KR20060134428A - Tv and method for displaying epg informations of favorite channel - Google Patents

Abstract

A TV receiver and a method for displaying EPG information related to preferred channels are provided to reduce the time required for searching for broadcasting information by displaying EPG information related to preferred channels separately from other EPG information or displaying only EPG information related to preferred channels. According to input of a preferred channel set command, a plurality of channel information set up by executing a predetermined automatic channel program is displayed on a screen. One or more channels edited among the displayed plurality of channel information are set up as preferred channels. If an EPG(Electronic Program Guide) information display command is inputted, predetermined EPG information provided from a broadcasting station is displayed on the screen(S220-1,S220-2). If a preferred channel display command is inputted, EPG information related to the set preferred channels is displayed separately(S220-3,S220-4,S220-5).

Description

TV receiver and method for displaying information about the favorite channel {TV and method for displaying EPG informations of favorite channel}

1 is a block diagram of a television receiver for displaying EPG information on a preferred channel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2A and 2B are flowcharts illustrating a method for displaying EPG information of a preferred channel in a television receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A to 3C are screen views illustrating a process of displaying EPG information of a preferred channel in a television receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: TV receiver 101: Tuner

102: broadcast signal processing unit 103: signal separation unit

104: audio decoder 105: video decoder

106: speaker 107: audio processing unit

108: amplifier 109: screen

110: video processing unit 111: storage unit

112: image processor 113: control unit

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to television receivers and, more particularly, to television receivers and methods capable of displaying Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information for a given preferred channel.

With the advent of cable television, direct satellite systems and other television program broadcasting systems, television viewers have a very large number of programs to choose from. Sophisticated systems have been developed to assist the viewer in selecting a program to watch or record, among which is the Electronic Program Guide (EPG).

EPGs are interactive on screens that correspond to TV timetables seen in local newspapers and other print media. The EPG can provide up to 20 different kinds of information for each program within the time frame covered by the EPG. The time frame typically ranges from the next hour to the next seven days. Information contained in the EPG includes program identification information such as program title, start time, end time, remaining time, subject, theme, actor, author, production studio, awards, keywords, announcement date, director, and brief commentary. EPG program information is usually displayed in a two-dimensional table or grid format with time on one axis and channel numbers on the other.

Unlike non-interactive guides that reside on a dedicated channel and only scroll through the current programming on another channel, the EPG allows the viewer to select any channel at any time within the EPG's time category. Moreover, the EPG functionality includes the ability to highlight individual cells of the grid containing program information. Once highlighted, the viewer can perform the functions related to the highlighted program. For example, a viewer may immediately switch to a program if it is currently being broadcast. If the television is properly configured and connected to the recording device, viewers may also program a one touch videocassette recording device (VCR) or similar device. Such EPGs are known in the art and are described, for example, in US Pat. Nos. 5,353,121; 5,479,268; And 5,479,266. US Patent No. 5,515,106, filed by Chaney, describes the data packet structure required to implement an EPG system. The data packet structure includes both channel information (e.g., channel name, call letter, channel number, type, etc.) and program identification information about the program, e.g. content, title, rating, starring, etc., from a program guide database provider. It is designed to be efficiently transmitted to a receiving device such as. In a system capable of displaying an EPG, the electronic host device stores a record corresponding to each upcoming television program in the time frame of the EPG. Each record contains program identification data unique to a particular television program that is to come. Program identification data includes at least one of program title, start time, end time, remaining time, subject, theme, actor, author, production studio, awards, keywords, announcement date, director, and brief commentary. The record is updated periodically by deleting previously broadcasted program records and adding new records of upcoming programs within the time frame of the EPG over time. The EPG is then displayed on a display module associated with the electronic host device, such as a television.

