KR20020025220A - Picture-in-guide generator with digital tuner - Google Patents

Abstract

The PIG generator has an output for driving a television monitor and an input for receiving a television signal. The display generator supplies a drive signal to the output synchronized to the television monitor. The EPG information is extracted from the television signal and stored in the memory. The number of pixels used to represent the television signal is reduced. The reduced number of television signal pixels is stored in the memory. EPG data and television signals are retrieved from the memory and stored in the display generator. EPG data and television signals are fed from a display generator and output in an aligned continuous data stream to produce a PIG display on the monitor. The PIG generator runs on a single integrated circuit chip along the graphics generation circuit. Because digital tuners are added to the PIG generator chip, the PIG generator always captures VBI data whether or not the viewer is watching television.

Description

Screen guidance generator with digital tuner {PICTURE-IN-GUIDE GENERATOR WITH DIGITAL TUNER}

Application No. 08 / 475,395, filed June 7, 1995, International Application WO96 / 07270, Application No. 60 / 053,330, filed July 21, 1997, filed October 6, 1997 The patent applications of No. 60 / 061,119 and No. 60 / 055,237, filed Aug. 12, 1997, are incorporated herein by reference. Also incorporated by reference is the publication "CTC140 Picture in Picture System (CPIP) Technical Training Manual," available from Thomson Consumer Electronics of Indianapolis, Indiana.

The EPG (electronic program guide) provides television viewers with updated television programming information in the form of on-screen graphical displays. The EPG may provide organizational information for current and future broadcast programs as well as a summary of the television program content for a particular program.

One particular format that is convenient for EPG is the PIG display. The PIG display includes a real-time video image of a television program tailored to be displayed on a small window insertion screen in a large graphics guide. PIG displays offer viewers many options. Viewers can browse through the television programming information in the guide and continue watching the television program they were watching before entering the guide. Alternatively, as the viewer moves the cursor on the program list of the guide, the program displayed in the PIG window may be changed to match the channel selected for the guide. In addition, viewers can stop at the PIG display, so they continue looking at the program in the embedded PIG window to find more information about the currently viewed program, such as start / stop time or program synopsis.

PIG displays are typically created using EPG generators, which are microprocessors, vertical blanking interval (VBI) decoders / slicers, on-screen display generators, and digital-to-analog converters. Separate chips, DACs, synchronization circuits, and microprocessor interface circuits, including digital-to-analog converters (DACs), synch circuits, memory on the chip, and picture-in-picture (PIP) generators. Include.

The PIP generator uses the video signal and the memory to create a large wallpaper and a small insertion screen. The small picture is generated by storing the entire frame from the video signal into the memory. Complex filtering is performed on these frames stored in memory to produce a high quality, reduced size image. As a result, a PIP window region is created on a composite screen and a television monitor screen having a large screen and an inserted small screen as a background.

However, the use of PIP generators is sometimes expensive. For example, memory in a PIP generator is relatively expensive compared to the rest of the components in the PIP generator. In addition, high speed computation processing is required to execute complex filtering. In addition, the use of separate chips for EPG generators and PIP generators requires more components and is more difficult to integrate into consumer electronic components such as televisions, VCRs and satellite receivers.

In PIG displays, however, the main display includes text and graphic information, for example program guides and non-real-time moving video images, so it is not necessary to provide two real-time video images. Thus, significant cost savings are achieved through the use of PIG generators. It also provides additional benefits by adding a dedicated tuner to the PIG generator.

The present invention relates to an electronic program guide system and method, and more particularly to a system and method for providing a screen guide display using a picture-in-guide (PIG) generator with a digital tuner. It is about.

1 is a diagram illustrating a program guide display in a PIG format.

2 is a schematic diagram of a PIG generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a data structure in a RAM according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention in combination with a full-screen video display system.

5 is a process flow diagram of a host tuner operating with a PIG generator.

6 is a process flow diagram of an auxiliary tuner with a host tuner in a television operating with a PIG generator.

