KR20230046467A - Electronic apparatus and method of controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device and a control method thereof, and the electronic device includes: a display; at least one interface unit; and receiving viewing reservation information of a broadcast program and identification information of an external device associated with the viewing reservation information through at least one interface unit, and identifying whether a broadcast time of a broadcast program reserved for viewing arrives based on the viewing reservation information, , In response to broadcasting time arriving, identifying whether a communication connection with an external device associated with viewing reservation information is possible through at least one interface unit based on identification information of the external device associated with viewing reservation information, and at least one processor performing an operation for viewing the viewing reservation broadcast program through a display in response to being identified as being able to communicate with an external device associated with the viewing reservation information.

Description

Electronic device and its control method {ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an electronic device and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an electronic device that performs an operation related to viewing reservation of a broadcast program and a control method thereof.

With the development of technology, various types of electronic devices are being developed and spread. For example, various types of electronic devices such as smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, smart pads, smart notes, set-top boxes, desktop or laptop computers It is being used.

Electronic devices such as TVs and set-top boxes receive a broadcast signal of a predetermined channel and display content based on the received broadcast signal, that is, an image of a broadcast program. The electronic device may receive, for example, electronic program guide (EPG) data from broadcasting program information from a server connected through a network, and provide the information to the user. The user can watch a desired broadcast program according to the time, or make a viewing reservation or recording, by using the provided information.

However, EPG provides broadcasting schedules and channel information for a certain period of time in a simple form through a TV screen, so it is difficult for users to freely search for programs regardless of time and place and use them for reserved viewing. In addition, since a remote control having a limited number of buttons is used to schedule viewing of a program, inconvenience in user manipulation may occur. In addition, TV, which is a common device, can receive viewing reservations from multiple users, so there is a case where a reservation notification occurs or a channel is switched while a user other than the user who actually made the reservation is watching TV. there was.

The present invention provides an electronic device and a control method for allowing a user to easily make a viewing reservation for a broadcast program regardless of time and place, and to perform an operation for viewing the broadcast program by identifying a user who has made a viewing reservation. do.

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display; at least one interface unit; and receiving viewing reservation information of a broadcast program and identification information of an external device associated with the viewing reservation information through at least one interface unit, and determining whether a broadcast time of a broadcast program reserved for viewing arrives based on the viewing reservation information. and whether a communication connection with an external device associated with the viewing reservation information is possible through at least one interface unit based on the identification information of the external device associated with the viewing reservation information in response to the arrival of broadcasting time. and at least one processor performing an operation for viewing the broadcasting program reserved for viewing through a display in response to being identified as a state in which a communication connection with an external device linked to viewing reservation information is possible.

An operation for viewing a broadcast program may include an operation of displaying a notification message indicating viewing reservation information on a display.

The viewing reservation information further includes notification setting information, and the processor may display a notification message on the display based on the notification setting information.

An operation for viewing a broadcast program may include an operation of displaying an image of a broadcast program reserved for viewing by switching a channel while displaying an image of another broadcast program.

The viewing reservation information includes a plurality of viewing reservation information, the identification information of the external device includes identification information of a plurality of external devices each linked to the plurality of viewing reservation information, and the processor responds to the arrival of broadcasting time , It is possible to select identification information of an external device associated with viewing reservation information for which broadcasting time has arrived among a plurality of external devices, and identify whether or not a communication connection with the external device having the selected identification information is possible.

The processor may receive viewing reservation information and identification information of the external device corresponding to the viewing reservation information from the external device through at least one interface unit in response to being identified as being able to communicate with the external device.

On the other hand, an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a display; user input unit; at least one interface unit; and displaying a UI including broadcasting schedule information on a display, obtaining viewing reservation information including broadcasting program information and notification setting information based on a user input received through a user input unit, and viewing through at least one interface unit. The identification information of the electronic device associated with the reservation information and the viewing reservation information is transmitted, and the identification information of the electronic device is transmitted to the external device through at least one interface unit, so that the external device detects the existence of the electronic device based on the identification information. and at least one processor for controlling communication connection with an external device to perform an operation for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing at a time set in notification setting information included in identification and viewing reservation information.

The notification setting information may include setting information for a notification message through a display of an external device.

In response to being identified as being able to communicate with the external device, the processor may control a notification message to be displayed through the display based on the notification setting information.

Meanwhile, a method for controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes receiving viewing reservation information of a broadcast program and identification information of an external device associated with the viewing reservation information through at least one interface unit; identifying whether a broadcast time of a broadcast program arrives based on viewing reservation information; In response to broadcasting time arriving, identifying whether a communication connection with an external device associated with the viewing reservation information is possible through at least one interface based on identification information of the external device associated with the viewing reservation information; and performing an operation for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing through a display in response to being identified as being able to communicate with an external device corresponding to the viewing reservation information.

An operation for viewing a broadcast program may include an operation of displaying a notification message indicating viewing reservation information on a display.

The viewing reservation information further includes notification setting information, and an operation for viewing a broadcast program may include an operation of displaying a notification message on a display based on the notification setting information.

An operation for viewing a broadcast program may include an operation of displaying an image of a broadcast program reserved for viewing by switching a channel while displaying an image of another broadcast program.

The viewing reservation information includes a plurality of viewing reservation information, and the identification information of the external device includes identification information of a plurality of external devices linked to the plurality of viewing reservation information, respectively, and performs an operation for viewing a broadcast program. Operation is a state in which, in response to broadcasting time arriving, identification information of an external device associated with viewing reservation information for which broadcasting time has arrived is selected from among a plurality of external devices, and communication with the external device having the selected identification information is possible. It may include an operation of identifying whether it is identified as .

In response to being identified as being able to communicate with the external device, the method may further include receiving viewing reservation information and identification information of the external device associated with the viewing reservation information from the external device through at least one interface unit.

Meanwhile, a method for controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes displaying a UI including broadcasting schedule information on a display; obtaining viewing reservation information including broadcasting program information and notification setting information based on a user input; transmitting viewing reservation information and identification information of an electronic device associated with the viewing reservation information through at least one interface unit; and transmitting the identification information of the electronic device to the external device through at least one interface unit so that the external device identifies the existence of the electronic device based on the identification information and schedules viewing at a time set in the notification setting information included in the viewing reservation information. In order to perform an operation for viewing a broadcast program, a control operation to perform a communication connection with an external device is included.

The notification setting information may include setting information for a notification message through a display of an external device.

In response to being identified as a state in which communication with an external device is possible, an operation of controlling a notification message to be displayed through a display based on notification setting information may be further included.

According to the electronic device and control method thereof of the present invention as described above, a user can easily make a viewing reservation for a broadcasting program regardless of time and place, and operate for viewing the broadcasting program by identifying a user who has made a viewing reservation. Since this is done, it is possible to prevent exposure of unnecessary information in a shared device and improve user convenience.

1 shows an example of a system that performs a function of viewing reservation according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram for explaining processes in which an operation for viewing reservation and viewing of a reservation program is performed according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 to 10 illustrate UI screens for inputting or confirming viewing reservation information according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 to 14 show UI screens for viewing a reserved program according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a second electronic device 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. In the drawings, the same reference numerals or symbols refer to components performing substantially the same function, and the size of each component in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description. However, the technical idea of the present invention and its core configuration and operation are not limited to the configurations or operations described in the following embodiments. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known technology or configuration related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

In the embodiments of the present invention, terms including ordinal numbers, such as first and second, are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another, and expressions in the singular number are plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. contains an expression of In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as 'comprise', 'include', and 'have' refer to one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof. Or it should be understood as not precluding the possibility of addition. In addition, in an embodiment of the present invention, a 'module' or 'unit' performs at least one function or operation, may be implemented as hardware or software, or may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software, and is integrated into at least one module. and can be implemented. In addition, in an embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of elements refers to not only all of the plurality of elements, but also each one or all combinations of the plurality of elements excluding the rest.

