KR20090075158A - Method for restricting watching digital television - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for restricting watching of a digital television is provided to induce minors or children to watch good broadcast programs through selective viewing. It is determined whether a watching restriction mode setting item is selected(S10). It is determined whether a current time reaches to a broadcast program start time(S30). A broadcast program of a corresponding channel is outputted(S40). It is determined whether the current time reaches to a broadcast program end time(S50). A watching restriction mode is canceled(S90).

Description

Method for restricting watching digital television}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to digital television, and more particularly, to a method for restricting viewing of a digital television, which restricts viewing of the digital television by channel and time.

In general, television is a video media that is most easily accessible to modern people, and broadcasts various genres of programs for each class, that is, for adults, adolescents, children, etc. Certain broadcast programs may adversely affect the emotions of adolescents or children. Since there is a sense of sensibility and violence, there is an urgent need to limit the broadcast programs according to the characteristics of the class.

Accordingly, a method of restricting the viewing of a broadcast program using the V-CHIP rating system or allowing a specific channel to be viewed only at a time set in the television itself has been disclosed.

First of all, in the case of viewing restriction method using the V-CHIP rating system, in Korea, the broadcast signal is mixed with the Kbps signal inserted with the program ID and transmitted. I can figure it out.

In addition, in the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a screening device for televisions sold in the United States to protect youth from pornographic and violent screens or languages during public or cable TV programs as a solution to youth violence. Application of (V-CHIP) is mandatory.

This V-CHIP rating system restricts viewing by age or content. Accordingly, broadcasters and video producers are obliged to put the ratings on the 21st line of the vertical blanking signal, and to block screening, audio muting, and caption deletion when a signal that violates the rating of the digital television is input.

On the other hand, the method of watching only a specific channel at the time set by the digital television itself sets the broadcasting program for each channel time in advance and sets the viewing time when the watching time of the program is set while the power of the digital television is turned off. Informing the user to selectively watch the program by outputting an alarm to enable selective viewing.

However, this method is limited to a simple on timer function which is implemented only when the power is off and the power is turned on by the channel set at the set time. Therefore, there is a need to enable selective viewing by enabling the digital television to be executed even in the operating state and automatically changing to the corresponding channel when the preset time is reached during viewing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for restricting viewing of a digital television, which enables selective viewing of a digital television by allowing a user to watch only a channel or a broadcast program set at a set time. have.

The present invention devised to achieve the above object is as follows.

In the method of restricting viewing of a digital television of the present invention, in the method of restricting viewing of a digital program by channel and time, if the channel and time zone are set according to an input key signal, the current time is checked. During the set time period, the change to another channel or the change to an external input is restricted so that only the broadcast program of the set channel can be viewed.

If a channel change key for changing a channel of the digital television or an external input change key for switching to an external input is input during the set time, a password is input to change the channel or to change the channel if the password matches the preset password. It characterized by changing to.

The set channel and the set time zone may be set by selecting the broadcast program from EPG information.

The set channel and the set time zone display a menu column through an OSD, and select and set the broadcast program from the menu column.

When a channel change key or an external input change key is input during the set time period, the OSD may be displayed to indicate that the parental control mode is currently set.

According to the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to induce viewing of a broadcast program that is beneficial to a minor or a child so that selective viewing is possible by allowing only a set channel to be viewed at a set time.

Hereinafter, a method for restricting viewing of a digital television according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for restricting viewing of a digital television according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, an apparatus for restricting viewing of a digital television according to an embodiment of the present invention is input from a tuner 10 and a tuner 10 that receive a broadcast signal of a channel selected according to a control signal of a microcomputer 40. A demodulator 20 for demodulating the broadcast signal into a transport stream form, a demultiplexer 30 for demultiplexing the broadcast signal input from the demodulator 20 into a video signal, an audio signal and additional data, and a demultiplexer 30. By inputting various key signals to the memory unit 50 and the microcomputer 40 storing the additional data separated from the), and inputs the key signals for various operations of the digital television such as channel change, volume change, menu setting A key input unit 60 and a microcomputer 40 for controlling the digital television viewing restriction apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention as a whole.

When the menu setting key for setting the parental control mode is input from the key input unit 40, the microcomputer 40 displays a menu window for setting the parental control mode through an OSD generator (not shown). A broadcast program and a channel or time zone are set according to the key signal inputted from 60. In addition, a password input window for canceling the parental control mode setting is displayed to input a password.

