DE29880165U1 - Device for updating transmission specifications - Google Patents

Description

Force Electronics A/S

Narresundby (Denmark)

Device for updating transmission specifications

The invention relates to a device for updating transmission information of transmission channels according to the preamble of claim 1.

In connection with receiving equipment with a parabolic antenna, which consists of an independent satellite receiver that can receive television signals from a satellite, it is known that most people find it difficult to install and adjust the equipment.

First of all, the parabolic antenna must be aligned and, once it has been correctly aligned, the individual channels must be tuned or adjusted to the receiver.

This means that various program parameters, such as the frequency on which a given channel is broadcasting, the satellite that is broadcasting the programs, the type of signal being transmitted and the polarity of the transmitted signals, must be entered. This is usually done via a separate control in conjunction with a display menu. Furthermore, the user is usually asked to specify on which channel the corresponding program should be placed.

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All of these settings have proven to be very complicated for people who do not have special insight into the workings of a satellite transmission system. This means that most people who are about to install a new satellite system have to spend a large amount of money on people who are familiar with the special equipment, in addition to the cost of the equipment itself.

In addition, broadcasters often change the frequencies for selected programs and possibly also their positions. In addition, new channels are occasionally set up for the satellite. This means that the satellite receiver has to be re-tuned. Many users, however, are not able to carry out this re-tuning themselves. The user does not even notice the existence of new programs.

In addition, a satellite receiver has built-in software that also needs to be updated. The general procedure for updating satellite receivers is to take them to the supplier to replace the software, which is typically done by replacing an EPROM.

EP 0 624 979 A2 describes a device according to the preamble of claim 1. In this device, the user can press an installation button, whereupon the device will scan through all frequencies and search for a teletext page with the corresponding header, the corresponding page having a locally generated television program which is transmitted according to a special data protocol. In this device, the user must clearly request the update and wait until

the result of the update is made available. Furthermore, the user is completely dependent on the program service, which is provided, for example, by the broadcaster or a cable TV provider. As a result, the user is only faced with the menus and options provided by the program service.

In contrast, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a device by which the user can be sure that his satellite reception system is always kept up to date without the user having to perform any action, and by which the user can select a channel for display without being confronted with undesirable information and without being dependent on information disseminated or issued by the broadcasting company.

This is achieved by a device of the type mentioned above, which is characterized by the characterizing features of claim 1.

In this device, the satellite receiver is always updated from the database provided, for example, by the receiver's supplier. In this way, the receiver is updated without the user even noticing that an update is taking place, since the user has access to the memory in which the update process takes place.

It is an advantage of the device according to the invention that the data transfer between the memories takes place without the user having to do anything.

Since the database automatically checks and continually updates the transmission specifications of the individual channels, the receiver is always ready for the latest information when transmitting the specifications of the individual channels.

According to claim 3, the television receiver is designed to receive and transfer to the second memory updated transmission specifications which are in turn transmitted via one or more special teletext pages. This enables the use of already existing transmission channels in conjunction with the actual transmission to obtain the necessary information. The transmission can take place by scanning the teletext pages, for example by using the information contents of a teletext processor in the receiver which enables the updating equipment of analogue type by means of a communication link.

According to claim 4, the selection of a transmission channel by the user initiates the transmission of the transmission specifications in question from the first memory so that a circuit is tuned to receive the selected transmission channel. This ensures that the user does not have to concern himself with updating the transmission specification. The tuning can therefore take place automatically.

According to claim 5, the transmitted data are selected from the machine memory according to a user-defined filter. The user cannot select here by information, for example in the form of information channels or technical details.

According to claim 6, the device according to the invention comprises means for presenting to the user the data selected according to the user filter. This ensures that the user has access to the information in an easily operable manner and in a well-prepared manner, namely this information is only accessible if there is interest.

According to claim 7, the user-defined filter has a function that makes it easy to hide data stored in the memory from the user. In this way, information that is not of interest to the user and which would therefore only confuse the user can remain inaccessible. By not making these channels freely accessible instead of deleting them, the user avoids the situation that could arise if the deleted channels are subsequently presented as new channels.

According to claim 8, the device according to the invention can provide the user with transmission specifications on channels that were previously unknown. In this way, the user can be automatically presented with information about new possible channels or unselected channels if desired.

