KR20060105987A - Method for searching broadcast channel of digital broadcast reception system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to search for a broadcast channel in a digital broadcast receiving system. To this end, unlike the conventional method of searching for all broadcast channels in a digital broadcast receiving system and reproducing only a broadcast program of a descrambled broadcast channel, The digital broadcast receiving system checks whether a smart card is inserted, extracts tunable broadcast channel information from the inserted smart card when the smart card is inserted, searches for a broadcast channel with the broadcast channel information, displays it as program information, and optionally By tuning the selected broadcast channel when selecting a broadcast channel, the digital broadcast receiving system can enhance the user's convenience in effectively searching for a corresponding broadcast channel and playing a broadcast program according to the smart card information inserted in the digital broadcast receiving system.

Description

Broadcast channel search method of digital broadcasting reception system {METHOD FOR SEARCHING BROADCAST CHANNEL OF DIGITAL BROADCAST RECEPTION SYSTEM}

1 is a block diagram of a digital broadcast receiving system suitable for searching for a broadcast channel using a smart card according to the present invention;

2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of searching for a broadcast channel using a smart card in a digital broadcast reception system according to the present invention;

3 is a diagram illustrating a digital broadcast receiving system including a smart card, set-top box, and satellite according to the present invention.

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

102: key input unit 104: control unit

106: smart card mounting unit 108: tuning and demodulation unit

110: demultiplexer 112: storage medium

114: decoding unit 116: signal processing unit

118: menu generator

The present invention relates to a method for searching for a broadcast channel in a digital broadcast reception system, and more particularly, to a broadcast channel search method for a digital broadcast reception system suitable for searching for a broadcast channel using a smart card in a digital broadcast reception system. .

As is well known, digital broadcasting includes digital terrestrial broadcasting, digital satellite broadcasting, and digital cable broadcasting, which requires a digital broadcasting receiver such as a set-top box (STB).

The digital broadcast receiver includes a tuner for receiving a digital broadcast signal, a demodulator for demodulating the received digital broadcast signal, a demultiplexer and scramble processing for separating the demodulated digital broadcast signal into video, audio, and data. A descrambler for descrambles the video and audio is included.

In addition, the A / V decoder for decoding the descrambled video and audio to play video and audio signals, the CAM (Conditional Access Module) or a smart card for performing the descrambling operation, the user's key A CPU for operation control of each component means and a memory for storing information necessary for operation control of the CPU according to the input, wherein the CAM or smart card for performing the descrambling operation is included in the digital broadcast receiver; It can be used in connection with a digital broadcast receiver.

On the other hand, in the digital broadcast receiving system having such a configuration, all transponders are searched to search for a broadcast channel, and after receiving the broadcast channel, the authentication process, that is, a CAM or a smart card is used. Through the scramble process, the broadcast signal of the broadcast channel that has completed the descramble process can be reproduced.

Therefore, in the conventional method of searching for a broadcast channel, all broadcast channels (ie, viewable broadcast channels and non-viewable broadcast channels) are searched to reproduce only broadcast signals of viewable channels that have completed the descramble process (that is, viewable channels). By searching the broadcast channels one by one and reproducing the broadcast signal of the broadcast channel that can be viewed), it is inconvenient to select a desired broadcast channel in the digital broadcast receiving system and play the broadcast signal.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, the digital broadcast receiving system to search only the broadcast channel corresponding to the inserted smart card information, and to display the retrieved broadcast channel information to easily select the desired broadcast channel An object of the present invention is to provide a broadcast channel search method of a digital broadcast receiving system.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for searching for a broadcast channel in a digital broadcast receiving system, the process of checking whether the smart card is inserted, and a tunable broadcast from a smart card inserted when the smart card is inserted. The broadcast channel of the digital broadcast receiving system comprising the steps of extracting channel information, searching for the broadcast channel with the broadcast channel information and displaying the program information, and tuning the selected broadcast channel when selecting a random broadcast channel Provide a search method.

The above and other objects and various advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the preferred embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by those skilled in the art.

