JP2001186436A - Electronic program display device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To display the EPG of BS digital television broadcasting using the current EPG method, the same program name is displayed on each channel in the case of HDTV, and the visibility and operability are improved. Although there is a problem, an electronic program display device which solves this problem and has excellent visibility and operability is provided. SOLUTION: When receiving a digital television broadcast, in the case of HDTV broadcast, channels related to the HDTV broadcast are integrated and processed by a control circuit (microcomputer) 14, and each channel is converted into a single channel form by OSD.
The information is displayed on the screen of the television receiver 19 via the circuit 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for receiving a digital television broadcast such as a satellite digital (BS digital) television broadcast or a terrestrial digital television broadcast scheduled to start broadcasting in the future. The present invention relates to an electronic program display (EPG) display on the receiving side, based on electronic program guide (EPG) information transmitted from the company, and an electronic program display device that uses this display to simplify cursor selection.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, generally broadcast television broadcasting is roughly divided into terrestrial analog broadcasting and satellite broadcasting. Satellite broadcasting is further divided into satellite analog television broadcasting (BS broadcasting) and satellite broadcasting. It is classified into digital television broadcasting (CS broadcasting). Of these, some channels of terrestrial analog broadcasting transmit EPG information as data information in addition to ordinary television signals such as video and audio, and demodulate this data information on the receiving side. The method of reproducing the EPG screen on the above-mentioned screen is adopted.

In the EPG system, a part of a vertical blanking period (VBI) of a television broadcast signal, for example, a period of 10H to 13H of an odd field, and a period of 273H to 276H of an even field, Data information is multiplexed and transmitted in the form of a digital signal, and this digital signal is demodulated as a video signal by a decoder on the receiving side.
After clamping the demodulated video signal and removing the fluctuation of the DC component, the data information signal portion is binarized by slicing and extracted as a digital signal to reproduce program information including characters, figures, and the like. ing.

On the other hand, in CS broadcasting, service identification (SI) signals such as various service names and addresses, time data, program classification, program numbers, and program names are transmitted together with video and audio signals on the transmission side, and received on the reception side. , These S
First, a service ID is designated from the I signal to select a desired channel, and then program information is selected based on an event ID assigned to each program unit in this channel.
EPG display can be performed on the screen of the receiver.

[0005] In the current EPG system of the CS broadcast, the display contents and the structure of the display screen are set in advance on the broadcast station side and transmitted.
An application-free system that reproduces and displays this on the receiver side is used. In this display, the screen of the receiver is divided into 16 parts, and a list of 16 programs currently being broadcast is displayed. On the receiving side, the viewer moves the cursor displayed on the screen by a remote control transmitter (remote controller) or the like to a display location of a program of interest to select the location, thereby grasping the content of the program. ,
The specification allows the user to select the program.

[0006] Although not an EPG, as another method of data transmission, a transmitting side encodes and transmits a scheduled broadcast start date and time of each program, and the receive side encodes the scheduled broadcast start date and time with a magnetic recording / reproducing machine (VTR). A video program system (VPS) that can automatically record a desired program on a desired channel by setting it in advance has been put to practical use.

[0007] However, these EPG systems use any of the systems, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, each of the channels 999, 10 of the broadcast stations A, B, C.
For each of the programs 0 to 102 and 120, the program title name, broadcast time, program attributes, and the like are displayed on the screen, and when the displayed program is selected, the user can freely use the remote controller or the like to freely display the program. A program of a desired channel can be selected by a cursor operation that can be moved, but in any case, it is nothing but display and selection in units of programs.

Meanwhile, in Japan, the start of BS digital television broadcasting is scheduled for 2000. This BS digital television broadcasting is based on the adoption of trellis-coded 8-phase PSK modulation and the expansion of bandwidth. The transmission capacity can be expanded, a plurality of MPEG-Transport Streams (TS) can be transmitted by one BS channel, and the transmission method can be selected according to the service content. Digital Hi-Vision (HDT)
V) It is expected as a next-generation broadcasting system centered on broadcasting.