1 shows an example of a system that performs a function of viewing reservation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to an embodiment, a system for performing a viewing reservation function for a broadcast program includes a first electronic device 10 , a second electronic device 20 , and a server 30 . The first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 may each communicate with the server 30 through the network 40 . The first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 may perform direct communication through wireless communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, for example.

According to an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the first electronic device 10 may be implemented as a display device including a display ( 110 in FIG. 2 ).

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 10 receives a signal provided from an external signal supply source (source) such as the server 30, that is, data related to content or a program, and receives the received signal. The resulting data may be processed according to a preset process to be displayed as an image on a display.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the first electronic device 10 may be implemented as a television (TV) capable of processing broadcast images based on at least one of a broadcast signal, broadcast information, and broadcast data received from transmission equipment of a broadcasting station. there is. In this case, the first electronic device 10 may be provided with a tuner for tuning broadcast signals for each channel. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited to the implementation example of the first electronic device 10, and as another embodiment, the first electronic device 10 is a set-top device that transmits a signal to an external display connected by wire or wirelessly. It may be implemented as an image processing device such as a box.

When the first electronic device 10 is a television, the first electronic device 10 is an additional device that can be connected directly or by a cable to the first electronic device 10, for example, a set-top box. , STB), an OC box (one-connect box), a media box, etc., and broadcasting content based on at least one of a broadcasting signal, broadcasting information, and broadcasting data received from transmission equipment of a broadcasting station can be received. Here, the connection method between the first electronic device 10 and the additional device is not limited to a cable, and various wired/wireless interfaces may be applied.

For example, the first electronic device 10 may wirelessly receive a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted from a broadcasting station, that is, broadcast content. To this end, the first electronic device 10 may receive a broadcast signal. A capable antenna may be provided.

In the first electronic device 10, broadcasting content can be received through terrestrial, cable, satellite, and the like, and a signal supply source, ie, a source, is not limited to a broadcasting station. In other words, any device or station capable of transmitting and receiving data may be included in the source of the present invention.

The standard of the signal received by the first electronic device 10 may be configured in various ways corresponding to the implementation type of the device, and the first electronic device 10 has an implementation type of an interface unit (120 in FIG. 2 ) to be described later. Correspondingly, HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), Display Port (DP), DVI, composite video, component video, super video , DVI (Digital Visual Interface), Thunderbolt, RGB cable, SCART (Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorιcepteurs et Tιlιviseurs), USB (universal serial bus), etc. signals are received by wire as video content can do.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 10 may be implemented as a smart TV or an IP TV (Internet Protocol TV). Smart TV can receive and display broadcast signals in real time, and has a web browsing function, so it is possible to search and consume various contents through the Internet while displaying real-time broadcast signals, and to provide a convenient user environment for this purpose. It's a TV. In addition, since the smart TV includes an open software platform, it can provide interactive services to users. Accordingly, the smart TV can provide users with various contents, for example, application contents that provide predetermined services, through an open software platform. These applications are applications that can provide various types of services, and include, for example, applications that provide services such as SNS, finance, news, weather, maps, music, movies, games, and e-books.

The first electronic device 10 is a video, still image, application, on-screen display (OSD) based on signals/data stored in an internal or external storage medium, and a user interface for controlling various operations. UI), etc. can be processed to display the signal on the screen.

The first electronic device 10, as a source for providing content, can receive content from various external devices including the server 30 through wired or wireless network communication, and the type of communication is not limited.

Specifically, the first electronic device 10 corresponds to the implementation form of the interface unit 120 to be described later, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth low energy. Energy), Zigbee, UWB (Ultra-Wideband), NFC (Near Field Communication), and the like can be received through wireless network communication as video content. In addition, the first electronic device 10 may receive content through wired network communication such as Ethernet.

According to an embodiment, the server 30 may be provided as a content provider, that is, a content providing server capable of providing content to various devices including the first electronic device 10 through a wired or wireless network. . The server 30 may provide, for example, broadcast content (broadcast program), media files such as VOD (video on demand), web content, and the like in a real-time streaming manner.

According to one embodiment, the server 30 may be provided as an information providing server (or service server) that provides content, that is, information about programs. The server 30 may provide, for example, broadcast schedule information such as EPG data to various devices such as the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 .

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the content providing server and the information providing server may be implemented as a single server or provided as a plurality of servers separated from each other. According to an embodiment, a plurality of content providing servers and information providing servers may be provided, and in this case, content or content information may be provided from each server.

The first electronic device 10 executes an application for content reproduction, for example, a TV application or a VOD application, receives content from the server 30, and processes the received content, thereby displaying an image corresponding to the content. Through this display 110, it can be output, that is, displayed. Here, the first electronic device 10 may receive content from the server 30 using a user account corresponding to the executed application.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 10 executes a service application (eg, SmartThings, etc.) that supports a connection/interlocking function with an external device including the second electronic device 20. , it is possible to manage viewing reservation information related to broadcasting programs. Here, the first electronic device 10 can be connected/interlocked with a plurality of external devices, and can manage viewing reservation information by matching identification information (eg, device ID) of the plurality of external devices. As another example, the first electronic device 10 may assign identification information (ID) of at least one external device to a user account, and match and manage viewing reservation information for each user account.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the second electronic device 20 may be implemented as a movable terminal device such as a smart phone, that is, a mobile device. However, in the present invention, the implementation form of the second electronic device 20 is not limited, and a tablet, a smart pad, a smart note, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a personal digital assistant ), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a navigation device, an MP3 player, and a laptop computer.

For example, the second electronic device 20 may receive broadcasting schedule information from the server 30 implemented as an information providing server and obtain viewing reservation information for a predetermined content input from a user, that is, a broadcasting program. there is. Here, the obtained viewing reservation information is for viewing a broadcast program by a TV, that is, the first electronic device 10 . The obtained viewing reservation information is transmitted to the first electronic device 10, and based on the arrival of the broadcasting time of the broadcast program reserved for viewing, an operation for viewing the corresponding broadcast program in the first electronic device 10, for example, , notification message display, channel switching, etc. may be performed.

According to an embodiment, the second electronic device 20 executes a service application (eg, SmartThings, etc.) supporting a connection/interlocking function with an external device including the first electronic device 10. , viewing reservation information of a broadcast program may be transmitted to the first electronic device 10 . Here, identification information, that is, a device ID, is assigned to the second electronic device 20, and viewing reservation information may be transmitted together with the identification information.

Hereinafter, configurations and operations of a first electronic device and a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The first electronic device 10 includes various hardware elements for operation. However, the configuration of the first electronic device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 is only one example, and an electronic device according to another embodiment is implemented in a configuration other than the configuration shown in FIG. 2 It can be. That is, the first electronic device 10 of the present invention may be implemented in a form in which other components than those shown in FIG. 2 are added or at least one of the components shown in FIG. 2 is excluded. In addition, the first electronic device 10 of the present invention may be implemented in a form in which part of the configuration configured in FIG. 2 is changed.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the first electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a display 110 .

The display 110 may display an image.

The implementation method of the display 110 is not limited, and for example, liquid crystal (liquid crystal), plasma (plasma), light-emitting diode (light-emitting diode), organic light-emitting diode (organic light-emitting diode), surface conduction electron gun ( It can be implemented in various display methods such as surface-conduction electron-emitter, carbon nano-tube, and nano-crystal.

According to one embodiment, the display 110 includes a display panel that displays an image, and may further include an additional component, for example, a driver, depending on its implementation method.