The display generator supplies a drive signal to the synchronized output of the television monitor. The EPG information is extracted from the television signal and stored in the memory. The number of pixels used to represent the television signal is reduced. The number of reductions of the pixel television signal is stored in the memory. EPG data and television signals are retrieved from the memory and stored in the display generator. EPG data and television signals are fed from the display generator to the output of an aligned continuous data stream to produce a PIG screen on the monitor. The PIG generator runs on one integrated circuit chip along the graphics generation circuit.

By adding a dedicated tuner to the PIG generator chip, the PIG generator can always capture VBI data with or without a viewer watching television. This greatly improves the performance of the PIG generator to provide real-time data service. An additional tuner greatly improves the PIG display by allowing the use of a main tuner, such as a television tuner, to be fixed to one channel. This eliminates the "bounce" of the on-screen display (OSD) as the main tuner provides a horizontal sync (HSYNC) signal and a vertical sync (VSYNC) signal that becomes unstable when changing channels. An alternative solution to the OSD bounce problem is for the PIG generator to include the ability to generate HSYNC and VSYNs that are always stable, such as pseudo-sync generators. However, there is a drawback that the addition of a dummy synchronization generator requires additional work by the television manufacturer, for example to combine the fake synchronization generator function into an existing television chassis.

According to one feature of the invention, the PIG generator device comprises a digital tuner provided on one chip. The digital tuner is configured to receive a television signal and to match the television signal received on a particular channel. The PIG generator device also includes a video interface configured to receive television signals tailored to a particular channel, a digital tuner and a tuner selector coupled to the video interface and configured to determine the status of the video interface and the digital tuner. The tuner selector outputs one of a television interface received by the digital tuner and a video interface based on the determined state. A display controller is also included, and configured to reduce the pixel size of the television signal output by the tuner selector and extract EPG information from the output television signal. The PIG generator also provides signals to the television monitor with memory for storing extracted program guide information and reduced pixel size television signals, a display generator for retrieving EPG information, and aligned continuous data streams to provide a PIG display on the television monitor. Contains television signals to generate.

Many features in accordance with the present invention will be more readily understood by a better understanding of the PIG generator device with reference to the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Features of a particular embodiment which are considered in the best mode for carrying out the invention are shown in the drawings.

According to the present invention, a PIG generator is provided for producing a PIG display on a television screen or computer monitor. There are three useful types of displays in television systems using PIG generators. A first form is a full screen video display that includes a real time image of a broadcast television program. The second form is a PIG display that includes background graphics and real-time video images in a small insertion window. A third form of display is a full screen graphical display.

1 shows a PIG display 10 of an EPG comprising a graphics section 12 and a screen window 14. The screen window 14, hereinafter referred to as the PIG window, contains the video image of a television program displayed on a full-screen video display, but in a reduced size usually the width and height are, for example, the left power of 3, which is 1/9 the size of the screen. Is reduced.

The graphics portion 12 of the PIG display 10 occupies most of the screen. The graphics portion usually includes text of various different colors, icons and background graphics. The graphics may include highlights of text or portions of the screen. In an EPG system, the viewer can usually search through other guides without changing the television program displayed in the PIG window 14. In some EPG systems, when the viewer places the cursor 16 on another channel number 18 or on the program name 20 of the graphics section, the system automatically sets the associated digital tuner 50, possibly the host's tuner, to the selected channel. In addition, the PIG window 14 displays the broadcast program of the channel.

In the present invention, the components required to make the PIG display 10 are provided on one chip and combined with a television, a VCR, an independent unit, a satellite receiver, and the like. By providing all the components on one chip, not only the total package size, but also the total number of gates and the interface size of the chip can be reduced.

2 is a schematic diagram of the components of the present invention provided on one chip 21. It is a microprocessor 22, a memory controller or direct memory access (DMA) device 24, a synch circuit 28, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 30c. ), Automatic gain control (AGC) circuit 30b, DC clamp circuit 30a, PIG window generator 32, display generator 34, color spacing converter 60, DAC circuit 36, Pixel clock 38, NTSC decoder 52 and VBI slicer ZZ.

