KR20090080766A - Digital broadcasting system and method for controlling output of external apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A digital broadcasting system and an output control method of an external output device are provided to perform the replay, recording, and timer-recording of output of the external output device through control. A digital broadcasting system(100) comprises a first device(200) and a second device(300). The first device comprises a first port(213) and a second port(212). The first port receives service information data from the second device. The second port receives audio/video signals from the second device. The second device comprises a third port(315) and a fourth port(314). The third port transmits service information data to the first device. The fourth port transmits the audio/video signals to the first device. The first port and the third port are connected through IP(Internet Protocol).

Description

Digital broadcasting system and method for controlling output of external apparatus

The present invention relates to digital broadcasting, and more particularly, to a method and a digital broadcasting system for controlling the output of an external device.

Digital television receivers receive and process content transmitted through various broadcasting media, such as terrestrial, cable, satellite, and internet protocols. This device is provided to the user).

The digital television receiver does not process all of the content transmitted through the above-mentioned broadcast media, but generally processes only content transmitted through a specific medium.

For example, a time machine television (TimeMachine TeleVision), a type of conventional digital television receiver, could receive and process only terrestrial broadcast programs transmitted through air.

In addition, the digital cable set-top box could receive and process only a cable broadcast program transmitted through a cable network.

However, there has been a problem that the conventional time machine TV cannot control the cable broadcast program received from the digital cable set-top box.

Thus, for example, the user may not be able to pre-record a broadcast program output through the digital cable set-top box in the time machine TV.

In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling the output of the second device in the first device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a digital broadcasting system that provides the above method.

One example of a method for controlling the output of an external device according to the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving service information data from a client connected at a server; Parsing the received service information data; Extracting EPG data in the parsed service information data; And controlling an output of an external device including the client connected to the extracted EPG data according to a user's selection.

In this case, the method may further include storing the parsed service information data.

And constructing a UI using the extracted EPG data; Displaying the configured UI; The method may further include receiving a user input through the displayed UI.

The received service information data may be service information data for any one of terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and IPTV broadcasting.

The control may be any one of playback, recording, and scheduled recording.

The method may further include storing an output of the external device when the control is recording or scheduled recording.

The method may further include displaying the output of the stored external device on a screen according to a user's key input.

One example of a digital broadcasting system according to the present invention includes a first port configured to receive service information data from a second device, and a second port configured to receive an audio / video signal from the second device. ; And a second port including a third port for transmitting service information data to the first device and a fourth port for transmitting an audio / video signal to the first device, wherein the first port is provided. And the third port are connected via an IP.

In this case, the first port and the third port may include an Ethernet port.

The second port and the fourth port may each include a composite input port and a composite output port.

In addition, the service information data may be connected and transmitted in software via a TCP / IP layer between the service information data collection server and the service information data transmission client activated in the first device and the second device, respectively.

The service information data may include service information data for any one of terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and IPTV broadcasting.

In addition, the one broadcast may be a broadcast not supported by the first device.

The first device may include a time machine television.

The second device may also include a digital cable set-top box.

The second device may further include a PVR and a DVR.

According to the digital broadcast system and the output control method of the external device according to the present invention,

First, there is an effect that can simply control the output of at least one external device connected from any one device.

Second, there is an effect that can play, record, schedule recording the output of the external device through the control.

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

Hereinafter, the digital broadcasting system will be described as including a first device and a second device for convenience of description.

In this case, the second device may be viewed as an external device based on the first device, and a plurality of the external devices may be provided. In addition, the first device and the second device are named for convenience of description, and may be regarded as a main device and a sub device.

Hereinafter, the first device will be described as a time machine television (TimeMachine TeleVision) as an example, but includes another digital broadcasting receiver. In addition, the second device is described as an example of a digital cable set-top box, but includes a PVR / DVR (Personal Video Recorder / Digital Video Recorder).

In addition, it is assumed that the time machine TV receives only terrestrial broadcast programs transmitted through air, and the digital cable set-top box receives only cable broadcast programs transmitted through a cable network.

