JP2004179829A - Digital broadcast receiver with epg display function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital broadcast receiver capable of displaying the EPG data of a broadcast station selected by a user. <P>SOLUTION: When a program information acquisition storage circuit 5 stores all the EPG data of the broadcast station selected by the user to a memory and the memory capacity allocated to the broadcast station is short, the circuit 5 uses a memory area allocated to another broadcast station, revises the memory allocation to supplement the short memory capacity, acquires all the EPG data of the broadcast station selected by the user and stores the data to the memory area whose allocation is revised. When a remote controller 22 makes a display request of the EPG data, a micro controller 7 instructs the program information acquisition storage circuit 5 to display the EPG data stored in a memory. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiver, and more specifically, acquires EPG data of a broadcasting station selected by a user from transmitted EPG (Electrical Program Guide) data, saves the EPG data in a memory, and saves the acquired EPG data. The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiver capable of displaying EPG data.
[0002]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, BS digital broadcasting has begun in Japan, and terrestrial digital broadcasting and the like are planned in the future, and various digital broadcasting receivers corresponding to these have been proposed.
In these digital broadcasts, EPG (Electrical Program Guide) data including information such as a program title, a start time and an end time, a program outline, and performers is transmitted together with video data and audio data. These data are configured in units of packets identified by different PIDs (packet identifiers), and further, these packets are collectively transmitted as a transport stream defined by ISO / IEC13818-1. .
[0003]
The digital broadcast receiver acquires a video signal and an audio signal by separating and decoding video data and audio data from the received transport stream. In addition, the digital broadcast receiver provides a function of extracting EPG data from a transport stream and displaying it as an EPG, that is, an electronic program guide, thereby improving user convenience.
[0004]
A conventional digital broadcast receiver generally has a function of displaying, as an EPG, program information of all broadcasting stations for a certain period (for example, for 8 days of television + for 3 days of radio). However, in actual digital broadcasting, EPG data in the future may be transmitted more than a certain period (for example, EPG data for 32 days). The case is defined in “ARIB TR-B15 (second volume)”.
[0005]
The EPG data is transmitted in packet units, and the digital broadcast receiver temporarily stores the acquired EPG data in a memory. However, since there is an upper limit to the memory (DRAM, NVRAM, etc.) capacity of a digital broadcast receiver, program information after a certain period cannot be stored in the memory depending on the amount of EPG data to be transmitted, and is displayed as an EPG. There are some cases that cannot be done.
[0006]
In the related art, there is an EPG information display device that enables an EPG to be displayed in an enlarged or reduced form and, at the same time, adjusts the amount of information to be displayed according to the enlargement or reduction ratio. This EPG information display device, when displaying a wide range (reduced display), prevents the characters and the like from becoming small and difficult to see by adjusting the amount of information to be displayed. By zooming up (enlarged display) of information on a specific broadcasting station, it is easy to see and more detailed information can be displayed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0007]
Further, in another conventional technique, there is an electronic device having an EPG display function capable of detecting the frequency of selection of a reception channel and rearranging the program in the EPG in the order of the reception channel having the highest selection frequency. This electronic device realizes an EPG with a small memory capacity by making it easy to search by changing the arrangement of programs on the receiving channel according to the selection frequency, and by simplifying the detailed information of the receiving channel with a low selection frequency. However, there is a drawback that the receiving channel that is frequently selected and the receiving channel from which the user wants to acquire program information do not always match. (For example, see Patent Document 2).
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2000-115652 (page 3-17, FIG. 2)
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-182035 (pages 2-8, FIG. 3)
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Some users who only watch programs of a specific broadcast station or who want to reserve a specific program one month ahead from the EPG need only program information of a specific broadcast station, and thus want to obtain more information There is a request. However, in order to use program information displayed on the EPG after a certain period in a conventional digital broadcast receiver, it is necessary to increase the capacity of a memory installed in the digital broadcast receiver, which leads to an increase in cost. Was.
