JP2006115319A - Digital receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To select a desired broadcast service in a short time by displaying a list of broadcast services and / or a program table that can be received according to the current location of a mobile body in a digital reception device that receives a digital broadcast. It can be so.
A digital receiver 10 is mounted on a mobile body and receives a digital broadcast to which at least a channel number, a broadcast station name, and SI information indicating a broadcast target area are added. The digital receiver is provided with a memory 19 for storing SI information for each broadcasting station, and the control CPU 20 identifies the broadcast target area as the current broadcast target area from the SI information added to the digital broadcast currently being viewed. It is checked whether or not SI information having the same broadcast target area as an adjacent area that is a broadcast target area or a broadcast target area adjacent to the current broadcast target area exists in the memory, and if it exists, the SI information is read from the memory. . Then, the control CPU displays a list of receivable broadcast stations according to the service information read from the memory.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital receiver that receives digital broadcasts, and more particularly to a digital receiver that is mounted on a mobile body and can display a list of broadcast stations that can be received according to the position of the mobile body.

  In general, in digital broadcasting (for example, terrestrial digital broadcasting), a digital broadcasting wave (transport stream (TS)) transmitted from one broadcasting station includes at least one broadcasting service. In addition to video and audio signals, broadcast frequency (transmission channel number), broadcast station name, program information (for example, program name, broadcast time for each program, and program overview), and broadcast target area (transmission area) ) Etc. The additional information is called SI (Service Information) information.

  In such a digital receiver for receiving digital broadcasts, SI information is stored in a memory, a list of receivable broadcast services is displayed on a monitor, and a program guide for each broadcast service is selectively generated and monitored. To be displayed. When a user receives a digital broadcast, a desired broadcast service (broadcast channel) is selected with reference to a broadcast service list and / or a program guide.

  By the way, in the digital receivers that are fixedly arranged, the number of broadcasting stations that can be received at the position where the digital receiver is installed is limited. When the table is displayed, the amount of information displayed in the broadcast service list or the program table is small. For this reason, when the user selects a desired broadcast service, the broadcast service can be easily selected in a short time.

  On the other hand, in the digital receiver mounted on the mobile unit, the broadcast stations that can be received change according to the movement of the mobile unit, so when the user selects a desired broadcast service, it covers all broadcast stations nationwide. It is necessary to display a list of broadcast services and / or a program guide on a monitor, and it takes time to select a desired broadcast service from a broadcast station that can receive a large amount of information depending on the position of a mobile object. As a result, it takes a lot of time to select a channel.

  In order to make it easy to select a desired broadcast service in a mobile unit, the current location of the mobile unit is measured by the GPS function, and a receivable channel is displayed according to the current location, and the reception sensitivity level of the channel is displayed. In addition, there are channels that can be received according to the movement of the mobile body and the reception sensitivity level so that it is possible to recognize which channel is optimal to receive (for example, Patent Documents). 1).

JP-A-5-83648 (Pages 2 to 3, FIGS. 1 to 2)

  Since the conventional digital receiver is configured as described above, if the mobile device is not equipped with a positioning device such as a GPS device, a list of broadcast services and / or program tables that can be received at the current location of the mobile device is displayed. As a result, a list of broadcasting services and / or a program table covering broadcasting stations all over the country must be displayed on the monitor. In addition, when the monitor is small, such as an in-vehicle digital receiver, it is difficult to display a list of broadcast services and / or a program guide on the monitor at a time. And / or the program schedule must be switched.

  As described above, the conventional digital receiving apparatus needs to be provided with a positioning device separately, and thus there is a problem that the digital receiving apparatus itself becomes expensive. In addition, when displaying a list of broadcast services and / or program guides that can be received according to the current location of the mobile object, the reception sensitivity level must also be taken into consideration, and the list of broadcast services and / or program guides that can be received. There has been a problem that the processing for displaying is complicated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and displays a list of broadcast services and / or a program table that can be received according to the current location of a mobile object so that a user can obtain a desired broadcast service in a short time. An object of the present invention is to obtain a digital receiver that can be selected.

  The digital receiver according to the present invention comprises storage means for storing service information for each broadcasting station, specifying means for specifying the broadcast target area as the current broadcast target area from the service information added to the currently viewed digital broadcast, The storage means checks whether there is service information having the same broadcast target area as the adjacent broadcast area that is the current broadcast target area or the broadcast target area adjacent to the current broadcast target area. Broadcast target area determining means read from the storage means, and display control means for displaying a list of receivable broadcast stations according to the service information read from the storage means.