In the broadcasting system under consideration at present, a continuous digital signal of compression-encoded video, audio, and data is divided into blocks each having a predetermined length, and a program is identified and time and the like are identified. Header information for display is added to each divided block and multiplexed, and a plurality of programs and the like are transmitted on one transmission channel.

This multiplexing technique employs a method conforming to the MPEG-2 standard. Each coded digital signal is divided into, for example, a frame unit, and header information indicating display time and the like is divided. , And further divided into a signal of a fixed length to form a packet, a header information indicating a signal type is also added to the packet, and a 188-byte length packet to which the header information is added is This is called a transport stream packet (TSP), and a series of multiple TSPs of video, audio, and data is multiplexed in a time-division manner and is called a continuous stream. The receiving side identifies the data content based on the header information of the TSP. However, the same data is reproduced continuously.

In digital television broadcasting using the MPEG-2 multiplexing method, a TS corresponds to a transmission channel, and each program is divided and multiplexed as a TSP. By selecting, the same program is selected and reproduced from the header information attached to the desired TSP from a plurality of programs.

One of the features of such BS digital television broadcasting is HDTV broadcasting. The operation of the HDTV requires a band approximately three times as large as the band used in digital standard television (SDTV) broadcasting. In the BS digital television broadcasting system, a carrier (broadcasting station) can select a plurality of modulation systems in one repeater, and the minimum unit is called a slot. Is assigned, the operator is H
When the DTV broadcast is operated, 20 slots are used, and 2 slots are used for transmitting header information such as SI information. On the other hand, when operating SDTV broadcasting, it is operated using six slots.

[0013] Channel assignment to a certified carrier of BS digital television broadcasting is 1 channel / 1 SDT.
There is a regulation of V or 1 channel / 1 HDTV,
In the case where a 1-channel / 1-SDTV-allocated business operates HDTV, the HDTV channel is operated by integrating three SDTV channels in order to operate using the bandwidth of three SDTV channels. Become.

For example, the SDTV assigned to the B company
Channels are 100CH, 101CH, 102C
If it is H, an HDTV having the same content is operated using only 100CH, 101CH and 102CH instead of newly allocating a dedicated channel for HDTV during HDTV broadcasting.

[0015]

When HDTV broadcasting is performed in such a BS digital television broadcasting specification, an EPG system employed in current analog television and CS digital television is used. When the EPG is displayed on the screen of the receiver, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the program information is displayed for each program unit of each channel, and the selection by moving the cursor is also a selection method for each program unit.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a broadcaster B (station B) now has channels 100 to 10 for SDTV.
HDT for 30 minutes starting at "00"
In the case of performing V broadcast, program information having the same content is displayed on each of 100, 101, and 102 of each channel involved in HDTV broadcast. Further, the cursor is moved from 100 to 102 on this channel table by a remote controller or the like.
Even if it is moved to the same position, a program having the same content will be repeatedly selected and displayed, and it is assumed that not only annoyance is felt but also an unpleasant impression is given.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point. When it is recognized as an SDTV broadcast, a display is performed in units of programs of each channel, and when it is recognized as an HDTV broadcast, it is displayed. By integrating the channels for SDTV broadcasting related to HDTV broadcasting and displaying them as one program, the HDTV program information of the same content is displayed as one unit, and is displayed more easily and intelligibly.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic program display device which is free from an operation of repeatedly selecting the same program.

[0018]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a digital television signal in which an HDTV program and an SDTV program are mixed in a channel is received, service information is detected from the digital television signal, and an electronic image is displayed on an image receiving screen. When the program is determined to be an HDTV program based on the means for displaying program information and the received service information, the HD
Means for integrating each channel corresponding to the TV program and displaying the program as a single program; and, when the received service information determines that the program is an SDTV program, the individual service of each channel of the corresponding SDTV program. Means for displaying a program as a program.

The means for displaying a single program can select a cursor from any channel portion within the single program display area.

Further, the means for displaying a single program displays a program of each channel in a subsequent time zone before the end of the currently received HDTV program.

