KR20060115851A - Managing method of inactive channel in digital receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for an inactive channel in a digital receiver is provided to offer a more intimate GUI(Graphic User Interface) and scenario to a user with respect to the inactive channel. A VCT(Virtual Channel Table) of a channel selected by a user is detected(S10-S50,S70-S100). It is judged whether the selected channel is an inactive channel through the parsing of the detected VCT(S110). When the selected channel is the inactive channel, inactive channel information is updated in a channel map(S140,S150). It is informed that the judged channel is the inactive channel by using the channel map, and an active channel list is informed(S160,S170).

Description

Managing method of inactive channel in digital receiver

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of performing a scheduled broadcast using four virtual channels in a broadcasting station.

2 is a diagram showing the bit stream syntax of a terrestrial VCT according to the present invention.

3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a digital receiver for terrestrial and cable broadcasting services according to the present invention;

4 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic channel setting method according to the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing an inactive channel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing an inactive channel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

7 illustrates an inactive channel processing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a diagram illustrating a method of processing an inactive channel according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

-Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings-

10: tuner 20: demodulator

30: demultiplexer 40: audio decoder

50: video decoder 60: PSI, PSIP decoder

70: PSI, PSIP DB 80: Channel Manager

90: channel map 100: application manager

110: NVRAM

The present invention relates to a method of processing an inactive channel of a digital receiver, and more particularly, to a GUI operation of a receiver for an inactive channel state not currently broadcast in terrestrial and in-band cable digital broadcasting.

For broadcast and reception of digital TV for terrestrial and cable, ATSC (Advanced Television System Committee) has created a specification called Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) (Document A / 65B).

The PSIP transmits and receives A / V data in MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio formats, and transmits information about channels of each broadcasting station and information about each program of the channel. It consists of several tables.

That is, the PSIP is composed of several tables to support a main function of selecting a channel and providing information on a desired channel and an additional function of an EPG (that is, a broadcast guide service) for a broadcast program.

The table includes a VCT (Virtual Channel Table) including channel information for channel selection and a packet identifier (PID) for A / V reception, and an EIT event including EPG information of broadcast programs of each channel. Information Table).

In addition, PSIP includes the System Time Table (STT) for time information, the RRT (Rating Region Table) for transmitting information about regions and review institutions for program grades, and the Extended Text for ETT (Extended Text). Tables and tables such as MGT (Master Guide Table) for version and PID management of the tables.

The table is transmitted by a data unit called a section. That is, the tables all have a basic unit called a section, and include one or more sections.

The VCT of the table includes the number of virtual channels included in one section of the VCT, and carries data of each virtual channel. This will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, for example.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of performing a scheduled broadcast using four virtual channels at a broadcasting station.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that a broadcast station uses four virtual channels 51-1, 51-2, 51-3, and 51-8 to perform scheduled broadcast, and the VCT is configured and transmitted as one section.

At this time, if the current time is 20:15, the channels being broadcasted at the current time 20:15 are channels 51-1 and 51-3. For reference, the current time is transmitted on the STT.

Channels currently broadcasting at 20:15, that is, channels 51-1 and 51-3, are defined as active channels.

Meanwhile, channel 51-2 is not broadcasted at present time, but broadcasting is scheduled from 0:00, and channel 51-8 is also scheduled to broadcast from 06:00 the next day. As such, channels not broadcast at the present time but scheduled to be broadcasted in the future are defined as inactive channels.

After all, every channel can be an active channel or an inactive channel based on an arbitrary time zone.

In this case, according to the PSIP standard, the active channels must be included in the VCT as mandatory rules, and the inactive channels can be included for the broadcast announcement (EPG) service as a recommendation.

Therefore, at the current time 20:15, the information of all channels 51-1, 51-2, 51-3, and 51-8 may be included in the VCT, and the digital terrestrial or cable receiver receives the VCT. Channel selection information is provided to viewers.