1A and 1B illustrate an example in which a time machine TV and a digital cable set-top box are connected in hardware and an example in software, respectively, according to the present invention.

As described above, the digital broadcasting system 100 includes a time machine TV 200 and a digital cable set-top box 300.

In the case of FIG. 1A, the time machine TV 200 and the digital cable set-top box 300 are hardware-connected, and in the case of FIG. 1B, the software is connected.

The digital cable set-top box 300 also includes a cable modem (not shown).

Thus, the time machine TV 200 may control the output of the connected digital cable set-top box 300.

Hereinafter, in the present specification, a control is a UI to be provided to a user using service information data (SI data) received from the digital cable set-top box 300 connected to the time machine TV 200. (User Interface) or the user-selected contents with reference to the configured UI, for example, the display of the output of the digital cable set-top box 300, recording, reservation recording, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 1A, when the time machine TV 200 is connected to the digital cable set-top box 300 in hardware, the time machine TV 200 may use different paths for main data and auxiliary data. Connect to receive via

The main data includes data output through the output terminal 314 of the digital cable set-top box, for example, audio data and video data.

The auxiliary data includes, for example, service information data (SI data) as additional information about data output through the output terminal 314 of the digital cable set-top box, that is, main data.

In FIG. 1A, main data is transmitted to a composite input port 212 of a time machine TV through a composite output port 314 of a digital cable set-top box.

In FIG. 1A, auxiliary data is transmitted and received between an Ethernet port 315 of a digital cable set-top box and an Ethernet port 213 of a time machine TV. In this case, each of the Ethernet ports 315 and 213 is connected through an IP (Internet Protocol).

The digital cable set-top box 300 has a built-in cable modem, and customer premises equipment (CPE) can be attached through the Ethernet port 315. Accordingly, when the time machine TV 200 is connected to each other through the cable modem and the Ethernet ports 315 and 212, the time machine TV 200 and the digital cable set-top box 300 may communicate with each other through IP. It becomes possible.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the service information data transmission client 350 is activated on the TCP / IP layer 351 in the digital cable set-top box 300, and the service information data collection server 250 is included in the time machine TV 200. ) Is activated on the TCP / IP layer 251.

Then, the service information data transmission client 350 activated in the digital cable set-top box 300 transmits the service information data received through the cable network to the service information data collection server 250 activated in the time machine TV 200. do.

As described above, by connecting the time machine TV 200 and the digital cable set-top box 300 in hardware and software in the digital broadcasting system, the time machine TV 200 is connected to the digital cable set-top box 300. You can control the output of.

That is, the time machine TV 200 receives and processes service information data of the digital cable set-top box 300 through a first path, and is output from the digital cable set-top box 300 through a second path. Control main data, ie audio / video data for content.

In this case, the time machine TV 200 may simultaneously receive service information data through the first path and audio / video data through the second path, or may receive audio / video data through the second path at an appropriate time. .

For example, the time machine TV 200 parses the service information data received through the first path, extracts EPG (Electronics Program Guide) data in the parsed service information data, and configures the EPG UI. In this case, the EPG UI is configured to display the EPG data received from the digital cable set-top box 300 together in the EPG UI configured for the terrestrial broadcast program received by the existing time machine TV 200 or each of them separately. It can also be configured as an EPG UI.

And display the configured EPG UI on the screen and control, i.e., immediately, the audio / video data output through the second path according to the processing or control of the specific broadcast program selected by the user based on the displayed EPG UI. Play, record, schedule recording, etc.

In addition, in the case where the user selects the scheduled recording for a specific content through the displayed EPG UI, the main data output through the second path is received and stored at the scheduled recording time, and then the playback command of the user is You can also play along.

Therefore, according to the digital broadcasting system according to the present invention, the time machine TV can control the output of the digital cable set-top box 300 even without a separate tuner and decoder.

Further, based on the technical idea of the present invention as described above, for example, the time machine TV 200 controls the output of each external device even if various external devices are connected in addition to the digital cable set-top box 300. The efficiency of the broadcasting system can be improved.