  According to the present invention, the broadcast target area of the currently viewed digital broadcast is identified from the service information related to the currently viewed digital broadcast, and is adjacent to the currently viewed broadcast target area or the currently viewed broadcast target area. Whether or not service information having the same broadcast target area as the adjacent area is present in the storage means. If there is, the service information is read from the storage means, and a list of receivable broadcast stations is listed according to this service information. Since it is configured to display, only a receivable digital broadcast (broadcast service) according to the current location of the mobile object can be displayed, and as a result, the user can select a desired digital broadcast in a short time. effective.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a digital receiving apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and the illustrated digital receiving apparatus is a digital receiving apparatus for receiving terrestrial digital broadcasting. In terrestrial digital broadcasting, one digital broadcasting wave is transmitted from one broadcasting station (not shown), and this digital broadcasting wave is called a transport stream (TS). Each TS is assigned a unique number TS_ID used for identification with other TSs. One TS includes at least one broadcast service, and a service identification number (Service_id) is assigned to each broadcast service.

  In terrestrial digital broadcasting, for example, OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) is used, and TS includes a digital video signal (video stream), a digital audio signal (audio stream), and service information (Service Information: SI information). This SI information includes, for example, data indicating TS_ID, transmission channel (three-digit number), broadcast station name, program information, broadcast target area, etc. (for example, in SI information) The broadcast target area is determined by the area identifier included in Service_id in the service list descriptor included in NIT (Network Information Table).

  In FIG. 1, a digital receiver 10 includes a tuner 11, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) demodulator 12, a demultiplexer 13, an audio decoder 14, a video decoder 15, an audio controller 16, a video controller 17, a GUI (Graphic User). An interface unit 18, a memory (storage unit) 19, a control CPU 20, and a remote control unit 21 are provided. The digital broadcast wave related to the broadcast service of the channel selected by the tuner 11 is received via the antenna 22, the frequency component of the digital broadcast wave to be selected is extracted by the tuner 11, and digitally transmitted by the OFDM demodulator 12. The signal is demodulated and supplied to the demultiplexer 13 as TS.

  The demultiplexer 13 separates the audio stream, video stream, and SI information from the TS, and supplies the audio stream, video stream, and SI information to the audio decoder 14, video decoder 15, and control CPU 20, respectively. The audio decoder 14 decodes the audio stream and provides it to the audio control unit 16 as an audio decoded signal. Then, the audio control unit 16 outputs the audio decoded signal as an analog audio signal.

  Similarly, the video decoder 15 decodes the video stream and provides it to the video control unit 17 as a video decoded signal. Then, the video control unit 17 sets the video decoded signal as an analog video signal. On the other hand, the control CPU 20 extracts program information from the SI information and passes this program information to the GUI unit 18. In the GUI unit 18, for example, a broadcast program guide is generated according to the program information, and this broadcast program guide is given to the video control unit 17. The video control unit 17 combines the analog video signal and the broadcast program table and outputs the combined signal.

  Further, the control CPU 20 stores TS_ID extracted from the SI information, transmission channel, broadcast station name, and data representing the broadcast target area in the memory 19. When the user operates a remote controller (not shown) during channel selection, the channel selection command is given from the remote control control unit 21 to the control CPU 20, and the control CPU 20 responds to the channel selection command by the tuner 11 or the GUI unit 18. Is selected by the tuner 11 and the broadcast program table is synthesized by the GUI unit 18 as described above (a menu screen is generated by the GUI unit 18).

  Further, the OFDM demodulator 12, the demultiplexer 13, the audio decoder 14, the video decoder 15, the audio controller 16, and the video controller 17 are controlled by control commands given from the remote controller controller 21 to the control CPU 20.

  The illustrated digital receiving apparatus 10 has a scroll function, and by this scroll function, a broadcast program table displayed on a monitor (not shown) is scroll-displayed. A desired broadcast service is selected with reference to the service list (channel list) and / or the broadcast program guide.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control CPU 20. The control CPU 20 includes an SI acquisition / write / read unit 20a, an SI analysis unit 20b, a channel list screen creation unit 20c, a broadcast target area comparison unit 20d, and a channel list. It has a data creation unit 20e, a channel list display instruction input unit 20f, and an adjacent region table 20g. SI information acquired during viewing of digital terrestrial broadcasting is received for each TS by the SI acquisition / write / read unit 20a. It is stored in the memory 19.

