KR20120079280A - System and method for preventing to cut off user screen according to channel change in digital broadcasting - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A device for preventing disconnection of user pictures when a channel is changed during a digital broadcast and a method thereof are provided to transmit a pre-buffered broadcast stream to a subscriber terminal by changing the channel. CONSTITUTION: A transmitting device(100) changes session connection for accessing a change target channel before a channel is changed. The transmitting device buffers the change target channel through a reset session. If the channel is changed, the transmitting device transmits the buffered broadcast channel to a subscriber. A subscriber terminal(200) is connected to the transmitting device by a single session. The subscriber terminal displays the broadcast channel on a screen.

Description

System and method for preventing user screen disconnection according to channel switching in digital broadcasting {SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING TO CUT OFF USER SCREEN ACCORDING TO CHANNEL CHANGE IN DIGITAL BROADCASTING}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for preventing user screen disconnection according to channel switching in digital broadcasting. More particularly, when a channel change is requested according to a broadcast program schedule, a transmission device of a broadcasting transmission system attempts to change a channel in advance. By changing the connection and buffering the broadcast stream of the channel, the session connection setting according to the channel switching is performed in advance by the transmitting device, not the subscriber terminal, so as to reduce the time when the screen is disconnected by preventing the time delay caused by the session connection. An apparatus and method for preventing disconnection of a user screen according to channel switching.

Digital broadcasting processes digitalized broadcast signals such as voice, data, and video.

Digital broadcasting is capable of compressing information data compared to analog broadcasting, has a high transmission speed, and relatively high sound quality and image quality. Unlike conventional analog broadcasting, digital broadcasting has an advantage of enabling efficient use of frequency by digital modulation. Accordingly, various information may be broadcasted through hundreds of channels, and the viewer may be provided with various information through hundreds of channels.

An example of digital broadcasting is Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) broadcasting.

IPTV is a type of digital convergence that combines broadcasting and communication.It is a television receiver connected to an IP set top box (STB) in addition to receiving a digital broadcast signal transmitted from a broadcast provider. IP network) provides various digital broadcasting services such as video contents and TV internet contents. Various digital broadcasting services may include not only real time broadcasting services but also VOD services.

The IPTV service system can be largely composed of a content providing device for transmitting broadcast content (program) to an IP network, and a subscriber terminal (for example, an IP set-top box) for receiving and playing content from the IP network. The transmitted content is delivered in the form of a bit stream encoded according to a compression scheme such as MPEG. Therefore, the subscriber station decodes the content received from the IP network and displays it on the display screen to the user.

However, when a user who is watching an IPTV broadcast attempts to change a channel or when a channel is changed according to schedule information in a group broadcast of an IPTV, it takes more time to change a channel than an analog broadcast. The time delay that occurs when changing the channel of the IPTV may be mainly due to the delay caused by the session connection in the transmission and reception methods of the IPTV.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of performing a session connection in a subscriber station when switching channels in digital broadcasting according to the prior art.

That is, in the conventional IPTV service system, the subscriber station 20 connects a session to access a desired broadcast channel.

Therefore, when the user requests a channel change, the subscriber station 20 changes the session to access the corresponding change channel, requests the transmission device 10 to receive the change channel through the changed session path, and thereafter, from the transmission device 10. Receive and receive the content of the change channel.

However, there is a problem in that the screen disconnection occurs due to a time delay while the subscriber station 20 performs the session connection.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the transmission apparatus of the broadcast transmission system changes the session connection to a channel to be changed according to a broadcast program schedule and buffers the broadcast stream of the corresponding channel, resulting in a channel switching. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for preventing disconnection of a user screen according to a channel switching to shorten a time for disconnecting a screen due to a time delay caused by a session connection by performing a session connection setting in advance in a transmission device instead of a subscriber terminal.