EPG systems often store a significant number of records for upcoming programs, making it easy for the EPG to display television programming schedules covering a fairly long time period. As such, the EPG can be used to find such a program in the future that will interest the user a few days before the program is broadcast. Thus, there is a need for the user to be able to search the EPG effectively and reliably for future programs that suit the user's interests. A method and apparatus exist that allow a user to search an EPG system for a record that includes data that matches the user's search criteria, such as a text string. Some conventional EPG systems may allow a user to perform, for example, a 'one time' search or an 'ongoing' search of an EPG record. When performing a one-time search, the user creates a text string and a single search is performed on the records for data matching this text string. A record containing data matching this text column somewhere in the record is described as a match for the search. Once all records have been retrieved, upcoming programs with records described as 'matches' are placed for the user in the display area of the display module.

As described above, the user can then highlight and select future program cells to perform various functions related to the intervening program. An in-progress search is similar to a one-time search except that the text string you write is saved to nonvolatile memory on the electronic host device, and an iterative search is performed periodically on the records based on this saved text string. . Repeated searches can be performed automatically or as soon as a user command is issued.

One problem with conventional search methods is that the entire record is searched for data corresponding to text strings created by the user. As a result, a record that contains data corresponding to the text string you created somewhere in the record will be returned as a match. This eventually causes a significant number of false alarms. That is, the program record for the upcoming program that is of little interest to the user is returned as a match. For example, a search for the movie 'Virus' returns a program that includes the word virus in its title, commentary, theme, etc. as a match. Searches for the movie 'heavy metal' often return music shows that include the term 'heavy metal' in the narration instead of the desired movie.

This problem can be addressed by the additional information available in the EPG record, including credit fields (actors, directors, authors, studios, etc.), award information, and various other information related to a particular title. Worse by the ability to retain the guide information in the system. Therefore, continued implementation of the conventional search mechanism will probably return a much larger number of false alerts than hits, thus making the search function less beneficial to the user. Therefore, there is a current need for an apparatus and method for searching EPG records more effectively and reliably, resulting in fewer 'false alerts'. In order to satisfy such a need, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-0086274 proposes a method for retrieving program guide data for a television system.

Briefly referring to the invention disclosed in the above-mentioned patent publication, in one aspect, periodically receiving and storing electronic program guide information including a record of an upcoming program, the record having a plurality of fields, Storing, receiving a text string selected by the user and one or more fields selected by the user, retrieving the program guide information for a record having the text string selected by the user in at least one of the fields selected by the user; Displaying the upcoming program list corresponding to the matching record.

However, when searching for EPG information through the disclosed patent invention, the EPG information cannot be searched through the classification of a specific channel, so if the broadcast channel is increased up to 999, viewers spend too much time searching for EPG information. There is a problem that must be consumed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver and a method for distinguishing and displaying EPG information about a predetermined favorite channel in displaying EPG information provided from a broadcasting station. do.

Another object of the present invention is to display the EPG information of a predetermined favorite channel separately from other EPG information or to display only the EPG information of a predetermined preferred channel, thereby greatly reducing the retrieval time of broadcast information using the EPG information. The receiver and method are provided.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for storing a plurality of channel information set through an automatic channel program, storing information about a preferred channel edited among a plurality of channel information, and storing EPG information provided from a broadcasting station. Storage means; Controlling reception and output of a broadcast signal, controlling execution of the automatic channel program, storing information on a plurality of broadcast channels set by the automatic channel program in the storage means, and storing the EPG information provided from the broadcasting station. And storing one or more channels to be edited among the plurality of channel information stored in the storage means according to a preference channel setting command as the preferred channel, and storing them in the storage means, and when the EPG information display command is input, the storage means. Control means for distinguishing between the EPG information and the other EPG information about the preferred channel information stored in the display on the screen; And image processing means for processing the channel information and the EPG information transmitted from the control means into an OSD screen and outputting the same to the screen.