According to an embodiment, a notification message may be displayed on the display 110 as a UI related to content, that is, a viewing reservation of a broadcasting program. The display format of the UI is not limited, and includes, for example, content reserved for viewing, that is, information such as the channel and title of the program, and allows the user to immediately switch to the corresponding program channel or cancel the reservation. Can contain at least one item.

The first electronic device 10 may include at least one interface unit 120 .

The interface unit 120 enables the first electronic device 10 to communicate with various external devices including the second electronic device 20 and the server 30 .

The interface unit 120 may include a wired interface unit 121 . The wired interface unit 121 may include a connector for transmitting/receiving signals/data according to standards such as HDMI, HDMI-CEC, USB, Component, Display Port (DP), DVI, Thunderbolt, and RGB cables. can Here, the wired interface unit 121 may include at least one or more connectors, terminals, or ports corresponding to each of these standards.

The wired interface unit 121 is implemented in a form including an input port for receiving a signal from a source or the like, and in some cases may further include an output port to transmit and receive signals in both directions.

The wired interface unit 121 is connected to an antenna capable of receiving broadcast signals according to broadcasting standards such as terrestrial/satellite broadcasting, or to a cable capable of receiving broadcast signals according to cable broadcasting standards, such as an HDMI port and a DisplayPort. , DVI port, Thunderbolt, composite video, component video, super video, SCART, and the like, connectors or ports according to video and/or audio transmission standards. As another example, the first electronic device 10 may include an antenna capable of receiving a broadcast signal.

When the video/audio signal received through the interface unit 120 is a broadcast signal, the first electronic device 10 may further include a tuner for tuning the received broadcast signal for each channel. The tuner may include a demodulator that demodulates a tuned broadcast signal of a specific channel and outputs the signal in the form of a transport stream (TS). In other words, the tuner and demodulator may be designed as an integrated single chip or implemented as two separate chips.

The wired interface unit 121 may include a connector or port according to a universal data transmission standard such as a USB port. The wired interface unit 121 may include a connector or port to which an optical cable can be connected according to an optical transmission standard. The wire interface unit 121 is connected to an external microphone or an external audio device having a microphone, and may include a connector or port capable of receiving or inputting an audio signal from the microphone or audio device. The wired interface unit 121 is connected to audio devices such as headsets, earphones, and external speakers, and may include connectors or ports capable of transmitting or outputting audio signals to the audio devices. The wired interface unit 121 may include a connector or port according to a network transmission standard such as Ethernet. For example, the wired interface unit 121 may be implemented as a LAN card connected to a router or a gateway by wire.

The wired interface unit 121 is wired in a 1:1 or 1:N (N is a natural number) method such as a set-top box, an external device such as an optical media player, an external display device, a speaker, or a server through a connector or port. As a result, a video/audio signal is received from the corresponding external device or a video/audio signal is transmitted to the corresponding external device. The wired interface unit 121 may include connectors or ports for separately transmitting video/audio signals.

The wired interface unit 121 may be implemented as a communication circuitry including a wireless communication module (S/W module, chip, etc.) corresponding to various types of communication protocols.

In one embodiment, the wired interface unit 121 is embedded in the first electronic device 10, but may be implemented in the form of a dongle or a module and attached to or detachable from a connector of the first electronic device 10.

The interface unit 120 may include a wireless interface unit 122 .

The wireless interface unit 122 may be implemented in various ways corresponding to the implementation form of the first electronic device 10 . For example, the wireless interface unit 122 may use wireless communication such as radio frequency (RF), Zigbee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ultra WideBand (UWB), and Near Field Communication (NFC) as a communication method.

The wireless interface unit 122 may be implemented as a communication circuitry including a wireless communication module (S/W module, chip, etc.) corresponding to various types of communication protocols.

In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit 122 includes a wireless LAN unit. The wireless LAN unit may be wirelessly connected to an external device through an access point (AP) under the control of the processor 150 . The wireless LAN unit includes a Wi-Fi module.

In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit 122 includes a wireless communication module that supports one-to-one direct communication between the first electronic device 10 and an external device wirelessly without an access point. The wireless communication module may be implemented to support communication methods such as Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth low energy. When the first electronic device 10 performs direct communication with an external device, the storage 140 may store identification information (for example, a MAC address or an IP address) of the external device that is a communication target device. there is.

In the first electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the wireless interface unit 122 is provided to perform wireless communication with an external device by at least one of a wireless LAN unit and a wireless communication module according to performance.

In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit 122 may further include a communication module using various communication methods such as mobile communication such as LTE, EM communication including a magnetic field, and visible light communication.

The wireless interface unit 122 may transmit/receive data packets with an external device by wirelessly communicating with an external device such as a server on a network.

The wireless interface unit 122 may include an IR transmitter and/or an IR receiver capable of transmitting and/or receiving IR (Infrared) signals according to infrared communication standards. The wireless interface unit 122 may receive or input a signal from an input device such as a remote control or other external device through an IR transmitter and/or an IR receiver, or may transmit or output a signal to another external device. As another example, the first electronic device 10 may transmit/receive signals with an input device or other external device through the wireless interface unit 122 of another type such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit 122 may transmit predetermined data as user voice information received through a voice input unit such as a microphone to an external device such as a server. Here, the type/type of transmitted data is not limited, and may include, for example, an audio signal corresponding to a voice spoken by a user or a voice feature extracted from the audio signal.

Also, the wireless interface unit 122 may receive data of a processing result of the corresponding user voice from an external device such as a server. Based on the received data, the first electronic device 10 may output a sound corresponding to a voice processing result through an internal or external speaker.

However, the above embodiment is just an example, and the user voice may be processed within the first electronic device 10 itself without being transmitted to the server. That is, in another embodiment, the first electronic device 10 can be implemented to serve as a speech to text (STT) server.

The first electronic device 10 may communicate with an input device such as a remote controller through the wireless interface unit 122 and receive a sound signal corresponding to a user's voice from the input device.

In the first electronic device 10 according to an embodiment, a communication module communicating with external devices such as the second electronic device 20 and the server 30 may be different from a communication module communicating with an input device such as a remote control. For example, the first electronic device 10 may perform communication with an external device through an Ethernet modem or a Wi-Fi module, and may perform communication with an input device through a Bluetooth module.

In the first electronic device 10 of another embodiment, a communication module communicating with external devices such as the second electronic device 20 and the server 30 may be the same as a communication module communicating with an input device such as a remote controller. For example, the first electronic device 10 may communicate with an external device and an input device through a Bluetooth module.

In one embodiment, the wireless interface unit 122 is embedded in the first electronic device 10, but may be implemented in the form of a dongle or module and attached to or detachable from a connector of the first electronic device 10.

In one embodiment, the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 may perform direct communication through wireless communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 enable communication connection/interlocking by transmitting and storing each other's identification information, and when located in a short distance after the initial connection, communication connection/interlocking is automatically performed by a service application. It can be.

According to an embodiment, based on automatic communication connection/interworking between the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20, viewing reservation information of a broadcast program input from the second electronic device 20 is generated. 1 can be transmitted to the electronic device 10. In addition, when the broadcasting time of a broadcast program reserved for viewing according to the viewing reservation information arrives, the first electronic device 10 identifies whether or not a communication connection with the second electronic device 20 is possible, and the communication connection is possible. State, that is, when both devices are connected/interlocked, it is possible to control to perform an operation for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing.

The first electronic device 10 may include a user input unit 130 .

The user input unit 130 transmits various preset control commands or unlimited information to the processor 150 according to a user's input.

The user input unit 130 includes a keypad (or input panel) including buttons such as a power key, a numeric key, and a menu key provided on the main body of the first electronic device 10 .