The microprocessor 22 is relatively slow compared to video processing hardware, such as the PIG window generator 32 and the display generator 34. Microprocessor 22 may organize data storage in RAM 26 and assign addresses for text data and video data. Preferably, there is only one RAM 26. RAM 26 is accessed by four different components: microprocessor 22, PIG window generator 32, display generator 34, and VBI slicer ZZ. This overloads RAM access because all four components can compete to access RAM at the same time. However, only one sample of these multiple bits can be accessed per cycle. Multiplexing devices are used for arbitration between components. Thus, microprocessor 22, PIG window generator 32, display generator 34 and VBI slicer ZZ each access RAM 26 via DMA 24. The DMA 24 is a multiplexing and arbitration circuit that facilitates sharing of the RAM 26 by alternately switching access between the four components. The DMA 24 includes a buffer memory that temporarily stores data inputs from components that are in random order between access cycles. DMA 24 stores text and video data at the correct address in RAM 26, and then retrieves the appropriate data from the address selected in RAM 26 as needed.

The system also receives a video signal from the digital tuner 50. Otherwise, it receives a video signal from the host YY. The digital tuner is a National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) tuner that runs on digital circuits as opposed to analog circuits. One example of a digital tuner is an NTSC tuner created with one integrated chip, which is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,737,035 to Rotzoll, which is incorporated herein by reference. This digital tuner 50 provides a separate data source for the EPG system for data such as VBI data or video signals.

Conventional EPG systems rely on NTSC tuners that are useful in host systems that are TVs or VCRs. In a dual tuner host, the host system has two NTSC tuners so that the EPG system can collect EPG and related data while the viewer is watching TV. In a single tuner host, the host system has only one NTSC tuner, so when the host system is off, the EPG system can only gather information. The host system's dependence on the NTSC tuner limits timeliness, thus limiting the quality of information provided by the EPG.

In a single tuner host, an NTSC tuner that is part of a television or VCR provides a video signal to represent a television program in a conventional full screen format. The digital tuner 50 independently supplies a video signal to the PIG generator 32 to represent the PIG display. As a result, whether the host system is on or off or occupied by the NTSC tuner of the host system, the PIG generator always has a useful data source. Thus, an independent NTSC tuner, i.e., digital tuner 50, is useful under the full control of the EPG to provide timely data to the EPG. It also allows real-time services, including real-time or continuously updated data such as weather or stock reporting, to be provided and used by the PIG generator without interruption of the services provided by the host system.

In addition, the digital tuner 50 is of lower quality and cost than the conventional NTSC tuner of the host system. The digital tuner 50 of the PIG generator thus provides a low cost and efficient PIP tuner for a TV or VCR that is not otherwise equipped. This may prove to be advantageous for manufacturers of TVs and VCRs that want to provide PIP functionality or a second tuner but are banned for cost reasons.

4 is a block diagram that simplifies this implementation. Tuner 301 is part of the host system, and digital tuner 303 is a tuner connected to the PIG generator of the present invention. Both tuners 301 and 303 provide a standalone video signal to tuner selector 305. Tuner selector 305 selects the video source for the PIP / PIG display to be generated by PIG generator system 350. The digital tuner 303 is cheaper and lower in quality than the tuner 301 and therefore is not usually used as the main picture source. The PIG generator system 350 extracts the EPG data from the video signal to reduce the screen size and stores the resulting text and video data in the EPG memory 309. When the digital tuner operates in the system, the EPG system is adapted to the digital tuner 303, extracts the EPG data, and always stores the data in the EPG memory 309 when the EPG is not on-screen.

5 shows an overview of a host tuner operating with a PIG system. The processing at step 411 determines the state of the host system. In one embodiment, the state of the host system is determined by testing a series of electrical control lines, so that if the one or more control lines have a " logical value 1 ", the host system is powered on. Or the signal detector determines the state of the host by testing the television signal supplied to the PIG system by the tuner of the host system. If the television signal supplied by the host system is not detected, the power of the host system is turned off. In another embodiment, the state of the host system is determined by a monitor program (running in software, hardware, or both) that sends commands to the host system that can similarly operate and receives responses from the host system. The state of the host system is determined by the monitor program based on the command sent and the response received. For example, when the monitor program sends a power-on state command to the host system and does not receive a response within a predetermined time, it is determined that the power of the host system is turned off. However, if the monitor program sends a power-on status command to the host system, and a successful response is sent from the host system, the host system is determined to be powered on.

