KR20060088622A - Apparatus and method for selecting digital broadcasting channel - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for selecting a digital broadcast channel in a composite terminal capable of receiving digital broadcasts. The method for selecting a channel in the digital broadcasting reception terminal includes checking whether there is a digital broadcasting input request from a user, and whether the digital broadcasting viewing information is input by the user when the digital broadcasting input request is detected. And checking whether there is a match with the data among electronic program guide (EPG) information stored in advance if the input of the data related to the digital broadcasting viewing is detected. Starting the part and receiving the broadcast of the corresponding channel number; and displaying the received broadcast.

Digital Broadcasting, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), Electronic Program Guide (EPG), Mobile Communication Terminal

Description

Apparatus and method for selecting digital broadcasting channel {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SELECTING DIGITAL BROADCASTING CHANNEL}             

1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting a channel in a conventional digital broadcasting reception terminal.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile communication terminal capable of receiving digital multimedia broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting a channel in a digital broadcast receiving composite terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of selecting a channel in a digital broadcast receiving composite terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a composite terminal capable of receiving digital broadcasting, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for selecting a digital broadcasting channel desired by a user.

There are various types of digital broadcasting. Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), which is gaining popularity as portable digital broadcasting, transmits broadcast contents so that subscribers can enjoy video, audio and data through personal portable or car receivers equipped with receiving antennas outdoors or on the go. It is an example of a digital broadcasting service that can watch or listen to various multimedia broadcasts through multiple channels.

In order to check what content is currently being broadcast, the user must turn on the DMB receiving section to display the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) menu, and then check the menu. do. EPG information is data transmitted from a broadcasting center with a specific period. The EPG information includes titles and simple features of broadcasts being transmitted based on time zones for each channel. Since the DMB terminal receives the EPG information and stores it in the internal memory or the file system, the user can search for the EPG and select a broadcast that he / she wants to watch.

Assuming a mobile phone with a combined DMB reception, DMB sleep mode is maintained when only the telephone function is used, so when the user wants to watch DMB broadcasts, the user wakes up and displays the DMB receiving area. The desired channel should be selected through the DMB default screen or EPG screen.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting a channel in a conventional digital broadcast receiving composite terminal.

In step 110, it is checked whether a digital broadcast reception request is input from a user. If the digital broadcast reception request is detected, the digital broadcast reception portion is activated in step 120. In step 130, a basic screen or an EPG channel is displayed. In step 140, it is checked whether a channel number to be watched by the user is selected. At this time, the channel number selected by the user is one of those on the basic screen or EPG channel displayed in step 130. If the selection of the channel number is detected, the broadcast corresponding to the channel number is displayed in step 140.

This wake-up and channel selection process is time consuming and quite cumbersome and adversely affects the power consumption of the terminal. Performing the above operation simply to check the EPG is inconvenient to the user, and the inconvenience of having to look at the DMB basic screen or EPG screen every time when repeatedly watching. This is because a predetermined process (DMB terminal power on → DMB basic screen or EPG screen → desired channel input → broadcast watching) must be repeated until the user watches a channel to watch. Therefore, if the user always enjoys the broadcast is determined that the inconvenience will be greater.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for efficiently selecting a digital broadcasting channel in a terminal capable of receiving digital broadcasting.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for allowing a user to directly view a broadcast of a desired channel without performing a complicated channel search process.                         

To this end, the first invention provides a user interface for inputting data relating to a digital broadcasting channel that a user wants to watch; A memory for storing EPG information; Detects data input through the user interface, accesses the memory, generates a first wake-up signal when a predetermined period is reached, and detects data input related to a digital broadcasting channel that the user wants to watch. A first module for generating a second wake-up signal when there is a match with the EPG information, and controlling the first function; A second module that wakes up in response to the first wake up signal to receive EPG information, and wakes up in response to the second wake up signal to receive digital broadcast; A third module that wakes up in response to the first wake-up signal and transmits the electronic program guide to the second module, and wakes up in response to the second wake-up signal to play the received digital broadcast; And at least one display unit for displaying the channel information of the digital broadcast or the digital broadcast.

To this end, according to the second aspect of the present invention, a method of selecting a channel in a digital broadcasting reception terminal includes: checking whether there is a digital broadcasting input request from a user, and when the digital broadcasting input request is detected, Checking whether or not information is input; checking whether there is a match with the data among pre-stored EPG information when detecting input of the digital broadcasting viewing-related data; and if the match is found, starting the digital broadcast receiving portion. And receiving the broadcast of the corresponding channel number, and displaying the received broadcast.

To this end, the third aspect of the present invention provides a method for selecting a channel in a digital broadcasting reception terminal, checking whether a digital broadcasting preference channel request is input from a user, and detecting a preferred channel when the digital broadcasting preference channel request input is detected. Displaying the channel, checking whether the channel number desired to be watched by the user is selected after displaying the preferred channel, and if the selection of the channel number is detected, starting the digital broadcasting reception unit and corresponding to the channel number. And receiving the broadcast, and displaying the received broadcast.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, specific details such as specific key names and the like are shown, which are provided to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. It is self-evident to those who have. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiver and an additional function (for example, a telephone, a portable multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, a telematics or navigation function, etc.) and a digital broadcast composite receiver having an input medium. Available.