In one embodiment, the user input unit 130 includes an input device that generates and transmits preset commands/data/information/signals to remotely control the first electronic device 10 to the first electronic device 10. . The input device includes a remote control, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and is separated from the main body of the first electronic device 10 to receive a user input. The remote control may be provided with a touch sensing unit that receives a user's touch input and/or a motion sensing unit that senses a user's own motion. The input device includes a terminal device such as a smart phone in which a remote control application is installed, and in this case, a user's touch input through a touch screen can be received.

The input device is capable of wireless communication with the first electronic device 10, and the wireless communication includes Bluetooth, infrared communication, RF communication, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi Direct, and the like.

According to an embodiment, the user input unit 130 further includes a voice input unit capable of receiving voice/sound uttered by the user, for example, a microphone, and the voice input unit 10 operates on the first electronic device 10. It may be provided in at least one of the main body or an input device such as a remote control.

The first electronic device 10 may include a storage unit 140 .

The storage unit 140 is configured to store various data of the first electronic device 10 .

The storage unit 140 may retain data even if power supplied to the first electronic device 10 is cut off, and may be provided as a writable non-volatile memory (ROM) to reflect changes. That is, the storage unit 140 may be provided with any one of a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM. The storage unit 140 may further include volatile memory, such as DRAM or SRAM, in which the read or write speed of the first electronic device 10 is higher than that of the non-volatile memory.

Data stored in the storage unit 140 includes, for example, an operating system for driving the first electronic device 10 and various programs, applications, image data, and additional data executable on the operating system.

Specifically, the storage unit 140 may store input/output signals or data corresponding to the operation of each component under the control of the processor 150 . The storage unit 140 includes a control program for controlling the first electronic device 10, an application provided by the manufacturer or downloaded from the outside, a UI related to the application, graphics or images for providing the UI, user information, documents, and databases. or related data can be stored.

According to an embodiment, an image displayed on the first electronic device 10 may originate from data stored in a non-volatile storage unit 140 such as a flash memory or a hard disk. The storage unit 140 may be provided inside or outside the first electronic device 10, and when provided outside, the storage unit 140 is connected to the first electronic device 10 through the wired interface unit 121. can be connected

In this specification, the term storage unit refers to the storage unit 140, a ROM (not shown) in the processor 150, a RAM (not shown), or a memory that can be installed in the first electronic device 10 It is defined as including a card (not shown) (eg micro SD card, memory stick).

According to an embodiment, the storage unit 140 stores a TV application for allowing the first electronic device 10 to operate as a television, a VOD application for reproducing content received from an OTT server, and the first electronic device 10. A service application that supports a connection/interlocking function with an included external device may be stored.

According to an embodiment, the storage 140 may store identification information (eg, device ID) about at least one external device connected/interlocked by a service application. The external device connected/interlocked by the service application includes the second electronic device 20, and the storage unit 140 stores the viewing reservation information input by the second electronic device 20 in the second electronic device 20. It can be stored in matching with the identification information of. When the first electronic device 10 is connected/interlocked with a plurality of external devices, identification information for each external device and viewing reservation information input from the corresponding external device may be matched and stored.

The first electronic device 10 may include at least one processor 150 .

The processor 150 controls the operation of various components of the first electronic device 10 . The processor 150 includes a control program (or instruction) for performing such a control operation, a non-volatile memory in which the control program is installed, a volatile memory in which at least a part of the installed control program is loaded, and the loaded control program It may include at least one general-purpose processor that executes, for example, a microprocessor, an application processor, or a central processing unit (CPU).

The processor 150 may include a single core, a dual core, a triple core, a quad core, and multiple cores thereof. The processor 150 includes a plurality of processors, for example, a main processor and a sub-processor operating in a sleep mode (eg, only standby power is supplied and does not operate as an electronic device). ) may be included. Also, the processor, ROM and RAM may be interconnected through an internal bus.

According to one embodiment, the processor 150 may include an image processing unit that performs various preset processes on a content signal received from a source. The processor 150 may display an image corresponding to the image signal on the display 110 by outputting an output signal generated or combined by performing image processing to the display 110 .

The image processing unit includes a decoder that decodes the image signal to correspond to a predetermined image format of the first electronic device 10 and/or a scaler that adjusts the image signal to conform to the output standard of the display 110. can do.

According to one embodiment, the decoder is, for example, an H.264/AVC decoder, but is not limited thereto. That is, the video decoder according to the embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as a decoder according to various compression standards such as a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) decoder or a High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC) decoder.

A decoder can be implemented as a hardware decoder or a software decoder. According to an embodiment, a plurality of decoders may be provided in the first electronic device 10 . Here, each of the plurality of decoders provided in the first electronic device 10 may be implemented as a hardware decoder or a software decoder. The number and/or type of decoders provided in the first electronic device 10 of the present invention is not limited.

In the present invention, the type of content processed by the image processing unit is not limited. For example, the content that can be processed by the image processing unit may further include not only moving images such as videos, but also photos such as JPEG files, still images such as background screens, menu items of the UI, and the like.

The type of image processing process performed by the image processing unit of the present invention is not limited. For example, de-interlacing to convert an interlaced broadcast signal into a progressive method, and image quality improvement At least one of various processes such as noise reduction, detail enhancement, frame refresh rate conversion, and line scanning may be performed.

In one embodiment, the image processing unit may be implemented as an image board mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) with circuit configurations such as various chipsets, memories, electronic components, and wires for performing each of these processes. In this case, the processor 150 including a tuner and an image processor may be provided on a single image board in the first electronic device 10 . Of course, this is just one example and may be arranged on a plurality of printed circuit boards communicatively connected to each other.

According to one embodiment, the processor 150 can be implemented as a form included in a main SoC (Main SoC) mounted on a PCB embedded in the first electronic device 10 .

The control program may include program(s) implemented in the form of at least one of a BIOS, a device driver, an operating system, firmware, a platform, and an application. As an embodiment, the application is pre-installed or stored in the first electronic device 10 when the first electronic device 10 is manufactured, or is based on data received from the outside when used later. (10) can be installed. Application data may be downloaded to the first electronic device 10 from an external server such as an application market. Such an external server is an example of the computer program product of the present invention, but is not limited thereto.

The control program may be recorded on a storage medium readable by a device such as a computer. The device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium or a non-volatile storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary storage medium' only means that it is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term refers to the case where data is stored semi-permanently in the storage medium and temporary It does not discriminate if it is saved as . For example, the 'non-temporary storage medium' may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

In the first electronic device 10 according to an embodiment, the processor 150 may process a corresponding signal to display an image of a predetermined channel based on a broadcast signal. In addition, the processor 150 may process a signal received from a source such as a server through the interface unit 120 so that an image of a predetermined content is displayed.

According to an embodiment, the processor 150 is associated with viewing reservation information of a broadcast program and the viewing reservation information from an external device communicable through the interface unit 120, for example, the second electronic device 20 ( Receives identification information (eg, device ID) of the associated with external device, that is, the second electronic device 20, and when the broadcasting time of the broadcasting program arrives, the interface unit 120 operates based on the received identification information. Through this, it is possible to identify whether a communication connection with the external device, ie, the second electronic device 20 associated with the viewing reservation information through the second electronic device 20 is possible. Here, the processor 150 identifies whether or not a communication connection with the second electronic device 20 associated with the viewing reservation information is possible, so that the second electronic device 20 is in the vicinity of the first electronic device 10. It is possible to determine whether or not it exists, that is, whether or not it has presence. That is, the presence of the second electronic device 20 may be determined depending on whether the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 are connected/interlocked by a service application such as SmartThings.

