KR20050030694A - A broadcasting channel management device and the method thereof for television - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for managing channels of a television are provided to enable a user to search the channels easily and conveniently by forming a map of preferred channels by each preferred subject. A preferred channel setting part sets a map of preferred channels by each category according to a subject. A broadcast processing part tunes a channel of a digital broadcast based on a category subject set by the preferred channel setting part. An external input part generates a remote control signal for setting and selecting the map of the preferred channels. A screen processing part(160) shows a setting picture of the map of the preferred channels and a preferred channel tuned by the broadcast processing part.

Description

A channel management device and method for television

The present invention relates to a television channel management apparatus and method for constructing and managing a preferred channel map according to a user's preference in a television.

In general, digital television refers to a general term for television broadcasting transmitted digitally. In the United States, we decided to adopt digital for the next generation of televisions called ATV (Advanced television), and in Europe, many projects such as HD DIVINE such as Swedish broadcasting, SPECTRE of the UK and DIAMOND of French broadcasting are being conducted. Research is being actively conducted in each country in the next generation television system linked with ISDN or computer network.

In recent years, the digitization of television broadcasts is progressing rapidly.

A stream transmitted in digital broadcasting may transmit data information together with a video / audio signal. Here, the data information transmitted along with the video / audio signal is based on markup data such as HTML of ATVEF (Advanced Television Enhancement Forum), XDML of Digital TV Application Software Environment (DASE), and Xlet of DASE. Java-based data information.

With the advent of digital broadcasting, the number of channels that viewers can select is increasing exponentially. In the conventional analog broadcasting, in a bandwidth that can be loaded on one channel, digital broadcasting can carry one channel in case of HD-class broadcasting and at least four channels in case of SD-class broadcasting.

In addition, cable or satellite broadcasting may transmit more channels than terrestrial broadcasting.

As a result, the number of programs that viewers can select from a growing number of available channels is becoming richer and more diverse.

However, if there are too many programs broadcasted like this, it will take quite a while to find the program you want.

If you do, it will take a long time to navigate the program, and it will take quite a while to find out on which channel the program you want is broadcast.

Therefore, when the number of channels that can be selected by the user increases, a cumbersome channel search method cannot be avoided, which leads to an inefficient problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for managing a channel of a television which is convenient and easy for a viewer to search a channel by configuring and setting a plurality of preferred channel maps according to a user's favorite subject.

In order to achieve the above object, a channel management apparatus for television according to the present invention comprises: a preference channel setting unit for setting a preference channel map for each category according to a theme; A broadcast processor that tunes a channel of a digital broadcast to a category theme set by the preferred channel setting unit; An external input unit for generating a remote control signal for setting and selecting the preferred channel map; And a screen processing unit configured to display a setting screen of the preferred channel map and a preferred channel tuned by the broadcasting processing unit to a user.

The preference channel setting unit may add, change, or delete a preference channel category.

A specific remote controller value is set for each category of the preferred channel map.

The preferred channel selected in the preferred channel map may be set as a default channel.

In the search for the preferred channel, pressing the search key for a predetermined time is characterized in that the automatic search.

In addition, in order to achieve the above object, a channel management method of a television according to the present invention comprises the steps of: setting the preferred channel map; Displaying a preset favorite channel map screen; Selecting a preferred channel category from the preferred channel map; Setting the selected preferred channel category as a default channel; And searching and selecting a channel in the default channel.

The setting of the preferred channel map may include setting a preferred channel for each category as a desired theme and setting a remote controller value corresponding to each category.

The setting of the preferred channel map may further include adding, changing and deleting a preferred channel map category.

The selecting of the preferred channel category may include selecting and inputting a remote controller value set for the preferred channel.

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

In digital broadcasting, video and audio streams are compressed and broadcast as digital information, and system information and program information are compressed and broadcast in accordance with the Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) standard.

At this time, the information related to the broadcast program is decoded from data other than the video and audio information, and the program related information is displayed on the screen and informed to the user through the electronic program guide.

In addition, the PSIP defines an electronic program guide and system information as one, and is a standard of ATSC for terrestrial and cable digital broadcasting, and is based on the MPEG-2 (Moving Picture Experts Group; ISO / IEC 13818-1 system). It is defined to provide various information about the program by parsing the messages encoded by the method (1997 DEC. Document A / 65).

1 is a block diagram schematically showing an apparatus for managing a channel of a television according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the television channel management apparatus 100 according to the present invention receives a PSIP 110 that receives additional information of a channel in a digital broadcast signal 191, and receives broadcast information from the PSIP 110. A data processing unit 120 for selecting a desired channel, a preferred channel map management unit 130 for managing a preferred channel for a desired theme for each category, and a screen processing unit for displaying a preferred channel map management screen and a channel selection screen to a user ( 160, the memory unit 150 for storing the set preferred channel map and channel information, the interface unit 140 for transmitting external signals therein, the PSIP 110, the data processor 120, and the preferred channel map. The central processing unit 170 that controls and manages the manager 130, the screen processor 160, the memory 150, and the interface 140, and generates a remote control signal by the user to the interface 140. Lee to send It is configured to include the fixes this controller (remote controller, 180).

The user generates a remote control signal using the remote controller 180 to set a preferred channel map for each category.

