Abstract:
There are provided a channel control method and apparatus for a TV having a channel reservation function. The TV channel control method includes (a) determining whether reservation instructions for a subsequent program have been received; (b) if it is determined in step (a) that the instructions have been received, extracting and storing predetermined information concerning the subsequent program from electronic program guide (EPG) information; (c) determining whether it is the starting time of the subsequent program using the predetermined information extracted in step (b); and (d) if it is determined in step (c) that it is the starting time of the subsequent program, changing the present channel to the channel for the subsequent program.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-34875, filed on Jun. 21, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a television (TV) channel control method and an apparatus, and more particularly, to a channel control method and apparatus for a TV having a channel reservation function, in which a program that a user wishes to watch next can be reserved while the user is watching the present program, and the present channel can be automatically changed to the channel of the reserved program so that the user can watch the reserved program at the correct starting time thereof.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    As data processing technologies are particularly developing in the field of televisions, broadcasting stations can transmit various kind of additional information, including general information on TV programs, together with video and audio signals, and TV receivers can utilize such additional information in many applications.  
           [0006]    In other words, according to the developments of digital data broadcasting systems, large amounts of additional information can be transmitted for users&#39; convenience. Such additional information includes not only general information on TV programs but also information concerning education, games, on-line commercial transactions, etc., and the coverage of the additional information is inclined to increase.  
           [0007]    Usually, a digital TV adopts provides a guide to available programs using additional information called electronic program guide (EPG) information.  
           [0008]    Although the interface of a conventional EPG menu system is very complex and inconvenient to use when a user of a digital TV wishes to reserve a desired program using the EPG information through a so called EPG menu system, an alternative system for simply and conveniently reserving the program has not been developed. In particular, since it is not possible to know the correct starting time of the broadcasting of a program reserved through the conventional EPG menu system, the user is forced to watch unwanted advertisement programs or waste time until broadcasting of the reserved program starts.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention provides a channel control method and apparatus for a TV having a channel reservation function, in which a program that a user wishes to watch next can be reserved while the user is watching the present program and the present channel can be automatically changed to the channel of the reserved program at the correct starting time thereof.  
           [0010]    According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a TV channel control method including the steps of (a) determining whether reservation instructions for a subsequent program have been received; (b) if it is determined in step (a) that the reservation instructions have been received, extracting and storing predetermined information concerning the subsequent program from electronic program guide (EPG) information; (c) determining whether it is the starting time of the subsequent program using the predetermined information extracted in step (b); and (d) if it is determined in step (c) that it is the starting time of the subsequent program, changing the present channel to the channel of the subsequent program.  
           [0011]    According to another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a TV channel control method including the steps of (a) determining whether a predetermined instant reservation menu key value has been received; (b) if it is determined in step (a) that the predetermined instant reservation menu key value has been received, displaying a program reservation menu for displaying available programs and allowing a user to selectively make a reservation for a subsequent program through an on-line display window; (c) if a subsequent program is selected through the program reservation menu, extracting and storing predetermined information concerning the subsequent program from the electronic program guide (EPG) information; (d) determining whether it is the starting time of the subsequent program using the predetermined information extracted in step (c); and (e) if it is determined in step (d) that it is the starting time of the subsequent program, changing the present channel to the channel of the subsequent program.  
           [0012]    According to still another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a TV channel control apparatus including a broadcasting signal receiving unit for selecting and demodulating only such broadcasting signals that correspond to a selected channel from received broadcasting signals in accordance with a channel control signal; an EPG storing unit for storing electronic program guide (EPG) information included in the broadcasting signals received through the broadcasting signal receiving unit; a memory for storing information concerning a subsequent program; a timer circuit for setting up the present time in accordance with a time control signal and producing information on the present time by counting and calculating predetermined clocks; and a controller for carrying out the processes of (a) extracting predetermined information concerning the subsequent program from the electronic program guide (EPG) information when a predetermined program reservation key value for the subsequent program is received and storing the extracted predetermined information in the memory; (b) generating a time control signal for setting the present time of the timer circuit based on the information on the present time, which is transmitted from a broadcasting station corresponding to the selected channel; and (c) comparing the starting time of the subsequent program, which is extracted from the predetermined information stored in the memory, with the present time set in accordance with the time control signal generated from the timer circuit, and if correspondence between the starting time and the present time is detected, generating a channel control signal to change the present channel to the channel of the subsequent program.  
