Abstract:
Provided is a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box and a home network control system employing the same. The set-top box includes: a satellite signal receiving unit for receiving a satellite signal including a home network control signal for controlling the household appliances through a satellite broadcasting network from a remote terminal; and a control unit for extracting a household appliances control signal included in the satellite signal transmitted from the satellite signal receiving unit and commanding a power line converter to transmit the household appliances control signal to a corresponding household appliance, wherein the power line converter converts the household appliances control signal transmitted from the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box into a power line communication signal and transmits the power line communication signal on the home network through a power line.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box and a home network control system employing the same; and, more particularly, to a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box that can contribute to establishing an efficient home network control system with a minimal cost by realizing a home server function in a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box and a function for converting and transmitting a home network control signal transmitted from the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box into a power line communication signal through a power line converter, and a home network control system and method using the same.  
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
       [0002]     A digital satellite broadcasting set-top box means a digital satellite broadcasting reception terminal set including a demodulator, a channel decoder, a mode deadaptor, and a control processor having a modem function for receiving digital satellite broadcasting in conformity to a standard established by digital video broadcasting (DVB), which is a European international standard. The digital satellite broadcasting reception terminal set needs to be set up to receive satellite broadcasting. The digital satellite broadcasting set-top box includes a satellite broadcasting standard DVB-S and DVB-S2 which are being broadcasted in Korea.  
         [0003]     Also, a home network control system, i.e., a home server, functions as a connector for gathering diverse information of household appliances or information devices, and connecting the diverse information to an external communication network. That is, the home network control system means a system for controlling all household appliances and information devices in the inside and outside of a house.  
         [0004]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a current home server is realized in a form of the set-top box or diverse forms such as a digital television, a refrigerator, an audio and a private server for home network, i.e., a Personal Computer (PC).  
         [0005]     The home server should cost less, be easily set up and connected to devices in the inside of the home network.  
         [0006]     The set-top box and the private server for home network generally used as a home network control device require purchase of an individual equipment and are very expensive.  
         [0007]     Therefore, a method for establishing an efficient home server system with a minimal cost by realizing a home server function in the generally used digital satellite broadcasting set-top box and by using moderate power line communication (PLC), which can be easily transferred and set up, as a control interface, is required.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box that can contribute to establishing an efficient home network control system with a minimal cost by realizing a home server function in a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box and a function for converting and transmitting a home network control signal transmitted from the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box into a power line communication signal through a power line converter, and a home network control system and method employing the set-top box.  
         [0009]     Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by the following description and become more apparent from the embodiments in accordance with the present invention, which are set forth hereinafter. It will be also apparent that objects and advantages of the invention can be embodied easily by the means defined in claims and combinations thereof.  
         [0010]     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box for controlling household appliances on a home network realized through a power line in a house, the set-top box including: a satellite signal receiving unit for receiving a satellite signal including a home network control signal for controlling the household appliances through a satellite broadcasting network from a remote terminal; and a control unit for extracting a household appliances control signal included in the satellite signal transmitted from the satellite signal receiving unit and commanding a power line converter to transmit the household appliances control signal to a corresponding household appliance, wherein the power line converter converts the household appliances control signal transmitted from the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box into a power line communication signal and transmits the power line communication signal on the home network through a power line.  
         [0011]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a home network control system controlling household appliances on a home network realized through a power line in a house, the system including: a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box for extracting a home network control signal for controlling the household appliances included in a satellite signal transmitted from a remote terminal through a satellite broadcasting network and commanding a power line converter to transmit the household appliances control signal to a corresponding household appliance; and a power line converter for converting the household appliances control signal into a power line communication signal and transmitting the power line communication signal on the home network through the power line.  
         [0012]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a home network control method using a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box to control household appliances on a home network realized through a power line in a house, the method including the steps of: a) when a remote terminal transmits an access through a satellite broadcasting network, authenticating a user of the remote terminal; b) when the user authentication is successful, requesting the remote terminal to transmit a home network control signal through a satellite broadcasting network; c) when a satellite signal including the household appliances control signal is transmitted from the remote terminal through a satellite broadcasting network as a result of the transmission of the household appliances control signal request, extracting the household appliances control signal from the satellite signal; and d) converting the extracted household appliances control signal into a power line communication signal and transmitting the power line communication signal on the home network through a power line.  
         [0013]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a home network control method using a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box for controlling household appliances on a home network realized through a power line in a house, the method including the steps of: a) when a user requests to control a specific household appliance, authenticating the user; b) when the user authentication is successful, creating the household appliances control signal for controlling the household appliances corresponding to the request of the user; and c) converting the created household appliances control signal into a power line communication signal and transmitting the power line communication signal on the home network through a power line.  
