KR101562674B1 - For controlling a broadcast receiving terminal using a code and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving terminal control method using a code and an apparatus therefor. A method of controlling a broadcast receiving terminal using a code, the method comprising: receiving a code recognized from a remote controller and a signal corresponding to a button input by a user; referring to a previously stored command table, Extracting one or more commands, and executing the extracted one or more commands. According to the present invention, there is an advantage that a convenient service can be provided to a user by using a code, a button provided on a remote controller, and a command table stored in a broadcast receiving terminal.

Code, remote control, button, command table, command, code table, set-top box

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving terminal control method using a code,

The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving terminal control method using a code and an apparatus therefor, and a method and an apparatus for providing a digital data broadcasting service convenient for a user using a code printed on a printed matter.

Currently, the digital broadcasting standard is divided into three categories: DVB-MHP (Digital Video Broadcasting - Multimedia Home Platform) in Europe, ATSCDASE (Advanced Television Systems Committee) in the United States, Open Cable Application Platform (OCAP) ), And other standardization organizations.

Recently, digital broadcasting standards have been actively researched, and broadcasting signals including video, audio, and data have been compressed into digital signals. As a result, multi-channel communication has become possible, and unidirectional broadcasting Service on-demand video service.

In addition, independent interactive services such as weather, fortune-telling, news, securities, email, electronic program guides (EPG), TV shopping, banking, telephone services and Internet search, and data related directly or indirectly Information) can be provided.

Further, various services such as a viewing reservation through an electronic program guide (EPG) and a recording reservation through a personal video recorder (PVR) are available.

There is a problem in that a user must execute a multi-level menu through a set-top box in order to use digital data broadcasting.

For example, when a user desires to search for a predetermined movie, it is necessary to search sequentially from the upper category to the lower category.

That is, the user has to search for a desired program because it has to sequentially select a movie menu, select a genre, select a domestic movie or a foreign movie, and search for a movie name sequentially.

There is a method of searching by inputting a movie name directly, but it is impossible to search if the user does not know the exact name of the movie.

Such troubles exist not only in the movie search but also throughout the digital data broadcasting service such as the viewing reservation, the recording reservation, the product detailed information viewing, and the product purchase.

Currently, multi-channelization, various additional services, and even search services are available. However, through a remote controller (hereinafter, referred to as a 'remote controller') provided until now, .

In order to overcome such a problem, a remote controller having a barcode recognition function has recently been proposed.

However, with the conventional remote controller having the barcode recognition function, for example, only one piece of information matched to the barcode can be provided as detailed information on a specific product, and various services can not be provided.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-42355 (titled " remote control system and method using a digital code ") discloses controlling a predetermined device through a remote controller having a code recognition function.

However, according to the disclosed patent, the remote controller transmits only a signal for executing a single command to one of a plurality of controlled devices. For example, when the controlled device is a set-top box, power is turned on / off, When the controlled device is an air conditioner, only a single command such as power on / off, air amount increase, and air amount decrease is transmitted.

According to the patent, each of the controlled devices executes only a single command through a remote controller having a barcode recognition function, and a service according to a series of scenarios can not be provided.

In order to solve the problems of the related art as described above, the present invention proposes a broadcast receiving terminal control method using a code capable of providing various services according to a user's request through a remote controller having a code recognition function, and an apparatus therefor I want to.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a broadcast receiving terminal control method and apparatus for providing a variety of services to a user even when code resources are limited.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a broadcast receiving terminal using a code, the method comprising: receiving a code recognized from a remote controller and a signal corresponding to a button input by a user; ; Extracting one or more commands corresponding to the signal by referring to a previously stored command table; And executing the extracted one or more commands.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a broadcast receiving terminal using a code, comprising: receiving a signal corresponding to a code recognized from a remote controller; Extracting one or more commands corresponding to the signal by referring to a previously stored command table; And executing the extracted one or more commands.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a broadcast receiving terminal connected to a head end via a network, comprising: a memory in which a command table in which one or more commands for each of signals output from a remote controller are defined; A signal receiving unit for receiving a code recognized from the remote controller and a signal corresponding to a button input by a user; And a processor for extracting at least one command corresponding to the signal with reference to the command table, and executing the extracted one or more commands.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote controller apparatus for controlling a broadcast receiving terminal, comprising: a code recognizing unit for recognizing a code; A memory for storing a code table for signal output corresponding to the recognized code; A key input unit including at least one button associated with control of a broadcast receiving terminal; And a control unit for referring to the code table and outputting a code recognized by the code recognition unit and a signal corresponding to the button.