           [0013]    According to yet another exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a TV channel control apparatus including a broadcasting signal receiving unit for selecting and demodulating only such broadcasting signals that correspond to a selected channel from received broadcasting signals in accordance with a channel control signal; an EPG storing unit for storing electronic program guide (EPG) information included in the broadcasting signals received through the broadcasting signal receiving unit; a memory for storing information concerning a subsequent program; a timer circuit for setting up the present time in accordance with a time control signal and producing information on the present time by counting and calculating predetermined clocks; a graphic processing unit for producing predetermined graphic signals through an on-screen display window in accordance with a graphic control signal; and a controller for carrying out the processes of (a) generating a graphic control signal to produce a program reservation menu for displaying available programs and allowing a user to selectively reserve the subsequent program when a predetermined instant reservation menu key value is received; (b) extracting predetermined information concerning the subsequent program from the electronic program guide (EPG) information when the subsequent program is selected through the program reservation menu and storing the extracted predetermined information in the memory; (c) generating a time control signal for setting the present time of the timer circuit based on the information on the present time, which is transmitted from a broadcasting station corresponding to the selected channel; and (d) comparing the starting time of the subsequent program, which is extracted from the predetermined information stored in the memory, with the present time set in accordance with the time control signal generated from the timer circuit, and if correspondence between the starting time and the present time is detected, generating a channel control signal to change the present channel to the channel of the subsequent program. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    The above exemplary aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail illustrative, non-limiting embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a television channel control apparatus according to the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a television channel control method according to an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a television channel control method according to another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]    Referring to FIG. 1, a television (TV) channel control apparatus according to the present invention includes an antenna  101 , a tuner  102 , a channel decoder  103 , a demultiplexer  104 , a key input device  105 , a controller  106 , an EPG storing unit  107 , a memory  108 , a graphic signal processor  109 , an audio signal processor  110 , a speaker  111 , a video signal processor  112 , a mixer  113 , a display device  114 , and a timer circuit  115 .  
         [0019]    First, basic operations of the TV channel control apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described.  
         [0020]    When a TV is powered on and a channel is selected using keys of the key input device  105 , the tuner  102  receives a channel control signal from the controller  106  and, in accordance with the channel control signal, selects such broadcasting signals that correspond to the selected channel from broadcasting signals received through the antenna  101 . The selected broadcasting signals are output to the channel decoder  103 . Then, the channel decoder  103  recovers digital signals detected from the selected broadcasting signals in the unit of packets and outputs the recovered digital broadcasting signals to the demultiplexer  104 . The demultiplexer  104  separates audio data, video data, and additional information data from the recovered digital broadcasting signals and outputs the separated audio, video, and additional information data in different bit streams.  
         [0021]    The separated audio data is decoded and converted to analog signals via the audio signal processor  110 , and the converted analog audio signals are ultimately output through the speaker  111 .  
         [0022]    Meanwhile, the separated video data is decoded and is subject to signal processing, such as error corrections, via the video signal processor  112 . The decoded video data is mixed into graphic signals to be displayed on an on-screen display window via the mixer  113 , and the mixed signals are ultimately output via the display device  114 .  
         [0023]    The additional information data separated through the demultiplexer  104  includes electronic program guide (EPG) information. The EPG information is input to the controller  106  and is processed by the controller  106  as follows.  
         [0024]    First, the controller  106  updates existing EPG information stored in EPG storing unit  107  with new EPG information included in the currently received additional information.  
         [0025]    Then, the controller  106  carries out the following control processes, according to an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]    i) When a next program reservation key value is received from the key input device  105 , the controller  106  carries out a first process for reading information on a starting time and a title of a subsequent program from an event information table (EIT) of the currently selected channel, which is included in the EPG information stored in the EPG storing unit  107 , and stores the information on a starting time and a title of a subsequent program in the memory  108 .  
         [0027]    ii) Then, the controller  106  carries out a second process for generating a time control signal to set the time of the timer circuit  115  based on information on the present time, which is transmitted from a broadcasting station corresponding to the currently selected channel.  
         [0028]    iii) Thereafter, the controller  106  carries out a third process for comparing a starting time of a subsequent program, which is stored in the memory  108 , with the present time produced from the timer circuit  108 , and if a correspondence between the starting time and the present time is detected, generating a channel control signal to change the currently selected channel to the channel for the subsequent program through the tuner  102 . As the result of the third process, the channel selected through the tuner  102  is changed to the channel for the subsequent program.  
         [0029]    The controller  106  may carry out the following control processes, according to another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0030]    i) When an instant reservation menu key value is received from the key input device  105 , the controller  106  carries out a first process for generating a graphic control signal to produce a program reservation menu for listing available programs and allowing a user to selectively reserve a subsequent program based on the EPG information stored in the EPG storing unit  107 , and applying the graphic control signal to the graphic signal processor  109 . As a result of the first process, the graphic signal processor  109  graphically processes the program reservation menu and outputs the graphically processed program reservation menu to the mixer  113 . Then, a picture for the graphically processed program reservation menu is output via the display device  114  to be overlapped with a broadcasting picture output from the video signal processor  112  by way of the mixer  113  or to be displayed in an on-screen display window.  
         [0031]    ii) When a reservation for a program is made using the program reservation menu displayed on a screen, the controller  106  carries out a second process for reading information on a starting time and a title of the subsequent program from the event information table (EIT) of the currently selected channel, which is included in the EPG information stored in the EPG storing unit  107 , and stores the information on a starting time and a title of the subsequent program in the memory  108 .  
