KR20020004250A - Method of Controlling Synchronously a TV Pack and a Internet Browser in the Interactive TV Broadcasting System - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method of simultaneously controlling a TV pack and an Internet browser in an interactive TV broadcasting system is provided to control the TV pack and Internet browser using a button of a web browser, and to allow a user to be able to watch TV and desired information on the web browser. CONSTITUTION: TV channels and URL information of a WWW server corresponding to TV programs by time zones are stored in a database(S1). TV channel information is received from an interactive TV broadcasting service system to confirm the current time(S3). URL information of the WWW server corresponding to the received TV channel information and the confirmed current time is read(S4). Data is received from the WWW server according to the read URL information to transmit the data to the interactive TV broadcasting service system(S5,S6).

Description

Method of Controlling Synchronously a TV Pack and a Internet Browser in the Interactive TV Broadcasting System

The present invention relates to a method for simultaneously controlling a TV pack and an internet browser in an interactive TV broadcasting system, and more particularly, to a method of simultaneously controlling a TV pack and an internet browser using a button of a web browser.

The information network (Internet) through the Internet has been rapidly developed in recent years, and the information transmitted and received on the Internet is a file in Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) format, and the file is text and graphics ( As well as links to other files. The link information may be used to access any resource on the Internet.

However, since the operation of a computer for Internet access is complicated, it is inconvenient for a person who does not acquire the operation of the computer or a person who is poor at operating a machine, a child, an elderly person, or the like to use the Internet.

Accordingly, the Internet TV has been developed as a technology for referencing information resources on a network, that is, a home TV, which is a WWW browser for Internet access that is used in a personal computer (PC). It is equipped with a processor for executing the WWW browser in a general home TV, and the TV screen is used instead of the PC's Display Monitor, which enables internet access with a simple operation.

However, since TV is directly connected to an Internet provider through a communication network such as a telephone line, the function between Internet access and TV broadcasting is completely independent. Thus, in order to realize a satisfactory access performance on the Internet TV, a high-performance processor of a PC series must be mounted on the TV, which causes a disadvantage of increasing the cost of a home TV.

Recently, the interactive TV broadcasting system, which is a service that extends the function of TV's text broadcasting service, has emerged as a new information service in the multimedia era, and the interactive TV broadcasting system uses the VBI (Virtual Blanking Interval) of the TV broadcasting signal. By using Intertext's technology of distributing digital data other than a TV image to a TV receiver, and its configuration is shown in FIG. 1, the TV broadcasting facility 11, the home TV receiver 12, and the public telephone line network 13 ), A response server 14, the Internet 15, and a plurality of WWW servers 16-1 to 16-n.

The interactive program script including various information and buttons for operation guidance (graphics data) is superimposed on the VBI of the TV broadcast signal by the TV broadcaster 11 and transmitted to each home TV receiver 12, and the TV receiver 12 If the viewer manipulates the buttons displayed on the screen using a remote controller or a wireless keyboard, the public telephone line network (13) receives a response or service request from the viewer according to the operation of the corresponding remote controller or wireless keyboard. Is transmitted to the response server (14).

Accordingly, the response server 14 collects information corresponding to the response or service request from the viewer and feeds back to the program provider of the broadcasting station 11. In addition, an online service, that is, a service for providing a program to the TV receiver 12 via the public telephone line network 13 from the response server 14, is executed.

However, in the related art, in order to change a channel of a TV broadcast, a viewer must select a broadcast channel by using a remote controller, and in order to change a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a web browser, a URL of a desired site is selected by using a keyboard. You must enter and select.

In other words, the user adjusts the channel on the TV screen using the remote control and controls the URL of the web browser separately using the keyboard when the user needs it. In this case, the URL corresponding to the TV screen must be known first. If the user does not know this, it is inconvenient to use the interactive TV broadcasting system from the user's point of view because it needs to find the URL of the TV channel separately by using a search engine and go to the site using the keyboard.

In addition, since the TV channel change and the browser URL change are not linked, the user of the interactive TV broadcasting system does not easily find information related to the TV program while watching the TV.

In order to solve the above problems or disadvantages, the present invention is to change the TV screen to a corresponding channel when the user clicks a button or an image by selecting a program that he / she wants to watch on a web browser. At the same time, the URL in the web browser is automatically directed to the site.

In addition, the present invention by simultaneously controlling the TV pack and the Internet browser using a button of the web browser, the user separately watching the TV through a set-top box (Set-top Box) to provide an interactive TV broadcasting system or interactive TV broadcasting service Its purpose is to show the necessary information on a web browser without any manipulation of.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a typical interactive TV broadcasting system.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of simultaneously controlling a TV pack and an Internet browser in an interactive TV broadcasting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

11: TV broadcasting equipment 12: TV receiver for home

13 public telephone line network 14 answering server

15: Internet 16-1 ~ 16-n: World Wide Web Server

In the interactive TV broadcasting system according to the embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, the simultaneous control of the TV pack and the Internet browser is a database of the URL information of the WWW server corresponding to the TV program for each TV channel and time Process of doing; Receiving TV channel information from a system for an interactive TV broadcasting service and confirming a current time; Reading URL information of a WWW server corresponding to the TV program corresponding to the received TV channel information and the checked current time; And connecting to the WWW server according to the read URL information, receiving data from the WWW server, and transmitting the data to the system for the interactive TV broadcast service.