When the parental control mode is set and a password for canceling the parental control mode is input, it is determined whether the current time reaches the start time of the broadcast program or the set time zone according to the parental control mode, and in this case, the current time. When the start time of the broadcast program start time or set time is reached, the broadcast program is output or the channel currently being viewed is determined to be a set channel, and the channel is changed to the broadcast program or set channel according to the result. That is, only the set channel is watched in the set time zone.

Thereafter, it is determined whether the external input switching key or the channel changing key is input. When the external input switching key or the channel changing key is input, the above-mentioned password is displayed on the input window to determine whether the input password matches the preset password. The parental control mode is canceled according to the determination result.

In addition, it is determined whether the current time reaches the end time of the broadcast program or the release time in the set time zone, and releases the parental control mode according to the determination result.

Hereinafter, a method of restricting viewing of a digital television according to the operation of the microcomputer will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2.

2 is a flowchart of a method for restricting viewing of a digital television according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the method of restricting viewing of a digital television according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is determined whether a first user selects a viewing restriction mode setting item among menu items by operating the key input unit 60 (S10).

At this time, when the parental control mode setting item is selected, the parental control mode setting window is displayed through an OSD and a broadcast program for setting the parental control mode is set, or a setting channel and a setting time zone are input.

Here, setting the broadcast program may extract EPG information from additional data stored in the memory unit 50 and select a specific broadcast program from the EPG information. In this case, the microcomputer 40 checks the start time and the end time of the broadcast program selected from the EPG information, and sets the start time and the end time of the corresponding broadcast program as a start time and an end time for limiting viewing.

On the other hand, unlike the parental control mode setting through the EPG information, the user may directly set the channel and time. Accordingly, when the user sets a specific channel and time, that is, a start time and an end time, only the set channel is watched for the set time.

As such, when the set channel and the set time zone or broadcast program are set, the microcomputer 40 checks the current time and determines whether the current time reaches the start time of the broadcast program or the start time of the set time zone. (S30).

At this time, when the current time reaches the start time of the broadcast program start time or the set time zone, the broadcast program of the corresponding channel is output (S40).

In this case, when the channel currently being viewed is not the above-described setting channel or the channel for outputting the set broadcast program, the channel is forcibly changed to the corresponding channel.

The microcomputer 40 continuously checks the current time to continuously determine whether the current time reaches the end time or the broadcast program end time in the set time zone (S50), and the current time reaches the end time or the broadcast program end time during the set time. If the parental control mode is released (S90).

In addition, if the current time does not reach the end time or the broadcast program end time in the set time zone, it is determined whether the channel change key or the external input change key is input from the key input unit 60 (S60).

Here, when the channel change key or the external input change key is input from the key input unit 60, the OSD displays that the current parental control mode is set and displays a password input window for releasing the parental control mode (S70). .

Thereafter, it is checked whether a password is input from the key input unit 40, and if a password is input, it is determined whether the input password matches the password set when the parental control mode is set (S80). If the input password and the password set when the parental control mode is set to coincide with each other, the parental control mode is canceled (S90). If the password is different from each other, the above-described process is repeated by continuously outputting the broadcast program currently being output.

That is, the method for restricting viewing of a digital television according to an embodiment of the present invention is more advantageous by allowing a minor or a child to selectively watch digital television by forcibly switching to a setting channel for a set time period so that only the set broadcast program can be viewed. Induce digital television viewing.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be carried out in various modifications within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a parental control apparatus for digital television according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a flowchart of a method for restricting viewing of a digital television according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

10: tuner 20: demodulator

30: Demultiplexer 40: Microcomputer

50: memory unit 60: key input unit

Claims (5)

In the method of restricting viewing of a digital television to limit the viewing of the program by channel and time, When the channel and the time zone are set according to the input key signal, the current time is checked to limit the change to another channel or the change to external input so that only the broadcast program of the set channel can be watched during the set time period. To limit the viewing of digital television. According to claim 1, If the channel change key for changing the channel of the digital television or the external input change key for switching to the external input during the set time is input, the password is entered to match the preset password if the channel Or changing the display to the external input. The method of claim 1, wherein the set channel and the set time zone are selected and set by selecting the broadcast program from EPG information. The method of claim 1, wherein the set channel and the set time zone display a menu column through an OSD, and select and set the broadcast program from the menu column. The method of claim 1, wherein when a channel change key or an external input switch key is input during the set time period, an OSD is displayed to indicate that a current parental control mode is set.

Images