         [0032]    iii) Then, the controller  106  carries out a third process for generating a time control signal to set the time of the timer circuit  115  based on information on the present time, which is transmitted from a broadcasting station corresponding to the currently selected channel.  
         [0033]    iv) Thereafter, the controller  106  carries out a fourth process for comparing a starting time of a subsequent program, which is stored in the memory  108 , with the present time produced from the timer circuit  115 , and if a correspondence between the starting time and the present time is detected, generating a channel control signal to change the currently selected channel to the channel for the subsequent program via the tuner  102 . As a result of the fourth process, the channel selected via the tuner  102  is changed to the channel for the subsequent program.  
         [0034]    Now, a TV channel control method according to an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2 together with FIG. 1.  
         [0035]    It is determined whether a program reservation key value for a subsequent program has been received from the key input device  105  at the controller  106  (STEP  201 ).  
         [0036]    If it is determined in STEP  201  that the program reservation key value for a subsequent program has been received, information on the present broadcasting channel number CH (p)  is updated with the information on a channel number CH (d)  for the subsequent program and the updated information on the channel number is stored in the memory  108  (STEP  202 ).  
         [0037]    Then, information on a starting time (ST) and a title (TI) of the subsequent program is extracted from the EPG information stored in the EPG storing unit  107 , and the extracted information is stored in the memory  108  (STEP  203 ).  
         [0038]    Then, the controller  106  detects information on the present time (PT) of the currently selected broadcasting channel from received additional information, and sets the time of the timer circuit  115  in accordance with the information on the present time (STEP  204 ).  
         [0039]    Then, under the control of the controller  106 , a message indicating that a reservation for the subsequent program has been made is displayed in an on-screen display (OSD) window (STEP  205 ).  
         [0040]    After the information on the present time of the timer circuit  115  is stored in the memory  108 , the present time is compared with the starting time (ST) of the subsequent program (STEP  206 ). If the present time and the starting time (ST) are different from each other, a wait mode is enabled for a predetermined time to (STEP  207 ) and STEP  206  is performed again after the predetermined time to. The predetermined time t 0  is determined, for example, in the unit of seconds.  
         [0041]    If it is decided in STEP  206  that the present time of the timer circuit  115  corresponds to the starting time (ST) for the subsequent program, which is stored in the memory  108 , the present broadcasting channel number CH (p)  is compared with the channel number CH (d)  for the subsequent program, which is stored in the memory  108  (STEP  208 ).  
         [0042]    If it is decided in STEP  208  that the present broadcasting channel number CH (p)  is different from the channel number CH (d)  for the subsequent program, the present broadcasting channel number CH (p)  is changed to the channel number CH (d)  for the subsequent program (STEP  209 ).  
         [0043]    However, If it is decided in STEP  208  that the present broadcasting channel number CH (p)  corresponds to the channel number CH (d)  for the subsequent program, STEP  209  is skipped, and the on-screen display (OSD) mode is turned off (STEP  210 ).  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a television channel control method according to another illustrative, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0045]    First, it is determined whether an instant reservation menu key value KEY (x)  has been received from the key input device  105  at the controller  106  (STEP  301 ). Here, the instant reservation menu is a simplified EPG menu using a portion of the EPG data, rather than a whole EPG menu, to reduce the amount of processing data.  
         [0046]    If it is determined in STEP  301  that the instant reservation menu key value KEY (x)  has been received, the instant reservation menu is edited and the edited instant reservation menu is displayed in an on-screen display (OSD) window (STEP  302 ).  
         [0047]    After determining whether the subsequent program has been selected via the displayed instant reservation menu in STEP  303 , STEPS  202  through  210  are sequentially performed if the subsequent program has been reserved.  
         [0048]    Since STEPS  202  through  210  in FIG. 3 are identical to the STEPS  202  through  210 , detailed descriptions thereon will be omitted.  
         [0049]    As described above, according to the present invention, a subsequent program can be reserved without using the conventional complex EPG menu while a user is watching the present program, and the present channel can be automatically changed to the channel of the subsequent program at the correct starting time thereof. Accordingly, a TV channel control apparatus and method have the following exemplary advantages. First, it is possible to simply and conveniently reserve a program that a user wishes to watch without using the conventional complex EPG menu. Second, since the time of a timer circuit included in a TV is set in correspondence with information on the broadcasting time transmitted from a broadcasting station, it is possible to watch the reserved program from the correct starting time thereof. Third, since it is possible to watch the reserved program from the correct starting time thereof, watching unwanted advertisement programs or unnecessarily waiting for the reserved program can be avoided.  
         [0050]    The present invention can be implemented on a recording medium with a code that is readable by a computer. The recording medium that can be read by a computer may include any kind of recording device in which data that is readable by the computer is stored. Non-limiting examples of the recording medium include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, hard discs, floppy discs, flash memory, optical data storage devices, and even carrier waves, for example, transmission over the Internet. Moreover, the recording medium may be distributed among computer systems that are interconnected through a network, and the present invention may be stored and implemented as a code in the distributed system.  
         [0051]    The present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to illustrative, non-limiting embodiments thereof, and it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.