According to the present invention, when a predetermined signal is received from a remote controller, there is an advantage that a service according to a series of scenarios can be provided by referring to an instruction table stored in a broadcast reception terminal.

Further, according to the present invention, even when the instruction table is updated at an appropriate time and the code resources are limited, the user can truly provide a desired service at that time.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. Like reference numerals are used for like elements in describing each drawing.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component or a combination thereof described in the specification, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

 Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used for the same means regardless of the number of the drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating a broadcast service providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system according to the present invention may include a headend 100 and a broadcast receiving terminal 102 connected to the headend 100 via a network.

Here, the network may include both a terrestrial network, a satellite network, a cable network, and the Internet.

The headend 100 converts the video and audio signals for the broadcast programs of various channels into a predetermined format and transmits the converted video and audio signals to the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

In addition, the headend 100 performs a scheduling function for a broadcast program and a scrambling function for restrictive reception so that other users can not access the subscriber.

Here, the broadcast program may include not only broadcast content (hereinafter referred to as 'content') provided in real time but also on-demand video provided according to a request of a user.

The headend 100 may include a separate communication server (e.g., a return path server) for processing the user's requirements over the uplink channel to provide various communication services such as message transmission and reception.

Meanwhile, the headend 100 can provide not only a broadcast program, but also an interactive application for providing various additional services and bidirectional services to the user, to the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

The interactive application is independent of or cooperates with the broadcast program and provides useful data to the user. The interactive application includes weather, fortune, news, securities, e-mail, electronic program guide (EPG), TV shopping, banking, A standalone interactive application such as a food order and an Internet search, and an interactive interactive application capable of providing data (additional information) directly or indirectly related to a broadcast program.

The broadcast receiving terminal 102 processes the broadcast signals (video, audio, and data) provided by the channel selected by the user and provides the processed signals to the user.

An operating system (Operating System) and middleware for application execution are installed in the broadcast receiving terminal 102. An interactive application according to a user's request is downloaded from the head end 100, and the corresponding interactive application is driven and data To the user.

Although the following description is made on the assumption that the broadcast receiving terminal 102 is a set-top box connected to a display device such as a TV, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the signal received from a remote controller (remote controller: remote controller) And a terminal capable of executing a command according to the present invention.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a remote controller 104 having a code recognition function is provided.

The remote controller 104 according to the present invention transmits a signal corresponding to the recognized code to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 by referring to a code table stored in advance.
The remote controller 104 according to the present invention is a portable device that transmits a control signal according to user's selection to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 while being separated from the broadcast receiving terminal 102 by a predetermined distance.

Preferably, the remote controller 104 transmits a recognized code and a signal corresponding to the input button to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 when the user inputs a button during code recognition.

Here, the buttons are provided on the remote controller in at least two or more, and are used for requesting different services in relation to contents and products.

For example, in a state where two buttons are provided, when the user recognizes a code assigned to the content and simultaneously inputs one button, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 can schedule viewing of the corresponding content , Otherwise, when another button is input, recording reservation of the corresponding content can be performed.

The broadcast receiving terminal 102 according to the present invention performs a control process corresponding to the received signal when a code recognized from the remote controller 104 and a signal corresponding to a button input by the user are received.

A command table is stored in the broadcast receiving terminal 102 according to the present invention for control using a code.

In the command table according to the present invention, one or more command information for each signal that can be received by the remote controller 104 is stored.

Preferably, a command combination corresponding to a predetermined signal is defined in the command table, and the command combination may include a plurality of commands whose execution order is determined.

Here, the command combination means a combination of individual commands such as TV power on / off, connection to a predetermined URL (server), predetermined information request, application activation (loading), and predetermined interface output.

According to the present invention, when a code recognized from the remote controller 104 and a signal corresponding to a button input by the user are received, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 refers to the command table and determines one or more And sequentially executes the extracted commands in a predetermined order.

For example, when the signal received from the remote controller 104 is a viewing reservation of a predetermined content, the command table is used to activate the EPG application, search for the content (program ID) in the EPG, A plurality of commands such as a broadcast time storage may be defined.

The broadcast receiving terminal 102 extracts a plurality of commands corresponding to the signal received from the remote controller 104 with reference to the command table and sequentially executes the extracted commands so that the user can automatically watch the contents in the corresponding broadcast time .

According to the present invention, since the command is defined in the command table according to the recognized code and the button input by the user, if the number of codes is k and the number of the buttons provided in the remote controller is n, Corresponding command combinations can be defined.

