KR20050002160A - Apparatus for Automatically Searchting and Storing Channels for Television - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An apparatus for automatically searching and storing channels for a television is provided to store physical channels and virtual channels mapped into the physical channels so that, when a user inputs directly a key or performs a channel change operation, the presence or absence of another virtual channels corresponding to the channel is displayed. CONSTITUTION: A tuner(110) tunes broadcasting signals received through an antenna. An IF(Intermediate Frequency) circuit(130) amplifies the IF signals received through the tuner. A video processing unit(140) processes the IF signals inputted from the IF circuit, detects a video signal and drives a CRT(Cathode Ray Tube)(160) according to the detected video signal. An audio processing unit(150) processes the IF signals inputted from the IF circuit, detects an audio signal and drives a speaker(170) according to the detected audio signal. A microcomputer(180) controls the tuner in order to select the channel. The microcomputer controls the tuner in order to detect physical channels and virtual channels having the broadcasting signals according to an automatic channel set command of a user. The microcomputer stores information on physical channels and virtual channels to a memory(190). A banner generating member(120) displays the channel tuned by the tuner on a screen as a banner shape.

Description

Apparatus for Automatically Searchting and Storing Channels for Television}

The present invention relates to automatic channel retrieval and storage for televisions, and more particularly, to automatic channel retrieval and storage for televisions capable of mapping and displaying physical and virtual channels.

Currently, each broadcasting station is preparing or carrying out digital broadcasting. In the case of analog broadcasting, only one channel number is assigned to the actual frequency, so that the same channel cannot exist. However, in the case of digital broadcasting, a digital channel may exist while an analog channel exists, and two or more identical channels may exist in the digital channel. In case of selecting a channel by directly inputting a key, users may not know which channel to select from a plurality of channels or another same channel.

Therefore, when there is a broadcast of another real channel on the same channel, when the channel is selected by the direct key, it is necessary to provide a user with whether there are other channels of the same broadcast other than the selected channel and if any channels are present.

Accordingly, the present invention was created in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to physically display the presence or absence of another channel of the same virtual channel when the user directly inputs a key or converts a channel. It is to provide an automatic channel search and storage device for television that can map, store and display in-channels and virtual channels.

Automatic channel search and storage device for television according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a tuner; A microcomputer for controlling the tuner to detect physical channels and virtual channels having the broadcast signal according to a user's automatic channel setting command, and storing information of the retrieved physical channels and virtual channels in a memory; And a banner generator for displaying the channels tuned by the tuner under the control of the micom, in the form of a banner on the screen, the physical channels and the virtual channels, wherein the micom comprises the searched physical channels and the The virtual channels corresponding to each of the physical channels are mapped and stored.

According to the present invention, when a user directly inputs a key or converts a channel, physical channels and virtual channels may be mapped and stored and displayed so that the channel may indicate the presence or absence of another channel of the same virtual channel. Will be.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an automatic channel search and storage device for a television according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for describing an operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a view schematically showing a television screen for explaining the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

110: tuner 130: IF circuit

140: image processor 150: audio processor

180: micom 190: memory

120: banner generator

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

1 is a block diagram illustrating an automatic channel search and storage device for a television according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for describing an operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a view schematically showing a television screen for explaining the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 110 is a tuner for tuning a broadcast signal received through an antenna. Reference numeral 130 is an IF circuit 130 for amplifying intermediate frequency signals received through the tuner 110. Reference numeral 140 denotes an image processor 140 for processing an intermediate frequency signal input from the IF circuit 140 to detect an image signal, and for driving the CRT 160 according to the detected image signal. An audio processor 150 is a voice processor 150 for processing an intermediate frequency signal input from the IF circuit 140 to detect an audio signal, and for driving the speaker 170 according to the detected audio signal.

Reference numeral 180 denotes a microcomputer 180 for selecting a channel by controlling the tuner 110. The microcomputer 180 controls the overall television according to commands input through a receiver (not shown) for receiving a remote controller signal. In addition, when the microcomputer 180 receives the automatic channel search signal according to the present invention through the receiver, the microcomputer 180 controls the tuner 110 according to the command. In addition, the microcomputer 180 controls the tuner 110 to detect the physical channels and the virtual channels having the broadcast signal according to a user's automatic channel setting command, and the searched physical channels and virtual Information of the channels is stored in the memory 190. The microcomputer 180 maps the searched physical channels and virtual channels corresponding to each of the physical channels, and stores the mapping information in the memory 190.

Reference numeral 190 is a memory, and the memory 190 stores channel information from the microcomputer 180. In addition, the memory 190 stores the mapping information for the mapping of the physical channels and the virtual channels corresponding to each of the physical channels in accordance with the present invention.

Reference numeral 120 denotes a banner generator, and the banner generator 120 displays physical and virtual channels of channels tuned by the tuner 110 under the control of the microcomputer 180 in a banner form on a screen. A banner image signal is generated to provide a banner image signal, and the generated banner image signal is provided to the image processor 140 to be displayed on the CRT 160.

Hereinafter, the operation of the automatic channel setting apparatus for televisions configured as described above will be described in detail.

When the user selects a channel automatic setting command (not shown) of the remote controller (not shown), the command signal is input to the microcomputer 180 through the receiving unit. Then, the microcomputer 180 controls the tuner 110 to search all broadcast physical channels received through the antenna and virtual channels of each of the physical channels (S1 and S2).

If the channel searched by the tuner 110 is a virtual channel, the microcomputer 180 maps the virtual channel to a physical channel and stores the channel and mapping information in the memory 190 (S3 and S4). ).

When the channel searched by the tuner 110 is a physical channel, the microcomputer 180 displays the information on the physical channel when the information on the physical channel is not stored in the memory 190. Stored in the memory 190 (S5, S6).

Subsequently, when searching for all physical and virtual channels, the microcomputer 180 completes the automatic channel searching operation and waits for the next command (S7).

On the other hand, when the user selects a specific broadcast channel, at the same time as selecting the selected broadcast channel, the microcomputer reads information on the physical channel and virtual channels of the selected channel from the memory 190 and reads the readout. The generated information to the banner generator 120. The banner generator 120 then displays the current channel number and the number of physical and virtual channels mapped to the channel number in a portion of the television screen, eg, top right, as shown in FIG.

Therefore, according to the above configuration, when a user directly inputs a key or converts a channel, the physical channels and the virtual channels are mapped and stored so that the presence or absence of another channel of the same virtual channel is displayed on the channel. You can do it.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an automatic channel search and storage device for television that can map, store, and display physical channels and virtual channels.

Although the present invention has been described in detail by the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, and variations and improvements can be made without departing from the ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art.

Claims (1)

Tuner; A microcomputer for controlling the tuner to detect physical channels and virtual channels having the broadcast signal according to a user's automatic channel setting command, and storing information of the retrieved physical channels and virtual channels in a memory; And A banner generator for displaying physical channels and virtual channels selected by the tuner under the control of the microcomputer in a banner form on a screen; And the microcomputer maps and stores the physical channels to be searched and the virtual channels corresponding to each of the physical channels.