According to the present invention, as a preference channel setting command is input, a plurality of channel information set through execution of a predetermined automatic channel program is displayed on the screen, and one or more channels edited among the displayed plurality of channel information are designated as a preference channel. Setting a first step; A second step of displaying predetermined EPG information provided from a broadcasting station on the screen when an EPG information display command is input; And a third step of dividing and displaying the EPG information of the set preference channel among the predetermined EPG information when the preference channel display command is input while the predetermined EPG information is displayed.

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

1 is a block diagram of a television receiver for displaying EPG information on a preferred channel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the television receiver 100 of the present invention includes a tuner 101 for tuning a plurality of broadcast channels received through different frequencies from a plurality of broadcast stations, and an analog broadcast received through the tuner 101. The broadcast signal processor 102 converts the demodulated analog broadcast signal into a digital broadcast signal after demodulating the signal, and converts the digital broadcast signal converted by the broadcast signal processor 102 into an audio signal, a video signal, and a digital content. A signal separator (DEMUX) 103 for separating into a text signal, an audio decoder 104 for decoding an audio signal separated by the signal separator 103, and a signal separator 103 Decoded by the video decoder 105 for decoding text and video signals related to digital content, the speaker 106 for outputting audio signals to the outside, and the audio decoder 104 An audio processor 107 for converting the audio signal into an electrical signal suitable for the speaker 106, and an amplifier 108 for amplifying the electric signal output from the audio processor 107 and outputting the amplified electric signal to the speaker 106. .

The television receiver 100 of the present invention relates to a screen 109 for displaying EPG information and / or a video signal included in digital content provided from a broadcasting station, and a digital content decoded by the video decoder 105. Video processing unit 110 for creating a text signal and / or video signal in the form of a signal suitable for the screen 109, and stores a plurality of channel information set through the automatic channel program, and among the plurality of channel information of the viewer's preferred channel A storage unit 111 for storing information and storing digital content and various image information including EPG information, and for outputting a video signal and / or a text signal input from the video processor 110 to the screen 109. The image processing unit 112 controls the reception and output of the broadcast signal, controls the execution of the automatic channel program, and sets up the automatic channel program. The storage unit 111 stores information about a plurality of predetermined broadcast channels, stores digital content received through the tuner 101 in the storage unit 111, and stores the storage unit 111 according to a viewer's instruction. Controls editing of a favorite channel among a plurality of channel information stored in the screen, stores the favorite channel information edited by the viewer in the storage 111, and displays EPG information included in the digital content of the storage 111. ), A control unit 113 for distinguishing between EPG information and other EPG information related to the preferred channel information stored in the storage unit 111 and displaying the same on the screen 109.

The storage unit 111 is a storage medium for storing various kinds of information, and may be implemented as a memory device such as RAM or EEPROM or a hard disk driver (HDD). An execution program for controlling reception and output of a broadcast signal, an editing program for a favorite channel, an automatic channel program, and the like are set in the 111, and an execution program for executing a classification function of EPG information according to the present invention is set. In addition, various information recorded by the control unit 113, for example, a plurality of channel information set through an automatic channel program, favorite channel information, digital content including EPG information, image information, and the like are stored. Here, a plurality of channel information set through the automatic channel program is created as a channel map by the control unit 113 and stored in the storage unit 111, and divided into a channel map for the air channel information and channel map for the cable channel information. And stored.

The image processing unit 112 may include a main image module 112-1 and a control unit for outputting an image signal and / or a text signal input from the video processing unit 111 to the screen 110 under the control of the control unit 113. Brightness module 112-2 and control unit 113 for adjusting the brightness of the image signal output to the screen 109 by the main image module 112-1 according to the brightness value set by 113). The screen set by the contrast module 112-3 and the control unit 113 for adjusting the contrast of the video signal output to the screen 109 by the main video module 112-1 according to the contrast value set by the control unit 113. A screen module 112-4 for adjusting the size of the screen output by the main image module 112-1 on the screen 109 according to the size value, and the main image module 112-1 or the control unit 113. Text scene about EPG information and various channel information input from It has a software function such as an OSD module 112-5 for processing a call as an OSD screen and outputting it to the screen 109. In addition to these functions, it has various software functions for video signal processing.