To this end, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the screen break prevention device according to the present invention checks whether there is a channel change according to a schedule for a broadcast channel provided by each broadcast provider, and connects to a channel to be changed before the channel change. A transmission device for changing and resetting the session connection and buffering the channel to be changed through a reset session and then transmitting a pre-buffered broadcast channel to the subscriber when the channel is switched; And a subscriber station connected to the transmission device in a single session, and receiving and displaying a broadcast channel transmitted from the transmission device on a screen, wherein the subscriber terminal is connected to the session by switching channels according to a schedule for the broadcast channel. Even if a change is made, the transmission device immediately receives a buffered broadcast channel, thereby preventing screen disconnection time.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a transmission apparatus according to the present invention performs a multi-session connection to a broadcast channel provided by each broadcast provider and is connected to a single session between subscriber stations, according to a schedule for the broadcast channel. If there is a channel change, the session connection is changed to the channel to be changed before the channel change and reset, and after receiving and buffering the channel to be changed through the reset session, if the channel is switched according to the schedule, the previously buffered channel is applied to the subscriber. Characterized in that the transmission to the terminal.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for preventing screen disconnection according to a channel change in a transmission device according to the present invention includes screen disconnection according to a channel change in a transmission device that broadcasts a broadcast channel provided by each broadcast provider to a subscriber. A prevention method, comprising: (a) checking whether there is a channel change according to a schedule for a broadcast channel provided by each broadcast provider; (b) changing and reestablishing a session connection to a broadcast channel to be changed before switching channels according to the schedule; (c) receiving and buffering the channel to be changed through a reset session; And (d) transmitting a buffered broadcast channel to the corresponding subscriber station when the channel is switched according to the schedule.

According to the present invention, the transmission apparatus of the broadcast transmission system changes the session connection to a channel to be changed in advance according to a broadcast program schedule, buffers the broadcast stream of the corresponding channel, and then converts the broadcast stream buffered in advance to the subscriber station when the channel is switched. By transmitting, it is possible to prevent the time lag caused by the session connection and to shorten the time of disconnection.

In addition, since the transmission device continuously transmits information on the previous broadcast channel to the subscriber terminal while performing the session change, even if the session is disconnected by the channel switch, the subscriber terminal receives the broadcast content continuously, thereby temporarily changing the channel. Minimizing screen breaks improves the broadcast service quality.

In particular, in the case of digital broadcasting services such as distribution, associations, and in-house broadcasts of large companies, the channel switching change time is identified and buffered for the broadcasting channel in advance based on the schedule information organized by the group broadcasting. Changing sessions can further minimize user screen breaks.

1 is a view showing a configuration for performing a session connection in a subscriber station when switching channels in digital broadcasting according to the prior art.
2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of performing session connection in a transmission device when switching channels in digital broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating a database structure of a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a screen disconnection prevention method between a transmission device and a subscriber station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configuration of the present invention and the operation and effect thereof will be clearly understood through the following detailed description. Before describing the present invention in detail, the same components are denoted by the same reference symbols as possible even if they are displayed on different drawings. In the case where it is judged that the gist of the present invention may be blurred to a known configuration, do.

The broadcast stream or the stream of broadcast content referred to in the present invention refers to a continuous collection of actual data for transmitting digital broadcast, and is data including a video stream and an audio stream of the broadcast content and program information related thereto.

2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a session connection in a transmission device when switching channels in digital broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a database structure of a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 2, the apparatus for preventing the screen disconnection according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be implemented through session connection control between the transmission device 100 and the subscriber station 200 provided at the IPTV service providing side.

The subscriber station 200 may include an IP set-top box as a terminal provided at the subscriber side. The subscriber station 200 may be implemented as a set-top box itself connected to a television receiver, but any terminal capable of receiving a digital broadcasting service by mounting the set-top box may be implemented regardless of its type. Recently, a mobile terminal provided with an IPTV service using a mobile communication network or a near field communication WiFi network has been implemented as a subscriber station.

In addition, the subscriber station 200 is connected in a single session with the transmission device 100 provided on the IPTV service providing side for providing IPTV service, which is a digital broadcast. Accordingly, the subscriber station 200 requests a desired channel from the transmitting device 100, receives and displays a broadcast stream for the requested channel from the transmitting device 100. In this case, the transmission device 100 transmits the corresponding broadcast stream to the subscriber station 200 according to a preset broadcast program schedule, and through this, the subscriber station 200 transmits the broadcast program due to a single session connection with the transmission device 100. The broadcast stream according to the schedule is provided from the transmitting device (! 00).

The channel change and channel change mentioned in the embodiment of the present invention may also include an operation in which the user selects an arbitrary channel in the subscriber station 200, but basically the broadcast program schedule set in advance in the schedule-based digital broadcasting. This means that the channel is changed accordingly.