The instruction table according to the present invention can be updated with time so that the user can reflect the request while minimizing the data size of the instruction table.

At the time of updating the command table, the signal received from the remote controller 104 can be defined as a command combination different from the previous one.

For example, a code recognized at the first time point and a signal of '11111' corresponding to the inputted button can be defined as viewing reservation of the A content, and at a second time point at which the command table is updated, '11111' The signal may be defined as a viewing reservation of the C content.

Preferably, the A content is content that is popular with the user at the first time point, whereas the command table update may be performed when the C content is popular at the second time point.

In the case of updating the instruction table as in the present invention, even if the same code is assigned to different contents, another command can be executed according to time.

According to the present invention, it is possible to execute another command for the same code through a broadcast receiving terminal having a code recognition function, a remote controller having one or more buttons and an updatable command table, Various services are available.

Hereinafter, a system configuration according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

2 is a block diagram of a remote controller according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2, the remote controller 104 according to the present invention may include a code recognition unit 200, a memory 202, a key input unit 204, a control unit 206, and a signal transmission unit 208 .

The code recognition unit 200 recognizes the code 220 printed on the printed matter.

Here, the printed matter may include a broadcast program (content) brochure, a product introduction booklet, an advertisement flyer distributed in the area, and a coupon for participating in an event.

In the following description, it is assumed that the broadcast receiving terminal is controlled through a code in which the printed matter is printed for convenience of explanation. However, this is only an embodiment, and if the remote controller 104 can recognize the type information, As will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The code may include not only general bar codes but also QR codes, PDF417, DataMatrix codes, Maxi codes, Dot codes and color codes.

The code recognition unit 200 according to the present invention can be realized in a form capable of recognizing one of various codes as described above, which is well known to those skilled in the art, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A code according to the present invention is given for a given object (e.g., content, product or service) and may be printed adjacent to the object.

A code table for generating a signal corresponding to the code recognized by the code recognition unit 200 is stored in the memory 202 of the remote controller 104. [

Here, the code table includes information for converting the recognized code into a signal that can be received and processed by the broadcast receiving terminal 102.

If an infrared (IR) communication method is applied to the remote controller 104, the code table may include information for converting the recognized code into an infrared signal.

When a code for a predetermined object is recognized through the code recognition unit 200, the control unit 206 refers to the code table and generates a signal corresponding to the recognized code.

The generated signal is transmitted to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 through the signal transmitting unit 208.

Signals corresponding to the recognized codes can be transmitted to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 according to various protocols such as RF (Radio Frequency), Zigbee and Bluetooth as well as infrared communication commonly used in the remote controller have.

Meanwhile, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the key input unit 204 includes a number button, a menu selection button, and the like for channel selection like a general remote controller, The above buttons 210 and 212 are provided.

Preferably, at least two buttons used for controlling the broadcast receiving terminal may be provided.

According to the present invention, when the code recognition process is performed and the user inputs one of the buttons 210 and 212, the control unit 206 generates a signal corresponding to the recognized code and the inputted button, And transmits it to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 via the transmitting unit 208.

For example, when the user inputs the first button 210 for a predetermined code, a signal corresponding to '11111' is output. When the user inputs the second button 212 for the same code, '11112' Can output a signal corresponding to the signal.

A different signal is outputted according to the button inputted by the user with respect to the same code, and a command corresponding to the signal received by the broadcast receiving terminal 102 is executed.

3 is a block diagram of a broadcast receiving terminal according to the present invention.

3, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 according to the present invention may include a signal receiving unit 300, a processor 302, a memory 304, and a network communication unit 306. As shown in FIG.

The signal receiving unit 300 can receive a signal for simple control from the remote controller 104, a code recognized as described above, and a signal corresponding to a button input by the user.

Here, the recognized code and the signal corresponding to the user input button are signals for allowing a command having a series of scenarios to be executed.

The processor 302 analyzes the received signal and sequentially executes command extraction and extracted commands with reference to an instruction table stored in the memory 304. [

As shown in FIG. 4, a command combination corresponding to a predetermined signal is defined in the command table according to the present invention, and the command combination may include a plurality of commands whose execution order is determined.

At this time, another command combination may be defined for the same code according to the button input by the user.

For example, a plurality of commands for defining the viewing reservation of the A content can be sequentially defined for the signal " 11111 ".

On the other hand, a plurality of commands for recording reservation of the A content can be sequentially defined with respect to the signal '11112', which is defined as the reservation of recording of the A content.