Alternatively, the simultaneous control method of the TV pack and the Internet browser in the interactive TV broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes maintaining a connection with a broadcasting station to identify a change or addition of a program corresponding to each TV channel and time; The method may further include upgrading the URL information of the WWW server corresponding to the changed or added program to the URL information database when the program is changed or added.

When the user turns on the interactive TV broadcasting system or the set-top box for the interactive TV broadcasting service, searches the Internet and selects a channel of the TV to be watched, the conventional technology is applicable when there is information desired while watching TV. In the interactive TV broadcasting system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the simultaneous control of the TV pack and the Internet browser is automatically performed by the browser of the response server according to the selected TV channel. Make sure to move them to the corresponding site. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 2, a method of simultaneously controlling a TV pack and an Internet browser in an interactive TV broadcasting system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

First, when a user selects a program he wants to watch on the web browser and clicks a button or an image, the TV screen is changed to the corresponding channel and the URL on the web browser is automatically moved to the corresponding site. In order to do this, the response server makes a database of URL information of the WWW server corresponding to the TV program corresponding to the TV channel and time. For example, if the TV channel selected by the user is '13' and the current time is '8:55 pm', the program being broadcast on the channel '13' and the time '8:55 pm' Database the URL information for automatically accessing the WWW server corresponding to the bed advertisement and corresponding to the bed advertisement, for example, an advertiser site advertising the bed and a site where the bed can be shopped. S1).

In addition, the response server continuously maintains the connection with the broadcasting station to check information of the TV program corresponding to the corresponding channel and time from time to time. As the program corresponding to each TV channel and time is changed or added, the corresponding URL information Continue to upgrade the database with the URL information corresponding to the change or added program.

Then, when the user clicks a button or an image by selecting a program that he / she wants to watch on the web browser, that is, the user watches the TV by turning on the set-top box for the interactive TV broadcasting system or the interactive TV broadcasting service. If you want to watch or select the channel of the TV you want to watch, the interactive TV broadcasting system or set-top box for interactive TV broadcasting service can check the current TV channel and the user can watch the TV program corresponding to the identified TV channel. The TV pack is controlled so that information about the identified TV channel is transmitted to the response server.

Accordingly, the response server continuously upgrades the URL information database as the program corresponding to each TV channel and time is changed or added, and the TV received from the interactive TV broadcasting system or the set-top box for the interactive TV broadcasting service. Check the channel information (step S2).

At the same time, the response server confirms the current time (step S3) and reads the identified TV channel and TV program and URL information corresponding to the current time from the URL information database (step S4).

The response server connects to the WWW server corresponding to the URL information through the Internet according to the URL information read from the URL information database (step S5), and receives the data from the WWW server in the interactive TV broadcasting system or By transmitting to the set-top box side for the interactive TV broadcasting service (step S6), if there is desired information while watching a TV program as in the prior art, the user does not need to find and input the site and access the corresponding WWW server. By automatically accessing the WWW server corresponding to the TV channel and receiving data according to the TV channel, the user can easily obtain information through the Internet while watching TV programs without having to wait for access to the WWW server. You can also enjoy home shopping.

For example, if the TV channel selected by the user is '13' and the current time is '8:55 PM', the program corresponding to 'bed advertisement' is that the WWW server corresponding to the 'bed advertisement' By reading the URL information from the URL information database and automatically accessing the advertiser's site that advertises the bed or a site that can shop the bed, the bed does not take the time to find and access the advertiser's site or bed shopping site. You can get the information right away, and you can do home shopping.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the user selects a program to be viewed and clicks a button or an image, the TV screen changes to the corresponding channel and the URL information is read from the URL information database. You can automatically go to the website that corresponds to the URL, and you can see the necessary information on the web browser without any manipulation at the same time as watching TV as the channel changes.

Claims (2)

Databaseting URL information of a WWW server corresponding to a TV program for each TV channel and time; Receiving TV channel information from a system for an interactive TV broadcasting service and confirming a current time; Reading URL information of a WWW server corresponding to the TV program corresponding to the received TV channel information and the checked current time; The TV pack and the Internet browser in the interactive TV broadcasting system comprising the step of connecting to the WWW server according to the read URL information and receiving data from the corresponding WWW server and transmitting the data to the system for the interactive TV broadcasting service. Simultaneous control method. The method of claim 1, Maintaining a connection with a broadcasting station to confirm a change or addition of a program corresponding to each TV channel and time; In the interactive TV broadcasting system characterized in that it further comprises the step of upgrading the URL information of the WWW server corresponding to the changed or added program to the URL information database when changing or adding the program. Browser simultaneous control method.