The processor 150 determines that the second electronic device 20 is in a presence state when the broadcasting time of the broadcast program corresponding to the viewing reservation information obtained from the second electronic device 20 arrives, that is, the second electronic device ( 20), an operation for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing according to the corresponding viewing reservation information, for example, displaying a notification message on the display 110 or switching channels, etc. can perform the action of

According to an embodiment, a plurality of viewing reservation information acquired from a plurality of external devices may be stored in the storage unit 140, and the processor 150 responds to the arrival of a broadcast time corresponding to the predetermined viewing reservation information, Among a plurality of external devices, identification information of an external device corresponding to the viewing reservation information of which broadcasting time has arrived, for example, the second storage device 20 is selected, and an external device having the selected identification information, that is, the second electronic device is selected. It is possible to identify whether or not a communication connection with the device 20 is possible.

According to an embodiment, the first electronic device 10 performs an operation for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing when the second electronic device 20 for which a viewing reservation has been made as described above is present, that is, in a communication capable state. By controlling to make this happen, when the party to the viewing reservation who is the unique user of the second electronic device 20 is not in a presence state, eg, not watching TV, the operation for viewing the broadcasting program is not performed. Accordingly, the TV, which is a common device, can support a personalized viewing reservation function using the second electronic device 20 such as a smartphone, and when a user other than the reservation party watches TV, the viewing reservation information is displayed on the TV screen. Errors such as exposure or switching of channels do not occur.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The second electronic device 20 includes various hardware elements for operation. However, the configuration of the second electronic device 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 is only one example, and an electronic device according to another embodiment is implemented in a configuration other than the configuration shown in FIG. 3 It can be. That is, the second electronic device 20 of the present invention may be implemented in a form in which other components than those shown in FIG. 3 are added or at least one of the components shown in FIG. 3 is excluded. In addition, the second electronic device 20 of the present invention may be implemented in a form in which part of the configuration configured in FIG. 3 is changed.

In the present invention, among the components of the second electronic device 20 shown in FIG. 3, the same names are used for components performing the same or similar operations as those of the first electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 2. , and descriptions of overlapping parts may be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the second electronic device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a display 210 .

The display 210 may display an image. The implementation method of the display 210 is not limited and may be implemented in various display methods.

In one embodiment, the display 210 may include a touch screen capable of receiving a user's touch input.

According to one embodiment, a UI including broadcasting content (program) information, for example, broadcasting schedule information, may be displayed on the display 210 . The display format of the UI is not limited, and may have, for example, a format such as a schedule including date and time information of broadcasting programs for each channel, or a calendar. According to an embodiment, the UI may be provided to enable a user to search for a list of broadcast programs available for viewing or to search for a broadcast program desired to be watched.

The second electronic device 20 may include at least one interface unit 220 .

The interface unit 220 may include a wired interface unit 221 and a wireless interface unit 222 .

The second electronic device 20 may receive broadcasting schedule information from the server 30 through the interface unit 220 . Here, the received broadcast schedule information includes schedule information of programs broadcast through the first electronic device 10, that is, a TV.

In an embodiment, the second electronic device 20 may transmit viewing reservation information for a broadcast program to the first electronic device 10 through the interface unit 220 by the user. In another embodiment, the second electronic device 20 transmits viewing reservation information to the server 30 through the interface unit 220, and the corresponding information is transmitted to the first electronic device 10 through the server 30. can be made

The second electronic device 20 may include a user input unit 230 .

The user input unit 230 transmits various predetermined control commands or unlimited information to the processor 250 according to a user's input.

The user input unit 230 includes at least one physical button formed on the front or side of the second electronic device 20, an object such as a virtual keypad or menu item displayed on the touch screen, and a user's touch input to the touch screen. It may include at least one of possible separate input devices (stylus, pointing device, etc.).

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 may obtain viewing reservation information for a broadcast program based on a user input through the user input unit 230 . For example, a user may perform a user input in response to a UI including broadcasting schedule information displayed on the display 110, and viewing reservation information may be obtained based thereon.

The second electronic device 20 may include a storage unit 240 .

The storage unit 240 is configured to store various data of the second electronic device 20 .

According to an embodiment, the storage unit 140 includes a VOD application for reproducing content received from an OTT server, etc., a service application for supporting a connection/interlock function with an external device including the first electronic device 10, and the like. this can be stored. According to an embodiment, the storage unit 140 may store identification information (eg, device ID) about at least one external device connected/interlocked by a service application. External devices connected/interlocked by the service application include the first electronic device 10 .

According to an embodiment, broadcast schedule information received from the server 300 and viewing reservation information of a broadcast program based on a user input received through the user input unit 230 may be stored in the storage unit 240 . The stored viewing reservation information is provided to the first electronic device 10, and an operation for viewing a corresponding broadcast program can be performed in the first electronic device 10.

The second electronic device 20 may include at least one processor 250 .

The processor 250 controls the operation of various components of the second electronic device 20 .

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 displays a UI including broadcast schedule information on the display 210 and obtains viewing reservation information of a predetermined broadcast program based on a user input received through the user input unit 230. can do. The processor 250 stores the obtained viewing reservation information in the storage unit 240, and the viewing reservation information displays the corresponding broadcast program together with the identification information of the second electronic device 20. can be controlled to be sent to

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 is connected/interlocked with the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 by a service application, that is, the second electronic device 10 for the first electronic device 10. When the device 20 is identified as being in the presence state, viewing reservation information may be transmitted to the first electronic device 10 through the interface unit 220 .

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 determines whether the first electronic device 10 is in a state in which a communication connection with the second electronic device 20 is possible, that is, to identify presence. ) in response to the request received from the first electronic device 10 by transmitting identification information of itself, that is, the second electronic device 20 . Accordingly, based on the reception of the identification information, the first electronic device 10 identifies the second electronic device 20 associated with the viewing reservation information as being in a state in which a communication connection is possible, and allows viewing of the broadcast program reserved for viewing. For example, an operation such as displaying a notification message on the display 110 or switching a channel may be performed.

Hereinafter, with reference to drawings, an embodiment in which an operation related to viewing reservation is performed will be described in detail.

4 is a diagram for explaining processes in which an operation for viewing reservation and viewing of a reservation program is performed according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 to 10 illustrate UI screens for inputting or confirming viewing reservation information according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11 to 14 show UI screens for viewing a reserved program according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the second electronic device 20 may receive broadcasting schedule information from the server 30 in operation 401 . Here, the broadcast schedule information includes schedule information about content (broadcast program) broadcast through the first electronic device 10, that is, a TV.

According to an embodiment, broadcasting schedule information may be provided from the first electronic device 10 to the second electronic device 20 .

The processor 250 of the second electronic device 20 may display broadcasting schedule information on the display 210 in operation 402 . According to an embodiment, the processor 250 may display a UI including schedule information about a TV broadcast program on the display 210 based on the information received in operation 401 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , a UI 510 including schedule information of broadcasting content may be displayed on the display 210 . The UI 510 may have, for example, a format such as a schedule or calendar including date and time information on broadcasting content (program) for each channel. The calendar-type UI may provide schedule information of broadcasting content on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, for example.

According to one embodiment, the user can search for a list of viewable content, that is, a broadcast program, or search for content (broadcast program) desired to view, using the displayed UI 510 . For example, a user can freely search for a broadcast program regardless of place and time using a smartphone as the second electronic device 20 on the way to work.

The processor 250 of the second electronic device 20 may obtain viewing reservation information of a broadcast program based on a user input in operation 403 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , in one embodiment, a user may select a broadcast program 511 to watch on the UI 510 including schedule information and input a viewing reservation (TV program viewing reservation).

