Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/433—Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
  • H04N21/426—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof
  • H04N21/42607—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof for processing the incoming bitstream
  • H04N21/4263—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof for processing the incoming bitstream involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/431—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
  • H04N21/4312—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
  • H04N21/4316—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/44—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs
  • H04N21/4402—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display
  • H04N21/440263—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/475—End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
  • H04N21/4755—End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/482—End-user interface for programme selection
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
  • H04N21/426—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a receiver for digital television broadcasting such as digital satellite broadcasting and digital terrestrial broadcasting.
• the frequency band for digital television broadcasting is divided into multiple bands called transbonders.
• a wide variety of digital information such as video, audio, and various data is multiplexed and broadcast.
• a single transbonder broadcasts multiple channels (TV programs), so a reduced screen of another channel in the same transbonder is displayed on a screen of one channel. It is also possible to perform so-called picture-in-picture.
• a digital recording device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is prepared for the receiving device, it is possible to record a TV program on another channel in the same transbonder while watching a TV program on one channel. Can also.
• a single transbonder can broadcast up to 6 channels (services) when broadcasting a standard program, and can broadcast up to 2 channels when broadcasting a high-definition program. For this reason, when transbonders broadcast TV programs At the same time, EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data is also broadcast.
• the receiving device of the digital television broadcast displays the program table using the broadcasted EPG data, and allows the user to select a desired program from the program table.
• the viewer can enjoy a larger number of channels than the analog television broadcast.
• the horizontal axis is time and the vertical axis is channel program guide, as shown in Fig. 7A, for example.
• the program guide is scrolled horizontally, so that the user can know the program even at times not shown in the figure, and instructs the scrolling in the channel direction.
• the program table is scrolled vertically, so that the user can know the program even for channels not displayed in the figure.
• the transponder n has a program name and broadcast for each channel.
• the time and the time are displayed in detail, but for the next transbonder (n + 1), only the program name of the program currently being broadcast is displayed. None is displayed for the program broadcast following the program.
• the transbonder being received is switched from trans-bonder n to trans-bonder (n + 1), as shown in Fig. 7B,
• the program name and broadcast time are displayed in detail for each channel.
• the next transbonder (n + 2) only the program name of the program currently being broadcast is displayed, and nothing is displayed for the program broadcast following that program. Not done.
• the trans-bonder is actually switched, and after that, it takes less than one second before the EGP data can be obtained stably. Need time.
• channel scroll display When the channels are simultaneously displayed in the state of, and the channel that becomes the reduced screen is sequentially switched according to the viewer's instruction (hereinafter, such a display is called “channel scroll display”), the viewer You can select a channel while actually watching the contents, but in this channel scroll display, the displayed channel Channel switching is temporarily stopped when a channel crosses a transbonder, which again makes the viewer feel inoperable or stressful.
• the present invention does not allow scrolling of a program guide in the channel direction or channel scrolling, even if the displayed content straddles the transbonder. It does not stop. Disclosure of the invention
• First and second front-end circuits for receiving digital television broadcast transbonders are first and second front-end circuits for receiving digital television broadcast transbonders
• a memory circuit for storing data contained in the transponder received by the first and second front-end circuits
• the second front-end circuit performs another operation. Receiving the transbonder and storing in the memory circuit data that will be needed next for displaying the image;
• the first front-end circuit is used.
• Receiving another transbonder and then needing to display the above image The receiving device is characterized in that the data is controlled to be stored in the memory circuit.
• FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the present invention.
• FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the present invention.
• FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the present invention.
• FIGS. 8A to 8B are diagrams for explaining the present invention.
• FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which a receiving apparatus according to the present invention is configured in a set-top box format. That is, the digital television broadcast is received by the antenna 10 and converted into an intermediate frequency signal, and the intermediate frequency signal is converted into the first and second front-end circuits (tuner circuits) of the receiving device 20. Supplied to 21 and 22. In the front-end circuits 21 and 22, the supplied intermediate frequency signal is multiplied by the local oscillation signal, and the intermediate frequency signal is converted into a baseband signal. In addition, the front-end circuits 21 and 22 lock in the baseband signal. Processing such as demodulation and error correction is performed, and a transport stream is output from the front-end circuits 21 and 22.
• this transport stream is supplied to the demux circuit 23 with a fixed length of 188 bytes as a basic unit, and the image data, the audio data, the data for broadcasting overnight, and the like are transmitted in accordance with the bucket ID (Identification).
• the data is classified into various types of information data accompanying the data, and the classified data is temporarily stored in a storage circuit for temporary storage, for example, the memory circuit 24.
• the demax circuit 23 is connected to, for example, an HDD 25 as a device for storing programs, and is controlled as described later according to viewer operations.
• the data stored in the memory circuit 24 is updated when new data is received.
• the image data and the audio data among the data stored in the memory circuit 24 are supplied to the MPEG (Motion Picture Image Coding Experts Group;
• the digital image data is decoded into digital audio data, and the digital image data is supplied to an on-screen demand (SD) circuit 27.