2 illustrates an example of a configuration block diagram of a first apparatus of a digital broadcasting system according to the present invention.

The first apparatus may be, for example, a tuner 201, a demodulator 202, a demultiplexer 203, an audio / video decoder 204, a service information data decoder ( service information data decoder (205), database (206), first controller (207), channel manager (208), channel map (209), first storage (NVRAM) or flash memory 210, a system manager 211, an Ethernet port 212, an input port 213, a second control unit 214, a second storage unit 215, and a display unit 216. It may be provided. In this case, the first device may be, for example, the time machine TV.

The tuner unit 201 receives the tuned terrestrial digital television signal and returns the result of the received terrestrial digital television signal under the control of the channel manager 208.

The demodulator 202 demodulates the terrestrial digital television signal received through the tuner 201.

The demultiplexer 203 demultiplexes audio, video and first service information data from transport packets in the terrestrial digital television signal demodulated by the demodulator 302. In this case, the first service information data is, for example, PSI / PSIP (Program Specific Information / Program and System Information Protocol) data.

The demultiplexing of the first service information data in the demultiplexer 203 is controlled by the service information data decoder 205, and the demultiplexing of the audio / video data is controlled by the channel manager 208. .

In addition, the demultiplexer 203 demultiplexes the first service information data from demodulated transport packets in demultiplexing the first service information data, and a section of the table data desired by the service information data decoder 205. And output to the service information data decoder 205.

In addition, the demultiplexer 203 demultiplexes an audio / video elementary stream from the demodulated transport packets and outputs a virtual channel desired by the channel manager 208.

The service information data decoder 205 receives and parses a section of a desired table from the demultiplexer 203, parses the received section, and parses the actual section data portion not processed by the demultiplexer 203. All are read and written to the database 206.

In connection with the present invention, the service information data decoder 205 receives and parses the service information data of the second device (digital cable set-top box) transmitted through the Ethernet port 212 and records it in the database 206. can do.

In addition, the service information data decoder 205 may extract EPG data from the parsed and stored service information data and transmit the extracted EPG data to the first control unit 207 to configure the EPG UI.

The channel manager 208 refers to the channel map 209 to request reception of the channel related information table and to receive the result. In this case, the service information data decoder 205 controls demultiplexing of the channel related information table, and transmits an audio / video packet identifier list (PID) to the channel manager 208.

The channel manager 208 controls the audio / video decoder 204 by directly controlling the demultiplexer 203 using the received audio / video PID.

The first control unit 207 controls a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays the state of the system on an on screen display (OSD).

In addition, the first control unit 207 receives a user's key input. In this case, the user's key input includes, for example, an input for controlling a specific broadcast program on the EPG UI displayed on the screen.

The input port 213 receives the output of the second device.

The second controller 214 receives and controls the output of the demultiplexer 203 and the output of the input port 213, and the control may vary according to a user's key input through the first controller 207. have.

For example, when a user inputs a key related to a PVR / DVR function in the first device, the second controller 214 stores the demultiplexed audio / video data according to the user's key input. ). Thereafter, when a key input for a playback command of the user is received, the audio / video data stored in the storage unit 215 is read again.

In addition, the second control unit 214 controls the user's key input regarding the output of the second device received through the input port 213. That is, the second control unit 214 outputs the audio / video decoder 204 directly if the key input is a playback command, and stores it in the storage unit 215 if the key input is a playback command. Thereafter, the output of the stored second device may be displayed through the display unit 216 according to a user's playback command.

3 illustrates an example of a configuration block diagram of a second apparatus of a digital broadcasting system according to the present invention.

The second device 300 shown in FIG. 3 is an example in which an OOB (Out Of Band) and DSG (DOCSIS Set-Top Gateway) mixing scheme is applied. In this case, the second device 300 may be, for example, a cable broadcast receiver.

Referring to FIG. 3, the second device 300 includes a first tuner 301a, a second tuner 301b, a first demodulator 302, a multiplexer 303, a demultiplexer 304, and a decoder. 305, a second demodulator (DOCSIS) 306, an OOB receiver 307, a switch 308, a modulator 309, a controller 310, a DCAS 311, a memory 312, a memory controller 313, output port 314 and Ethernet port 315. In addition, a cable card 320 may be mounted or detached on the second device 300.