However, according to the prior art, when the digital terrestrial or cable receiver parses the VCT, the channels cannot be divided into an active channel and an inactive channel.

Thus, the viewer sees a black screen due to the information about the inactive channels sent from the broadcast station for the program guide service (EPG). The black screen refers to a black background color displayed on the screen when an inactive channel not currently broadcasted is selected.

For example, when the viewer selects the channel 51-2 using the channel up key while watching the channel 51-1, the channel 51-2 is an inactive channel as described above, so that the video and audio data Since there is no output, only the black background color is displayed on the screen.

Such a problem is that the digital terrestrial and cable broadcasts become full-fledged and provide a great inconvenience to viewers when many virtual channels are broadcasted.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for broadcasting by dividing received channels into active channels and inactive channels.

Another object of the present invention is to provide various methods for the treatment of the inactive channel.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is to determine whether the channel selected by the user is an inactive channel, and if the result of the check as an active channel, the method of processing the inactive channel of the digital receiver to be processed by a preset GUI and scenario to provide.

The step of checking whether the channel is an inactive channel comprises detecting a VCT of a channel selected by a user and determining whether the channel is an inactive channel through parsing the detected VCT.

The preset GUI and scenario are characterized in that the display is "no signal" or "inactive channel".

The preset GUI and scenario may be characterized by automatically skipping the inactive channel to display the next active channel.

The preset GUI and scenario may inform that the inactive channel and the time when the next program starts in this channel. The start time of the next program can be known using a plurality of data such as a program start time in the previously received event information table (EIT).

The preset GUI and scenario may be the inactive channel and display an active channel list.

Therefore, according to the present invention, there is an effect of providing a user-friendly GUI and scenario for the inactive channel.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention that can specifically realize the above object will be described.

In addition, the terminology used in the present invention was selected as a general term widely used as possible, but in certain cases, the term is arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case the meaning is described in detail in the description of the invention, The present invention is to be understood as the meaning of terms rather than names.

2 is a diagram showing the bit stream syntax of a terrestrial VCT according to the present invention.

2, the VCT includes a transport stream identifier, a major channel number, a minor channel number, a short channel name, a carrier frequency, a program number, and the like, and additional information is included in a descriptor of the VCT.

In more detail, the VCT has a "table_id" which is a table identifier field of '0xC8', and the value of the packet identifier (PID) for the VCT is "0x1FFB". The version number field "version_number" indicates the version value of the VCT, the section number field "section_number" indicates the number of the corresponding section, and the last section number field "last_section_number" indicates the last section number of the VCT, and the section number A channel field "num_channel_in_section" represents the total number of virtual channels present in sections of the VCT.

Meanwhile, the short name field "short_name" in the loop "for" loop indicates the name of the virtual channel, and the major channel number field "major_channel_number" indicates the major channel number among the virtual channels defined in the loop. Each virtual channel number is linked to a major and minor channel number, and the major and minor channel numbers serve as a user reference number for that virtual channel.

Meanwhile, the program number field "program_number" includes information for connecting a virtual channel in which MPEG-2 PAT (Program Association Table) and PMT (Program Map Table) are defined, and the program number in the PAT and PMT. Matches. Here, the PAT describes the components of the program for each program number. That is, it indicates a packet identifier (PID) of the transport packet for transmitting the PMT. The PMT describes a program identification number, a list relating to a packet identifier (PID) of a transport packet for transmitting a bit string of video signals and audio signals constituting a program, and accompanying information thereof.

The source identifier field "source_id" indicates a program source connected to the corresponding virtual channel. Here, the source refers to one specific source such as image, text, data or sound. The value of "source_id" has a unique value in the transport stream transmitting the VCT. The descriptor length field "descriptor_length" indicates the descriptor full length of the corresponding virtual channel, and the additional descriptor length field "additional_descriptor_length" indicates the total length of all additional descriptors of the VCT. In other words, the VCT carries data of each virtual channel through a loop in a loop "for".