  Further, even when the digital receiver 10 is in a standby state, SI information acquired by scanning each broadcasting station is stored in the memory 19 for each TS by the SI acquisition / write / read unit 20a. In this way, SI information for each TS is stored in the memory 19.

  The adjacent area table 20g stores, for example, prefectures adjacent to the prefecture for each prefecture, and the possibility that the broadcast service can be received adjacent to the prefecture indicated as the broadcast target area. The prefecture where there is is stored in advance. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the adjacent area table 20g. In the illustrated example, when the broadcast target area is Kyoto, Shiga, Osaka, and Fukui are stored as adjacent areas.

  Similarly, when the broadcast target area is Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, and Nara are stored as adjacent areas. When the broadcast target area is Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Yamanashi are stored as adjacent areas. When the broadcast target area is Saitama, the adjacent areas are Tokyo, Yamanashi, Tochigi, And Gunma are stored (note that FIG. 3 shows only a part of the adjacent area table 20g, and in fact, adjacent areas are set for prefectures throughout the country).

  When a channel list display instruction command is given from the remote control control unit 21 to the control CPU 20 by a user's remote control operation, the control CPU 20 generates a channel list screen and displays it on the monitor via the GUI unit 18 as described later. Will be displayed.

Next, the operation will be described.
Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, when a channel list display instruction command is given from the remote controller control unit 21 to the control CPU 20 by the user's remote control operation (step ST1), the channel list display instruction input unit 20f uses the channel list. A display instruction command is detected, and a channel list display instruction detection signal is given from the channel list display instruction input unit 20f to the SI analysis unit 20b. The SI analysis unit 20b accesses the memory 19 via the SI acquisition / write / read unit 20a to obtain SI information related to the currently viewed TS.

  The SI analysis unit 20b detects a broadcast target area (hereinafter, this broadcast target area is referred to as a current broadcast target area) from SI information related to the currently viewed TS (step ST2), and is adjacent according to the current broadcast target area. The area table 20g is searched to detect adjacent areas (step ST3). Although not shown in FIG. 3, when the broadcast target area is “Kochi”, the adjacent areas are “Tokushima”, “Kagawa”, and “Ehime” that touch the “Kochi” border of the prefecture. .

  Then, the SI analysis unit 20b controls the SI acquisition / writing / reading unit 20a to read SI information (step ST4), and for the read SI information, the broadcast target area (hereinafter, this broadcast target area is read and broadcast target area is read). Is called) (step ST5). This read broadcast target area and the above-mentioned current broadcast target area and adjacent area are given to the broadcast target area comparing unit 20d, and the broadcast target area comparing unit 20d compares the read broadcast target area with the current broadcast target area and adjacent area. Thus, it is determined whether or not there is the same area as the read broadcast target area in the current broadcast target area or an adjacent area (step ST6).

  Then, if there is an area that is the same as the read broadcast target area in the current broadcast target area or an adjacent area, the broadcast target area comparison unit 20d controls the SI acquisition / write / read unit 20a to control the SI information related to the read broadcast target area. And the SI information is passed to the channel list data creation unit 20e.

  The channel list data creation unit 20e extracts, for example, TS_ID, a three-digit number corresponding to a channel number, a broadcasting station name, and a broadcasting target area based on the SI information passed from the broadcasting target area comparison unit 20d. And added to the channel list data (step ST7). Subsequently, the SI analysis unit 20b checks whether all SI information has been read from the memory 19 (step ST8). If all SI information has not been read, the process returns to step ST4 to continue the processing. In this way, when the processing of steps ST4 to ST7 is performed for all SI information stored in the memory 19, for example, channel list data shown in FIG. 5 is obtained.

  The example shown in FIG. 5 is an example of channel list data when the current broadcast target area is “Kochi” and the adjacent areas are “Tokushima”, “Kagawa”, and “Ehime”, and the broadcast target area is “ Only information (TD_ID, three-digit number, broadcast station name, broadcast target area) related to TS that is “Kochi”, “Tokushima”, “Kagawa”, and “Ehime” is held as channel list data. The channel list data shown in FIG. 5 is given from the channel list data creation unit 20e to the channel list screen creation unit 20c, and the channel list screen creation unit 20c generates a channel list screen according to the channel list data (step ST9). . The channel list screen is displayed on the monitor via the GUI unit 18.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the channel list screen. Here, a three-digit number and a broadcasting station name necessary for the user are displayed on the channel list screen. Although not shown, when the screen is scrolled using the remote controller, other information included in the channel list data is displayed on the monitor.

