

First, information on the time at which the transmitter transmits image data for label data configuration, and second, information on a PID of a packet to which the image data is transmitted.

Therefore, the transmitter does not transmit video and audio data using only a specific time zone, but transmits only image data related to a channel label so that the receiver can acquire all image data in a short time.

Next, a method of obtaining information about channel label data acquisition from PSI information carried in a broadcast signal by a receiver will be described.

For information on whether channel label data is acquired in the currently received PSI information (i.e., the time at which image data for channel label is transmitted and the PID of the packet to which the data is transmitted), refer to the packet header of the PSI. Listen to

In order to distinguish the PSI from the transport stream currently being transmitted, basically, the information of the packet header should be analyzed. If the information on the channel label configuration is included in the packet header of the PSI, the receiver analyzes and stores the information.

In the above, the transmission / reception method required for the composition of the channel label is proposed. Next, information on the acquisition of channel label data contained in the PSI (that is, the time at which image data for the channel label is transmitted, After acquiring PID), we propose the interface method between receiver and viewer.

When information about channel label data is transmitted by the PSI, the receiver analyzes it and constructs an OSD on the screen which asks viewers whether to construct a label for the current channel.

If the viewer does not want to configure the label for the current channel, the viewer deletes the information on channel label data acquisition acquired and stored in the PSI.

On the other hand, if the viewer agrees to configure the channel label, the receiver displays and displays the time when the image data necessary to configure the channel label is transmitted by the OSD, and then configures a specific PID by the OSD according to the time when the image data is transmitted. After display, only the data with a specific PID is filtered according to the time when the image data is transmitted, and image data is acquired and stored in the memory.

As described above, in the channel selection method of the digital TV according to the present invention, when the image data is about to be transmitted, the receiver is displayed in the OSD form as shown in FIG. 7 to inform the viewer that the image data is being acquired while the receiver is acquiring the image data. This prevents viewers from getting confused.

The channel label image data transmitted as described above is transmitted through a plurality of packets. The structure of the transmitted data packet will be described with reference to FIG. 8 as follows.

First, a header 401 of a packet for transmitting PID information and a portion 402 including graphic image data are included. In this case, the first packet for transmitting the channel label image data is transmitted with the information of the beginning of the data in the header 401 together with information about the size of the entire image data, and the last packet also contains the data in the header 401. Transmit with the information that is the end of.

In addition, the packet coming in the middle of the first packet and the last packet includes information on how much data is still to be acquired in the packet header, and transmits the information regarding the data acquisition rate shown in FIG. OSD configuration 302 is enabled at the receiver.

As described above, the label image data obtained in this manner is composed of one graphic image and stored in the internal memory of the receiver system. Subsequently, in order to enable channel selection using only a label, when the receiver stores a label image, information about a broadcast channel from which the label is obtained should be stored together.

As shown in FIG. 9, the graphic image data is stored in the memory as shown in FIG. 9. The graphic image data 501 obtained from one channel and one graphic image data constitute one channel label many times. As described above, when one graphic image data is stored in the memory of the receiver, the header 502 is added to the pure image data 503 obtained from the transmitting signal.

The header 502 includes channel information about the image data, the size of the image data, and the like. When the viewer tries to tune the channel using the channel label, the receiver analyzes the header information of the image data of the selected label. It finds out the channel number indicated by the label and converts it to the channel desired by the viewer.

In the channel selection method of the digital TV according to the present invention, a user can display a broadcasting station or program desired by the user on a channel selection screen with a label among the images displayed on the screen and select one of them to directly watch the corresponding broadcasting channel. There is an effect that can eliminate the inconvenience caused by the selection and increase the user's convenience.

Claims (11)

A tuner for tuning a broadcast signal; A switching and signal processing unit for switching audio signals and video signals among the broadcast signals tuned through the tuner and performing image processing of the broadcast signals; A CPT for reproducing an image signal output from the switching and signal processor on a screen; An EEPROM for storing various program information and channel selection screen configuration related information; A label memory for storing channel label information generated by receiving label information from label information and additional information of an image generated by a user designating a predetermined region of the broadcast image; An area designation for generating the label information and an area designation and key input unit for inputting various operation commands; And The channel memory information input through the key input unit and stored in the label memory include the channel label information included in the image information and the additional information of the designated area, and the channel tuning screen configuration information is stored according to the channel tuning menu key input. And a microcomputer for controlling each part of the TV system to be read from the image and displayed on the screen through image processing. In digital TV, Generating a label of a channel desired by a user from the received digital broadcast signal and storing information according to the generated channel label; Extracting and storing the stored channel label on a screen according to a user's request; And Selecting a channel label desired by the user with reference to the channel label displayed on the screen, and displaying a video signal of a channel corresponding to the selected channel label on the screen. Way. The method of claim 2, Creating and storing a label of the channel selected by the user Obtaining a predetermined image among images displayed on the screen by the user; Designating a predetermined region desired by the user among the obtained images; Calculating the position and size of the designated area by using additional information of the broadcasting information; And storing the image corresponding to the calculated position and size as a label of the corresponding channel and storing the image with corresponding channel information. The method of claim 3, wherein Computing the location of the designated area using the additional information of the broadcast information Computing the channel of the specified area on a two-dimensional plane with a pixel as a point on the basis of the size of the corresponding acquired image included in the additional information. The method of claim 3, wherein The label is a channel selection method of the digital TV, characterized in that the image containing a broadcast station name or logo (Logo) for each channel. The method of claim 3, wherein Wherein the label is a digital TV channel selection method characterized in that the video containing the desired program title. The method of claim 3, wherein The channel information is a channel selection method of a digital TV, characterized in that the time at which the label-generated image is acquired, the broadcast channel, and the program title. The method of claim 2, Creating and storing a label of the channel selected by the user If the viewer agrees to configure the channel label, displaying a preset time for transmitting channel label information on the screen; Tuning a preset channel if the preset channel label information transmission reservation time is set; Receiving the label information of the corresponding channel when the preset channel is tuned, and displaying the channel label information receiving progress on the screen; Turning off the power of the digital receiver when reception of the label information of the channel is completed and stored; And displaying the broadcast image of the channel corresponding to the label selected by the user among the labels for each channel displayed on the selection screen. The method of claim 8, And if the user disagrees with the channel label configuration, deleting the information on obtaining channel label information. The method of claim 8, The channel label information is The digital TV channel selection method, characterized in that the information contained in the additional information (PSI) of the broadcast signal transmitted from the broadcasting station. The method of claim 8, Displaying the channel label information reception state Digital TV channel selection method characterized in that the step of displaying on the screen in the form of OSD