As described above, in consideration of the case where the user inputs another button for the same code, another command is defined for the same code in the command table.

The command combination for viewing reservation of the A content is a sequential order such as TV power-on, EPG application activation, A content search (program ID search), search A content broadcast information storage (broadcast channel and time information storage) In command.

A combination of commands for recording reservation of A content may include sequential commands such as PVR application activation, A content search, recording availability determination, storage of information about the A content broadcast, and output of processing results.

In the above description, one of the viewing reservation and the recording reservation for the A content is performed through the two buttons 210 and 212. However, the button can be further added and the channel tuning for viewing the A content or the A content (VOD), an operation such as a VOD direct view may be performed.

On the other hand, in the command table, not only the content but also a command combination for a signal related to the commodity is defined.

For example, the signal '22221' may be defined as the detailed information of the B product, and '22222' may be defined as the purchase of the B product.

Likewise, when the user inputs another button for a code assigned to the same product, the remote controller 104 can output another signal as described above.

At this time, in the command table, a plurality of commands such as TV power-on for the '22221', a server connection, an application request related to the B product to the server, and an interface output including product detail information can be defined.

On the other hand, for '22222', a plurality of commands such as turning on the TV, connecting the server, receiving the application related to the B commodity from the server, and executing the payment module of the application may be defined.

Through the above-described instruction table, it is possible to provide different services to the same codes as shown in FIGS. 5 to 6.

In the case where a button is further added as in the case of the content, an operation such as participating in an event related to the B commodity or viewing competitive commodity information related to the B commodity may be performed through the added button.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a service based on a user's area by using a code printed on leaflets or coupons distributed in the area.

For example, if a code is printed on a leaflet distributed at a pizza house, '33331' may be defined as a menu view of the corresponding pizza house, and '33332' may be defined as a particular pizza order.

As with the product example, a plurality of commands such as TV power-on, server connection, pizza-related application request and menu view interface output are defined for '33331', and '33332' , A pizza house related application request, and a payment module execution may be defined.

For food orders, you can provide services based on your location.

In the above example, the command table may further include a command such as search for surrounding pizza house information and search result output referring to the user profile for '33331' or '33332'.

When a predetermined signal is received from the remote controller 104, the processor 302 extracts one or more commands defined for the signal by referring to the command table, and sequentially executes the command.

As described above, since a plurality of commands are defined for one signal in the command table, the user can utilize various services with at least the key input for the same object.

When a connection to the server is required during execution of the command, the network communication unit 306 transmits the application request information for viewing predetermined information, for example, the detailed information of the content or the product, to the server, and receives the application or the like .

The network communication unit 306 may receive information related to the command table update from the server and the processor 302 updates the command table stored in the memory 304 when the information is received.

When the command table is updated, a command combination different from that before can be defined for a predetermined signal received from the remote controller 104. [

For example, '11111' in the command table may be updated from watching content of A content to viewing of C content immediately, and '11112' may be updated by viewing reservation of C content in recording reservation of A content.

When updating the command table, the command combination for each signal is defined differently from the previous one.

The update of the instruction table presupposes that the code previously assigned to the A content is given to the C content.

As described above, the update of the instruction table can be performed when the content that many users are interested in changes over time. This makes it possible to control the broadcast receiving terminal using the code without significantly changing the data size of the command table within a limited range of code resources.

In the above description, the update of the command table is described as the change of the content. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the update of the command table may be a command addition to the same content.

For example, in the case where it is defined as the A content viewing reservation for '11111' at the beginning, a command for determining whether or not the user has watched all or part of the A content beforehand during the execution of the command for viewing reservation is added There may be a need.

In this case, in the command table, the power of the TV is turned on, the EPG application is activated, the search for the content A (search for the program ID), the previous viewing of the detected A content, Time information storage) and a processing result output can be defined.

Here, the previous viewing of the A content can be performed with reference to the service usage history (the viewing history, the purchase history, the event participation history, etc.) of the user stored in the memory 304.

As shown in Fig. 8, an interface for confirming whether or not to continuously watch the user during execution of the viewing reservation command can be output in addition to the above-described command.

In addition, it is possible to determine whether or not the A content has been previously viewed, as well as a command to determine whether or not there is a viewing reservation of another content in the same time zone after confirming a broadcast channel and time of the A content, There will be.

In the above description, different services are provided for the same object according to the recognized code and the button inputted by the user.

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least two or more codes may be assigned to one object, and a description of each code may be added to the printed matter.