Here, when the text signal received in real time from the broadcasting station is displayed on the screen 109, the received text signal is passed through the video decoder 105 and the video processor 111, the main video module 112- of the image processor 112- Since it is transmitted to 1), the OSD module 112-5 outputs the text signal input from the main image module 112-1 to the screen 109. In addition, when the digital content including the EPG information is stored in the storage unit 111 in a compressed form, the digital content is passed through the video decoder 105 and the video processing unit 111 by the control unit 113 to the image processing unit ( The image is transferred to the main image module 112-1 of 112 and then displayed on the screen 109 by the OSD module 112-5. If the favorite channel information is stored in the storage unit 111 without being compressed, the preferred channel information is directly transmitted to the OSD module 112-5 of the image processor 112 by the control unit 113. Therefore, the OSD module 112-5 outputs the text signal input from the control unit 113 to the screen 109.

The controller 113 controls channel tuning of the tuner 101 according to a channel selected through a remote controller, controls reception and output of a broadcast signal according to a user command, and stores and outputs preferred channel information and EPG information. The main control module 113-1 for controlling the control function, the broadcast signal control module 113-2 for controlling the demodulation and signal conversion of the broadcast signal processing unit 102 under the control of the main control module 113-1, and the main control module The decoding control module 113-3 for controlling the decoding process of the audio decoder 104 and the video decoder 105 under the control of the 113-1, and the image processing unit under the control of the main control module 113-1. An image control module 113-4 for controlling the image processing of 112, and a channel edit control module 113-5 for controlling the editing and storage of the favorite channel under the control of the main control module 113-1. It has a software function such as Sopeuweeo has various functions for input-output-like material.

The main control module 113-1 controls the tuner 101 to tune a channel input by a user through a remote controller or the like, and executes an auto channel program stored in the storage 111 to be set by the auto channel program. Create a channel map of information on a plurality of broadcast channels and store them in the storage unit 111, store digital contents including EPG information received through the tuner 101 in the storage unit 111, and instruct the viewer. In accordance with the present invention, the channel editing control module 113-5 executes an execution program for editing the favorite channel stored in the storage 111 and stores the channel preference information edited by the channel editing control module 113-5. ), And controls the display of the EPG information and the favorite channel information stored in the storage 111 to distinguish and display the EPG information and other EPG information related to the preferred channel information on the screen 109. Here, the main control module 113-1 prepares a plurality of channel information set through the automatic channel program as a channel map, and divides the channel information regarding the air channel channel information and the channel map regarding the cable channel information.

When the brightness value and the contrast value are newly input from the user, the main control module 113-1 controls the image control module 113-4 to adjust the brightness and contrast of the video signal according to the input brightness value and contrast value. To control. In addition, when a screen size value is newly input from the user, the main control module 113-1 controls the image control module 113-4 to adjust the screen size on the screen 109 according to the input screen size value.

The decoding control module 113-3 controls the decoding of the audio signal and the video signal under the control of the main control module 113-1, and when the compressed EPG information is transmitted from the main control module 113-1, this EPG is transmitted. The information is output to the video decoder 105 to control the decompression.

The image control module 113-4 receives the brightness value, the contrast value, or the screen size value from the main control module 113-1 and simultaneously inputs a control command for instructing to readjust the image. The brightness is controlled by resetting the brightness module 112-2 of the processing unit 112, and the brightness is adjusted by resetting the input contrast value to the contrast module 112-3 of the image processing unit 112. Or, the screen size value is reset to the screen module 112-4 of the image processor 112 to control the screen size. The image control module 113-4 outputs various character information transmitted by the main control module 113-1 to the OSD module 112-5 of the image processing unit 112 to be displayed on the screen 109. In addition, the image processing unit 112 is controlled to display the channel editing screen on the screen 109 according to the control command of the channel editing control module 113-5.