With respect to the VCT configured as described above, according to the present invention, the present invention has been previously filed by the present applicant (Korean Patent Application No. 1999-043508) so as to know whether the corresponding channel is an active channel or an active channel. (1999.10.8)). This method will be briefly described again. The value of the program number field " program_number " is set to '0' (FIG. 2A). In addition, since there is no audio signal and a video signal of the current service location descriptor, the value of the number element field “number_elements” of the “service_location_number” field, which is a service location descriptor field, is set to '0', or the corresponding channel is an inactive channel. For this reason, the "service_location_number" field is not included in the VCT at all (Fig. 2 (c)). In other words, from the digital terrestrial and cable broadcast receiver side, the "service_location_descriptor" field, which must be included in the VCT, is present only when the channel is active. Therefore, if the corresponding channel is inactive, the "service_location_descriptor" field should not be included in the VCT and transmitted.

In addition, according to the present invention, in order to more clearly recognize that the corresponding channel is inactive, the hidden fields "hidden" and "hide_guide" fields in the loop 'for' loop are used as flags indicating the inactive channel (FIG. 2 (b)). That is, when the "hide_guide" field is 0 and the "hidden" field is 1, this indicates that the channel is an inactive channel.

Accordingly, the digital terrestrial and cable broadcast receivers can check that the (a), (b) and (c) items in the bit stream of the VCT can confirm that the current channel is an inactive channel.

With respect to the inactive channel identified in this manner, according to the present invention, various processing methods related to the inactive channel are provided to the user. For example, the present invention provides the following four graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

First, if the channel selected by the user is an inactive channel, it indicates that it is "no signal" or "inactive channel".

Second, if you select an inactive channel, it automatically skips to show the next active channel.

Third, it informs that it is an inactive channel and informs the start time of the next program in this channel using the value of EIT.

Fourth, it informs the user that it is an inactive channel, and displays a list of active channels (induces the user to change to a valid active channel).

An embodiment according to the present invention for implementing the four GUIs described above will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital receiver for terrestrial wave and cable broadcasting service according to the present invention. Referring to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the digital receiver includes a tuner 10 that receives terrestrial, cable or satellite signals, and tunes and outputs a signal of a specific channel selected by a user, and a demodulator that demodulates a selected channel through the tuner. 20, a demux 30 for demultiplexing the demodulated signal into audio, video and PSI tables, and an audio decoder for decoding and outputting an audio signal among the demultiplexed signals. 40, a video decoder 50 for decoding and outputting the video signal, a PSI and PSIP decoder 60 for decoding the PSI and PSIP tables, and a PSI for storing the decoded result. And a PSIP database (DB) 70, a channel manager (CM) 80 for channel management, a channel map 90 on which channel information is recorded, and an application for a user interface. Manager (AM: App and a non-volatile memory (NVRAM) 110 in which the channel map information is stored.

Looking at the method of providing the user GUI corresponding to the four cases according to the present invention using the digital receiver configured as described above are as follows.

For convenience of explanation, first, the automatic channel setting method of the digital receiver will be described using the configuration block of the digital receiver, and then the four cases will be described separately.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic channel setting method according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, when an auto scan command for automatic channel setting is input from the user (s) of FIG. 3 (S10), the input command is transmitted through the channel manager CM (Application Manager (AM) 100). 80) (g of FIG. 3) (S20).

The channel manager 80 controls the tuner 10 according to the auto scan command (l in FIG. 3) to set the tuner 10 to the auto scan state (S30).

Tuning the channel through the set tuner 10 (S40), if tuning is not performed for a specific channel as a result of the tuning "No Channel" information to the channel manager 80 (m in Figure 3) The next channel is scanned (S30). The channel manager 80 records the channelless information in the channel map 90 (o of FIG. 3).

When tuning is performed for a specific channel as a result of the tuning, information indicating that the channel is tuned is transmitted to the channel manager 80 (m in FIG. 3), and the channel manager 80 transmits the tuned channel information to the PSI and PSIP decoder. 3, the base PID (0x1FFB) for finding the VCT is set in the demultiplexer (DeMUX) 30 (f in FIG. 3) (S50).