According to claim 9, the user-defined filter is capable of being presented on a screen which shows a menu and through which a working panel is provided. In this way, a special user interface can be provided.

According to claim 10, updated software versions can also be transmitted to the individual recipients via the communication channels.

ensures that the satellite receiver does not have to be removed from its place in order to replace the software, i.e. the so-called EPROM.

Advantageously, as stated in claim 11, the circuit may be designed to additionally include circuitry for receiving a teletext page the content of which has been modified by a supplier for the transmission of an updated software version in the receiver.

The invention is described below with reference to the drawings and with particular reference to the following details.

Fig. 1 shows a setup of a typical television equipment.

Fig. 2 shows the basic principles according to the invention.

Fig. 3 shows the basic structure of a device according to the invention.

Fig. 4a shows a block diagram of a satellite television reception system suitable for transmitting teletext pages on a television channel.

Fig. 4b shows a block diagram of a satellite television system suitable for receiving satellite channels and associated teletext pages and

Fig. 5 shows a flow chart of the method in connection with the device according to the invention.

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Fig. 1 shows a television system 1, which consists of a television set 2 which is connected to a receiver 4 and a video device 3.

As can be seen, an antenna, shown here as a WF antenna 17, is connected to the television receiver 2 via a cable 5 to the video device 3, from which television signals are transmitted to the television set 2 via the plug connection 6. In addition, the receiver 4, shown here as a satellite receiver, is connected to the television 2 and the video device 3, the connection to the television receiver 2 and the video device 3 being made via so-called SCÄRT cables 7 and 8. Two parabolic antennas 12 and 13 are provided for the receiver 4, which are suitable for receiving satellite channels. Of course, there is nothing to prevent other parabolic reflectors than the two shown in Fig. 1 from being connected to the system.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the principles according to the invention.

This figure also shows the television receiver 2, but not the satellite receiver 4 from Fig. 1.

As can be seen, Fig. 2 shows a remote control 19 by which a user can operate the television receiver 2 to select the channels, which can be VHF or UHF or satellite channels or television channels broadcast via cable. In particular, when receiving the satellite channels, the television receiver 2 is connected via the satellite receiver 4 (not shown) to a database 18 via a communication link 24. This database 18 is continuously updated with the technical

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Transmission specifications of each channel are kept up to date, which may include the frequency on which the channel is transmitted, the satellite position from which it is received, the polarity of the transmitted signals, the signal format, etc. Encryption codes and types may also change and channels may be moved, among other things to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the channels in question or using illegal pirate cards to receive these channels.

According to the invention, the data store 18 is frequently updated as changes in the transmission specifications of the channels occur or as access to new channels is provided, this information being provided to the individual satellite receivers, as will be explained in more detail in connection with Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 further shows the database 18 with the communication link 24 to a circuit 20 in the video receiver 4 in Fig. 1. The circuit 20 comprises two memories 21 and 22, the memory 21 being able to transfer user-defined channels from the satellite receiver for display on the television set 20. Fig. 3 further shows a memory 22 which, as mentioned, communicates with the database 18 via the communication link 24. This memory stores the transmission specifications of all channels and as soon as changes in any of the transmission specifications take place, they are automatically or manually transferred from the database 18. In addition, transmission specifications about any new channel are also transferred.

As soon as a user attempts to gain access to a channel 21, data is transferred from the memory 22 to the memory 21. In other words, the two memories can be referred to as user memory and machine memory, with no possibility for the user to gain access to the machine memory.

An embodiment will now be described below with further details.

Fig. 4a shows a block diagram of a satellite television system suitable for transmitting teletext pages on a television channel. The satellite reception system 410 comprises a transmitter 412 which transmits teletext pages on a teletext channel via a transmission antenna 413. The transmitter 412 receives teletext pages from a database memory 411 which is continuously updated with information on transmission specifications for a plurality of television channels. The transmission specifications may be, for example, the transmission frequency of a selected television channel, the polarization of the television signal on a given channel and the position of the satellite transmitting the satellite television channel. The

Transmission specifications can be broadcast as text on a normal teletext page.