When the channel editing program is executed by the main control module 113-1, the channel edit control module 113-5 displays the channel map stored in the storage 111 on the screen 109 by the main control module 113-1. In the displayed state, the channel edit screen is displayed on the screen 109 according to the viewer's command. Then, the channel selected by the viewer is edited and input into the channel edit screen, and the edited channels are classified as the preferred channel. ). At this time, the preference channel information edited by the channel editing control module 113-5 is recorded in the storage 111 by the main control module 113-1.

A process of displaying, by the television receiver of the present invention having the configuration and function as described above, distinguishing and displaying EPG information on a predetermined favorite channel from other EPG information will be described with reference to a flowchart.

2A is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying EPG information of a favorite channel in a television receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates a process of editing and storing favorite channel information.

Referring to FIG. 2A, when a user presses a menu button on a remote control in a state in which an air channel and a cable channel are set through a conventional automatic channel program setting process, the television receiver 100 displays a favorite channel item as shown in FIG. 3A. The included top menu items are displayed on the screen 109 in an OSD manner (S210-1).

When the user selects the favorite channel item using the remote controller while the menu items are displayed (S210-2), the television receiver 100 deletes the menu items displayed on the screen 109 and sets the favorite channel for setting of the favorite channel. After setting the mode (S210-3), a predetermined channel map, that is, an airwave channel map or a cable channel map set through the automatic channel program setting process, is displayed on the screen 109 by the OSD method (S210-4). In this process, if the television receiver 100 is broadcasting an airwave channel at the time of selecting a favorite channel item, a predetermined airwave channel map is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. If so, the television receiver 100 displays a predetermined cable channel map on the screen 109 in an OSD fashion, as shown in FIG. 3C.

When the user presses the menu button on the remote controller while the predetermined channel map is displayed, the television receiver 100 displays the predetermined menu item including the channel edit item on the screen in an OSD manner as shown in FIG. 3A (S210-). 5). At this time, if the user selects a channel edit item using the remote control (S210-6), after setting the channel edit mode for channel editing and outputs the channel edit screen on the screen 109 (S210-7).

In this state, the user selects one or more preferred channels among the channels constructed in the predetermined channel map using the remote controller and inputs them to the channel edit screen (S210-8), and then presses the preferred channel button on the remote controller (S210-9). ), The television receiver 100 edits one or more channels input on the channel editing screen among channel information constructed in a predetermined channel map and sets them as the preferred channel (S210-10), and then sets the preferred channel mode and the channel editing mode. Release it.

FIG. 2B is a flowchart illustrating a method for displaying EPG information of a preferred channel in a television receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates a process of displaying EPG information about the preferred channel information set as described above with reference to FIG. 2A. . However, the display process of the EPG information regarding the predetermined favorite channel information is started in the state where the television receiver of the present invention stores digital content provided to the broadcasting station, that is, EPG information.

Referring to FIG. 2B, when a user inputs an EPG information display command by pressing an EPG button on the remote controller (S220-1), the television receiver 100 receives all EPG information received by a broadcasting station, for example, a broadcast title and a broadcast time. Information on the rating information, caption information, and broadcast plot is displayed on the screen by the OSD method (S220-2). Here, the present invention is not implemented to input the EPG information display command only through the EPG button on the remote control, but for example, a menu item for inputting the EPG information display command to the television receiver 100, that is, the EPG information display item in advance. When set, the present invention may be implemented such that the viewer selects a predetermined EPG information display item using a menu button on the remote controller and inputs an EPG information display command.

When the user inputs a favorite channel display command by pressing a favorite channel button on the remote controller while the EPG information is displayed, the television receiver 100 searches for the predetermined favorite channel information and the predetermined EPG information (S220-3). EPG information on the preferred channels is found and sorted (S220-4). In addition, the television receiver 100 displays only EPG information on predetermined screens among the predetermined EPG information on the screen 109 by OSD (S220-5) and does not display other EPG information.

