KR20020037585A - Method for determining slot of upstream in interactive cable television receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method of deciding an upstream slot of an interactive CATV receiver is provided to exactly decide a slot of an upstream performed while having access to the Internet, when using the Internet as watching a cable broadcasting. CONSTITUTION: A controller performs an initialization process including variable declarations(S31). If many slot spans exist within access unit time, the controller calculates boundaries between slots of each access area within each slot span(S32). If data to be transmitted exists, the controller calculates the first slot number within a next access unit time(S33). The controller decides a corresponding access area among a raising access area, a contention access area, and a fixing rate access area(S34, S 35, S36, S37). The controller decides a corresponding slot within the decided access area(S38-S39).

Description

Interactive Sci. How to determine upstream slots for television receivers {METHOD FOR DETERMINING SLOT OF UPSTREAM IN INTERACTIVE CABLE TELEVISION RECEIVER}

The present invention relates to an INTERACTIVE system. A television (CATV) receiver, particularly for using the Internet while watching cable broadcasts. A method for determining upstream slots in a television receiver.

Generally, digital systems. Television (CATV) receivers, also called digital cable broadcasting set-top boxes (STBs), are divided into analog receivers for receiving analog broadcasts currently being broadcasted in Korea and digital receivers for receiving digital broadcasts. Receiving apparatus for receiving the is commonly used as a method to secure more channels of the broadcast by using the compression using the MPEG method, and also to maintain a clear image quality.

1 is a conventional S.A. As a schematic diagram of a television (CATV) receiver, referring to FIG. The CATV receiver receives a video signal compressed by the MPEG II standard, a data signal related to an audio signal compressed by the MPEG I standard, TELETEXT, and the like through a cable and performs tuning, QAM demodulation, Through a series of processes such as compression restoration process, the selected cable broadcasting channel can be viewed.

Such conventional S.A. A television receiver (CATV) receives a frequency and data related thereto from a control unit, and amplifies a tuner 11 for selecting a broadcast channel through the cable and amplifies a signal corresponding to a broadcast channel output from the tuner 11. A filter unit 13 which passes only the unit 12, a broadcast channel of the amplifier 12 (approximately 6 MHz or 8 MHz according to the corresponding broadcast method), and a QAM that demodulates the output signal of the filter unit 13. A demodulator 14, an AGC 15 that automatically controls gain in accordance with the reception level provided by the QAM demodulator 14, and the operation and broadcast of the receiver in response to the channel selection of the receiver and the user. A control unit 16 for controlling channel tuning, modulation, compression restoration, and synchronization of video and audio signals, and an internal MPEG II and MPEG I decoder for input video signals and audio signals under control of the control unit 16; MPEG decoder performing compression restoration (1 7) and a memory 18 for storing the application data including the demodulated data and the decompressed data under the control of the controller 16. At this time, the S.A. A television receiver (CATV) provides the received data to the television via the TV connection unit 19.

Such conventional S.A. Television (CATV) receivers can watch cable broadcasts, but two-way communication is not possible, so they cannot perform other functions while watching broadcasts. There is a problem that you need to buy more devices.

In the present invention, interactive S.A. We develop a television receiver and propose a method for determining upstream slots in the receiver.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an interactive system for accurately determining a slot of an upstrip that is performed at the time of Internet connection in using the Internet while watching cable broadcasting. . A method for determining upstream slots in a television receiver is provided.

1 is a conventional S.A. A schematic diagram of a television (CATV) receiver.

2 is an interactive system for carrying out the present invention. It is a block diagram of a television receiver.