         [0014]     In a general digital satellite broadcasting transmission system, a transmitting station combines broadcasting transmitting signals from diverse broadcasting stations, transmits the broadcasting transmitting signals through a satellite and receives the broadcasting transmitting signals through a satellite antenna owed by each subscriber with the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box. Subsequently, when the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box decodes the transmitted broadcasting signal, the subscriber can watch TV.  
         [0015]     A following transmitting method is required to operate the general digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in a mode of functioning as a home gateway and a home server while the general digital satellite broadcasting set-top box operates a main function.  
         [0016]     Diverse providers related to a home network formation such as a power provider, security provider and Internet/mobile phone/telephone provider are connected to the transmitting station. Request signals of the subscriber, which are requested from external through each providers or requested by being directly connected to the transmitting station, are combined and transmitted by being loaded in the DVB-S or a DVB-S2 broadcasting/communication frame. In a process of loading the signals in the frame, information of subscribers should be differently coded, respectively. The transmitted signal is transmitted to satellite antennas owed by subscribers having the digital satellite broadcasting reception set-top box through the satellite. In each digital satellite broadcasting reception set-top box, only a corresponding user can receive the signal through a user authenticating process. The received signal is converted into a power line signal by a power line converter to be mounted on the inside or outside of the digital satellite broadcasting reception set-top box, and make it possible to communicate with each of the connected household appliances.  
         [0017]     The digital satellite broadcasting set-top box having an interactive communicating function, i.e., a digital video broadcasting-reaction control system (DVB-RCS) function, supported as an option in the DVB-S2 standard can store an error analysis log in the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box based on the signals reversely transmitted from each household appliance. Also, the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box can transmit information to the transmitting station, each provider and subscribers by using the RCS function and through the satellite. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a home subsystem using a conventional set-top box;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a home network control system using a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a power line converter of the home network control system in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart describing a home network control method using a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart describing the home network control method using the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, those skilled in the art of the present invention can embody the technological concept and scope of the invention easily. In addition, if it is considered that detailed description on a related art may obscure the points of the present invention, the detailed description will not be provided herein. The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a home network control system using a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]     The home network control system using the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box of the present invention includes a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  and a power line converter  22 . The power line converter  22  can be mounted in the inside of the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  or connected to the outside of the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21 .  
         [0028]     The digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  transmits a home network control signal selected by menu selection of the user to the power line converter  22  and transmits the home network control signal corresponding to the control signal from a remote region to the power line converter  22  in a home server mode.  
         [0029]     The digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  can directly control household appliances or information devices in the inside of the home network by the menu selection in a state that the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  is connected to the power line converter  22 . Also, the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  can control household appliances or information devices in the inside of the home network by a control signal from a wired/wireless terminal of the remote region capable of communication through the satellite communication broadcasting network.  
         [0030]     The power line converter  22  converts the home network control signal transmitted from the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  into a power line communication signal, transmits the power line communication signal through a power line and controls a corresponding device of the home network. The home network control signal means a signal for controlling household appliances.  
         [0031]     The power line communication signal transmitted through the power line converter  22  is broadcasted as the household appliances or the information devices in the inside of the home network through the power line. Subsequently, each household appliance or information device analyzes the power line communication signal based on a power line communication module and executes a corresponding function.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0033]     The digital satellite broadcasting set-top box of the present invention includes a digital satellite broadcasting transmitting/receiving unit  31 , a calculating/control unit  32 , a coder/decoder (CODEC)  33 , a storing unit  34 , a voice output unit  35 , a displaying unit  36 , an input unit  37  and a voice input unit.  
         [0034]     The digital satellite broadcasting transmitting/receiving unit  31  wirelessly transmits/receives a signal through a satellite antenna. The calculating/control unit  32  drives and controls the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21 , and transmits a home network control signal corresponding to the home network control signal transmitted from the input unit  37  and/or the remote control signal transmitted from the remote region through the satellite communication broadcasting network in a home server mode to the power line converter  22 .  
         [0035]     The calculating/control unit  32  recognizes the remote control signal transmitted from the remote region through the satellite communication broadcasting network and converts the remote control signal into a corresponding home network control signal. The CODEC  33  converts the signal transmitted from a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  11  into voice according to a control signal of the calculating/control unit  32 , outputs the voice to the voice output unit  35 , e.g., a speaker, converts the voice transmitted from the voice input unit into a signal, transmits the signal to the calculating/control unit  32  to emit the signal through the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  31 .  