[0010]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention obtains EPG data of a broadcasting station desired by a user from transmitted EPG data without increasing the memory capacity of a digital broadcast receiver. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital broadcast receiver capable of displaying as a digital broadcast.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention relates to a digital broadcast receiver for acquiring EPG data transmitted by digital broadcasting, storing the EPG data in a memory area allocated to each broadcasting station, and displaying the stored EPG data. To acquire all the EPG data of one broadcasting station selected by the user and save all the EPG data of the broadcasting station, if the memory capacity allocated to the broadcasting station is insufficient, the other Using the memory area allocated to the broadcast station, the memory allocation for replenishing the insufficient memory capacity was changed, and all the EPG data obtained for one of the broadcast stations selected by the user was changed. It is characterized in that it is stored in a memory area and the stored EPG data is displayed.
[0012]
Further, the digital broadcast receiver allocates a memory area excluding the memory area whose allocation has been changed from the entire memory area allocated for storing the EPG data to another broadcasting station selected by the user. Correcting the EPG data of another broadcasting station selected by the user, storing the obtained EPG data in the reallocated memory area, and displaying the stored EPG data. I do.
[0013]
Further, in a digital broadcast receiver for acquiring EPG data transmitted by digital broadcasting, storing the EPG data in a memory area allocated to each broadcasting station, and displaying the stored EPG data, the digital broadcasting receiver comprises: Allocate the entire memory area allocated for storing data to the broadcasting station selected by the user, acquire EPG data of the broadcasting station selected by the user, and allocate the acquired EPG data to the broadcasting station. The stored EPG data is stored in the rewritten memory area, and the stored EPG data is displayed.
[0014]
Further, in a digital broadcast receiver for acquiring EPG data transmitted by digital broadcasting, storing the EPG data in a memory area allocated to each broadcasting station, and displaying the stored EPG data, the digital broadcasting receiver comprises: All the EPG data of the selected broadcasting stations are stored in order from the broadcasting station having the highest priority among the broadcasting stations selected and assigned by the user in the entire memory area allocated for storing the data. The EPG data of the broadcasting station to which the memory is allocated, and saves the obtained EPG data in the reallocated memory area. It is characterized in that EPG data is displayed.
[0015]
Further, the digital broadcast receiver displays EPG data after a display start date designated by a user.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 7 denotes a microcontroller for controlling the digital broadcast receiver. This microcontroller 7 includes a remote controller operated by a user. A remote control light receiving section 11 for receiving an infrared remote control signal from the remote controller is connected. The microcontroller 7 decodes the infrared remote control signal received by the remote control light receiving unit 11, controls the tuner 2 and other parts and the entire digital broadcast receiver, and responds to a user operation such as a channel selection operation. .
[0017]
The microcontroller 7 controls the tuner 2 to select a channel selected by the user, and inputs a transport stream output from the tuner 2 to the MPEG demultiplexer 3. The video data and audio data of the selected program output from the MPEG demultiplexer 3 are supplied to the A / V decoder 4, and in parallel, the other output EPG data from the MPEG demultiplexer 3 is: It is supplied to the program information acquisition and holding circuit 5. The program information obtaining and holding circuit 5 has a memory 12 for storing the obtained EPG data, and stores the obtained EPG data in a memory area allocated for each broadcasting station.
[0018]
The digital video signal of the program decoded by the A / V decoder 4, the EPG data signal generated by the program information acquisition and holding circuit 5, and the OSD (On Screen Display) data signal generated by the character generator 6 The digital signal input to the synthesizer 8 and input to the digital-analog conversion circuit 9 is supplied to the CRT 10.
[0019]
When the user selects a broadcasting station from the remote controller, the microcontroller 7 sets the broadcasting station selected by the user in the program information acquisition and holding circuit 5. The program information acquisition and holding circuit 5 acquires and stores all the EPG data of the broadcast station selected by the user, but changes the memory allocation when the memory capacity allocated to the broadcast station is insufficient. The EPG data of the broadcasting station selected by the user is acquired and stored in the memory.
When there is a display request for EPG data from the remote controller, the microcontroller 7 instructs the program information acquisition and holding circuit 5 to output the EPG data stored in the memory to the synthesizer 8, and displays the EPG data on the CRT 10. .