3 is an interactive system according to the present invention. A flowchart showing a method for determining upstream slots of a television receiver.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

11: IN BAND TUNER 21: OOB tuner (OUT OF BAND TUNER)

22: second filter unit 23: second amplifier unit

24: cable modem 25: control unit

26 memory 27 oscillator

28: gain amplifier

As a technical means for achieving the above object of the present invention, the method of the present invention is connected to an interactive network adapter (INA) via a cable, distributes the received signal over the cable, and the application signal (upstream) to the INA The in-band tuner that provides the), the OOB tuner that tunes downstream of the signal bands distributed by the in-band tuner, and MAC data from the INA to set up the Internet connection environment, and then access the Internet. An interactive sequencer that includes controls for controlling downstream and upstream of application data. A method of determining an upstrip slot of a television receiver, the method comprising: (a) performing an initialization process including a variable declaration; (b) calculating a boundary between slots for each access area in each slot span based on boundary reference data from the INA, wherein a plurality of slot spans exist within the access unit time; (c) if there is data to be transmitted, calculating the first slot number within the next access unit time; (d) determining a corresponding access area among the lasing access area, the contention access area, and the fixed rate access area based on the type of data from the INA; (e) determining the corresponding slot in the determined access area.

Hereinafter, an interactive system for carrying out the present invention. The television receiver will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings referred to in the present invention, components having substantially the same configuration and function will use the same reference numerals.

2 is an interactive system for carrying out the present invention. As a configuration diagram of a television receiver, referring to FIG. 2, an interactive system according to the present invention. The television receiver is connected to an INA (Interactive Network Adapter) and a broadcast station transmitter via a cable, and distributes the received signal (broadcast signal and communication signal (downstream signal)) through the cable, and sends the signal (upstream signal) to the INA. And an in-band tuner (11) for tuning a channel of a broadcast signal of the received signal through the cable. In a television receiver (CATV), an OOB tuner 21 for tuning a downstream band of the signal bands distributed by the in-band tuner 11, and application data including data to be transmitted and received data are stored. Memory 26 to control the operation of each unit, and receives the MAC data from the INA in response to the user's selection through the input means to set the Internet connection environment, and then access the Internet, the application in the state connected to the Internet A control unit 25 for controlling downstream and upstream of data, controlling read / write of data in the memory 26, and controlling transmission of application data to a television; and an oscillator for generating a clock signal ( 27) A / D conversion, demodulation (restoration), and buffering are performed on the downstream signal from the OOB tuner 21, and the upstream data is modulated and determined. It includes a cable modem 24 for upstream in time.

Also, the interactive S.A. The television receiver amplifies the second filter unit 22 for passing down-band band signals among the output signals of the OOB tuner 21 and the output signal of the second filter unit 22 with a set gain to the cable modem. A second amplifying section 23 provided to 24, a gain amplifying section 28 for amplifying an upstrip signal of the cable modem 24, and a detection level of a received signal by the cable modem 24. In accordance with the OOB tuner 21 further comprises an AGC 29 for automatically controlling the received signal level.

3 is an interactive system according to the present invention. As a flowchart showing a method of determining an upstream slot of a television receiver, referring to FIG. 3, the controller 25 controls the cable modem 24 while controlling the determination of an upstrip slot.

Operation according to the apparatus of the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail below based on the accompanying drawings.

The present invention is a conventional S.A. By adding an interactive (bidirectional) communication function that enables the Internet to be used for a television receiver, it is possible to provide a high-speed communication system. The TV (CATV) receiver allows the user to watch cable broadcasting and to use the Internet. To this end, the interactive systems of the present invention. The television receiver is connected to the INA (Interactive Network Adapter) and the broadcast station transmitter via a cable.

Meanwhile, the interactive S. a. The in-band tuner 11 of the television receiver distributes the received signal (broadcast signal and communication signal (downstream signal)) through the cable to the OOB tuner 21, and also sends the signal (upstream signal) to the INA. It also provides a channel of the broadcast signal of the received signal through the cable. The C. a. For a complete description of the television receiver, see Interactive Interactive. It is described in detail in the specification of a patent application for a television receiver.

At this time, in the present invention, description of the overall operation of the receiver is omitted, and the control unit 25 will be described in detail with respect to the method for determining the upstream slot while controlling the determination of the cable modem (24).

First, referring to FIG. 3, in step (a), an interactive system that performs the present invention. The control unit 25 of the television receiver performs an initialization process including a variable declaration or the like (corresponding to S31 in FIG. 3).