         [0036]     The storing unit  34  stores a program file for driving the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  31 , a file system such as an image, a character and an icon and a home network control program. The voice output unit  35  outputs the voice transmitted from the CODEC  33 . The displaying unit  36 , e.g., Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), outputs a menu selection screen by control of the calculating/control unit  32 . The input unit  37 , e.g., a keypad, receives a telephone number, menu selection information, a home network control signal, and a home network control mode setup request signal through a button. The voice input unit receives the voice and transmits the voice to the CODEC  33 .  
         [0037]     When the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  of the present invention includes only the calculating/control unit  32 , the input unit  37 , the storing unit  34  and the displaying unit  36  among constitutional elements, the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  can control a home network by menu selection.  
         [0038]     When a voice guidance service including the voice output unit  35  is provided, the displaying unit  36  is not necessarily required.  
         [0039]     When the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  further includes the digital satellite broadcasting transmitting/receiving unit  31  in addition to the calculating/control unit  32 , the input unit  37 , the storing unit  34 , and the displaying unit  36 , the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  can control home network by the menu selection and the remote control signal from a remote region terminal through a satellite communication network.  
         [0040]     Also, when a television is connected, the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  can execute a home network control function and general digital satellite broadcasting set-top box functions, i.e., a communication broadcasting function.  
         [0041]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a power line converter of the home network control system in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. The power line converter can be mounted to the inside or outside of the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21 .  
         [0042]     The power line converter of the present invention includes a power line communication converting unit  41 , a rectifying unit  42  and a power authorizing unit  43 .  
         [0043]     The power line communication converting unit  41  converts the home network control signal transmitted from the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  into a power line communication signal and transmits the power line communication signal to the power authorizing unit  43 . The rectifying unit  42  converts alternating current transmitted from the power authorizing unit  43  into direct current and transmits the direct current to a feeding equipment of the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21 . The power authorizing unit  43  transmits the alternating current transmitted through the power line to the rectifying unit  42  and transmits the power line communication signal transmitted from the power line communication converting unit  41  to a corresponding device of the home network through the power line.  
         [0044]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart describing a home network control method using a digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0045]     When the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  receives a call connection request from the remote region terminal in a home network control mode at step S 501 , the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  outputs guide information, receives a password and authenticates a user at step S 502 . Subsequently, the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  checks whether the user authentication is successful at step S 503 .  
         [0046]     When the user authentication is successful at step S 503 , the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  outputs guide information on a home network control and receives a remote control signal at step S 504 . Subsequently, the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  recognizes the inputted remote control signal, converts the remote control signal into a corresponding home network control signal and transmits the home network control signal to the power line converter  22  at step S 505 .  
         [0047]     The power line converter  22  controls the corresponding device of the home network by converting the home network control signal transmitted from the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  into a power line communication signal and transmitting the power line communication signal through the power line at step S 506 . The steps S 504  to S 506  are repeatedly processed until completion of the call to control diverse devices of the home network.  
         [0048]     Meanwhile, when the user authentication is not successful at step S 503 , the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box notifies failure of the user authentication to the user at step S 507 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart describing the home network control method using the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0050]     When the calculating/control unit  32  of the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  receives a home network control signal directly from a user through the input unit  37  at step S 601 , the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  additionally receives a password from the user and authenticates the user at step S 602 . Subsequently, the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  checks whether the user authentication is successful at step S 603 .  
         [0051]     When the user authentication is successful at step S 603 , the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  transmits the home network control signal inputted through the input unit  37  to the power line converter  22  at step S 605 .  
         [0052]     The power line converter  22  controls a corresponding device of the home network by converting the home network control signal transmitted from the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box  21  into a power line communication signal and transmitting the power line communication signal through the power line at step S 606 .  
         [0053]     Meanwhile, when the user authentication is not successful at step S 603 , the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box notifies the failure of the user authentication to the user at step S 604 .  
         [0054]     The present invention can establish an efficient home network control system with a minimal cost by realizing a home server function in the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box and a function for converting the home network control signal of the digital satellite broadcasting set-top box into the power line communication signal in the power line converter and transmitting the power line communication signal.  
         [0055]     As described in detail, the technology of the present invention can be realized as a program and stored in a computer-readable recording medium, such as CD-ROM, RAM, ROM, a floppy disk, a hard disk and a magneto-optical disk. Since the process can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art of the present invention, further description will not be provided herein.  
         [0056]     The present application contains subject matter related to Korean patent applications No. 2005-0116049 and No. 2006-0069950 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Dec. 1, 2005 and Jul. 25, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0057]     While the present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.