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

A key technical aspect of the present invention is to check whether a smart card is inserted in a digital broadcast reception system, unlike the conventional method of searching all broadcast channels in a digital broadcast reception system and playing only a broadcast program of a descrambled broadcast channel. When the smart card is inserted, it extracts the tunable broadcast channel information from the inserted smart card, searches the broadcast channel with the broadcast channel information, displays it as program information, and tunes the selected broadcast channel when selecting a random broadcast channel. Through these technical means, it is possible to easily achieve the purpose of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram of a digital broadcast receiving system suitable for searching for a broadcast channel using a smart card according to the present invention, and includes a key input unit 102, a control unit 104, a smart card mounting unit 106, a tuning and demodulation unit. 108, a demultiplexer 110, a storage medium 112, a decoder 114, a signal processor 116, and a menu generator 118.

Referring to FIG. 1, the key input unit 102 generates an operation signal according to a case where a user inputs a key for controlling an operation of a digital broadcast reception system using an input unit (not shown), for example, a remote controller. For example, when a key for selecting a desired broadcast channel is input according to the displayed broadcast channel information, a corresponding broadcast channel selection operation signal is generated and provided to the controller 104.

In addition, the controller 104 performs overall operation control of the digital broadcast reception system. In order to perform such operation control, the controller 104 provides a control signal for tuning the digital broadcast channel to the tuning and demodulation unit 108, and provides a demultiplexer unit ( Storing the broadcast channel information (electronic program guide information) transmitted from 110 in the storage medium 112, providing a control signal for decoding the broadcast signal to the decoding block 114, storing in the storage medium 112, and It performs functions such as controlling detection.

In addition, the control unit 104 checks whether the smart card is inserted through the smart card mounting unit 106, and extracts the broadcast channel information of the inserted smart card when the smart card is inserted and mounted, and corresponds to the information. The control signal for searching for the corresponding broadcast channel is provided to the tuning and demodulation unit 108. Here, the broadcast channel information means a tunable transponder number, a tunable broadcast channel number, and the like.

In addition, the controller 104 provides a control signal to the menu generator 118 for generating a menu screen displaying the program information while simultaneously storing the retrieved program information of the broadcast channel in the storage medium 112. Signal processing of the menu screen is provided to the signal processor 116 for displaying a control signal for display through a monitor (not shown). Here, the program information may be displayed using the electronic program guide (EPG).

Next, the smart card mounting unit 106 is included in or connected to the set-top box, and the smart card is inserted and mounted. When the smart card is inserted and mounted, the smart card mounting unit 106 extracts the broadcast channel information and transmits the broadcast channel information to the control unit 104.

Meanwhile, when the tuning control signal is provided from the control unit 104, the tuning and demodulation unit 108 tunes any one of a plurality of broadcast channels received through the antenna accordingly. It recovers to the transport stream through the process of change to frequency, demodulation and error correction.

The demultiplexer 110 extracts the video and audio data of the digital broadcast program from the reconstructed transport stream and transmits the demultiplexer 110 to the decoding unit 114, and additional information (i.e., program information and electronic program guide) inserted on the transport stream. Information, etc.) packet data is extracted and transmitted to the control unit 104.

In addition, the storage medium 112 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or the like, and stores digital broadcast program related information (ie, broadcast channel information, electronic program guide information, and the like), and the user stores the electronic program of the broadcast program. When requesting the guide information, it is transmitted to the control unit 104.

Next, the decoder 114 restores the compressed and encoded broadcast signal (broadcast program signal) of the specific channel to the original signal before encoding using a decoding technique such as variable length decoding, inverse DCT, inverse quantization, motion compensation, and the like. Transfer to processing unit 116.

In addition, the signal processor 116 processes the video signal and the audio signal and reproduces the same through a monitor and a speaker (not shown). In addition, the signal processor 116 mixes the menu screen generated by the menu generator 118 with an image signal and displays the same through a monitor (not shown).

Meanwhile, the menu generator 118 generates a menu screen displaying program information (ie, electronic program guide information) provided from the controller 104 and transmits the menu screen to the signal processor 116.

Next, in the digital broadcast receiving system having the above-described configuration, the corresponding broadcast channel corresponding to the inserted smart card information is searched for, the searched program information is displayed, and when a random broadcast channel is selected, the broadcast channel selected accordingly is selected. It describes the process of tuning to play.

2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of searching for a broadcast channel using a smart card in a digital broadcast reception system according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, in the standby mode of the digital broadcasting reception system (step 202), the controller 104 checks whether there is a smart card contact signal generated when the smart card is inserted from the smart card mounting unit 106. (Step 204).