Further, the means for displaying a single program is characterized by displaying the actual channel selected by the cursor.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of an electronic program display device according to the present invention. A BS digital broadcast signal received by a parabolic antenna 11 is down-converted and supplied to a tuner 12. On the other hand, in the case of a direct channel selection operation to select a desired transmission channel from the remote controller 13 operated and selected by the viewer, the channel number of the channel is selected, and this channel data is transmitted from the remote controller 13 to the microcomputer (microcomputer).
And a control circuit 14 having a memory and the like. The channel data received by the control circuit 14 is processed by the microcomputer to decode the data.

As a result, if the signal is a tuning signal, the tuner 12
Is supplied to the tuner 12, a desired transmission channel is selected and demodulated, and the demodulated digital signal sequence is corrected by an error correction circuit 15 if there is an error in the signal. 16. The scrambled signal such as a pay broadcast in the scramble control circuit 16 is descrambled and restored to the original signal, and is supplied to the multiplexed data separation circuit 17.

The multiplexed data separation circuit 17 separates an audio signal, a video signal, and an SI signal. The audio signal is supplied to an MPEG audio reproduction circuit 18 where it is decoded into a digital signal before compression and, if necessary, an analog signal. After the conversion, the video signal is supplied to a television receiver 19 having display means such as a cathode ray tube, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, and the like.

On the output side of the MPEG video reproducing circuit 20, an on-screen display (OSD) circuit 21 is connected. The OSD circuit 21 receives the SI signal from the multiplexed data separating circuit 17, The OSD data signal from the TV receiver 19 is switched or superimposed on the signal from the video reproduction circuit 20 or superimposed.
To supply.

The control circuit 14 processes the SI signal from the multiplexed data separation circuit 17 in addition to selecting a transmission channel from the remote controller 13 as described above,
OSD data is supplied to the OSD circuit 21 and a selection signal is supplied to the multiplexed data separation circuit 17 by setting / selection of the remote controller 13. The selection signal is used to select a desired program from a transmission channel on which a large number of programs are multiplex-transmitted, whereby the audio signal and the video signal of the desired program are converted to the MPEG audio reproduction circuit 18 and the MPEG video signal. This is supplied to the reproduction circuit 20.

The EPG is displayed on the screen of the television receiver 19 by operating the remote controller 13.
4 is displayed by operating the OSD circuit 21 according to the OSD data from the remote controller 13. When a program is selected by using the cursor using the EPG screen, the remote controller 13 is used.
The desired program can be selected by operating the up / down / left / right designation keys to move the cursor displayed on the screen and designating the setting at the desired program.

The EPG is displayed by the processing of the microcomputer software of the control circuit 14 shown in FIG. 2, and the result of this processing is displayed on the screen. That is, when a key operation of the remote controller 13 is performed in step S1, it is determined in step S2 whether or not an EPG display request is made. In the case of an EPG display instruction, the flow advances to step S3 to check whether or not the selected program is HDTV based on information from the SI signal.

If it is determined that the TV is HDTV, step S
In step 4, a process for integrating all programs related to HDTV is performed, and the process proceeds to step S5, where an EPG screen as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. If it is determined in step S2 that EPG display is not to be selected, the process returns to step S1. If it is determined in step S3 that it is not HDTV, the process proceeds to EPG display in step S5, and EPG display in SDTV mode is performed. .

In this EPG screen display state, if the cursor is moved by operating the up / down / left / right keys of the remote controller 13, the cursor movement is determined in step S6. When the cursor is moved to the next program portion, the cursor is moved. It is determined in step S7 whether or not the switching program on which the cursor is positioned is HDTV, and if it is an HDTV program, the HDTV program is determined in step S8.
Make a selection.

If it is determined in step S7 that the program to be switched next is not an HDTV set by moving the cursor, an SDTV is set as SDTV in step S8.
Perform DTV selection.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the screen display of the EPG processed as described above. In this example, the broadcast stations are A,
B and C, each station having 999 for station A, 100, 101 and 102 for station B, and 120 for station C3
Station case is illustrated, and station B uses channel numbers 100-102, from 00: 00-00.
It indicates that HDTV broadcasting is being performed until 1:30.

In the case of this HDTV broadcast, the program contents are not displayed individually for each channel, that is, 100, 101, and 102, but three channels are integrated and processed as one channel. For this reason, in the HDTV program columns of channels 100 to 102, programs are displayed as if they were one channel. Of course the program after 00:30 is SDT
In the case of V, the program name of each channel is separately displayed in the program column of 100 to 102 of each channel.