• SD on-screen demand
• the MPEG decoder circuit 26 is used for a reduced screen.
• OSD circuit 27 is controlled by a system control circuit 31 described later to display various characters and graphics. For example, digital image data to be displayed as a program guide is formed, and this image data is converted to digital image data from the MPEG decoder circuit 26. It is used to synthesize the.
• the digital image data from the OSD circuit 27 is, for example, N 7
• the digital video signal is supplied to the TSC encoder circuit 28 and is encoded into an NTSC digital video signal.
• the digital video signal and the digital audio data from the MPEG decoder circuit 26 are converted into a D / A (Digital to Analog) converter circuit.
• the signals are supplied to 29 V and 29 S, and are D / A converted into analog video signals and audio signals. These signals are supplied to, for example, a television receiver 40 and output as images and audio.
• the data broadcast data and the accompanying information data are analyzed by the system control circuit 31 and used as the data broadcast text, or the data broadcast data is demultiplexed. Used as information for bucket separation in 23.
• the system control circuit 31 is constituted by a microcomputer or the like, and a real-time OS is mounted on the microcomputer. Then, the OSD circuit 27 is controlled by the system control circuit 31 to form and combine the image data for display as described above.
• the image data displayed as a program table on the television receiver 40 is formed by the OSD circuit 27 based on the received EPG data.
• a remote control signal output from the transmitter 50 for example, infrared light
• the output signal is processed by the receiving circuit 33 before being supplied to the system control circuit 31.
• the microcomputer constituting the system control circuit 31 is interrupted, and the processing corresponding to the operation of the transmitter 50 is executed.
• the front-end circuits 21 and 22, the demux circuit 23 and the HDD 25 are controlled by the system control circuit 31, and by this control, switching of the trans-bonder received by the front-end circuits 21 and 22 is performed.
• the image data and the audio data supplied from the memory circuit 24 to the MPEG decoder circuit 26 are selected.
• the writing and reading of the HDD 25 are also controlled by the system control circuit 31, and the image data and audio data of a predetermined channel among the transbonders received by the front-end circuits 21 and 22.
• the image data and the audio data written in the HDD 25 are read out and supplied to the MPEG decoder circuit 26.
• any program of any transbonder can be received by the front end circuits 21 and 22, and the program can be viewed by the television receiver 40. At that time, picture-in-picture can be performed for any program. In addition, the program being watched and the counterprogram can be recorded on the HDD 25, and the recorded program can be viewed.
• a microcomputer constituting the system control circuit 31 is provided with, for example, a routine 100 shown in FIG. 2 as a part of software executed by the microcomputer.
• a routine 100 shown in FIG. 2 as a part of software executed by the microcomputer.
• FIG. 2 only the parts related to the present invention are extracted and shown in FIG. 2, but are for controlling the display of the program guide (and the channel scroll display). .
• this routine 100 alternately switches the transbonders that the front end circuits 21 and 22 receive. 0305937
• the viewer is watching a program of a channel broadcast on transbonder n.
• the front end circuit 21 is receiving the transponder n, and the front end circuit 22 is receiving the next transbonder (n + 1). Since the transbonder n, (n + 1) has been received, at this time, the memory circuit 24 stores the EPG data for the channel broadcast by the transbonder n, (n + 1). It will be accumulated.
• the processing of the rating routine 100 is started from the step 101 in the system control circuit 31.
• the OSD circuit 27 uses the EPG data stored in the memory circuit 24 to display the image data of the program table of the transponder n and (n + 1) currently being received. An image is formed, and this image data is supplied to the NTSC encoder circuit 28.
• the television receiver 40 displays the program guide of the 123rd to 129th channels included in the transponder n currently being received, and also displays the next broadcast.
• the program list of the 129th channel included in the bonder (n + 1) is also displayed continuously.
• a cursor is displayed on the line of the channel that has been received so far in this program table. Is done.
• step 1 1 the operation key of the transmitter 50 of the remote controller is awaited, and if the operation key is pressed, the process proceeds to step 1 1 2. Then, in this step 1 12, it is determined whether or not the key input in step 1 11 is a scroll key in the channel direction. If the key is a scroll key in the channel direction, the process proceeds from step 1 12. Proceeding to Steps 1 and 3, transponder predictors are established.
• This predictor is prepared for each transbonder.
• the scroll key pressed in step 11 is a key for increasing the channel number (the cursor displayed in the program guide is moved to the third position).
• the predictor of the transbonder (n + 1) is set to "1", and the predictors of the other transbonders are reset to "0". Is done.
• the scroll key pressed in step 1 1 1 is a key for decreasing the channel number (to move the cursor displayed in the program guide upward in Fig. 3A). Key operation)
• the predictor of the transbonder (n-1) is set to "1", and the predictors of other transbonders are reset to "0".