As a result of the check in step 204, when there is a smart card contact signal, the control unit 104 provides a control signal to the smart card mounting unit 106, and accordingly, the smart card mounting unit 106 inserts and inserts the smart card. The broadcast channel information is extracted and transmitted to the control unit 104 (step 206). Here, the broadcast channel information means a tunable transponder number, a tunable broadcast channel number, and the like.

The control unit 104 provides a control signal for searching for a broadcast channel according to the smart card information to the tuning and demodulation unit 108, and the tuning and demodulation unit 108 searches for the corresponding broadcast channels according to the smart card information. (Step 208).

Next, the searched broadcast channels are delivered to the demultiplexer unit 110, and the transferred program information and the like are transmitted to the control unit 104, and the control unit 104 stores them in the storage medium 112 and simultaneously program information and menu screens. The generation control signal is provided to the menu generator 118. Accordingly, the menu generator 118 generates a broadcast channel selection menu screen including program information and transmits it to the signal processor 116, and the signal processor 116 mixes this with an image signal and displays the image through a monitor (not shown). (Step 210).

Next, in the control unit 104, when a user inputs a key for selecting an arbitrary broadcast channel using an input unit (not shown), for example, a remote controller, the broadcast channel selection operation signal generated from the key input unit 102. Check if there is a presence (step 212).

As a result of the check in step 212, when there is a broadcast channel selection operation signal, the controller 104 provides a control signal for tuning the selected broadcast channel to the tuning and demodulation unit 108, and tunes the corresponding broadcast channel. The received broadcast signal (broadcast program) is reproduced (step 214).

As an example, FIG. 3 illustrates a digital broadcast receiving system including a smart card, a set top box, and a satellite according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, satellite A includes 20 transponders and 100 broadcast channels, and there are four broadcast packages provided by a service provider operating satellite A, and a user applies for package 2 to include such information. It is assumed that a broadcast channel is searched using a smart card. Here, the smart card for package 2 is described as being able to view transponder 1 to transponder 10 and 50 broadcast channels.

In this case, the user inserts and mounts the smart card for package 2 into the satellite reception set-top box, and accordingly, the information of the smart card for package 2, that is, 50 channels that can be watched among the broadcast channels between transponder 1 to transponder 10 are displayed. By selecting and displaying a menu screen displaying such broadcast channel information, the user can select a desired broadcast channel through the menu screen to watch a broadcast program of the corresponding broadcast channel.

Therefore, the digital broadcast receiving system searches for searchable broadcast channels according to the inserted smart card information, displays a menu screen thereof, and selects a desired broadcast channel.

Meanwhile, in the above-described present invention, the smart card is inserted and mounted. However, the CAM (Conditional Access Module) is inserted into the digital broadcast receiving system to search for a corresponding broadcast channel corresponding to the CAM information, and broadcast channel information for the same. Of course, it is possible to select and play the desired broadcast channel through this.

In addition, in the above-described present invention, a general broadcast channel can be searched regardless of whether a smart card is inserted or inserted. However, the broadcast channel is displayed by displaying a menu screen for searching for a broadcast channel only when the smart card is inserted. Of course you can search.

As described above, according to the present invention, unlike the conventional method of searching for all broadcast channels in the digital broadcast reception system and playing only broadcast programs of the descrambled broadcast channel, after the smart card is inserted into the digital broadcast reception system, Extracting smart card information, searching for a corresponding broadcast channel according to the smart card information, and displaying the corresponding broadcast channel information and tuning the selected broadcast channel when the desired broadcast channel is selected to play the broadcast program of the corresponding broadcast channel. You can save the time required to select the desired broadcast channel because you do not need to search all the broadcast channels unnecessarily, and you can easily select the desired broadcast channel through the menu screen including the corresponding broadcast channel information corresponding to the smart card information. Can be played back.

Therefore, unlike a digital broadcast receiving system that performs a descramble of a broadcast channel and selects and plays a broadcast program of a descrambled broadcast channel, the user can find and tune a broadcast channel that can be viewed according to smart card information. Can promote it.

Claims (2)

A method of searching for a broadcast channel in a digital broadcast reception system, Checking whether the smart card is inserted; Extracting tunable broadcast channel information from the inserted smart card when the smart card is inserted; Searching for a broadcast channel using the broadcast channel information and displaying the broadcast channel as program information; Tuning of the selected broadcast channel when selecting a random broadcast channel Broadcast channel search method of a digital broadcast receiving system comprising a. The method of claim 1, The broadcast channel information includes a tunable transponder number and a tunable broadcast channel number.

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