The transmitting device 100 is provided on the IPTV service provider side to receive the contents of all the broadcasting channels from the broadcasting provider in a broadcasting manner and selectively transmits the broadcasting channel requested by the subscriber station 200. At this time, the transmission device 100 performs an operation of connecting a session to a broadcast channel to be transmitted. That is, when switching channels according to a schedule of a broadcast program, the transmission device 100 performs a switching operation of connecting a session to a corresponding broadcast channel.

For example, an example of providing a group broadcast service of a specific large company based on a schedule as shown in the table of FIG. 3 will be described. To this end, the transmission device 100 may provide information using subscriber terminal information of a specific large company belonging to the group broadcast.

According to the schedule information of group A broadcasting, from 10 am to 11 am, the live in-house live broadcast is performed on the broadcast channel ch.2, and at 11 o'clock, the VOD advertisement / publicity broadcast is performed on the broadcast channel ch.1 for 10 minutes. When it aired, it is scheduled to service educational broadcasts for the promotion of exaggeration through broadcast channel ch.3 at 11:10.

Based on the broadcast program schedule, the transmission device 100 connects the session to the broadcast channel ch. 2 from 10 am to 11 am and changes the session connection to the broadcast channel ch. 1 at 11 o'clock. After minutes, re-establish the session connection to broadcast channel ch.3 according to the program schedule. In this way, the pre-session connection is performed based on the schedule in the broadcast in the B group and the C group.

As such, the transmission device 100 checks a broadcast program schedule, and if there is a broadcast channel to be broadcasted next, changes the session connection to the next broadcast channel (hereinafter, referred to as a change channel), resets it, and resets the changed channel through the reset session. Receives and transmits to the subscriber station 200. In this case, the transmission device 100 may include a buffer for pre-buffering the broadcast channel to be switched based on the broadcast program schedule. In addition, the transmission device 100 may receive a broadcast program schedule for a broadcast channel in real time from the broadcast management device or may store it in an internal storage.

In the above example, the transmission device 100 has been described only when changing the channel in the same group (Group A), but is not limited to this group switching and channel switching when changing the group to another group (B group, C group) broadcast Session control according to the change can also be performed.

According to the above configuration, when the screen disconnection prevention apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is the time to switch the channel according to the schedule of the broadcast program, the transmission apparatus 100 changes the session connection to the channel to switch in advance of the channel to be switched. After the broadcast stream is buffered, the broadcast stream buffered in advance in the channel switching is transmitted to the subscriber station 200. Accordingly, since the subscriber station 200 receives the broadcast stream for the previous broadcast channel through a single session connection between the transmission apparatuses 100 and immediately receives the broadcast stream buffered at the time of channel switching, the subscriber terminal 200 displays the screen during the time delay due to the session connection. This disconnection phenomenon can be prevented.

On the other hand, the screen disconnection prevention apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention stores the schedule information of the broadcast program and the identification information of each subscriber station 200 in advance in the transmission device 100, so that the time to change the channel according to the schedule of the broadcast program In this case, the session connection is performed and buffered to the broadcast channel to be changed in advance, and the time delay due to channel switching can be further shortened by transmitting the broadcast channel to the subscriber station at the correct time.

Next, a method of shortening the screen disconnection time according to a schedule of a broadcast program using the screen disconnection prevention apparatus described above will be described.

4 illustrates a case of changing a channel according to a broadcast schedule.

First, the transmission apparatus 100 stores and manages schedule information of a broadcast program that schedules a broadcast channel provided by each broadcast provider and identification information about each subscriber station 200 in advance. In particular, in the case of a group broadcast like an in-house broadcast, a subscriber station belonging to each group broadcast may be classified and stored according to a corresponding broadcast program schedule for each subscriber station 200.

The subscriber station 200 requests a desired broadcast channel by accessing the transmission device 100 (S101). Here, the broadcast channel desired by the subscriber station 200 is a broadcast channel according to schedule information of the group broadcast to which each subscriber station 200 belongs. Alternatively, the present invention may be any group broadcast or channel directly selected by the user.

Upon request of the broadcast channel, the subscriber station 200 transmits a request message including information on the broadcast channel to be received or identification information of the subscriber station 200 to the transmission device 100.

