KR20060116858A - Reception device - Google Patents

Abstract

a channel number specified via an input device; a content identifier conversion table holding the information on the corresponding content identifier; a channel selection control section for converting a specified channel number to a corresponding content identifier by referencing the content identifier conversion table; and a display control section operating as follows. The display control section receives the content identifier converted. If the content identifier is a television broadcast channel, a television broadcast reception section is instructed to receive the program of the channel. If the content identifier is an identifier of a content on a communication network, a content acquisition section is instructed to acquire the content. The television program or the content on the network acquired is output to an output device.

Description

Receiving device {RECEPTION DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a receiving apparatus for receiving content on a television broadcast or a network.

Like Internet television, televisions having a function of acquiring and displaying contents other than television broadcasting are spreading. When a user watching such a television accesses web content on the Internet, it is necessary to operate a user interface completely different from that when watching television, to access desired content.

A common method is that a user starts a web browser using a menu screen of a television or a button on a remote control, and then inputs a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) using a keyboard or the like to access desired content. .

However, when a URL is input in this manner, there is a problem that operation is inconvenient for a user who is not familiar with web browsing by a personal computer.

In order to solve this problem, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-208369 discloses a method of accessing desired content by selecting a URL from among URLs registered in advance using a dedicated menu instead of directly inputting the URL. Is proposed.

However, in the method disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document, although the user does not need to directly enter a URL using a keyboard or the like, since all users use a dedicated menu that is completely different from watching television, which designates a channel directly with a remote controller, It wasn't easy enough to use. In addition, there is a problem that access is limited to a URL registered in advance.

This invention is made | formed in order to solve the above-mentioned subject, and an object of this invention is to obtain the receiving device which can also watch other content by the same operation as watching television.

Disclosure of the Invention

A receiving device according to the present invention is a receiving device which receives a television broadcast, connects to a communication network via a communication interface, and acquires content on the communication network, the channel number specified via the input device and the content corresponding thereto. A content identifier conversion table for holding information of the identifier, a channel selection control unit for converting a specified channel number into a corresponding content identifier with reference to the content identifier conversion table, a converted content identifier, and the content identifier being used for television broadcasting. In the case of the channel, the television broadcast receiving unit is instructed to receive the program of the corresponding channel. If the content identifier is the content identifier on the communication network, the content obtaining unit is instructed to acquire the corresponding content. Or network The content is provided with a display control unit for outputting to the output device.

As a result, it is possible to obtain a receiving device capable of viewing other contents by the same operation as that of watching television.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration of a system using the broadcast receiver;

2 is a diagram showing an example of a content identifier conversion table according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a content identifier registration unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention and a relationship with the processing unit to which it relates;

4 is a diagram showing an example of a content identifier setting menu screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a diagram showing an example of a content identifier input menu screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a content identifier registration unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a relationship with the processing unit to which it relates;

7 is a view showing an example of a content identifier setting mail according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a broadcast receiver according to a third embodiment of the present invention and a configuration of a system using the broadcast receiver;

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a content identifier conversion table according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

To practice the invention  Best form for

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, in order to demonstrate this invention in detail, the best form for implementing this invention is demonstrated according to attached drawing.

(Example 1)

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast receiver (receiving device) 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the configuration of a system using the broadcast receiver 100.

As shown in the figure, the broadcast receiver 100 includes a broadcast wave receiving antenna 102, a broadcast receiving unit 103, an input device 104, a user interface unit 105, a channel selection control unit 106, and a display control unit ( 107, browser (content acquisition unit) 108, communication interface unit 109, memory card interface unit 110, memory card 111, output device 112, content identifier registration unit 113, content identifier conversion An information storage section 114 is provided.

The broadcast receiving unit 103, the user interface unit 105, the channel selection control unit 106, the display control unit 107, the browser 108, the communication interface unit 109, the memory card interface unit 110, the content identifier registration unit ( 113 is a part of the processor of the broadcast receiver 100, which is conveniently divided according to a program module for operating the processor.

The input device 104 is an input device such as a remote controller or a keyboard.

The memory card 111 is a memory card such as a removable flash memory card.

The output device 112 includes a display device such as a display and an audio output device such as a speaker.

The content identifier conversion information storage unit 114 is a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk of the broadcast receiver 100. Alternatively, it may be an external storage device connected to the broadcast receiver 100 via a communication line.

The broadcast receiver 100 is connected to a web client 502 such as a web server 501 or a personal computer via the Internet 500.

Next, the operation will be described.

First, a description will be given of the operation during normal television broadcasting viewing.

When a user inputs a channel number using the input device 104, a channel designation signal is supplied to the user interface unit 105, and the user interface unit 105 notifies the channel selection control unit 106 of information on the designated channel. do. For example, if a user designates channel 3 using the input device 104, the fact that channel 3 is designated to the channel selection control part 106 from the user interface part 105 is notified.