The first tuner 301a tunes only a specific channel frequency among terrestrial audio / video broadcasts transmitted through an antenna or cable audio / video broadcasts transmitted in-band through a cable to the first demodulator 302. )

In this case, the terrestrial broadcast may be modulated and transmitted in a VSB (Vestigial Sideband Modulation) scheme, and the cable broadcast may be modulated and transmitted in a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) scheme.

As described above, the first demodulator 302 may demodulate the terrestrial broadcast and the cable broadcast according to each modulation scheme even though the transmission schemes are different from each other. Accordingly, the first demodulator 302 may demodulate a signal in a VSB method or a QAM method according to a signal selected by the first tuner 301a.

The signal demodulated by the first demodulator 302 is multiplexed by the multiplexer 303 so that the cable broadcast can be output to the cable card 320 and the terrestrial broadcast can be output to the demultiplexer 304.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 considers the case where the cable card 320 can process the multi-stream. Accordingly, the cable card 320 may allow a user to watch a broadcast through which the two or more streams are multiplexed through the second device 300.

The demultiplexer 304 receives the multiplexed broadcast signal, demultiplexes the received broadcast signal into a plurality of streams, and outputs the multiplexed broadcast signal.

The decoder 305 receives and decodes the broadcast signal demultiplexed by the demultiplexer 304. The decoder 305 decodes the demultiplexed broadcast signal and outputs it as an audio / video signal for viewing by a user.

The second tuner 301b may tune to a specific channel frequency during data broadcasting transmitted through a cable in a DSG manner and output the same to the second demodulator 306. The second demodulator 306 demodulates the DSG data broadcast, and then outputs the demodulated broadcast signal to the controller 310.

The third tuner 307 tunes a specific channel frequency to the downlink data broadcast transmitted by the OOB method through the cable and outputs the specific channel frequency to the cable card 320.

If bidirectional communication is possible between the cable broadcasting station and the second device 300, the uplink information transmitted from the second device 300 to the cable broadcasting station may be transmitted by the OOB method or the DSG method. Therefore, the second device 300 includes a switching unit 308 to transmit information by selecting any one of the above methods as an example.

In the OOB method, user information or system diagnostic information is output to the modulator 309 through the cable card 320 and the switching unit 308, and the modulator 309 transmits the output signal to a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK). The signal may be modulated by modulation or the like and transmitted to the cable broadcasting station through the cable. If the user's broadcast information is transmitted in the DSG method, the information is output to the modulator 309 through the control unit 310 and the switching unit 308, and the modulator 309 signals through QAM-16 modulation or the like. After being modulated, it can be transmitted to a cable station via a cable.

When the terrestrial broadcast is received, the cable card 320 illustrated in FIG. 3 may receive a multi-stream broadcast signal from the multiplexer 303. At this time, if the received broadcast signal is scrambled, the cable card 320 descrambles the scrambled broadcast signal so that the cable broadcast can be normally viewed.

In addition, the second device 300 includes a control unit 310 that controls normal viewing of the cable broadcast through appropriate communication with the cable card 320. In addition to the control unit 310 serves to control the overall system. In this case, the controller 310 may include middleware (M / W).

The second device 300 also includes an OCAP memory controller 313 which is required to gather memory information provided by the SNMP MIB for the OCAP memory 312.

In addition, not only on the second device 300 that operates with the cable card 320, but also based on the downloadable conditional access system (DCAS) 311, which is irrelevant to the presence or absence of the cable card 320. It has the advantage that it is also applicable on the second device 300.

However, in the above, a descrambling module is provided in the cable card 320, and the cable card 320 is mounted or detached to the second device 300. The broadcast signal from the broadcast station is descrambled through the descrambling module of the cable card 320 and provided to the user. However, according to an exemplary embodiment, the descrambling module may be provided inside the second device 300 without the cable card 320, and the descrambling module may be configured to be downloaded from a broadcasting station. That is, the descrambling module downloaded from the broadcasting station or the like may have a different configuration to be stored in the predetermined memory 312 in the second device 300. However, it is natural that the difference in configuration does not change the scope of the present invention.