According to one embodiment, a user may select a program search item 512 to search for content (broadcast program) to watch, and input viewing reservation for the searched content.

The processor 250 may display the viewing reservation setting UI 610 for the selected broadcast program on the display 210 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , the viewing reservation setting UI 610 may include a message indicating information (eg, channel information, airing time information, etc.) of a selected broadcasting program. In addition, the viewing reservation setting UI 610 may further include a reservation setting item 611 and a notification setting item 612 .

The user may select/click the reservation setting item 611 to set the selected program (eg, comedy ㅇㅇㅇ) to be watched through the first electronic device 10 .

According to one embodiment, viewing reservation can be selectively set as one-time reservation or repeated reservation.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the selected program is a series broadcast content that is periodically broadcast (e.g., a comedy that is broadcast every Sunday at a set time (7:40 pm to 9:15 pm)) , The display 210 may display a selection UI 710 for repeated reservations including a one-time reservation item 711 and a repeated reservation item 712 . When a user's selection for any one of the one-time reservation item 711 and the repeated reservation item 712 is received, the processor 250 may set a viewing reservation in response thereto.

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 may control repeated reservation to be set automatically when the selected program is broadcast content of a series, without displaying the selection UI 710 as shown in FIG. 7 .

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 of the second electronic device 20 may further obtain notification setting information for viewing reservation in operation 403 .

Specifically, when the notification setting item 612 is selected in the reservation viewing setting UI 610 of FIG. 6 or the reservation viewing setting in FIG. 7 is completed, the processor 250, as shown in FIG. , the notification setting UI 810 can be controlled to be displayed on the display 210 .

According to an embodiment, notification setting is notification setting through the first electronic device 10, that is, TV (TV notification), and notification setting through the second electronic device 20, that is, smart phone (mobile notification). can include

According to one embodiment, notification settings may be set to perform only TV notifications.

According to one embodiment, notification settings may be set to perform both TV notifications and mobile notifications. Here, the mobile notification may be set to occur when a TV (first electronic device) and a smartphone (second electronic device) are capable of communication connection.

The notification through the TV (TV notification) includes, for example, a notification message through a TV screen, a voice notification through a speaker, and the like, and the user selects the TV notification item 811 to send the first electronic device 10 You can enter notification settings in . The TV notification setting includes, for example, selection of a notification time such as 10 minutes ago, 5 minutes ago, 1 minute ago, etc., and notifications may be set to occur once or twice or more. In addition, the TV notification setting may be set to generate a plurality of notifications at regular time intervals, such as, for example, every 1 minute, every 5 minutes, and the like.

According to an embodiment, a TV notification may be generated only when the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 are in a communicable state, that is, when they are connected/interlocked with each other.

Notification through a smartphone (mobile notification) includes, for example, a push notification, and the user may select the push notification item 812 to set notification in the second electronic device 20 . Smartphone notification settings, that is, mobile notification settings, include, for example, selection of a notification time such as 1 hour ago, 10 minutes ago, 5 minutes ago, etc., and can be set to generate notifications once or twice or more. . In addition, the smartphone notification setting may be set to generate a plurality of notifications at regular time intervals, such as every 5 minutes or every 10 minutes, for example. In addition, an additional notification may be set to occur through a smartphone of another user (another family member) other than the second electronic device 20 where viewing reservation is made.

According to an embodiment, a push notification may be generated only when the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 are capable of communication, that is, when they are connected/interlocked with each other.

According to an embodiment, the viewing reservation information of the broadcast program obtained in operation 403 may be added to the user's schedule. Here, the viewing reservation information may be displayed by adding a user's schedule item 911 corresponding to the viewing reservation to the schedule UI 910 in a calendar format, as shown in FIG. 9, in conjunction with, for example, a calendar application. there is. When the user selects the added schedule item 911, as shown in FIG. 10, the reservation details item 1011 is displayed on the corresponding date UI 1010, so that the details of the viewing reservation information of the broadcast program can be checked. . The user selects the reservation details item 1011 to check corresponding viewing reservation information, notification settings, and the like, and can change or delete the reservation settings.

According to an embodiment, a user selects search items 912 and 1012 on the UI screen shown in FIG. 9 or 10 to search for new content to watch, that is, a broadcast program, and view the searched broadcast program. You can also enter your reservation. A process of inputting a viewing reservation for a searched broadcast program is the same as described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 .

According to the above embodiment, when a user inputs a TV viewing reservation using the second electronic device 20 such as a smartphone, an EPG including a broadcast schedule for a certain period provided through the TV screen is used. Contrary to the case, the user can easily select or search for a broadcasting program he or she wants to watch. In addition, since viewing reservation can be input regardless of time and place through the movable second electronic device 20, for example, the user can input reservation viewing for a program aired in the evening or on weekends on the way to work. there is.

Referring back to FIG. 4 , when viewing reservation information of a broadcast program is acquired from the second electronic device 20 in operation 403, the viewing reservation information obtained in operation 404 and the identification information of the second electronic device 20 are first It can be transmitted to the electronic device 10.

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 of the second electronic device 20 schedules viewing based on the identification that the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 are in a state in which a communication connection is possible with each other. Information and identification information of the second electronic device 20 for which viewing reservation has been made may be transmitted to the first electronic device 10 together. For example, when a user inputs a viewing reservation for a broadcast program on the way to work and then returns home, the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 connect to a short-range communication module such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Viewing reservation information obtained from the second electronic device 20 may be transmitted to the first electronic device 10 through automatic connection by Here, a plurality of devices that are connected/interlocked by the service application, including the second electronic device 20, are pre-registered in the storage 140 of the first electronic device 10, and the registered device is the second electronic device. When (20) enters a communicable range by short-range communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and enters a presence state, the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 may be identified as being capable of communication connection.

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 of the second electronic device 20 transmits viewing reservation information and identification information of the second electronic device 20 on which the viewing reservation is made to the server 300, and the server 300 It is possible to control viewing reservation information and identification information of the second electronic device 20 to be transmitted to the first electronic device 10 through . Here, the server 300 transfers the viewing reservation information received from the second electronic device 20 and the identification information of the second electronic device 20 immediately or when the first electronic device 10 is powered on to the first electronic device 10 . It may be transmitted to the device 10 or to the first electronic device 10 at a predetermined time before the broadcasting time of the broadcast program, for example, 2 hours before broadcasting or 1 hour before broadcasting.

The processor 150 of the first electronic device 10 may set viewing reservation for a broadcast program in operation 405 based on the viewing reservation information and the identification information of the second electronic device 20 on which the viewing reservation is made. there is. Accordingly, viewing reservation information for a predetermined broadcast program matched with the identification information of the second electronic device 20 is additionally registered in the storage unit 240 .

The processor 150 of the first electronic device 10 may identify, in operation 406, whether the broadcast time of a broadcast program registered with viewing reservation information arrives, according to the viewing reservation registered as described above.

In operation 407, the processor 150 may identify a communication connection between the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 based on the identification that the broadcasting time of the broadcast program reserved for viewing has arrived. Here, the processor 150 may determine the presence of the second electronic device 20 through whether a communication connection with the second electronic device 20 corresponding to the viewing reservation information is possible through the interface unit 120. . That is, when the second electronic device 20, which is a device registered in advance, enters a presence state in which it enters a communication range by short-range communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, the first electronic device 10 and the second electronic device 20 It can be identified as being in a communication connectable state.

Based on the identification of the communication connection with the second electronic device 20 associated with the viewing reservation information of which broadcasting time has arrived, the processor 150 performs a process for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing through the display 110 in operation 408. You can control it to perform an action. An operation for viewing a broadcast program may include an operation of displaying a notification message informing of a viewing reservation, an operation of switching a channel to a broadcast program reserved for viewing while displaying an image of another broadcast program, and the like.