The channel selection control unit 106 refers to the content identifier conversion table stored in the content identifier conversion information storage unit 114, and converts the notified channel information into an identifier of the corresponding content.

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content identifier conversion table according to the first embodiment.

Here, when channel 3 is notified to the channel selection control unit 106, the channel selection control unit 106 converts the content identifier into terrestrial wave / 3ch. This means three terrestrial channels of television. The converted content identifier is notified to the display control unit 107.

The display control unit 107 determines the location of the target content or the obtaining method based on the received content identifier. In this case, since the content identifier of terrestrial / 3ch is notified, it is determined that three channels of terrestrial television broadcasting should be received, and the broadcast receiving section 103 is instructed to receive three terrestrial channels.

The broadcast receiving unit 103 receives the terrestrial three-channel television program according to the instruction of the display control unit 107, decodes the received program into a format that can be displayed by the output device 112, and supplies the same to the display control unit 107.

The display control unit 107 transmits the content, that is, video and audio data, of the terrestrial three-channel television program received through the broadcast receiving unit 103 to the output device 112.

The output device 112 outputs the received video and audio data to the display and the speaker, respectively. Accordingly, the user can watch television programs of three terrestrial channels.

Next, an operation in the case of browsing the content on the Internet will be described.

The case where the user designates the channel 70 by the same operation as when watching television using the input device 104 will be described as an example. The user interface unit 105 notifies the channel selection control unit 106 that the channel 70 is designated.

The channel selection control unit 106 refers to the content identifier conversion table shown in FIG. 2, and converts the notified channel 70 into a corresponding content identifier (URL) called "http://www.myAlbum.com/index.html". The display control unit 107 notifies.

The display control unit 107 determines the location of the target content or the obtaining method based on the received content identifier. In this case, since the URL http://www.myAlbum.com/index.html is notified, the browser 108 is instructed to acquire the content of the web page indicated by the URL.

The browser 108 is a browser for viewing web contents on the Internet or contents existing on the home network or the memory card 111.

The browser 108 obtains the IP address of the web server represented by "www.myAlbum.com" from the description of the notified URL. Acquisition of an IP address is performed using the Domain Name System (DNS) on the Internet 500, for example.

In this case, the web server is referred to as a web server 501. When the browser 108 acquires the IP address of the web server 501, the browser 108 accesses the web server 501 via the communication interface unit 109 and acquires the file index.html by the http protocol.

The browser 108 converts the acquired file index.html into a format that can be displayed by the output device 112 and supplies it to the display control unit 107.

The display control unit 107 transmits the data received from the browser 108 to the output device 112. The output device 112 outputs the received video and audio data to the display and the speaker, respectively.

In this manner, the user can browse the web page by the same operation as when watching the television program.

Here, the case where the web server 501 is connected to the Internet 500 has been described as an example. However, the web server 501 may exist inside the broadcast receiver 100 itself, and may be a home network or an intranet. It may be present in the phase.

Next, an operation in the case of browsing a file stored in the memory card 111 installed in the broadcast receiver 100 will be described.

The case where the user selects the channel 71 by the same operation as when watching television using the input device 104 will be described as an example. The user interface unit 105 notifies the channel selection control unit 106 that the channel 71 is designated.

The channel selection control unit 106 refers to the content identifier conversion table shown in FIG. 2, converts the notified channel 71 into a corresponding content identifier of "memoryCard: /index.html", and notifies the display control unit 107.

The display control unit 107 determines the location of the target content or the obtaining method based on the received content identifier. In this case, the browser 108 is instructed to acquire the content indicated by the content identifier of memoryCard: /index.html.

The browser 108 recognizes that the file is a file held on the memory card 111 from the notified content identifier, accesses the memory card 111 via the memory card interface unit 110, and accesses the file "index.html". Is obtained.

The browser 108 converts the acquired file index.html into a format that can be displayed by the output device 112 and supplies it to the display control unit 107.

The display control unit 107 transmits the data received from the browser 108 to the output device 112. The output device 112 outputs the received video and audio data to the display and the speaker, respectively.

In this manner, the user can browse the file stored in the memory card 111 by the same operation as that of watching a television program.

Next, an operation when registering a new content identifier in the content identifier conversion table will be described.

3 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the internal structure of the content identifier registration unit 113 and the processing unit to which it relates. In addition, it abbreviate | omits about the processing part which is not directly related to the content identifier registration part 113. FIG.

As shown in the figure, the content identifier registration unit 113 includes a setting web server (web server) 115 and a content identifier conversion table updating unit 116. The setting web server 115 is a server for communicating with an external web client 502. The content identifier conversion table updating unit 116 sends a common gateway interface (CGI) program for inputting / outputting data to / from the content identifier conversion information storage unit 114 in response to a request from an external web client 502. It works by

An operation when the user registers a new content identifier will be described.