In the above description, for convenience of description, the OCAP is taken as an example, but is not limited thereto. For example, the OCAP may be used in T-commerce or Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV) of the Advanced Common Application Platform (ACAP).

4 illustrates an example of a method of controlling an output of an external device according to the present invention.

First, the composite input port 212 of the time machine TV and the output port 314 of the digital cable set-top box are connected, and the service information data collection server 250 and the digital cable set-activated in the time machine TV 200. The service information data transmission client 350 activated in the top box is connected through IP.

After the new service information data is received in the digital cable set-top box 300, the service information data collection server 250 receives the service information data transmitted from the connected service information data transmission client 350 ( S401).

Thereafter, the received service information data is parsed (S402) and stored (S403).

The EPG data is extracted from the stored service information data (S404) and the EPG UI is displayed on the screen (S405). In this case, as described above, the EPG UI may combine the UI of the content received by the external device connected to the existing EPG UI on the screen and separately generate an EPG UI for the content received by the external device. Can be displayed on the screen and provided to the user.

Subsequently, when the user checks the expressed EPG UI and selects a process for a specific content, the output terminal of the connected external device is controlled for processing according to the selection (S406). In this case, the control for the processing according to the selection may mean a reservation recording, which is directly played, recorded, received on the screen, and stored in the storage unit by using the output terminal of the external device as an input as described above. .

As described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment according to the spirit of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, those skilled in the art belonging to the present invention from this description Various modifications and variations are possible.

Therefore, the present invention should be understood by the claims below, and the technical spirit of the present invention also affects the modifications of the equivalent range to the equivalent range, and thus will belong to the scope of the present invention.

1A and 1B illustrate an example in which a first device and a second device are connected in hardware and an example in software according to the present invention, respectively.

2 illustrates an example of a block diagram of a first device of the digital television system according to the present invention;

3 shows an example of a block diagram of a second device of the digital television system according to the present invention;

4 illustrates an example of a processing method in a digital television system according to the present invention.

* Description of the major signs in the drawings

100; Digital broadcasting system 200; First device

212: composite input ports 213, 315; Ethernet port

250; Service data collection server 251,351; TCP / IP layer

300; Second device 314; Composite output port

350; Service Information Data Transfer Client

Claims (16)

Receiving service information data from a client connected at the server; Parsing the received service information data; Extracting EPG data in the parsed service information data; And And controlling an output of an external device including the client connected to the extracted EPG data according to a user's selection. The method of claim 1, And storing the parsed service information data. The method of claim 1, Constructing a UI using the extracted EPG data; Displaying the configured UI; And receiving a user input through the displayed UI. The method of claim 1, And the received service information data is service information data for any one of terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and IPTV broadcasting. The method of claim 1, And the control is any one of playback, recording, and scheduled recording. The method of claim 5, If the control is recording or scheduled recording, storing the output of the external device. The method of claim 6, And displaying the output of the stored external device on a screen according to a user's key input. In a digital broadcasting system, A first port for receiving service information data from a second device; A first device configured to include a second port for receiving an audio / video signal from the second device; And A third port for transmitting service information data to the first device; And a second device including a fourth port for transmitting an audio / video signal to the first device. And the first port and the third port are connected through an IP. The method of claim 8, And the first port and the third port include an Ethernet port. The method of claim 8, And the second port and the fourth port respectively comprise a composite input port and a composite output port. The method of claim 8, And the service information data is software-connected and transmitted between the service information data collection server and the service information data transmission client activated in the first device and the second device via a TCP / IP layer. The method of claim 8, The service information data includes service information data for any one of terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and IPTV broadcasting. The method of claim 12, The one broadcast is a broadcast which is not supported by the first device. The method of claim 8, And said first device comprises a time machine television. The method of claim 8, And said second device comprises a digital cable set-top box. The method of claim 15, The second device further comprises a PVR and a DVR.

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