On the other hand, the channel tuned through the tuner 10 is demodulated through the demodulator 20 and transmitted to the demultiplexer (DeMUX) 30, the demultiplexer 30 in accordance with the base PID value VCT Demultiplexed and transmitted to the PSI and PSIP decoder 60 (Fig. 3e) (S60).

The PSI and PSIP decoder 60 decodes the VCT in units of sections to generate a PSI and a PSIP DB (g of FIG. 3) (S70), and obtains channel information from the PSI and PSIP DB 70 to manage the channel manager 80. (I) S80 of FIG. 3).

The channel manager 80 generates a channel map 90 according to the channel information (o of FIG. 3) (S90).

Thereafter, the process for all channels is repeated, and when the scan for all channels is completed (S100), the result is displayed through the application manager 100 (S110). Channel information stored in the channel map 90 Is stored in the nonvolatile memory 110 so that the user can use the same when the user turns on the TV again.

Referring to the method for displaying the inactive channel as "No Signal" or "Inactive Channel" according to the first embodiment of the present invention with the channel set up in this way, as follows. same.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing an inactive channel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, first, when a channel change key is input through the application manager 100 by the user (s) (S10), the application manager 100 transmits the channel selection command to the channel manager 80. (g) (S20)

The channel manager 80 searches for the selected channel according to the channel selection command in the channel map 90 to obtain a corresponding frequency. (N) (S30) The channel manager 80 uses the tuner (Fn) through the frequency of the selected channel. 10) (l) (S40)

If tuning is not performed as a result of tuning by setting the tuner 10 through the frequency of the selected channel, it displays "No signal" because there is no signal of the corresponding channel. (M → p → r) (S60)

On the other hand, when tuning is performed for the selected channel, the base PID is set in the demultiplexer 30 to find the VCT. (M → j → p) (S70)

On the other hand, the tuned channel is demodulated through the demodulator 20 and output to the demultiplexer 30, demultiplexes the VCT using the base PID, and transmits it to the PSI and PSIP decoder 60. a → b → e) (S80) The PSI and PSIP decoder 60 generates the PSI and PSIP DB by decoding the VCT in units of sections. (g) (S90)

The channel information selected from the PSI and PSIP DB is transmitted to the channel manager 80. (h → i) (S100) At this time, at least one or more of the items (a), (b) and (c) of the above-described VCT. Sense to determine whether the selected channel is an inactive channel (S110).

As a result of the determination, when the selection channel is the inactive channel, the A / V PID of the channel information is set to null and transmitted to the demultiplexer 30. (k) (S140) This is an inactive channel. This is because there is no A / V PID (i.e. there is no elementary stream (ES)). Therefore, there is no A / V service (A / V service not OK).

Thereafter, the currently selected channel is checked by the channel map 90 to update the channel map 90 (o) (S150) and informs the application manager (AM) 100. (p) (S160) The application manager 100 displays that the current selection channel is "No signal" or "Inactive Channel." (R) (S170)

On the other hand, as a result of determining whether it is the inactive channel (S110), if it is not the inactive channel, the A / V PID of the active channel is transmitted to the demultiplexer 30. (k) (S120) The demultiplexer 30 ) Demultiplexes the demodulated signal according to the A / V PID and transmits the demodulated signal to the audio and video decoders 40 and 50, respectively, and decodes the audio and video decoders 40 and 50 to output audio and video signals. (b → c, d) (S130)

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of processing an inactive channel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, the process from step 10 to step 100 is the same as described above with reference to FIG. 5.

In step 100, when the channel information is taken from the PSI DB and transmitted to the channel manager 80 (h → i), at least one or more of the items (a), (b), and (c) of the above-described VCT are checked and inactive. It is checked whether or not the channel (S110).