• step 1 1 when the scroll key pressed in step 1 1 is a key in the direction of increasing the channel number, the transbonder used to display the program up to that time (transbonder n in this case)
• the predictor of the next transbonder in this case, transbonder (n + 1)
• the predictor of the other transbonders is reset to "0”
• step 114 in which the transponder EPG data corresponding to the predictor set in step 113 has been received and the memory circuit 2 Then, it is determined whether or not the data is stored in 4.
• the corresponding transbonder is a transbonder (n + 1), and since the data of the EPG is stored in the memory circuit 24, the process proceeds from step 114 to step 121, and In this step 121, when the cursor displayed on the program guide is moved by one channel in the channel direction, or when the cursor is displayed at the bottom or top line of the program guide, the program The table is scrolled by one channel in the direction of increasing or decreasing the channel number.
• Fig. 3B shows the case where the program guide is scrolled by one channel in the direction in which the channel number increases.
• step 122 the front end circuit of the front end circuits 21 and 22 that does not need to receive the transbonder is waiting ( The output of the front-end circuit is not used effectively), and then the procedure returns to step 1 1 1.
• pressing the scroll key in the channel direction of the transmitter 50 of the remote controller causes the memory circuit 24 to display the data necessary for displaying the program guide.
• the cursor moves in response to the operation of the scroll key in the channel direction, and the program guide displays the channel numbers in the direction of increasing channel numbers or It is scrolled in the direction of decreasing.
• step 114 if the EPG data of the transbonder corresponding to the predictor set in step 113 is not stored in the memory circuit 24, the processing starts from step 114. Proceeding to step 131, in this step 131, it is determined whether the front-end circuit 21 is on standby. Then, when the front-end circuit 21 is on standby, the process proceeds to step 131, and then to step 132. In this step 1332, the transbonder for which the predictor is set by step 113 is set. Is selected by the front end circuit 21.
• step 13 3 EPG data is extracted from the transbonder selected by the front-end circuit 21 and stored in the memory circuit 24, and then the processing is performed through step 1 22 through step 1 1 2 Return to 1.
• step 131 when the front-end circuit 21 is not waiting, that is, when receiving various necessary data, the process proceeds from step 131 to step 141.
• step 141 it is determined whether or not the front end circuit 22 is on standby. Then, when the front-end circuit 22 is in a standby state, the process proceeds from step 141 to step 142, and in this step 142, the transbonder in which the predictor is set by step 113 is set. Tuned by front end circuit 22.
• step 144 the EPG data is extracted from the transbonder selected by the front-end circuit 22 and stored in the memory circuit 24. Thereafter, the processing is performed through steps 122 through Return to 1.
• step 141 when the front-end circuit 22 is not in a standby state, that is, when various necessary data is being received, the processing proceeds from step 141 to step 122 through step 122. Return to 1 1.
• steps 13 1 to 13 3 and 14 1 to 14 3 when scrolling in the channel direction, one of the front-end circuits 21 and 22 that is used for receiving the transbonder is used. If there is no front-end circuit, the front-end circuit will select the next transbonder that will be needed for displaying the program guide, and the EPG data will be stored in the memory circuit 24 . If the EPG data necessary for display is stored in the memory circuit 24, the program table corresponding to the EPG data is displayed in step 121.
• the transmitter 50 gives a command to scroll in the channel direction
• the gap between the scroll command and the actual scroll speed on the screen of the television receiver 40 becomes smaller, so that the intuition becomes more intuitive. It can provide an easy-to-understand user interface.
• the receiving device is capable of performing the recording of a counter program, picture-in-picture, etc.
• the two front-end circuits 21 and 22 are originally provided, so the program list can be changed simply by changing the software.
• the scroll display in the channel direction can be performed smoothly.
• step 121 for example, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8B, a reduced image of a moving image of three channels with consecutive channel numbers is displayed.
• the reduced screen displayed by the channel scroll display extends over the two transbonders.
• the channel scroll display will not be paused even when this happens.
• the reduced screen can be a moving image.
• FIG. 4A for example, a channel scroll display can be performed by continuously moving the reduced screen of each channel.
• the viewer classifies programs into genres according to their tastes, displays the genres with priorities, and when the genre is selected, includes the genre.
• Programs can be displayed in a list.
• the channels are sorted by genre, and further sorted by transbonder, and at this time, a predictor with priority weighted genre information is prepared.
• the transponder that will be received next may be received in advance by an empty front-end circuit. Then, the waiting time when the viewer switches to the next channel can be reduced.
• the receiving apparatus is capable of performing recording of a counterprogram, picture-in-picture, and the like, scrolling in the channel direction and channel scrolling can be smoothly performed only by changing the software.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Circuits Of Receivers In General (AREA)
• Television Systems (AREA)
• Television Signal Processing For Recording (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=29416794

Family Applications (1)

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Citations (5)

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• 2002
  • 2002-05-13 JP JP2002136609A patent/JP4000454B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-05-13 WO PCT/JP2003/005937 patent/WO2003096683A1/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2003-05-13 US US10/513,439 patent/US7992173B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-05-13 KR KR1020047018143A patent/KR100988254B1/ko not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-05-13 CN CN038107694A patent/CN1653805B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (5)

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