According to the present invention, the information of the additional channel for guiding the DMB broadcast program, that is, EPG information, can be efficiently managed and searched in advance using the phone module so that the content can be used immediately when the power of the DMB part is turned on. There is this.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a mobile communication terminal capable of receiving DMB according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the first module-phone module 210, the second module-DMB module 222, and the third module-multimedia module 220 are physically separated. It will be described and described, but it is also possible to configure all or part of the three modules as a single chip (referred to as a control unit for convenience).

A mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is a digital multimedia broadcasting receiving and portable phone, a mobile phone function module (aka phone module) 210 for controlling a mobile phone function, a DMB module 222 for broadcasting reception function And a multimedia module 220 for controlling the multimedia function. The phone module 210 controls the first display unit 212, the key input unit 213, the microphone 214, the first speaker 215, and the first memory 216. The multimedia module 220 controls the second display unit 223, the second speaker 224, and the second memory 225.

The operation of each part will be described in detail as follows.

The phone module 210 may be implemented as a radio frequency (RF) transmission / reception portion and a modem chip (for example, Qualcomm's MSM (Mobile Station Modem) 5500- portion). Send and receive and collectively control the overall functions of the mobile communication terminal, including the mobile phone function. The first wake-up signal is generated when a predetermined period is reached, and when the input of data related to the digital broadcasting channel that the user wants to watch is detected, the second wake-up signal is generated when there is a match with the previously stored EPG information. do. The first display unit 212 displays information related to the overall functions of the mobile communication terminal including the mobile phone function and the preferred channel according to the embodiment of the present invention. The key input unit 213 includes a plurality of keys, and includes a control command (eg, a digital broadcast input request) or data (eg, data about a digital broadcast channel that the user wants to watch) according to a user's operation. , Or the name of the station). Although collectively referred to as the key input unit 213, an input interface provided by the corresponding composite terminal such as a keyboard, a touch pad, or a voice input may be adopted.

The microphone 214 inputs an audio signal. The first speaker 215 outputs an audio signal (eg, voice call) related to the mobile phone function. The first memory 216 stores information related to the overall functions of the mobile communication terminal including the cellular phone function. In particular, it may have an area for storing EPG information.

The DMB module 222 includes a portion for receiving DMB RF through an antenna, a demodulator, etc., but is not shown in detail because the subject matter of the present invention is not in such a detailed configuration. Wake up in response to the first wake up signal to receive EPG information, and wake up in response to the second wake up signal to receive digital broadcast.

The multimedia module 220 wakes up in response to the first wake up signal to transmit the EPG information to the phone module 210, and wakes up in response to the second wake up signal to receive the received digital broadcast. Play it. That is, the multimedia information (video, text, audio) for providing the user by decoding the DMB data transmitted from the DMB module 222 is output. The second display unit 223 displays the video signal output from the multimedia module 220. The second speaker 224 outputs an audio signal output from the multimedia module 220. The second memory 225 may have an area for storing information related to providing the DMB service. The preference channel may be stored in the second memory 225.

The second speaker 224 and the second display unit 223 are DMB output interface means. Therefore, it may be composed of only one of the speaker and the display according to the form of the DMB. For example, when only digital audio broadcasting is to be serviced, the output interface means may be constituted only by the speaker.

Like the illustrated first and second speakers 215 and 224 and the first and second display units 212 and 223, they may be separately configured in hardware, or may be configured as one speaker and one display unit. . In addition, the multimedia module 220 may be implemented as an H.264 codec multimedia processor.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting a channel in a digital broadcast receiving hybrid terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Assuming that the present invention is applied to a composite terminal having a digital broadcast reception function and a mobile phone function, the above-described FIG. 2 will be described with reference to 1.

In operation 310, the phone module 210 checks whether there is a digital broadcast input request from the user. The digital broadcast input request is made in the idle mode, where the phone module 210 knows that the user will now enter DMB related data. The idle mode refers to a case where the DMB receiving portion is a sleep mode and the cellular phone portion is an idle mode since the mobile phone function is usually used. The digital broadcast input request by the user may be made by inputting a predetermined key (for example, a DMB key).

When the digital broadcast input request is detected, the phone module 210 checks whether digital broadcasting viewing related information is input by the user in step 320. The digital broadcasting viewing-related data may be a channel number, a broadcasting station name, or a program name. The illustrated example assumes a channel number.

Upon detecting the input of the digital broadcast viewing related data, in step 330, the phone module 210 checks whether any of the stored EPG information matches the data. The DMB module 222 is in an off state and then automatically and periodically turned on by a timer signal of the phone module 210 to retrieve EPG information for a while. At this time, the retrieved EPG information is transmitted to the phone module 210 through the multimedia module 220. The phone module 210 stores the EPG information in the first memory 116. The EPG information thus stored is compared with the digital broadcasting viewing related data.