When the host system is powered on, the EPG does not extract data, as determined in step 413. If the power of the host system is not turned on, as determined in step 413, in step 419 the host tuner receives a television signal containing data in accordance with the data channel. The data is extracted in step 417 and the data is sent to the EPG memory in step 421.

Referring again to FIG. 4, the tuner 301 preferably provides a video source for a full screen video display from the tuner selector 305 to the display type selector 307. The display type selector 307 supplies the full screen video image to the display 310. Similarly, PIG generator system 350 provides a PIG display to display selector 307, which provides an image to display 310.

6 shows an overview of the host tuner processing in a television operating in conjunction with a digital tuner operating as an auxiliary tuner. The processing in step 451 determines the state of the television by testing the control lines or using a monitor program similar to step 411 in FIG. As determined at step 453, when the television is powered on, the process at step 455 is determined if the television is in full-screen mode. Full-screen mode means that the television handles full-screen television images, for example real-time video images of customized television programs that are displayed on the full television display. If the television is in fullscreen mode, the television's host tuner continues to handle fullscreen television images for television display at step 461. The auxiliary tuner is also tuned to the data channel to receive the television signal and route the extracted data to the EPG memory (step 463).

If the television is not in full-screen mode, the host tuner in the television is tuned to the data channel to receive the television signal and route the extracted data to the EPG memory (step 457). In step 459 the auxiliary tuner handles the television image for television display, and in one embodiment the PIG display includes a real-time video image of a tailored television program displayed on a small window insertion screen with large graphical guidance. However, as determined in step 453, if the power of the host system is not turned on, the process may assign a pre-allocated tuner, auxiliary tuner, or host tuner to other tuners that handle EPG data and handle television images for television displays. Connect. In one embodiment, the pre-allocated tuners are auxiliary tuners and digital tuners that handle EPG data. In this embodiment, since the digital tuner is of low quality, the host tuner is pre-allocated to handle EPG data with television off, so that when the television is powered on it is recommended that the host tuner handle full screen television images for television displays. It will be useful soon.

2, the horizontal and vertical (h- and v-) synchronization signals are provided by the host tuner and divided from the video signals routed by the synchronization circuit 28. Horizontal and vertical synchronization signals extracted from conventional video baseband signals (CVBS) are used in video decimation by the PIG window generator. The Y coordinate is the scan player of the screen, and the X coordinate is the number of pixels in each scan line.

The video portion of the input video from the digital tuner 50 is processed by the demodulator XX into a CVBS from a 45 MHz intermediate frequency (I / F) signal. The CVBS signal is converted into a stream of digital samples by the ADC 30c. The CVBS signal is first processed with DC clamp 30a and AGC 30b to reduce distortion in the signal due to low frequency noise and dc bounce, for example when switching the signal.

NTSC decoder 52 converts the digital sample stream into a digital YUV video signal corresponding to a full-screen video image. The PIG window generator 32 receives the digital YUV video signal to reduce the overall screen size before decimating the video data and transmitting it to the storage DMA 24 of the video data section 33 of the RAM 26. In order to decimate the video data, the PIG window generator 32 together with the synchronization circuit 28 selects, for example, one for every three pixels and one for every three scan lines, i.e. at a ratio of 1: 3. The data is sent to the storage DMA 24 of the RAM 26. Other decimation ratios are possible with a ratio of 1: 4 to create different sized PIG windows.

The exact address for storing video data from the PIG window generator 32 in the RAM 26 is preferably determined by the address mapping circuit 40 in combination with the DMA 24. Using the synchronization signals from the synchronization circuit 28 and the pixel clock 38, the address mapping circuit 40 uses the video data corresponding to each pixel on the CRT of the appropriate address site in RAM for back access for display. Remember This process is commonly referred to as "bit mapping".

Display generator 34 includes a graphics generator that formats fonts for text, icons, colors and highlights for display, and background graphics of graphics portion 12 of PIG display 10. Graphic data is routed to the address mapping circuit 40, which, in combination with the DMA 24, stores the video data at the address site of the RAM 26 corresponding to the pixel coordinates on the screen.