[0020]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which a user selects a broadcast station by operating a remote controller while viewing the EPG. In FIG. 2, the EPG displayed on the television 21 includes a broadcast station section 30 and a program section 31. ing. The broadcast station column 30 displays the channel numbers of the broadcast stations, and the program column 31 displays program information corresponding to the broadcast stations in the broadcast station column 30. For example, the channel number of the top broadcast station is “101”, and the corresponding program information is displayed in the column 25. The user 23 moves the user designation frame 24 on the EPG screen to the channel number of the broadcast station for which more detailed information is desired to be obtained by operating the remote controller 22 and selects the same. When selecting a plurality of broadcasting stations, the selection can be made by repeating this operation.
[0021]
In addition, the display start date of the EPG data and the condition setting for selecting a plurality of broadcasting stations can be specified from the remote controller 22. The designation of the display start date is a designation for displaying the EPG data after the display start date, but if the designation is not to save all the EPG data of the selected broadcasting station in the memory, the date before the display start date is set. In order to stop storing the EPG data in the memory and store more future EPG data in the memory, the EPG data after the display start date is stored in the memory. If all EPG data of the selected broadcasting station is specified to be stored in the memory, the EPG data is stored in the memory for all days, and only display is displayed after the display start date.
[0022]
To set conditions for selecting a plurality of broadcast stations, the user selects only one broadcast station and acquires all EPG data of the broadcast station, or the user selects a plurality of broadcast stations and selects one broadcast station. Only one station acquires all EPG data and the other stations acquire as much EPG data as memory capacity allows, or as many EPG data as memory capacity allows for all selected stations. Whether to acquire the EPG data or to acquire all the EPG data for the broadcast station to which the memory is allocated among the broadcast stations selected with the priority order is designated. When the priority order needs to be specified, the input order may be set as the priority order. The information specified by the user is set in the program information acquisition and holding circuit 5 by the microcontroller 7.
[0023]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the program information acquisition and holding circuit for acquiring and storing the EPG data of the selected broadcasting station. In FIG. 3, the program information acquisition and holding circuit 5 includes one program selected by the user. It is checked whether or not all the EPG data is obtained only for the broadcasting station (step S1). When all the EPG data is obtained for only one broadcasting station, if the memory capacity allocated to the broadcasting station is insufficient, Using the memory area allocated to another broadcasting station, the memory allocation for replenishing the insufficient memory capacity is changed (step S2), and the EPG data for the entire period of the broadcasting station is obtained and the allocation is changed. After storing in the selected memory (step S3), it is determined whether or not it is necessary to acquire EPG data for another broadcasting station selected by the user (step S4). Ends. If it is necessary to obtain EPG data for another broadcasting station selected by the user, the user allocates a memory area excluding the memory area reallocated in step 2 from the total memory area allocated to store the EPG data. Is re-assigned to another selected broadcasting station (step S5), and the process proceeds to step 12. The reason why the entire memory area allocated for storing the EPG data is reallocated to the broadcasting station selected by the user is to allocate more memory area using the area not allocated to the broadcasting station. is there.
[0024]
If the determination in step 1 is not a case where only one broadcasting station selected by the user acquires all EPG data, it is checked whether other broadcasting stations selected by the user also acquire all EPG data ( Step S10) Unless the other broadcast stations also acquire all the EPG data, all memory areas allocated for storing the EPG data are reassigned to the selected broadcast station (step S11), and the acquisition date is changed. Is set (step S12). When the display start date is designated, the acquisition date is set as the acquisition date, and when the display start date is not designated, the acquisition date is set. Next, EPG data for one day on the acquisition date is acquired for all the selected broadcasting stations (step S13), and it is checked whether or not the EPG data for one day on the acquisition date is enough to fit in the remaining memory area ( Step S14). If it does not fit in the remaining memory area, the process ends. If it enters the remaining memory area, the acquired EPG data for one day is stored in the reallocated memory area (step S15), and the acquisition date is transmitted. It is checked whether or not it matches the last date of the EPG data (step S16). If they match, the process ends. If they do not match, the acquisition date is updated (step S17), and the process returns to step S13.
[0025]
In this embodiment, if the acquired EPG data for one day does not fit in the remaining memory area, the process ends without storing any EPG data for that day. Or, it may be stored in time units such as one hour.