According to an embodiment, the processor 150 may display notification messages 1110 and 1210 informing of a viewing reservation on the display 110 as an operation for viewing a broadcast program for which a viewing reservation has been made. Here, the displayed notification messages 1110 and 1210 correspond to settings (notification setting information) input by selecting the TV notification item 811 in FIG. 8 . In one embodiment, the notification message may further include a voice notification through a speaker.

According to an embodiment, the notification message may include a basic notification for guiding a broadcast program reserved for viewing, a broadcast time, and the like.

According to an embodiment, the notification message may include an automatic switching notification notifying that a channel is automatically switched to a broadcast program reserved for viewing. Here, the automatic switching notification may notify that a channel is scheduled to be switched after a certain period of time has elapsed, and the channel may be switched immediately when a manual switching item is selected. Also, channel switching may not be performed when a cancel item is selected, including a cancel item.

According to an embodiment, the notification message may include a manual switching notification notifying that a channel can be manually switched to a broadcast program reserved for viewing. Here, the manual switching notification may notify that a channel is manually switched when an item is selected, and channel switching may not be performed when a cancel item including a cancel item is selected.

For example, referring to FIG. 11 , a notification message 1110 according to an embodiment displays information on a broadcast program corresponding to viewing reservation information, for example, a channel number, a program name, and the like, and displays a viewing reservation broadcast. Information indicating that a channel is scheduled to be switched to a program may be further displayed. The notification message 1110 may further include a shortcut item 1111 capable of immediately switching to a channel of a reserved program and a cancellation item 1112 canceling channel switching in response to a user's selection. When there is no user input for, for example, 1 minute, the processor 150 may perform channel conversion to a channel of a reserved broadcast program as an operation for viewing a broadcast program.

As another example, referring to FIG. 12 , the notification message 1210 according to an exemplary embodiment includes broadcast program information corresponding to viewing reservation information, for example, a channel number, a program name, and a broadcast time (eg, 1 minute later). ), etc. can be displayed. The notification message 1210 may further include a shortcut item 1211 capable of immediately switching to a channel of a reserved program and a cancellation item 1212 canceling channel switching in response to a user's selection.

According to an embodiment, the processor 150 may perform an operation for viewing a broadcast program in response to an identification result of an external device capable of communication with the first electronic device 10 .

According to an embodiment, when the processor 150, for example, an external device in a presence state identifies only the second electronic device 20 associated with the viewing reservation information, displaying a notification message informing of the viewing reservation. It is possible to perform both an operation of switching a channel to a reserved broadcasting program. In this case, for example, a notification message 1110 as shown in FIG. 11 may be displayed.

According to an embodiment, the processor 150 has a plurality of external devices in a presence state, for example, two or more, including the second electronic device 20 associated with viewing reservation information and a smartphone of another user. When is identified, only an operation of displaying a notification message informing of a viewing reservation may be performed, and for example, a notification message 1210 as shown in FIG. 12 may be displayed. In this case, there is a possibility that a user other than the person who reserved the program can watch TV through the first electronic device 10, so an operation of changing the channel to the reserved broadcast program is not performed against the intention of the viewing party. will not be

Meanwhile, in operation 409, the second processor 250 of the second electronic device 20 may control to provide a notification regarding a viewing reservation based on the identification that the broadcasting time of a broadcast program reserved for viewing has arrived.

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 may display notification messages 1310 and 1410 on the display 250 as notifications regarding viewing reservation. Here, the displayed notification messages 1310 and 1410 correspond to settings (mobile notification setting information) input by selecting the push notification item 812 in FIG. 8 .

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 may display a viewing reservation notification message 1310 based on the identification that the first electronic device 10 on which a viewing reservation broadcast program is broadcast is in a connectable state. there is. The processor 250 may display a notification message 1310 as shown in FIG. 13 when the first electronic device 10 is in a presence state, for example.

According to an embodiment, the processor 250 displays a notification message 1410 regarding a viewing reservation based on the identification that the first electronic device 10 on which a viewing reservation broadcast program is broadcast is in a non-connectable state. can do. The processor 250, for example, when the first electronic device 10 is not in a presence state, displays a notification message 1410 as shown in FIG. 14 so that the user is near the TV to watch the corresponding program. can be induced to move to

15 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 15 , the processor 150 of the first electronic device 10 may receive viewing reservation information of a broadcast program and identification information of an external device associated with the viewing reservation information in operation 1501. . Here, the external device associated with the viewing reservation information is, for example, the second electronic device 20 in which viewing reservation of the broadcast program is made in the same manner as in FIGS. 5 to 8, and viewing reservation information based on user input and Identification information of the device may also be transmitted to the first electronic device 10 where a broadcast program is broadcasted. The viewing reservation information received in this way may be matched with corresponding identification information and registered in the storage unit 140 .

According to an embodiment, the processor 150 determines that the second electronic device 20, which is an external device associated with viewing reservation information, is in a state in which a communication connection is possible, and the corresponding device through the interface unit 120. It can be controlled to receive viewing reservation information stored in . That is, viewing reservation can be made freely regardless of time and place using the second electronic device 20, and the viewing reservation information is used to broadcast the corresponding broadcast program when the second electronic device 20 is in a presence state. It can be automatically transmitted to the first electronic device 10.

When the broadcasting time of the broadcast program reserved for viewing arrives in operation 1502, the processor 150 determines, through the interface unit 120, the external device associated with the viewing reservation information, that is, the second electronic device, based on the received identification information. It is possible to identify whether or not a communication connection with the device 20 is possible. That is, by identifying whether or not the second electronic device 20, which is a personal device of a user who has made a viewing reservation, is in a presence state, it is possible to infer whether the corresponding user is in a state where he can watch TV.

In operation 1503, if the external device corresponding to the identification information, that is, the second electronic device 20 is identified as being capable of communication connection, the processor 150 controls to perform an operation for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing. . Here, the operation for viewing the broadcast program includes, for example, an operation of displaying notification messages 1110 and 1210 informing of reservation of viewing, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, and in some cases, other broadcast programs An operation of displaying an image of a broadcast program reserved for viewing by switching a channel while the image is displayed may be further included.

According to the above-described embodiment, the first electronic device 10 identifies whether the external device corresponding to the viewing reservation information is in a state in which a communication connection is possible, that is, whether or not it is in presence, so that the viewing reservation for viewing a broadcast program is provided. By allowing the operation to be performed, the viewing reservation operation is performed only when the reservation party is inferred to be watching TV, so reservation information is unnecessarily exposed to other users, or the channel is switched against the intention of the user making a viewing reservation. inconvenience can be avoided.

16 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 16 , the processor 250 of the second electronic device 10 may display a UI 510 including broadcasting schedule information in operation 1601 . Here, the UI including the broadcast schedule information may be received from the server 300 and have a format such as a schedule or calendar including channel information and time information of a broadcast program as shown in FIG. 5, and the user Information (eg, channel information, broadcast time information, etc.) of the searched broadcast program may be displayed.

The processor 250 may obtain viewing reservation information for a broadcast program in operation 1602 . Here, the viewing reservation information may be obtained based on user input as described in FIGS. 6 to 8 , and may include broadcasting program information and notification setting information. Notification setting information may include TV notification setting information through the first electronic device 10 and mobile notification (push notification) setting information through the second electronic device 20 .

The processor 250 may transmit viewing reservation information of a broadcast program and identification information of the second electronic device 20 associated with the viewing reservation information to the first electronic device 10 in operation 1603 . The viewing reservation information and identification information thus transmitted may be received by the first electronic device 10 in operation 1501 of FIG. 15 .