Fig. 4b shows a block diagram of a satellite television system suitable for receiving satellite channels and associated teletext pages. The satellite system comprises a device 401 according to the invention. The device 401 is connected to a parabolic antenna 402 so that the device can receive satellite transmission signals. The

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Device 401 is further connected to a television receiver 403 which can display images from a satellite television channel.

The device 401 comprises a receiver unit 404 which receives satellite television signals and decodes these signals so that television signals on selected channels can be extracted or output. The information on the selected channels comprises normal television channels including teletext signals. By means of a so-called teletext page scanner 405 (parser), information on transmission specifications is extracted from the selected teletext signal on a selected television channel for a plurality of television channels. In this way, by scanning a single teletext page of a single channel, information on transmission specifications of several channels can be obtained.

The information extracted by the teletext page scanner 405 is stored in a new information table 406 containing the most recently received transmission specifications. By appropriately extracting the relevant information frequently and transferring this information to the table 406, it can be ensured that the table 406 contains update information, of course on the condition that the transmission specifications being sent out are always up to date.

In order to ensure a selection of a desired channel that can be received among the channels, the device 401 comprises a channel selector/user filter 409. The channel selector/user filter 409 can be operated via a user interface UI in such a way that the user can select a

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desired channel based on the channel name, for example by means of a specially assigned button on the keypad of his device. In addition, the user can set the user interface menu via the television receiver 403 by selecting the channels that are visible and naming them according to the user's wishes.

If a user has not actually decided that a certain channel should not be shown, this will be displayed to the user. This will also offer the user new channels.

When a channel selection is made via the channel selector 409, a signal is sent to a unit 307 for an updating table. The channel updated via the unit 407 transfers to the channel table 408 those contents of the individual statements in the table that have been updated since the last transmission of the table 406. In this way, the channel table 408 contains the latest, updated information about the transmission specifications. The same signal causes the transmission specifications for the selected channel to be transferred from the table 408 to the channel selector 407, so that the user does not have to worry about whether new transmission specifications may be available.

Consequently, in a situation where a channel is moved to a different frequency, for example for technical reasons, the system will update the channel selector so that the user can continue to use the same button that he or she normally used for that channel.

The user filter 409 allows the user to obtain information about the TV channels he is interested in.

to select and display, to select a plurality of channels or to define the name of the channels in his own way. The information can be displayed, for example, as a menu on a screen. The user filter corresponds to the "user memory" mentioned above. The table for the latest data and the channel table correspond to the machine memory mentioned above.

Fig. 5 shows a flow chart for a method that can be carried out with the device according to the invention. The method can be stored, for example, as a program in a memory and run via a computer that has access to the memory. The computer can be part of the device shown in Fig. 4b and can be connected to individual units for controlling them.

The method is started and initialized in step 501 of the flow chart. This may, for example, take place when the device shown in Fig. 4b is switched on and may include, among other things, specifying which teletext page on a given television channel now contains the information on the transmission specifications.

The specified teletext page is read out in step 502 to extract information on the transmission specifications, and the transmission specifications are stored in the new information table in step 503. The method comprises steps 502 and 503 which are repeatedly performed so that updated transmission specifications are available at all times.

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Once the broadcast specifications have been stored, a decision is made in step 504 as to whether a new channel will be selected. If a new channel (Y) is selected, the channel table is updated with the most recently received information from the new information table in step 505, provided that any or all of the broadcast specifications have changed since the last channel selection. In step 506, broadcast specifications are transferred to a channel selector and in step 507 the channel selector is adjusted in response to the most recently updated broadcast specifications. The selected channel can thereby be displayed on a television receiver, regardless of whether broadcast specifications have changed since the last channel selection or not. After step 507, the process returns to step 504.

Alternatively (N) if no new channel has been selected, a check is made in step 508 as to whether the user filter should be shown and/or output. If this is desired (Y) the user filter can be shown and/or edited in step 509. If this is not desired (N) the procedure returns directly to step 504.

In this way it is possible to provide a television receiver with the latest information about the specifications.

A preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned user filter and the channel and new data table is described below.

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Table 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the channel/news table. The two tables have the same structure and the current table can therefore be used in the simplest way to update the channel table.