Generation of the PIG display according to the embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 2 (FIG. 1) is described below.

In response to a viewer command device, for example an IR remote, for a given PIG display, the microprocessor 22 accesses the appropriate text data for display in the RAM 26 of FIG. 3 from the raw text data 31. . The microprocessor 22 forms the text data for display and routes the text data having an address appropriate for display of the text to the storage DMA 24 as the video data 33 of the RAM 26.

All video data for generating the PIG display 10 including the text and graphics of the graphic unit 12 and the video image of the PIG window 14 are stored in the RAM 26 as the video data 33 as described above. do. Display generator 34 in combination with address mapping circuit 40 and synchronization circuit 28 accesses the pre-structured content of video data 33 in RAM 26 to display an image for display on the screen of CRT 62. Generate. The data for each pixel displayed on the screen is stored as video data 33 in the RAM 26 along with addresses corresponding to the X and Y coordinates of the pixels on the screen. The display generator 34 is determined by the pixel clock 38 to access the appropriate data from the RAM 26 for each pixel in the sequence, and the synchronization for pixel output uses a horizontal synchronization signal and a vertical synchronization signal from the host tuner.

It is desirable to store the entire screen field or frame in RAM 26 at once in bitmap form, but if it is less than the entire screen, i.e., only part of the screen, it can be stored at once, and the display process is smaller than the entire screen. Can be run efficiently within.

Display generator 34 outputs a digital YUV signal. The color space converter 60 digitally converts the YUV signal into a digital RGB signal. The DAC circuit converts the digital RGB signal into an analog RGB signal for display on the screen of the CRT 62.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the RAM 26 is located on an "off chip" that is connected to the DMA 24 by a data bus. RGB converter 60, CRT 62 and viewer command 70 are part of a television device. In other words, these components perform a dual function of displaying conventional television signals in full screen format and helping to display in PIG format. Other components are unique to the PIG format.

The PIG circuit design on one chip 21 according to the present invention provides a more economical package with reduced size and gate count. The present invention uses individual microprocessors 22, synchronization circuits 28, DAC circuits instead of two gate arrays for these components on separate PIPs and EPGs, as used in known television systems that produce PIG displays. (36), requiring only a single gate array for digital tuner 50 and DMA 24 to reduce the total number of gates. It should be noted that display generator 34 supplies screen information and EPG information to CRT 62 under the control of pixel clock 38 and synchronization circuit 28 as a continuous stream of data. Thus, video (e.g., mobile screen) images are generated on an EPG display without a fast switch.

While the foregoing embodiments of the invention are considered to be preferred and illustrative of the inventive concept, the scope of the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Various other numerous modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, separate RAM can be used to store EPG data and reduced size television signals. The invention can also be used in digital television transmission systems, in which case the ADC, DAC and VBI slicers can be eliminated.

Claims (19)

