Patent Publication Number: US-2006020794-A1

Title: System and method for displaying a warning message

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.  2004 - 48930  filed Jun.  28 ,  2004 , in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention generally relates to a system and method for displaying a warning message, and more specifically to a system and method for displaying a warning message in which the digital image signal supplied from a host apparatus is displayed on a display device.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      With the development of technology for processing information, as content such as characters, songs, image data is recorded, reproduced, transmitted, and received in digital format, the legal protection questions for such a content have significantly emerged. Unlike the analog format, content of a digital format is not subjected to degradation of quality caused by replicating data. Therefore, associated cost of replication is not required with digital content, and the time and cost required in the transmission and distribution is minimal.  
      Accordingly, infringement of rights for the digital content have often arisen, and hence, many researches for the digital content protection have been conducted. As the field that has being actively researched at present, an encryption scheme may be included.  
      The encryption scheme is a scheme of encrypting a digital content itself, and as with HDCP (Highbandwidth Digital Contents Protection). There is also a scheme in which the illegal replication and reproduction of the digital content are prevented by determining if a prescribed encryption standard is supported between a host apparatus such as DVDP (Digital Video Disk Player) and a display device such as a digital TV.  
      Meanwhile the conventional system includes a method adopting a prescribed encryption standard between devices, referred to as the latter scheme, the method for reproducing digital content, especially, digital image signal is as follows:  
      First, when a host apparatus supplying digital image signal and a display device displaying the supplied digital image signal are connected via an interface such as DVI (Digital Visual Interface), the encryption key (Key Select Vector) according to a prescribed encryption standard is transmitted to the display device from the host apparatus. Then, based on the transmitted encryption key, the display device generates a combined encryption key. The combined encryption key is generated differently for each encryption standard, and the generating method is known in the art. The generated combined encryption key is transmitted back to the host apparatus, and then the host apparatus interprets the combined encryption key and determines whether the display device includes a decryption function, that is, whether the display device supports a prescribed encryption standard. When it is determined that the display device supports the prescribed encryption standard, the host apparatus causes the digital image signal to be displayed. When it is determined that the display device does not support the prescribed encryption standard, the host apparatus prevents the digital image signal from being displayed.  
      Thus, when it is determined that the display device does not support the prescribed encryption standard, a white noise or a monochromatic color depending upon the setting, is displayed on the screen of the display device instead of the digital image signal.  
      In such a conventional case, since the display device does not support the prescribed encryption standard, and the white noise or the monochromatic color is displayed on the screen of the display device, the user having no expert knowledge on the relevant art may associate the white noise or the monochromatic color as, for example, a failure of the host apparatus, a failure of the display device, a failure of connecting cable, or a condition faulty of image source such as DVD. Accordingly, these are often problems for which the user inquires of a service center or a service technician to repair.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a warning message displaying system and displaying method that can display an encryption standard non-support warning message on a display device, when the display device does not support a prescribed encryption standard adopted by a host apparatus.  
      Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.  
      The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing a warning message displaying system including a display device to display a digital image signal, and a host apparatus to provide the digital image signal and to determine whether the display device supports a prescribed encryption standard adopted by the host apparatus, wherein when it is determined that the display device does not support the prescribed encryption standard, the host apparatus causes the encryption standard non-support warning message associated with the display device to be displayed on the display device.  
      It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a method for displaying digital image signal supplied from a host apparatus on a display device, the method including determining whether the display device supports a prescribed encryption standard adopted by the host apparatus, and displaying an encryption standard non-support warning message associated with the display device on the display device when the display device does not support the prescribed encryption standard.  
      In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to easily see if the display device supports encryption standard adopted by a host apparatus (i.e., an optical recording/reproducing apparatus). 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a warning message displaying system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart illlustrating a warning message displaying method according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a warning message displaying method according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.  