Next, with reference to step (b), there are a plurality of slot spans within an access unit time (approximately 3 ms (milliseconds) in the present invention). Specifically, a description will be made of a cable modem to which the present invention is applicable. The upstream method of the European standard DVB-RC takes a burst method and varies depending on the upstream and downstream bitrates, but a plurality of slot spans in the above access unit time (approximately 3 ms). Each slot span contains as many as nine slots at 1.544 Mbps by default (18 at 3.088 Mbps) within 3 ms. One of the slots is used to upstream the data of the ATM cell format.

At this time, based on the boundary reference data from the INA, the boundary between the slots for each access area in each slot span is calculated, which is determined by the system. By using the boundary reference data included in the header data in the MAC data transmitted to the television receiver, the slots corresponding to each access area, that is, the rasing access area, the slots corresponding to the contention access area, and fixed in each slot span. The slot corresponding to the rate access area is determined, and based on this, the boundary between slots for each access area in each slot span is calculated (corresponding to S32 in FIG. 3).

For example, when six slot spans are included in the access unit time (approximately 3 ms), and nine slots are included in each slot span, slots 1 to 6 are a lasing access area, 7 to 8 If the number is in the contention access area and the slot number 9 is included in the fixed rate access area, the access unit time (approximately 3 ms) includes 54 slots. Thus, the time for each slot is divided into 54 equals 3 ms. Obtained by According to this, the boundary between the access regions of each slot span can be calculated by time or slot.

Next, in step (c), if there is data to be transmitted, the next access unit time, that is, the first slot number within the next 3ms is calculated (corresponding to S33 in FIG. 3).

Next, in step (d), based on the type of data from the INA, a corresponding access area among the lasing access area, the contention access area, and the fixed rate access area is determined. This is a system projecting. For example, among MAC data, data related to the environment setting is defined as a lasing access area, application data as a fixed rate access area, and other data as a contention access area (S34 in FIG. 3). Equivalent).

Next, in step (e), the corresponding slot in the determined access area is determined, which will be described in detail as follows (corresponding to S35-S39 in FIG. 3).

First, when the access area determined in the step (e) is a lasing access area, one slot of a plurality of slots in the lasing access area of each slot span is randomly determined, which is an access unit time (approximately, 3 ms). As described above, each of the plurality of slot spans has a raging access area, and one slot is randomly determined among the slots corresponding to the lasing access area.

In addition, even when the determined access area is a contention access area, one slot among a plurality of slots in the contention access area of each slot span is randomly determined in the same manner as the method described for the lasing access area.

On the other hand, when the access region determined in step (e) is a fixed rate access region, the determined slot is determined.

According to the present invention as described above, in using the Internet while watching cable broadcasting, there is a special effect of accurately determining the slot of the upstrip performed at the time of Internet connection.

The above description is only a description of one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is capable of various changes and modifications within the scope of the configuration.

Claims (4)

An in-band tuner 11 connected to an INA (Interactive Network Adapter) via a cable and distributing a received signal through the cable and providing an application signal (upstream) to the INA, and to the in-band tuner 11; OOB tuner 21 which tunes the downstream band among the signal bands distributed by the INA and MAC data from the INA, establishes the Internet connection environment, accesses the Internet, and then controls downstream and upstream of the application data. Interactive system including control unit 25. In the method of determining the upstrip slot of the television receiver, (a) performing an initialization process including a variable declaration; (b) calculating a boundary between slots for each access area in each slot span based on boundary reference data from the INA, wherein a plurality of slot spans exist within the access unit time; (c) if there is data to be transmitted, calculating the first slot number within the next access unit time; (d) determining a corresponding access area among the lasing access area, the contention access area, and the fixed rate access area based on the type of data from the INA; (e) determining a corresponding slot in the determined access area. A method of determining an upstrip slot of a television receiver. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) If the determined access area is a lasing access area, the interactive system may randomly determine one slot among a plurality of slots in the lasing access area of each slot span. A method of determining an upstrip slot of a television receiver. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) If the determined access area is a contention access area, an interactive system comprising randomly determining one slot among a plurality of slots in the contention access area of each slot span. A method of determining an upstrip slot of a television receiver. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) If the determined access area is a fixed rate access area, the specified slot is determined. A method of determining an upstrip slot of a television receiver.