At this time, a specific remote control key for the preferred channel set for each category is also set.

The remote control signal generated by the remote controller 180 is transmitted to the central processing unit 170 through the interface unit 140.

The preferred channel map information set as described above is stored in the memory unit 150 to manage addition, change, and deletion in the preferred channel map manager 130.

The screen processor 160 shows a setting screen of the preferred channel map and a preferred channel map selection screen to the user.

Here, when the user inputs a remote control key corresponding to the desired channel category on the preferred channel map selection screen, the preferred channel map is designated as the default preferred channel map.

Subsequently, when the channel is searched using the direction keys of the remote controller, the channel having the theme for the selected preferred channel category can be selected.

That is, the channel information is transmitted to the data processor 120 through the PSIP 110 after receiving the digital broadcast signal, and the data processor 120 selects channels matching the category theme set as the default preferred channel in the received channel information. To allow users to search for channels.

At this time, if the direction key of the remote control for channel search is pressed for a certain time, the user can continue changing the channel within the default preferred channel at a predetermined time interval until the desired time.

2 is a view showing a method for setting a preferred channel map in the channel management method of the television according to the present invention.

First, the setting screen of the preferred channel map is selected from the menu of the television (S100).

It is determined whether to add a category on the setting screen of the preferred channel map (S110).

If a category is added in the setting screen of the preferred channel map, a topic of a desired preferred channel is input (S111).

For example, if you want to set a favorite channel map in relation to sports, enter 'Sports' in the search input window. Or, if you want to set a favorite channel map for music, enter 'Music' in the search input window.

Then, in digital broadcasting, additional information about the channel is input through PSIP so that the channel can be tuned according to the theme of the preferred channel.

In this case, the search for a channel belonging to the corresponding category includes ETT (Extender Text) including additional information about a channel and a broadcast program in a PSIP supporting a main function of an A / V service and an additional function of providing a broadcast guidance service to a broadcast program. Table).

In operation S112, a corresponding remote controller key is set for a category input on the setting screen of the preferred channel map.

For example, if the remote controller key '1' is set to correspond to the preferred channel category set to 'sport', the user prefers the 'sport' preferred channel by pressing the remote controller numeric key '1' on the preferred channel map selection screen. It is possible to set the channel, and then, the 'sport' preference channel can be easily searched with the search key of the remote control key, as shown in FIG. 4.

If the category of the preferred channel map is not added, it is determined whether to change the theme of the category (S120).

If the category theme of the preferred channel map is changed, the category to be changed is selected (S121), the input of the desired subject is changed again in the category theme search term input window, and the corresponding remote controller key is also reset (S122).

If the category theme of the preferred channel map is not changed, it is determined whether to delete the preferred channel category (S130). If a delete signal is input, the preferred channel category is deleted (S140). Display the screen.

3 is a diagram illustrating a method of using a preferred channel map in a channel management method of a television according to the present invention.

First, the preferred channel map screen is displayed (S200).

The desired channel category is selected from the preferred channel map screen (S210).

At this time, since the remote controller key value is set for each preferred channel category, the preferred channel category can be selected by simply inputting the remote controller key.

Then, the selected preferred channel category is set as the default channel (S220).

Thereafter, the user may search for and select a preferred channel set as a default through a search key (for example, a direction key) of the remote controller (S230).

At this time, if the color key of the remote control is pressed for a predetermined time, the channel change can be continued in the preferred channel at a predetermined time interval.

The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, it is obvious that the present invention can be applied to practice within the scope without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

According to the present invention, the user can select and tune a preferred channel map desired by a plurality of categories so that various channels can be effectively searched for, thereby effectively utilizing digital broadcasting in various ways.

In addition, the present invention can use the preferred channel map only by a simple operation of the remote control key has the effect that anyone can easily and conveniently use the channel search by category of the preferred channel map.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a channel management apparatus of a television according to the present invention;

2 is a view showing a method of setting a preferred channel map in a channel management method of a television according to the present invention;

3 illustrates a method of using a preferred channel map in a channel management method of a television according to the present invention.

4 is a view showing a selection screen of a preferred channel map according to the present invention;

<Description of Signs of Major Parts of Drawings>

100: channel management device 110: PSIP

120: data processing unit 130: preferred channel map management unit

140: interface unit 150: memory unit

160: screen processing unit 170: central processing unit

180: remote controller 191: broadcast signal

Claims (5)

A preference channel setting unit configured to set a preference channel map for each category according to a theme; A broadcast processor that tunes a channel of a digital broadcast to a category theme set by the preferred channel setting unit; An external input unit for generating a remote control signal for setting and selecting the preferred channel map; And a screen processing unit for displaying a setting screen of the preferred channel map and a preferred channel tuned by the broadcasting processing unit to a user. Setting a preferred channel map; Displaying the set preferred channel map screen; Selecting a preferred channel category from the preferred channel map; Setting the selected preferred channel category as a default channel; And searching and selecting a channel in the default channel. The method of claim 2, In setting the preference channel map, A channel management method of a television comprising setting a preferred channel for each category with a desired theme and setting a remote control value corresponding to each category. The method of claim 2, In setting the preference channel map, And adding, changing, or deleting a preferred channel map category. The method of claim 2, Selecting the preferred channel category, And selecting by inputting a remote control value set for the preferred channel.