Here, the case where a user registers using the web client 502 connected to the Internet 500 is demonstrated as an example. The user accesses the setting web server 115 from the web client 502 via the communication interface unit 109.

The setting web server 115 activates the content identifier conversion table updater 116 and passes the content identifier conversion table updater 116 to the current content identifier conversion table from the content identifier conversion information storage 114. Get the setting information. The setting web server 115 transmits the obtained setting information to the web client 502 via the communication interface unit 109. The content identifier setting menu screen is displayed on the screen of the web client 502.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content identifier setting menu screen according to the first embodiment. The user checks the current setting by viewing the menu screen, and clicks the edit button of the channel which he / she wants to newly set or change. When the edit button is clicked, the screen moves to the content identifier input menu screen. Here, it is assumed that the user clicks the edit button of the portion of the channel 70 on the content identifier setting menu screen. In this case, the content identifier input menu screen as illustrated in FIG. 5 is displayed.

The user enters a content identifier that he wants to register on channel 70. Here, "http://www.myAlbum.com/index.html" is input. After input, the user clicks on the setting button, so that the input "http://www.myAlbum.com/index.html" is registered from the web client 502 so as to be registered as the content identifier of the channel 70. The setting information is sent to the.

When the setting web server 115 receives the setting information of the content identifier from the web client 502, the setting web server 115 activates the content identifier conversion table updating unit 116 to supply the received content identifier setting information. The content identifier conversion table updating unit 116 updates the content identifier conversion table based on the supplied content identifier setting information.

In this manner, the user can view desired content by the same operation as that of watching television by registering any television broadcast channel or web content on the Internet.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the channel selection control unit 106 obtains the content identifier corresponding to the channel input by the user by referring to the content identifier conversion table, and according to the type of the content identifier, the broadcast receiving unit 103 Or the browser 108 to acquire the desired content, the user can also view other content by the same operation as that of watching television.

In addition, since the content identifier registration unit 113 updates the setting of the content identifier conversion table in response to the content identifier setting request from the external web client 502, the user accesses a pre-registered television broadcast channel or URL. Is not limited, and the desired content can be viewed.

(Example 2)

In the second embodiment, the configuration of the broadcast receiver is the same as that in the first embodiment, but the configuration of the content identifier setting unit is different from that in the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the internal structure of the content identifier registration unit 213 and the processing unit involved in the broadcast receiver 200 according to the second embodiment. The same reference numerals as in Fig. 3 denote the same components. As shown in the figure, the content identifier registration unit 213 includes a mail client 215 and a content identifier conversion table update unit 216. In addition, although the process part which is not directly related to the content identifier registration part 213 is abbreviate | omitted, the other structure of the broadcast receiver 200 is the same as that of the broadcast receiver 100 of Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG.

The mail client 215 is a mail client that receives mail via a mail server 503 on the Internet 500.

Next, in the second embodiment, an operation when a user registers a new content identifier will be described.

Here, the case where a user registers using the mail transmission terminal 504 which has a mail transmission function, such as a computer and a mobile telephone connected to the Internet 500, is demonstrated as an example.

The user transmits a mail for setting the content identifier according to the standard format from the mail transmitting terminal 504 to the broadcast receiver 200. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content identifier setting mail according to the second embodiment. As shown in the figure, the mail address (myTV@myHome.com) of the broadcast receiver 200 and the word "set content ID" are set in the Subject: the receiver TO. 200 may recognize that the mail is a content identifier setting mail.

The content identifier setting information is described in the mail body, and in the example shown in Fig. 7, the content of "http://www.myAlbum.com/index.html" is registered in the channel 70.

The content identifier setting mail transmitted from the mail transmission terminal 504 is accumulated in the mail server 503 until it is received by the mail client 215 of the broadcast receiver 200.

The mail client 215 periodically accesses the mail server 503 to receive new mail, and extracts mail for content identifier setting from the received mail. Here, the mail in which "set content ID" is set in the Subject field is extracted and supplied to the content identifier conversion table updating unit 216.

The content identifier conversion table updating unit 216 analyzes the body of the content identifier setting mail supplied from the mail client 215 and overwrites the contents of the content identifier conversion table according to the description.

In the case of the mail shown in FIG. 7, "http://www.myAlbum.com/index.html" is registered in the content identifier of the channel 70.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the content identifier registration unit 213 updates the setting of the content identifier conversion table in response to the content identifier setting mail sent from the external mail transmission terminal 504. The access is not limited to a pre-registered television broadcast channel or URL, and the desired content can be viewed.