In the meantime, the present invention may not be implemented to display only EPG information about predetermined channels. In the display process S220-5, the television receiver 100 preferentially displays EPG information regarding predetermined channels. Is displayed on the upper screen, and EPG information about channels other than the preferred channel is displayed on the lower screen.

Although the technical spirit of the present invention has been described in detail according to the above-described preferred embodiment, it should be noted that the above-described embodiment is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that various embodiments are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

As described above, the present invention is required to search for broadcast information using EPG information by displaying EPG information on a predetermined favorite channel separately from other EPG information or displaying only EPG information on a predetermined favorite channel. This can greatly reduce the time for the convenience of the viewer.

Claims (10)

Storage means for storing a plurality of channel information set through an automatic channel program, storing information about a preferred channel edited among the plurality of channel information, and storing EPG information provided from a broadcasting station; Controlling reception and output of a broadcast signal, controlling execution of the automatic channel program, storing information on a plurality of broadcast channels set by the automatic channel program in the storage means, and storing the EPG information provided from the broadcasting station. And storing one or more channels to be edited among the plurality of channel information stored in the storage means according to a preference channel setting command as the preferred channel, and storing them in the storage means, and when the EPG information display command is input, the storage means. Control means for distinguishing between the EPG information and the other EPG information about the preferred channel information stored in the display on the screen; And Image processing means for processing the channel information and EPG information transmitted from the control means to the OSD screen to output to the screen TV receiver comprising a. The method of claim 1, And said control means creates a channel map of a plurality of channel information set through said automatic channel program and stores it in said storage means. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the control means displays only the EPG information on the screen when the EPG information display command is inputted on the preferred channel information stored in the storage means. The method according to claim 1 or 2, When the EPG information display command is input, the control means simultaneously displays the EPG information and other EPG information on the preferred channel information stored in the storage means on the screen, and displays the EPG information on the preferred channel information on the upper screen. A television receiver, which displays other EPG information on a lower screen. A first channel for displaying a plurality of channel information set through execution of a predetermined automatic channel program on the screen as a preference channel setting command is input, and setting one or more channels to be edited among the displayed plurality of channel information as a preference channel; step; A second step of displaying predetermined EPG information provided from a broadcasting station on the screen when an EPG information display command is input; And In a state in which the predetermined EPG information is displayed, when a preference channel display command is input, a third step of dividing and displaying EPG information about the set preferred channel among the predetermined EPG information; Display method of the EPG information in the television receiver comprising a. The method of claim 5, The first step is, Step 1-1 of setting a preference channel mode for setting a preference channel as a preference channel setting command is input; In the preferred channel mode, displaying a predetermined channel map including the plurality of set channel information on the screen; A first to third step of setting a channel editing mode for channel editing when a channel editing command is input while the predetermined channel map is displayed; And In the channel editing mode, steps 1-4 of editing one or more channels selected from channels established in the predetermined channel map and setting the preference channel and then releasing the preferred channel mode and the channel edit mode. Display method of the EPG information in the television receiver comprising a. The method of claim 6, In step 1-3, after setting the channel editing mode, a channel editing screen for receiving a channel edited as a preferred channel among channels constructed in the predetermined channel map is displayed on the screen. Display method of EPG information in the receiver. The method of claim 7, wherein The method of displaying EPG information in a television receiver according to step 1-4, wherein one or more channels input to the channel editing screen are edited among channel information constructed in the predetermined channel map and set as a preferred channel. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, In the third step, the EPG information display method on the television receiver, characterized in that only the EPG information for the set preference channel is displayed on the screen. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, In the third step, the EPG information and the other EPG information on the set preference channel is displayed at the same time, the EPG information on the set preference channel on the upper screen and the other EPG information is displayed on the lower screen A display method of EPG information in a television receiver.

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