By performing the EPG display as described above,
If the viewer wants to watch station B's HDTV,
Since any part of the display location of the V program guide may be used, the user can easily and easily understand and set the selection by positioning the cursor. In addition, the broadcast form of HDTV or SDTV can be easily understood by simply referring to the EPG screen. When only high-quality HDTV is selected and viewed, it is very convenient and easy to select. Become.

Although the EPG is convenient as described above, when HDTV is selected, the processing is performed by integrating three channels.
If the next program is still HDTV broadcasting, no problem will occur, but if the next program is SDTV, display and cursor processing operations are performed by switching from integrated processing to individual channel contents. Need to be done.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the HDTV displayed after the integrated processing is selected, the HDTV can be selected at any position as long as the cursor position is within the display of the program on the HDTV. Actually, any one of the three channels is selected and processed. For example, the example of FIG. 4 shows a case where the cursor of the HDTV is selected at the position 101 of the channel.
After the end of viewing the TV program, it is assumed that it is not possible to automatically switch the channel performing the HDTV broadcast to another channel.

To solve this problem, an EPG screen as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed several minutes before the end of the broadcast time of the currently viewed HDTV, for example, three minutes before the end of the broadcast time. HDTV program and the actual channel selected for HDTV broadcast, in this case channel 1
01 is displayed by means such as coloring, bolding, or shading the marked portion of the channel 101, and the SDT of the next time zone.
The V broadcast program is displayed.

This disadvantage can be solved by configuring the system so that if a program to be viewed next is selected by using the cursor while receiving the HDTV, the program can be automatically switched and the image can be received. it can.

If the receiver is configured to display a multi-split screen in the next time zone, it is displayed on a screen where the HDTV broadcast is not received or displayed, or the HDTV broadcast is displayed on the main screen. It is also possible to display the image by using a picture-in-picture (PIP) such that the image is displayed on a sub-screen in the screen, or by a method such as superimposition at the bottom of the screen.

In addition, the present invention can be applied and modified in various ways. For example, digital television broadcasting can be applied to cable television broadcasting. It is apparent that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, for example, the present invention can be applied to the case where the compression transmission method is adopted.

[0041]

According to the present invention, SD information is obtained by using SI information.
When it is determined that the broadcast is a TV broadcast, the EPG is displayed in units of programs of each channel. When it is determined that the broadcast is an HDTV, the SDTV channels that perform the HDTV are integrated and displayed as one program. It is possible to provide an electronic program display device in which visibility and tuning operation are easy.

By displaying the program in the next time zone before the end of the HDTV broadcast, even if the program currently being received has ended, it can be automatically selected by using the cursor to select the next program. , And an electronic program display device excellent in handling operation can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram for explaining an electronic program display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the electronic program display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an example of an EPG screen display of the electronic program display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another display example of the EPG screen of the electronic program display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a display example of a current EPG screen.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an EPG screen display of a BS digital television broadcast using the current EPG display method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 13: Remote control 14: Control circuit 17: Multiplexed data separation circuit 19: Television receiver 20: MPEG video reproduction circuit 21: OSD circuit

Claims (4)

[Claims] A digital television signal in which a high-definition program and a standard program are mixed in a channel is received,
Means for detecting service information from the digital television signal and displaying the electronic program information in the image receiving screen; and, when the program is determined to be a high-definition program, from the received service information, the program corresponds to the high-definition program. Means for integrating each channel and displaying the program as a single program; and when the corresponding program is determined to be a standard program from the received service information, displaying the program as a program for each channel of the corresponding standard program. And an electronic program display device. 2. The program display means for displaying the single program,
2. The electronic program display device according to claim 1, wherein the cursor can be selected from any channel portion within the single program display area. 3. The program displaying means for displaying the single program,
3. The electronic program display device according to claim 1, wherein a program of each channel in a subsequent time zone is displayed before the currently received Hi-Vision program ends. 4. The means for displaying the single program as a program,
4. The electronic program display device according to claim 3, wherein the real channel selected by the cursor is also displayed.