[0026]
In step S10, when the other broadcast station selected by the user also acquires all the EPG data, all the memory areas allocated for storing the EPG data are reallocated in order from the broadcast station with the highest priority ( In step S20), when the memory capacity to be allocated becomes insufficient, the reallocation ends, and thereafter, EPG data is acquired for the broadcasting station to which the memory has been reallocated. Next, the acquisition target broadcast station is set as the highest priority broadcast station (step S21), and EPG data for the entire period of the acquisition target broadcast station is acquired and stored in the reallocated memory (step S22). It is checked whether or not the memory is allocated to the broadcasting station of the next priority (step S23). If the memory is not allocated, the process is terminated. (Step S24), and the process returns to step S22.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the user selects a broadcast station from which detailed program information is to be obtained, thereby reducing the number of broadcast stations to be displayed as an EPG to create a free space in the memory and increasing the installed memory capacity of the receiver. Without any trouble, that is, without increasing the cost, more program information of the broadcasting station desired by the user can be provided. In particular, it is possible to acquire future program information that is not displayed by the conventional digital receiver, and it is possible to provide a more convenient EPG.
In addition, since only the program information of the broadcast station selected by the user is displayed as the EPG, the number of broadcast stations to be displayed is reduced, so that an EPG that is easy to understand and has good visibility can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a digital broadcast receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a user selects a broadcast station by operating a remote controller while watching an EPG.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a program information acquisition and holding circuit for acquiring and storing EPG data of a selected broadcasting station.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Antenna, 2 ... Tuner, 3 ... MPEG demultiplexer, 4 ... A / V decoder, 5 ... Program information acquisition and holding circuit, 6 ... Character generator, 7 ... Microcontroller, 8 ... Synthesizer, 9 ... Digital-analog conversion Circuit, 10 CRT, 11 remote control light receiving unit, 12 memory, 21 television, 22 remote controller, 23 user, 24 user frame.

Claims (5)

A digital broadcast receiver for acquiring EPG data transmitted by digital broadcasting, storing the EPG data in a memory area allocated to each broadcasting station, and displaying the stored EPG data, wherein the digital broadcasting receiver is selected by a user. When all the EPG data of one broadcasting station are acquired and all the EPG data of the broadcasting station are stored, when the memory capacity allocated to the broadcasting station is insufficient, the other broadcasting station is notified. Using the allocated memory area, the memory allocation for replenishing the insufficient memory capacity is changed, and all the EPG data acquired for one broadcasting station selected by the user is stored in the memory area to which the allocation has been changed. And displaying the stored EPG data. The digital broadcast receiver reallocates a memory area excluding the reallocated memory area from all the memory areas allocated to store the EPG data to another broadcasting station selected by the user, The EPG data of another broadcasting station selected by the user is obtained, the obtained EPG data is stored in the reallocated memory area, and the stored EPG data is displayed. Item 2. A digital broadcast receiver according to item 1. In a digital broadcast receiver for acquiring EPG data transmitted by digital broadcasting, storing the EPG data in a memory area allocated to each broadcasting station, and displaying the stored EPG data, the digital broadcasting receiver stores the EPG data in the digital broadcasting receiver. All the memory areas allocated for storage are reallocated to the broadcasting station selected by the user, the EPG data of the broadcasting station selected by the user is acquired, and the acquired EPG data is reallocated. A digital broadcast receiver, wherein the digital broadcast receiver is stored in a memory area in which the EPG data is stored and displayed. In a digital broadcast receiver for acquiring EPG data transmitted by digital broadcasting, storing the EPG data in a memory area allocated to each broadcasting station, and displaying the stored EPG data, the digital broadcasting receiver stores the EPG data in the digital broadcasting receiver. In order to save all the EPG data of the selected broadcasting station in order from the broadcasting station with the highest priority among the broadcasting stations selected and assigned by the user, the entire memory area allocated for saving is selected. The EPG data is re-allocated to have the required memory capacity, all the EPG data of the broadcast station to which the memory is allocated is acquired, the acquired EPG data is stored in the re-allocated memory area, and the stored EPG data is stored. A digital broadcast receiver characterized by displaying. The digital broadcast receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the digital broadcast receiver displays EPG data after a display start date specified by a user.

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