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No. Surname Freq. Pole. Pos. ID Update
code Inf. 1 tv3 DK 11,245 hear IW 12589 17a 2 tv3 NL l_10,984 hear IW 52879 17A 3 Fenxman 11,245 ver 5E 45899 17A 4 Canal+ 12,023 ver IW 21458 17A 5 BBC 11,889 hear IW 14587 17A _{&bgr; t t} nn

Each record in Table 1 can be indexed as a row and includes the fields "Link No.", "Name", "Freq.", "Pol.", "Pos.", "ID"; "Update code" and "Inf.".

The "Name" field used indicates the official name of a given television channel as recorded on the teletext page transmitted to the receiver. The "Freq." field indicates the frequency on which the channel is broadcast. The "Pol" field indicates the polarization of the signal on the channel. The "Pos." field indicates the position at which the satellite broadcasting the television channel can be found. The "ID" field represents a unique identification number,

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which is assigned to a television channel. This means that if the channel changes, the identification number can no longer be used. The "Update code" column indicates where the new information is located. This means that if the current table for a given channel contains a number which is higher than the number of the corresponding field in the channel table, the record in the channel table is updated. The "Inf." field can be used for additional information. In addition, the table contains a "Link No." field. This field is used for linking information from Table 1 to the information in Table 2.

No. Surname Conceal Link No . 1 tv3 DK no 1 2 My favorite no 5 3 Femraan yes 3 4 tv3 Norway no 2 5 Canal+ no 4 . nn nn

Each data entry in Table 2 is to be considered as one row and includes the columns "No.", "Name", "Conceal", "Link No.".

The "Name" field is used to store a channel name selected by a user. The "Link No." field is used to store information from Table 1 and corresponding transmission specifications that can be obtained from Table 1, regardless of

indicates whether the channel has been given a new name by the user or not. The "Conceal" field is used to indicate whether a channel should be visible to the user or not. This can be decided by the user. By making a channel invisible instead of deleting it, the user is not informed that a new channel is made available in connection with the automatic updating of the transmission specifications as described above.

The software of the individual receivers can be updated in essentially the same way.

This is done by transmitting the update software data over the teletext pages, sending a code word to the individual teletext page which causes the contents of the teletext page to be replaced by the contents of the software used in the receiver. The individual receivers can thus be updated without it being necessary to replace a fixed component, such as an EPROM, to update the receiver. It should be noted that it is not uncommon for the software of the receivers to have to be replaced because changes are made across the entire satellite network.

In another embodiment, a system is used in a device according to the invention in which information about transmission specifications is obtained via the Internet.

Claims (11)

1. Device for updating transmission specifications of transmission channels in order to make transmission channels accessible to a user when he wishes to select a channel for display with the aid of a television control unit (19), the device having two memories (21, 22), the first memory (21) of which contains data relating to the transmission specifications of the individual channels, while the second memory (22) contains data from a database device (18) which comprise transmission specifications of the individual channels, and wherein these transmission specifications are made accessible for transmission to the first memory, characterized in that the updating of the transmission specifications takes place automatically in that the user selects a channel for display from the first memory by means of a television control unit (19) and that the selection of a channel by the user results in data being transferred from the second memory to the first memory without the involvement of the user. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a circuit arrangement is provided which receives a teletext page the content of which has been modified by a supplier in order to deliver an updated software version to the receiver. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a television receiver is adapted to receive and transmit to the second memory update transmission specifications transmitted via one or more special teletext pages. 4. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the selection of a transmission channel by the user initiates the transmission of the transmission specifications in question from the first memory for the purpose of tuning a circuit to receive the selected transmission channel. 5. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the transmitted data are selected from a machine memory via a filter defined by the user. 6. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by a device for presenting to the user the information selected according to the user filter. 7. Device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the user-defined filter comprises a device by which the user can select whether data stored in the first memory is displayed or not. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the user is shown transmission specifications of channels which were previously unknown. 9. Device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the user-defined filter can be edited via an operating console in conjunction with an on-screen menu. 10. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the update software versions are additionally transmitted to the individual receivers via the communication channels (24). 11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the update software versions are transmitted via at least one special teletext page, the teletext page comprising a code which indicates the replacement of the normal content of the teletext page concerned by data in the form of the update software version.