(Example 3)

8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the broadcast receiver 300 and the system using the broadcast receiver 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals as in Fig. 1 denote the same components.

As shown in the figure, the broadcast receiver 300 includes a telephone section 315.

The telephone section 315 has a function as an IP telephone or a television telephone.

The broadcast receiver 300 is connected to the television telephone terminal 511, the telephone terminal 512, and the IP telephone terminal 513 via the Internet 510.

The television telephone terminal 511, the telephone terminal 512, and the IP telephone terminal 513 communicate with the broadcast receiver 300 via the telephone unit 315. In addition, the Internet 510 may be a telephone network.

Next, an operation of using the telephone function of the broadcast receiver 300 according to the third embodiment will be described.

9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content identifier conversion table according to the third embodiment.

A case where the user designates a channel 80 using the input device 104 will be described as an example. The user interface unit 105 notifies the channel selection control unit 106 that the channel 80 is designated.

The channel selection control unit 106 refers to the content identifier conversion table shown in FIG. 2, converts the notified channel 80 into a corresponding content identifier (telephone number) called "telephone / 03-1234-5678" and displays the display control unit ( 107).

The display control unit 107 determines the content acquisition method from the received content identifier "telephone / 03-1234-5678", and instructs the telephone unit 315 to call the other party of the telephone number.

The phone unit 315 makes a call to the other party via the communication interface unit 309. In this case, the other party is called a telephone terminal 512. When the connection with the telephone terminal 512 is completed, the user talks with the other party using the microphone provided in the telephone unit 315 and the speaker for outputting the television voice.

Similarly, when the user designates the channel 81 by using the input device 104, the channel selection control unit 106 converts it to a content identifier called "IP telephone / 050-1111-2222" and displays the display control unit 107. Is notified).

The display control unit 107 instructs the telephone unit 315 to connect to the other party's IP telephone (here, IP telephone terminal 513). The telephone unit 315 connects to the IP telephone terminal 513 via the Internet 510. Accordingly, the user can make a call with the IP telephone terminal 513.

Similarly, when the user designates the channel 82 by using the input device 104, the channel selection control unit 106 converts it to a content identifier called "TV / 03-3333-4444" and displays the display control unit ( 107).

The display control unit 107 instructs the telephone unit 315 to connect to the other party's television telephone (here, the television telephone terminal 511) to the telephone unit 315. The telephone section 315 is connected to the television telephone terminal 511, and the user uses a camera and a microphone provided in the telephone section 315 as input devices, and a screen and a speaker used when watching television normally as output devices. The television telephone call with the television telephone terminal 511 can be made.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, when the external telephone terminal, the IP telephone terminal and the television telephone terminal are registered in the content identifier conversion table by having the telephone unit 315, they are operated in the same operation as that of watching television. It is also possible to make a call with the telephone terminal.

Also in the third embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the content identifier registration unit 113 can update the setting of the content identifier conversion table in response to a request for setting the content identifier from an external web client. In addition, as in the second embodiment, a mail client function may be provided in the content identifier registration unit 113 to update the setting of the content identifier conversion table in response to the content identifier setting mail sent from an external mail transmission terminal. .

As described above, the receiving apparatus according to the present invention is suitable for enabling the viewing of other contents by the same operation as that of watching television.

Claims (6)

A receiving apparatus comprising a television broadcasting receiving unit for receiving television broadcasting and a content obtaining unit for connecting to a communication network via a communication interface and acquiring contents on the communication network, A content identifier conversion table for holding information of a channel number designated through an input device and corresponding content identifiers; A channel selection control unit for converting a designated channel number into a corresponding content identifier by referring to the content identifier conversion table; When the converted content identifier is received and the content identifier is a channel of a television broadcast, the television broadcast receiver is instructed to receive a program of the corresponding channel. When the content identifier is an identifier of content on a communication network, A display control unit which instructs the content acquisition unit to acquire the corresponding content and output the acquired television program or content on the network to an output device; Receiving device comprising a. The method of claim 1, A browser as a content acquisition unit; The display control unit instructs the browser to acquire content based on the URL when the content identifier is a URL; Receiving device, characterized in that. The method of claim 1, A telephone section having a telephone function; The display control unit includes a telephone unit for instructing the telephone unit to connect to the other party designated by the telephone number when the content identifier is a telephone number; Receiving device, characterized in that. The method of claim 1, And a content identifier registration unit for updating the content of the content identifier conversion table based on the input content identifier setting request. The method of claim 4, wherein And the content identifier registration unit comprises a web server that receives a content identifier setting request sent from a web client and updates the contents of the content identifier conversion table based on the request. The method of claim 4, wherein And the content identifier registration unit comprises an e-mail client that receives an e-mail in which a content identifier setting request is described and updates the content of the content identifier conversion table based on the content.

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