If the check result is the inactive channel, the tuner is set to the frequency of the next channel through the channel map 90 (S120), and the steps 50 and 110 are repeated.

If the check result is an active channel, the A / V PID of the active channel is transmitted to the demultiplexer 30 (k) (S150), and the demultiplexer 30 demodulates the signal according to the A / V PID. Demultiplexes and transmits them to the audio and video decoders 40 and 50, respectively. The audio and video decoders 40 and 50 output audio and video signals by decoding respective data. (B → c, d) (S160)

Thereafter, the channel map 90 is updated according to the information about the inactive and the active channel (o) (S170), and a banner of the selected channel is displayed (r) (S180). Since the channel is an active channel, the active channel is automatically found and displayed, and the active channel number is displayed.

On the other hand, if there is no active channel even when checking all the channel list (S130), the "no signal" or "inactive" through the application manager 100 in the state of tuning the first selected active channel Channel (Inactive Channel) ". (R) (S140)

7 illustrates an inactive channel processing method according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 7, steps 10 to 110 have been described above. According to the third embodiment of the present invention, when the determination result in step 110 is the active channel, the A / V PID of the channel information is set to null and transmitted to the demultiplexer 30. (k) (S140) As mentioned above, audio and video are not output as a result of the null setting.

Thereafter, the channel map 90 is updated (S150), and the selected channel is notified to the application manager 100 that the selected channel is inactive. (P) (S160) The application manager 100 accesses the PSIP DB 70. The EPG information is fetched (S170). In other words, the EPG information is obtained.

At this time, if there is no EPG information, the PSIP decoder 60 attempts to receive an EPG related table, and the final EPG data is displayed to the user by the application manager 100.

Subsequently, with reference to the EPG information, the currently selected channel is an "active channel" and "information about the next active channel", that is, a program and a time when a broadcast is active in the current channel are displayed together. (R) (S180)

The program start time data in the event information table (EIT) is retrieved and displayed in order to know the active time of the current channel, that is, the start time of the next broadcast program. Displayed above is "time when the channel is not being broadcasted at the current time. What program will be broadcast at what time and minutes." Or "The channel is not being broadcast when it is at the current time. Will be broadcast ”and you will be able to show this to your viewers. In this case, the time to be started after a few minutes is calculated by calculating the difference between the current time and the start time of the event information table (EIT).

8 is a diagram illustrating a method of processing an inactive channel according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

The process from step 10 to step 150 in FIG. 8 has been described above. According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, after the channel map update (S150), it informs the application manager 100 that the selected channel is an inactive channel. (S160) In this case, an active channel list is sent together. In this case, the active channel list is displayed through the application manager 100 (S170). In other words, the application manager 100 displays the active channel list and the active channel list simultaneously.

Through this, the user can select a desired channel among the active channels through the active channel list.

As described above, when the channel selected by the user according to the embodiment of the present invention is an inactive channel, a user-friendly GUI and scenario are provided.

The present invention is also applicable to a two-way cable digital broadcast receiver. That is, if the tables related to the present invention are transmitted through an in-band or an out-of-band channel, all of them can be applied.

On the other hand, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified by those skilled in the art as can be seen from the appended claims and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. Belongs.

The inactive channel processing method of the digital receiver according to the present invention described above has the effect of providing a user-friendly GUI and scenario for the inactive channel.

Claims (3)

Detecting a VCT of a channel selected by the user; Determining whether the channel is an inactive channel through parsing the detected VCT; And If the determination result is an inactive channel, the inactive channel processing of the digital receiver updating the inactive channel information in the channel map, notifying that the determined channel is the inactive channel using the channel map, and informing the active channel list. Way. The method of claim 1, Setting a base PID to a demultiplexer to detect the VCT of the selected channel. The method of claim 1, The informing step may include: demultiplexing the A / V PID by null setting; Updating the inactive channel information in a channel map; Notifying the application manager of the active channel list and the active channel list; Displaying the active channel and displaying an active channel list.

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