      The matters defined in the description such as a detailed construction and elements are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the invention. Thus, it is apparent that the present invention can be carried out without those defined matters. Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the system for displaying a warning message according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system for displaying a warning message according to the present invention comprises a host apparatus  100  (i.e., an optical recording/reproducing apparatus) providing digital image signal and a display device  200  displaying the digital image signal supplied from the host apparatus  100 .  
      For convenience of explanation, hereinafter, there will be described the explanation on which an optical recording/reproducing apparatus is applied as the host apparatus  100 , HDCP standard is applied as an encryption standard, and DVI is applied as an interface. The scope of the present invention, however, is not limited hereto.  
      The host apparatus  100  comprises an optical disc drive  110 , a signal processing unit  120 , a reproducing processing unit  130 , a first DVI terminal  140 , a first storage unit  150 , a first HDCP processing unit  160  and a first controlling unit  170 .  
      The host apparatus  100  is an apparatus that processes digital image signal recorded on an optical disc  100   a  into a reproducible signal and then provides it to a display device  200 . The host apparatus  100  may include, for example, DVDP and DVR (Digital Video Recorder), and the optical disc  100   a  may include, for example, DVD and CD.  
      The optical disc drive  110  detects the digital image signal recorded on the optical disc  100   a  by using a pick-up (not shown). The pick-up (not shown) converts the digital image signal detected from the optical disc  100   a  into an RF signal. The signal processing unit  120  amplifies the RF signal, converts the RF signal into an electrical signal, and then digitizes the converted electrical signal. The reproducing processing unit  130  converts the digital image signal recorded on the optical disc  100   a  or hard disk drive (HDD) (not shown) into a visible signal and outputs it. Also, the reproducing processing unit  130  synthesizes a main-image such as moving image, and sub-image such as a title and outputs the synthesized image. The data outputted from the reproducing processing unit  130  is transmitted to the display device  200  via a transmission cable (not shown) and displayed thereon. The first DVI terminal  140  is connected to the display device  200  via a transmission cable (not shown) and serves as an interface for transmitting/receiving data related to the reproduction.  
      The first storage unit  150  stores control programs to control and to manage general operations of the host apparatus  100 . In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the first storage unit  150  stores the encryption key (Key select Vector) according to HDCP standard adopted by the host apparatus  100 . Also, HDCP standard non-support warning message data is previously stored on the first storage unit  150 .  
      The first HDCP processing unit  160  processes the result of determining whether the display device  200  connected with the host apparatus  100  supports HDCP standard or not and the matters associated with it. In accordance with the present invention, under the control of the first controlling unit  170 , the first HDCP processing unit  160  causes a previously stored encryption key to be read-out before transmitting the digital image signal, and causes the read-out encryption key to be transmitted to the display device  200  via the first and second DVI terminals  140  and  210 . Also, the first HDCP processing unit  160  determines whether the display device  200  is a device that supports HDCP standard based on a combined encryption key transmitted from the display device  200 .  
      The first controlling unit  170  controls general operations of the host apparatus  100 , depending on the signal generated from a user input unit (not shown) or a remote controller (not shown) and the control program stored on the first storage unit  150 . As the result of the determination by the first HDCP processing unit  160 , when it is determined that the display device  200  supports HDCP standard, the first controlling unit  170  causes the digital image signal stored on the optical disc  100   a  to be displayed on the display device  200  by controlling the optical disc drive  110 , the signal processing unit  120 , the reproducing processing unit  130 , for example.  
      On the other hand, as the result of the determination by the first HDCP processing unit  160 , when it is determined that the display device  200  does not support HDCP standard, the first controlling unit  170  reads-out HDCP standard non-support warning message data that is previously stored on the first storage unit  150  and causes the read-out HDCP standard non-support warning message data to be transmitted via the first and second DVI terminals  140  and  210  to the display device  200 . Also, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, as the result of the determination by the first HDCP processing unit  160 , when it is determined that the display device  200  does not support HDCP standard, the first controlling unit  170  causes HDCP standard non-support identifying signal to be generated, and the generated HDCP standard non-support identifying signal to be transmitted via the first and second DVI terminals  140  and  210  to the display device  200 , thereby causing HDCP standard non-support warning message to be displayed on the display device  200 .  