In operation 1604, the processor 250 transmits the identification information of the second electronic device 20 as a response to the request from the external device, that is, the first electronic device 10, and communicates with the external device. A communication connection can be made. Here, the request from the first electronic device 10 is performed to identify the presence of the second electronic device 20 in operation 1503 of FIG. 15, and the broadcast program corresponding to the viewing reservation information transmitted in operation 1603. It may be performed in response to the arrival of the broadcast time of .

According to the above-described embodiment, the user can easily reserve viewing of a desired broadcast program by using the second electronic device 20, which is a personal device that can be moved regardless of place and time, and the broadcast program reserved for viewing is Settings for operations in the first electronic device 10 to be broadcasted, for example, notification, channel switching, etc., can also be freely input according to the user's preference.

Various embodiments of this document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, like reference numbers may be used for like or related elements. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one item or a plurality of items, unless the relevant context clearly dictates otherwise. In this document, "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", and "A Each of the phrases such as "at least one of , B, or C" may include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first", "second", or "first" or "secondary" may simply be used to distinguish a given component from other corresponding components, and may be used to refer to a given component in another aspect (eg, importance or order) is not limited. A (e.g., first) component is said to be "coupled" or "connected" to another (e.g., second) component, with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively." When mentioned, it means that the certain component may be connected to the other component directly (eg by wire), wirelessly, or through a third component.

The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and is interchangeable with terms such as, for example, logic, logical blocks, parts, or circuits. can be used as A module may be an integrally constructed component or a minimal unit of components or a portion thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, the module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of this document are software including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (eg, internal memory or external memory) readable by a machine (eg, the first electronic device 10). (e.g. program). For example, a processor (eg, the processor 150) of a device (eg, the first electronic device 10) may call at least one command among one or more instructions stored from a storage medium and execute it. This enables the device to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one command invoked. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g. electromagnetic wave), and this term refers to the case where data is stored semi-permanently in the storage medium. It does not discriminate when it is temporarily stored.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided by being included in a computer program product. Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. A computer program product is distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or through an application store (eg Play Store ^TM ) or on two user devices ( It can be distributed (eg downloaded or uploaded) online, directly between smart phones. In the case of online distribution, at least part of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created in a device-readable storage medium such as a manufacturer's server, an application store server, or a relay server's memory.

According to various embodiments, each component (eg, module or program) of the above-described components may include a single object or a plurality of entities, and some of the plurality of entities may be separately disposed in other components. there is. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations among the aforementioned corresponding components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (eg modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by a corresponding component of the plurality of components prior to the integration. . According to various embodiments, the actions performed by a module, program, or other component are executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the actions are executed in a different order, or omitted. or one or more other actions may be added.

Although the present invention has been described in detail through preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be variously practiced within the scope of the claims.

10: first electronic device
20: second electronic device
30: server

Claims (18)

In electronic devices,
display;
at least one interface unit; and
Receiving viewing reservation information of a broadcast program and identification information of an external device associated with the viewing reservation information through the at least one interface unit;
Identifying whether a broadcast time of a broadcast program reserved for viewing has arrived based on the viewing reservation information;
In response to the arrival of the broadcasting time, whether a communication connection with an external device associated with the viewing reservation information is possible through the at least one interface unit based on the identification information of the external device associated with the viewing reservation information. identify,
An electronic device including at least one processor that performs an operation for viewing the viewing reservation broadcast program through the display in response to being identified as being able to communicate with an external device associated with the viewing reservation information. According to claim 1,
The operation for viewing the broadcast program includes an operation of displaying a notification message informing of the viewing reservation information on the display. According to claim 2,
The viewing reservation information further includes notification setting information,
The processor displays the notification message on the display based on the notification setting information. According to claim 1,
The operation for viewing the broadcast program includes an operation of displaying an image of the broadcast program reserved for viewing by switching a channel while displaying an image of another broadcast program. According to claim 1,
The viewing reservation information includes a plurality of viewing reservation information;
The identification information of the external device includes identification information of a plurality of external devices each linked to the plurality of viewing reservation information;
In response to the arrival of the broadcasting time, the processor selects identification information of an external device associated with viewing reservation information for which the broadcasting time has arrived among the plurality of external devices, and communicates with the external device having the selected identification information. An electronic device that identifies whether or not a connection is available. According to claim 1,
the processor,
An electronic device that receives the viewing reservation information and identification information of the external device corresponding to the viewing reservation information from the external device through the at least one interface unit in response to being identified as being able to communicate with the external device. In electronic devices,
display;
user input unit;
at least one interface unit; and
Displaying a UI including broadcasting schedule information on the display;
obtaining viewing reservation information including broadcasting program information and notification setting information based on a user input received through the user input unit;
Transmitting the viewing reservation information and identification information of an electronic device associated with the viewing reservation information through the at least one interface unit;
By transmitting the identification information of the electronic device to an external device through the at least one interface unit, the external device identifies the existence of the electronic device based on the identification information and sends notification setting information included in the viewing reservation information. An electronic device including at least one processor that controls communication connection with the external device to perform an operation for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing at a set time. According to claim 7,
The notification setting information includes setting information for a notification message through a display of the external device. According to claim 7,
The processor controls a notification message to be displayed through the display based on the notification setting information in response to being identified as being able to communicate with the external device. A method for controlling an electronic device,
receiving viewing reservation information of a broadcast program and identification information of an external device associated with the viewing reservation information through at least one interface unit;
identifying whether or not a broadcast time of a broadcast program reserved for viewing has arrived based on the viewing reservation information;
In response to the arrival of the broadcasting time, whether a communication connection with an external device associated with the viewing reservation information is possible through the at least one interface unit based on the identification information of the external device associated with the viewing reservation information. operation to identify; and
and performing an operation for viewing the viewing reservation broadcast program through a display in response to being identified as being able to communicate with an external device corresponding to the viewing reservation information. According to claim 10,
The operation for viewing the broadcast program includes an operation of displaying a notification message informing of the viewing reservation information on the display. According to claim 11,
The viewing reservation information further includes notification setting information,
The operation for viewing the broadcasting program includes displaying the notification message on the display based on the notification setting information. According to claim 10,
The operation for viewing the broadcast program includes an operation of displaying an image of the broadcast program reserved for viewing by switching a channel while displaying an image of another broadcast program. According to claim 10,
The viewing reservation information includes a plurality of viewing reservation information;
The identification information of the external device includes identification information of a plurality of external devices each linked to the plurality of viewing reservation information;
The operation of performing the operation for viewing the broadcast program may include selecting identification information of an external device associated with viewing reservation information for which the broadcast time has arrived, among the plurality of external devices, in response to the arrival of the broadcast time; and identifying whether a communication connection with an external device having the selected identification information is possible. According to claim 10,
Responding to being identified in a communication-connected state with the external device, further comprising receiving the viewing reservation information and identification information of the external device associated with the viewing reservation information from the external device through the at least one interface unit. How to. A method for controlling an electronic device,
displaying a UI including broadcasting schedule information on a display;
obtaining viewing reservation information including broadcasting program information and notification setting information based on a user input;
transmitting the viewing reservation information and identification information of an electronic device associated with the viewing reservation information through at least one interface unit; and
By transmitting the identification information of the electronic device to an external device through the at least one interface unit, the external device identifies the existence of the electronic device based on the identification information and sends notification setting information included in the viewing reservation information. and controlling a communication connection with the external device to perform an operation for viewing a broadcast program reserved for viewing at a set time. According to claim 16,
The notification setting information includes setting information for a notification message through a display of the external device. According to claim 16,
The method further comprises controlling display of a notification message through the display based on the notification setting information in response to being identified as being able to communicate with the external device.

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