  As is clear from the above description, the SI analysis unit 20b functions as a region specifying unit, and the SI analysis unit 20b and the broadcast target region comparison unit 20d function as a broadcast target region determination unit. Further, the channel list data creation unit 20e and the channel list screen creation unit 20c function as display control means.

  Moreover, although the example which displays a channel list was demonstrated in the above-mentioned example, you may make it display the program schedule included in SI information. That is, the program guide may be displayed only for the TS having the same broadcast target area as the broadcast target area or the adjacent area related to the currently viewed TS. Furthermore, when the screen is scrolled, the program guide may be displayed in association with the broadcast station name.

  In addition, in the above-described example, when a channel list display instruction is given from the remote controller, the broadcast target area and the adjacent area related to the currently viewed digital broadcast are detected, but for example, the digital broadcast tuning is performed. The broadcast target area and the adjacent area related to the digital broadcast currently being viewed may be automatically detected.

  In this way, the broadcasting target area is detected from the SI information related to the currently watched TS, and it is estimated that the mobile body is located in the broadcasting target area, and is adjacent to the broadcasting target area related to the currently watching TS. Since only the information regarding the broadcasting station currently being viewed and the broadcasting station having the adjacent area as the broadcasting target area is displayed including the adjacent area, the information regarding the receivable digital broadcast can be displayed without omission. And since the information regarding the digital broadcast which is very unlikely to be received is not displayed, the user can select a desired digital broadcast in a short time.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the broadcast target area is specified as the current broadcast target area from the SI information added to the currently viewed digital broadcast, and the current broadcast target area or the current broadcast target area is specified. It is checked whether SI information having the same broadcast target area as the adjacent area adjacent to is present in the memory. If the SI information exists in the memory, the SI information is read from the memory, and a channel list is displayed according to the SI. Therefore, the user can select a desired digital broadcast in a short time.

  According to the first embodiment, since the channel number and the broadcast station name are displayed as a channel list based on the SI information, the user can obtain only the information necessary for channel selection and easily select the channel. There is an effect that can be performed.

  According to the first embodiment, since the program table is displayed together with the broadcasting station name based on the SI information, the user can easily grasp the program transmitted by the receivable broadcasting station. There is.

  According to the first embodiment, since the broadcast target area is also displayed based on the SI information, there is an effect that the user can easily grasp the transmission area of the receivable broadcast station.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the digital receiver by Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows in detail an example of control CPU in the digital receiver shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the data stored in the adjacent area table shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the digital reception device shown in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the channel list data produced | generated by the channel list data preparation part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the channel list screen produced | generated by the channel list screen preparation part shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital receiver, 11 Tuner, 12 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) demodulation part, 13 Demultiplexer, 14 Audio decoder, 15 Video decoder, 16 Audio control part, 17 Video control part, 18 GUI (Graphic User Interface) part, 19 memory, 20 control CPU, 20a SI acquisition / write / read unit, 20b SI analysis unit, 20c channel list screen creation unit, 20d broadcast target area comparison unit, 20e channel list data creation unit, 20f channel list display instruction input unit, 20g Adjacent area table, 21 remote control unit, 22 antenna.

Claims (5)

In a digital receiver that receives a digital broadcast to which service information is added,
Storage means for storing the service information for each broadcasting station;
Area specifying means for specifying the broadcast target area as the current broadcast target area from the service information added to the digital broadcast currently being viewed;
The storage means detects whether or not there is service information having the same broadcast target area as the adjacent target area that is the target target area adjacent to the current broadcast target area or the current broadcast target area. Broadcast area determination means for reading information from the storage means;
A digital receiving apparatus comprising: display control means for displaying a list of receivable broadcast stations according to service information read from the storage means.   2. The digital receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adjacent area table that defines an adjacent area adjacent to the broadcast target area for each broadcast target area.   3. The digital receiver according to claim 1, wherein the display control means displays the channel number and the broadcasting station name based on the service information read from the storage means. The service information includes a broadcast program table indicating broadcast programs transmitted by the digital broadcast,
4. The digital receiving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display control means displays the program guide based on service information read from the storage means.   5. The digital receiving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display control means displays the broadcast target area based on the service information read from the storage means.

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