      Also, the display device  200 , according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a second DVI terminal  210 , a second HDCP processing unit  220 , a second storage unit  230 , a display processing unit  240 , and a second controlling unit  250 . The display device  200  may be a digital TV, for example.  
      The second DVI terminal  210  is connected to the host apparatus  100  via a transmission cable (not shown) and serves as an interface for transmitting/receiving data related to the reproduction.  
      The second HDCP processing unit  220  processes, under the control of the second controlling unit  250 , the result of determining whether the display device  200  connected to the host apparatus  100  supports HDCP standard and associated matters. In accordance with the present invention, the second HDCP processing unit  220  generates a combined encryption key based on the encryption key transmitted from the host apparatus  100 .  
      The second storage unit  230  stores control programs to control and manage general operations of the display device  200 . Also, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the second storage unit  230  may store HDCP standard non-support warning message data.  
      Under the control of the second controlling unit  250 , the display processing unit  240  performs a prescribed signal processing procedure on the digital image signal transmitted from the host apparatus  100 , and causes the result of the performance to be displayed on the screen of the display device  200 .  
      The second controlling unit  250  controls general operations of the display device  200 , depending on the signal generated from a user input unit (not shown) or a remote controller (not shown) and the control program stored on the second storage unit  230 .  
      The second controlling unit  250  according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the first and second DVI terminals  140  and  210  are not interconnected in a initial screen, causes a message requesting ‘confirmation for DVI terminal connection’ to be displayed through the display processing unit  240 .  
      As a result of the determination by the host apparatus  100 , where the display device  200  supports HDCP standard, the second controlling unit  250  causes the digital image signal transmitted from the host apparatus  100  to be displayed.  
      As a result of the determination by the host apparatus  100 , when the display device  200  does not support HDCP standard, the second controlling unit  250  causes HDCP standard non-support warning message to be displayed on the screen of the display device  200 .  
      HDCP standard non-support warning message displayed on the screen of the display device  200  may be based on HDCP standard non-support warning message data transmitted from the host apparatus  100 , and may be based on HDCP standard non-support warning message data stored on the second storage unit  230  depending on the embodiments.  
      In a case where HDCP standard non-support warning message data is transmitted from the host apparatus  100 , the second controlling unit  250  causes HDCP standard non-support warning message to be displayed on the screen of the display device  200  via the display processing unit  240 , based on HDCP standard non-support warning message data transmitted from the host apparatus  100 .  
      Meanwhile, in a case where HDCP standard non-support identifying signal is transmitted from the host apparatus  100 , the second controlling unit  250  causes HDCP standard non-support warning message data stored on the second storage unit  230  to be read-out, and based on the read-out HDCP standard non-support warning message data, HDCP standard non-support warning message to be displayed on the screen of the display device  200  by means of the display processing unit  240 .  
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating a warning message displaying method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , HDCP standard non-support warning message data is stored on the first storage unit  150  of the host apparatus  100 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in operation  300 , it is confirmed that the first and second DVI terminals  140  and  210  are not interconnected. Here, it is desirable that the confirmation for the interconnection is performed by checking HotPlug. When it is confirmed that the interconnection is not performed in operation  300 , the process moves to operation  310 , where the message requesting ‘confirmation for DVI terminal connection’ is displayed on the screen of the display device  200 .  
      When it is determined in operation  300 , that the first and second DVI terminals  140  and  210  are interconnected the process moves to operation  320 , where the first HDCP processing unit  160 , under the control of the first controlling unit  170 , performs the process of determining whether the display device  200  supports HDCP standard.  