Unlike the illustrated figure, even when the phone module 210 and the multimedia module 220 are implemented in the form of one chip, only the phone portion normally operates and the DMB portion may be configured to be in a sleep mode. Of course, it is possible to apply.

If there is a match, in step 340, the phone module 210 generates a DMB wake-up signal to activate the digital broadcast receiver to control the broadcast of the corresponding channel number. In this case, the user may be informed of the match visually or audibly. In operation 350, the multimedia module 220 displays the received broadcast through the second display unit 223. The digital broadcast reception portion refers to the DMB module 222 or the DMB module 222 and the multimedia module 220.

If none of the EPG information matches the digital broadcasting viewing-related data in step 330, a re-input is requested in step 360 and the process returns to step 320. At this time, the user may be informed visually or audibly.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for selecting a channel in a digital broadcast receiving composite terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

It is assumed that the present invention is applied to a composite terminal having a digital broadcast reception function and a mobile phone function, and will be described with reference to FIG.

In operation 410, the phone module 210 checks whether a digital broadcast preference channel request is input from the user. The digital broadcast preference channel request is made in the idle screen state. The digital broadcast preference channel request by the user may be made by inputting a predetermined key.

When the digital broadcasting preference channel request input is detected, the phone module 210 displays the preferred channel on the first or second display units 222 and 223 in step 420. This means that only EPG information of a channel preferred by the user is separately stored among the received EPG information.

After displaying the favorite channel, the phone module 210 checks whether the channel number desired to be watched by the user is selected in step 430. If the selection of the channel number is detected, in step 440, the phone module 210 generates a DMB wake-up signal to activate the digital broadcast receiving portion and receives a broadcast corresponding to the channel number. In operation 450, the phone module 210 displays the received broadcast on the second display unit 223.

The digital broadcast reception portion refers to the DMB module 222 or the DMB module 222 and the multimedia module 220.

Meanwhile, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined not only by the scope of the following claims, but also by the equivalents of the claims.

As described above, the present invention improves the user's convenience by directly using desired broadcast contents without going through a series of predetermined channel selection processes that appear when a user wants to watch a specific channel broadcast in a digital broadcasting receiving terminal. There is. In other words, when the user wants to watch a digital broadcast of a certain channel, the terminal in idle mode immediately activates the DMB part without the complicated channel selection process, so that the user can conveniently watch the DMB broadcast of the desired channel. There is also the advantage of not having to feel bored because you do not have to see the screen or EPG screen.

Claims (13)

A user interface for inputting data regarding a digital broadcasting channel that the user wants to watch, A memory for storing electronic program guide information; Detects data input through the user interface, accesses the memory, generates a first wake-up signal when a predetermined period is reached, and detects data input related to a digital broadcasting channel that the user wants to watch. A first module which generates a second wake-up signal when there is a match with the electronic program guide information, and controls the first function; A second module that wakes up in response to the first wake up signal to receive electronic program guide information, and wakes up in response to the second wake up signal to receive digital broadcasting; A third module that wakes up in response to the first wake-up signal to transfer the electronic program guide information to the second module, and wakes up in response to the second wake-up signal to reproduce the received digital broadcast; , And at least one display unit for displaying the channel information of the digital broadcast or the digital broadcast. The method of claim 1, The first module controls an MP3 player function. The method of claim 1, And the first module controls the digital video disc player function. The method of claim 1, And the first module controls a telematics function. The method of claim 1, And the user interface comprises a keyboard. The method of claim 1, And the user interface comprises a touchpad. The method of claim 1, And the user interface includes a voice input unit. A method for selecting a channel in a digital broadcasting reception terminal, Checking whether there is a digital broadcast input request from a user, Checking whether the digital broadcasting viewing related information is input by the user when the digital broadcasting input request is detected; Checking whether there is a match with the data among pre-stored electronic program guide information when detecting the input of the digital broadcasting viewing related data; Starting the digital broadcast receiving unit and receiving a broadcast of the corresponding channel number if there is a match; And displaying the received broadcast. The method of claim 8, And re-entering the electronic program guide information if none of the electronic program guide information matches the digital broadcasting viewing-related data. The method of claim 8, And the digital broadcast viewing related data is a channel number, a broadcasting station name, or a program name. The method of claim 8, And the digital broadcast input request is made in an idle screen state. A method for selecting a channel in a digital broadcasting reception terminal, Checking whether a digital broadcasting preference channel request is input from a user; Displaying a preferred channel when the digital broadcasting preference channel request input is detected; Checking whether the channel number desired to be watched by the user is selected after displaying the preferred channel; When the selection of the channel number is detected, starting the digital broadcasting reception part and receiving a broadcast corresponding to the channel number; And displaying the received broadcast. The method of claim 12, The digital broadcasting preference channel request is made in the idle screen state.

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