The transmission device 100 receiving the request message receives a corresponding broadcast channel by connecting a session to a broadcast channel (or a broadcast channel of a group broadcast to which the subscriber terminal belongs) requested by the subscriber station 200, and receives the received broadcast channel. Send to the subscriber station 200 (S102, S103).

The subscriber station 200 receives the broadcast channel transmitted from the transmission device 100 and displays it on the screen (S104).

Thereafter, the transmission apparatus 100 continuously checks schedule information of a preset broadcast program and checks whether there is a next broadcast schedule (S105).

If there is a next broadcast schedule, the transmission device 100 changes the session connection to the next broadcast channel in advance and resets the connection (S106).

Then, the transmission device 100 receives the broadcast channel to be broadcasted next through the changed session connection and buffers the received broadcast channel (S107).

Subsequently, when the channel is switched according to the schedule of the broadcast program, the transmission device 100 transmits the buffered broadcast channel to the corresponding subscriber station 200 using the identification information of the subscriber station (S108 and S109).

Then, in the subscriber station 200, while the transmission device 100 changes and buffers the session connection to the next broadcast channel to be broadcast (S106 and S107), the current broadcast channel is continuously maintained from the transmission device 100 connected in a single session. After receiving, the channel immediately after the channel switching receives the buffered broadcast channel from the transmission device (100).

Through the above process, the present invention can shorten the temporary screen disconnection time due to channel switching.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative of the present invention, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed in the specification of the present invention are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all the techniques within the scope of equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

In the conventional digital broadcasting service, a time delay occurs when a subscriber station performs a session connection to a changed channel when changing a channel. However, in the present invention, an external transmission device performs buffering by performing a session connection for channel access in advance. Since the subscriber station is always connected with the session, even if the session is disconnected due to the channel change, the subscriber station can receive the broadcast channel continuously from the transmission device and provide the broadcast channel, thereby preventing the screen from being disconnected due to the time delay caused by the channel switching. .

100: transmission device
200: subscriber terminal

Claims (7)

Check whether there is a channel change according to the schedule for the broadcast channel provided by each broadcast provider, and change the connection of the channel to connect to the channel to be changed before the channel change, and buffer the channel to be changed through the reset session. A transmission device for transmitting a buffered broadcast channel to a subscriber when the switching is performed; And
A subscriber station connected to the transmission device in a single session and receiving and displaying a broadcast channel transmitted from the transmission device on a screen;
The subscriber station prevents screen disconnection time by immediately receiving a broadcast channel buffered by the transmission device even when the session connection is changed by channel switching according to a schedule for the broadcast channel. Multi-session connection is performed for broadcast channels provided by each broadcast provider and connected to a single session between subscriber stations.
If there is a channel change according to the schedule for the broadcast channel, the session connection is changed and reconfigured to the channel to be changed before the channel change. And transmitting the pre-buffered channel to the subscriber station. The method of claim 2,
And the transmitting device transmits the changed broadcasting channel to the corresponding subscriber terminal using the schedule for the broadcasting channel and the identification information of the subscriber terminal connected to the transmitting device. The method of claim 3, wherein
And the transmitting device transmits a broadcast channel for each group to which the subscriber terminal belongs through identification information on the subscriber terminal. The method of claim 2,
And the transmission device stores a schedule for the broadcast channel and buffers a broadcast channel to be changed in advance when it is time to switch channels based on the schedule. A method of preventing screen disconnection according to a channel change in a transmission device that transmits a broadcast channel provided by each broadcast provider to a subscriber,
(a) checking whether there is a channel change according to a schedule for a broadcast channel provided by each broadcast provider;
(b) changing and reestablishing a session connection to a broadcast channel to be changed before switching channels according to the schedule;
(c) receiving and buffering the channel to be changed through a reset session; And
(d) if a channel is switched according to the schedule, transmitting a buffered broadcast channel to a corresponding subscriber station;
Screen disconnection prevention method according to the channel change in the transmission device comprising a. The method according to claim 6,
In step (a) and (d) the transmission device
Checking identification information of the subscriber station using a schedule mapped to the group to which the subscriber station belongs, the screen disconnection prevention method according to the channel change in the transmission device.

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