      From operation  320 , the process moves to operation  321 , where the encryption key according to HDCP standard is transmitted to the display device  200  from the host apparatus  100 . From operation  321 , the process moves to operation  323 , where the display device  200  generates a combined encryption key based on the transmitted encryption key. From operation  323 , the process moves to operation  324 , where the generated combined encryption key is transmitted to the host apparatus  100  from the display device  200 .  
      From operation  325 , the process moves to operation  330 , where the host apparatus  100  determines whether the decryption is possible, that is, the display device  200  supports HDCP standard, based on the transmitted combined encryption key.  
      As a result of the determination in the operation  330 , the process moves to operation  340 , where in a case of supporting HDCP standard, the digital image signal is transmitted to the display device  200  from the host apparatus  100 , and the transmitted digital image signal is displayed on the screen of the display device  200  (On the other hand, the process of determining whether the display device  200  supports HDCP standard is performed once every two seconds. Accordingly, from operation  340 , the process moves to operation  350 , where it is determined whether the reproduction on the file to be reproduced including the digital image signal that is under reproduction is terminated. As a result of the determination, when the reproduction on the file to be reproduced is not terminated, operations  330  to  350  are repeated until the reproduction on the file to be reproduced is terminated.  
      When the result of the determination in operation  330 , in a case of not supporting HDCP standard, from operation  330 , the process moves to operation  360 , where HDCP standard non-support warning message is displayed on the screen of the display device  200 .  
      As a result of the operation  330 , when the display device  200  does not support HDCP standard, the process moves to operation  361 , where the first controlling unit  170  reads-out HDCP standard non-support warning message data stored on the first storage unit  150 . From operation  361 , the process moves to operation  363 , where the read-out HDCP standard non-support warning message data is transmitted via the first and second DVI terminals  140  and  210  to the display device  200 . From operation  363 , the process moves to operation  365  where based on the transmitted HDCP standard non-support warning message data, HDCP standard non-support warning message is displayed on the screen of the display device  200 .  
      Therefore, the user can perceive the current interconnection state of the host apparatus  100  and the display device  200 , that is, the fact that the display device  200  does not support HDCP standard.  
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a warning message displaying method according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , HDCP standard non-support warning message data is stored on the second storage unit  230  of the display device  200 .  
      Since the operation  410  to operation  450  are similar to operation  310  to operation  350  in  FIG. 2 , the description thereof will be omitted. Thus, for convenience of explanation, only the portions different from those of the embodiment in  FIG. 2  will be described below.  
      With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , in operation  430 , it is determined whether the display device  200  supports HDCP standard, as a result of the determination, when it is determined that the display device  200  does not support HDCP standard in operation  430 , the process moves to operation  460 , where an HDCP standard non-support warning message is displayed on the display device  200 .  
      As a result of the determination in operation  430 , when it is determined that the display device  200  does not support HDCP standard, in operation  461 , the first controlling unit  170  generates HDCP standard non-support identifying signal and sends it to the display device  200 . From operation  461 , the process moves to operation  463 , where the second controlling unit  250  reads-out HDCP standard non-support warning message data stored on the second storage unit  230  based on the transmitted HDCP standard non-support identifying signal. From operation  463 , the process moves to operation  465  and based on the read-out HDCP standard non-support warning message data, HDCP standard non-support warning message is displayed on the screen of the display device  200 .  
      Accordingly, the user can perceive the current interconnection state of the optical recording/reproducing apparatus  100  and the display device  200 , that is, the fact that the display device  200  does not support HDCP standard.  
      As described above, in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to easily see if whether the display device supports the encryption standard adopted by the optical recording/reproducing apparatus. Therefore, even through the user has no expert knowledge on the optical recording/reproducing apparatus and the display device, it is possible to easily comprehend causes such as a white noise, and hence there is provided an advantage that a proper measure to meet pertinent situations can be conducted as soon as possible.  
      The foregoing embodiment and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses.  
      Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.