In a picture-in-guide (PIG) generator system for use with a television monitor, A digital tuner provided on one chip and configured to receive a television signal and match the television signal received on a specific channel, A video interface configured to receive television signals tailored to a particular channel, Is connected to the digital tuner and the video interface, and is configured to determine a state of the video interface and the digital tuner, outputs one of the television signals received by the digital tuner, and outputs the video interface based on the determined state. Tuner selector, A display controller configured to reduce the pixel size of the television signal output by the tuner selector and extract EPG (electronic program guide) information from the output television signal; A memory for storing the extracted EPG information and the reduced pixel size television signal; A display generator for retrieving the EPG information and the television signal and feeding the signal to the television monitor in an aligned continuous data stream to produce a PIG display on the television monitor; PIG generator system comprising a. In claim 1, Wherein the display controller comprises a vertical blanking interval (VBI) slicer configured to extract EPG information from a television signal output by a video select box. In claim 1, The digital tuner, the video interface, the tuner selector, the display controller and the display generator operate on a single chip. In claim 1, And the tuner selector outputs the television signal received by the digital tuner based on the state of the off video interface so that there is no television signal tailored to a particular channel to receive on the video interface. In a method of providing a PIG display on a television monitor using a PIG generator, Receiving a first television signal by a digital tuner, Fitting the first television signal received by the digital tuner to a particular channel, Determining a state of one of the digital tuner and a video interface configured to receive a second television signal tailored to a particular channel Selectively outputting one of a first television signal and a second television signal based on the determined state; Reducing the pixel size of the output television signal, Extracting EPG information from the output television signal; Storing the extracted EPG information and the reduced pixel size television signal; Retrieving the EPG information and reduced pixel size television signal; and Supplying signals to the television monitor in an aligned continuous data stream to produce a PIG display on the television monitor PIG display providing method comprising a. In claim 5, And when the second television signal tuned to a particular channel by the video interface is not received, the state of the video interface is off. In claim 6, And when the state of the video interface is off, the first television signal is selectively output. A method of providing a PIG display on a television monitor in combination with a host video system, the method comprising: Determining a mode of the host video system, Tailoring the host video system to receive a first television signal for a particular channel based on the mode of the host video system; Extracting EPG information from the received television signal; Storing the electronic program information in a memory; and Search for the stored electronic program information and display it on the PIG display PIG display providing method comprising a. In claim 8, Receiving a television signal, Reducing the pixel size of the television signal, Storing the reduced pixel size television signal in a memory, Retrieving the EPG information and the television signal from a memory, Storing electronic program information and television signals retrieved in said display generator; Supplying EPG information and television signals from the display generator to an output authorized to drive a television monitor in an ordered continuous data stream to produce a PIG display on the television monitor PIG display providing method further comprising. In claim 9, Wherein said host video system is a television monitor comprising a full-screen mode and a picture-in-picture mode. In claim 10, Connecting the tuner of the host system to the television monitor when the television monitor is in full screen mode; and Connecting an auxiliary tuner to the display controller to retrieve EPG information and store it in memory PIG display providing method further comprising. In claim 10, Connecting the tuner of the host system to a display controller when the television monitor is in PIP mode, extracting EPG information and storing it in a memory; and Connecting an auxiliary tuner to the television monitor PIG display providing method further comprising. In claim 10, Assigning one of the tuner of the host system or the connected auxiliary tuner to a display controller; and Coupling the assigned tuner to the display controller, extracting EPG information and storing it in a memory PIG display providing method further comprising. In claim 11, And the auxiliary tuner is a digital tuner provided on one chip. PIG generator device for use with television monitors and host video systems A digital tuner provided on one chip and configured to receive a first television signal and match the television signal received on a specific channel; A host video system configured to receive a second television signal and fit the received second television signal to a particular channel; Is connected to the digital tuner and the host video system, and is configured to determine the state of the video interface and the digital tuner, and output one of the television signal received by the digital tuner and the video interface based on the determined state. Tuner selector, A display controller configured to reduce the pixel size of the television signal output by the tuner selector and extract EPG information from the output television signal; Memory for storing extracted program guide information and reduced pixel-sized television signals; Display generator for retrieving EPG information and television signals that feed signals into aligned continuous data streams to produce PIG displays PIG generator device comprising a. The method of claim 15, And a display type selector configured to receive a signal from the display generator and to supply the received signal to a television monitor to produce a PIG display on the television monitor. The method of claim 15, And a display type selector configured to receive a signal from the host video system and to feed the received signal to a television monitor to produce a full screen display on the television monitor. The method of claim 15, A display type configured to receive a signal from the display generator, receive a signal from the host video system, and selectively supply the received signal to a television monitor to produce either a PIG display or a full screen display on the television monitor A PIG generator device further comprising a selector. A method of providing a PIG display on a television monitor using a PIG generator with a host video system, Receiving a television signal by a digital tuner, Adapting the television signal by the digital tuner to a specific channel received; Receiving the television signal tuned to a particular channel and provided by the host video system, Extracting a synchronization signal from the received television signal tuned to a particular channel and provided by the host video system, Reducing the pixel size of the television signal received from the digital tuner, Extracting EPG information from the television signal received from the digital tuner, Storing the extracted program guide information and the reduced pixel size television signal; Retrieving the EPG information and the reduced pixel size television signal; Supplying signals to the television monitor in an aligned continuous data stream to produce a PIG display on the television monitor PIG display providing method comprising a.