For example, two codes are assigned to the A content in the program guide book, where the first code may be reserved for viewing and the second code may be reserved for recording. Correspondingly, in the command table, a command combination for viewing reservation for a signal corresponding to the first code and a command combination for recording reservation for a signal corresponding to the second code can be defined.

In the case where different codes are assigned to one object and different codes are defined in the command table for each code, different services can be provided for the same object even though no separate button is provided on the remote controller 104 .

9 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling a broadcast receiving terminal according to the present invention.

9, a command table in which a command combination for a signal transmitted from a remote controller is defined is stored in the broadcast receiving terminal 102 (step 900).

Then, the remote controller 104 recognizes the code printed on the printed matter (Step 902), and receives the button information inputted by the user (Step 904).

The remote controller 104 refers to the code table stored in the memory and transmits the recognized code and a signal corresponding to the button input by the user to the broadcast receiving terminal 102 (step 906).

The broadcast receiving terminal 102 analyzes the received signal (Step 908), extracts one or more commands defined for the received signal with reference to the command table (Step 910).

Thereafter, the extracted one or more commands are sequentially executed (step 912).

In step 912, a process of requesting and receiving an application through power-on of a TV, activating a predetermined application, or connecting to a server, and outputting a predetermined interface may be performed.

On the other hand, at a certain point in time, the broadcast receiving terminal 102 receives the command table update related information from the server (step 914), thereby updating the command table (step 916).

An operation different from that for the same signal transmitted from the remote controller through the update of the command table can be performed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The appended claims are to be considered as falling within the scope of the following claims.

1 illustrates a broadcast service providing system according to the present invention.

2 is a block diagram of a remote controller according to the present invention;

3 is a block diagram of a broadcast receiving terminal according to the present invention;

4 is a diagram showing an example of an instruction table according to the present invention;

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process of providing different services for the same content according to the present invention.

6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process of providing different services for the same product according to the present invention.

7 is a diagram for explaining a process of providing a service related to a restaurant according to the present invention;

8 is a view showing an example of outputting an interface for confirming whether or not to view a view during a viewing reservation according to the present invention.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a process of controlling a broadcast receiving terminal using a code according to the present invention.

Claims (11)

A method for controlling a broadcast receiving terminal using a code, Receiving a code recognized from the portable device and a signal corresponding to the button of the portable device input by the user; Extracting a plurality of commands corresponding to the signal with reference to a previously stored command table; And Executing the extracted plurality of commands ≪ / RTI > Wherein the command table defines a command combination corresponding to a signal received from the portable device, the command combination includes a plurality of commands having a series of scenarios according to a predetermined order Wherein the step of executing the plurality of commands sequentially executes each of a plurality of commands belonging to the command combination in accordance with the predetermined order. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the portable device outputs a signal corresponding to the recognized code and the input button with reference to a code table stored in advance. 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein the portable device includes at least two buttons, and outputs a different signal according to the input button for the same code. delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the command table is updatable and a command different from the previous one is defined for the same signal in the updated command table. The method according to claim 1, And when the code is set for content, a command combination for use of the content is defined in the command table. The method according to claim 1, And when the code is set for a predetermined commodity, a command combination for commodity use is defined in the command table. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the execution of the command is performed with reference to at least one of service usage history information and a user profile. delete A broadcast receiving terminal connected to a head end via a network, A memory in which a command table in which a command combination including a plurality of commands for each signal output from the portable device is defined is stored; A signal receiving unit for receiving a code recognized from the portable device and a signal corresponding to a button of the portable device input by the user; And A processor for extracting one or more commands corresponding to the signal with reference to the command table and executing the extracted one or more commands, ≪ / RTI > Wherein the plurality of commands included in the command combination have a series of scenarios according to a predetermined order, Wherein the processor executes each of the plurality of extracted commands according to the predetermined order. 1. A portable device for controlling a broadcast receiving terminal, A code recognition unit for recognizing a code; A memory for storing a code table for signal output corresponding to the recognized code; A key input unit including at least one button associated with control of a broadcast receiving terminal; And And a control unit for referring to the code table and outputting a code recognized by the code recognition unit and a signal corresponding to a button selected by the user among the buttons, ≪ / RTI > Wherein the output signal corresponds to a command combination including a plurality of commands for controlling the broadcast receiving terminal and each of the plurality of commands is sequentially executed in the broadcast receiving terminal in accordance with a series of scenarios according to a predetermined order Features mobile devices.

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