Patent Publication Number: US-2009231437-A1

Title: Tv data processing method and tv data receiver utilizing which

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a TV data processing method and a TV data receiver utilizing which, and particularly relates to a TV data processing method for TV data according to program types thereof and to a TV data receiver utilizing which. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The TV data signal quality of a portable TV system is influenced with the signal strength; in other words, where the receiver locates affect the image quality. A portable TV system will show a warning message such as “No Signal” and will stop displaying when the signal quality is lower than a predetermined threshold standard. However, such a process will bring inconvenience to users, Some types of programs such as sports or movies, usually need to be displayed smoothly, but some types of programs, such as news, talk shows or music, the high image quality is not needed but good audio performance instead. Therefore, the single threshold is not so friendly for a user, and the stop of displaying TV with low signal quality, either. Such issue not only happens when the signal quality is poor but also happens when the frame of TV data can not be smoothly decoded. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
     Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide a TV data processing method that processes TV data according to different program types of the TV data, when the signal quality of TV data is lower than a threshold standard. 
     One embodiment of the present invention discloses a TV data processing method, which comprises: (a) receiving TV data; (b) determining a program type to which the TV data belong; (c) detecting a signal quality of the TV data; (d) determining if the signal quality is larger than a threshold standard; and (e) when the signal quality meets the threshold standard, processing the TV data according to the program type. Also, this embodiment can assign threshold standards to different program types respectively. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a TV data receiver, which comprises: a processing unit, for receiving TV data and for determining a program type to which the TV data belong; and a signal quality determination module, couple to the processing unit, for detecting a signal quality of the TV data and for determining if the signal quality is larger than a threshold standard; wherein when the signal quality determination module determines that the signal quality is not larger than the threshold standard, the processing unit processes the TV data according to the program type. Besides, this embodiment can assign threshold standards to different program types respectively. 
     Via the above-mentioned embodiments, TV data with different program types can be processed in different ways. Also, different threshold standards can be assigned to different program types. In this way, the convenience of a user can increase. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         FIG. 1  is a flowchart illustrating part of the steps of a TV data processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating part of the steps of a TV data processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating the examples of settings of the TV data processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a TV data receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     Certain terms are used throughout the description and following claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, electronic equipment manufacturers may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following description and in the claims, the terms “include” and “comprise” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “include, but not limited to . . . ”. Also, the term “couple” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct electrical connection. Accordingly, if one device is coupled to another device, that connection may be through a direct electrical connection, or through an indirect electrical connection via other devices and connections. 
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  are flowcharts illustrating part of the steps of a TV data processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please jointly refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  to understand the present invention more clearly. Please note that DTV (digital TV) data is utilized as an example in the embodiment, but it does not restrict to use only digital TV data in the present invention. Any kind of TV data including individually transmitted audio data and video data can be applied. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the TV data processing method includes step  101 - 105 . 
     After Step  105 , a TV data processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in  FIG. 2 , is performed in step  107 , and the step  107  is performed until the channel number is changed. The step  109  is used for determining if the channel number is changed. If the channel number is changed, Steps  103  and  105  are performed again. 
     The TV data processing method shown in  FIG. 2  includes steps  201 - 209 . The steps  201 ˜ 209  are repeatedly performed until the channel number is changed. 
     In step  205 , since the program type is obtained in the step  105  in  FIG. 1 , the present invention can perform different processes that are described below on TV data of different program types respectively. The present invention can assign different threshold standards to different program types respectively. In this embodiment, the step  201  detects the frame recognizing percentage that indicates the percentage that the frame can be recognized by human eyes after decoded. If the frame can be perfectly recognized, it is 100%, and a lower value means a more poor signal quality. Also, the present invention assigns different threshold standards to different program types respectively means that different values to see if the frame recognizing percentage thereof is lower than the frame recognizing percentage. However, signal qualities can also be determined by other methods. For example, a SNR (Signal Ratio Rate) rate of the TV data signal can also be detected to determine the signal quality. 
     Besides, the TV data is DTV data in this embodiment, and the program type is grasped from the EPG of the DTV data. However, not only DTV data can be utilized for the present invention: TV data having both video and audio data transmitted can be utilized for the present invention. Also, the program type can be grasped by other ways other than from the EPG. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating the examples of settings of the TV data processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the program types of ch 1 , ch 2  and ch 3  are respectively sport/soccer, news/discussion, and music/pop. Also, the threshold standards corresponding to ch 1 , ch 2  and ch 3  are 50%, 30%, and 20%. Besides, the low signal processes corresponding to ch 1 , ch 2  and ch 3  are respectively downscale video; reduce frame rate; and play no video data. 
     Since TV data with a program type such as a sports or a movie always need high performance video data such that a user will not lose any frames. Therefore, such TV data will be assigned a high threshold standard (50% in this embodiment). Also, the low signal process will, in this case, downscale the video in such that the frames of the TV data can still be displayed smoothly and completely, without losing any frames. 
     Additionally, TV data with a program type such as News/ Discussion does not need high performance of video data—that is, the tolerance for lost or blurred frames is higher than for sports/movie—but good performance audio data is needed, so that a user can clearly understand the content via voices thereof. Thus, such TV data will be assigned a medium threshold standard (30% in this embodiment). Besides, the low signal process will reduce the frame rate in this case, such that the voice can still be smoothly and clearly heard and a user will not lose any valuable content thereof. 
     Furthermore, if the TV data with a program type of music/pop, it may only need audio and no video, because the video is not important in this exemplary kind of program. Thus, such TV data will be assigned a lowest threshold standard (20% in this embodiment). In addition, the low signal process will display no video data, playing only audio data, such that the audio can be smoothly and clearly heard. 
     It should be noted that the corresponding relations between threshold standards, low signal quality processing and program types are only examples and not meant to limit the scope of the present invention: other relations can also be applied to the present invention. For example, the sports/movie program can have a threshold standard of 30%, and the low signal process thereof can be to decrease the frame rate. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating a TV data receiver  400  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The disclosed TV data receiver  400  is part of a TV system in this case, and the TV data receiver  400  includes a processing unit  401  and a signal quality determination module  403 . The processing unit  401  is for receiving TV data and for determining a program type to which the TV data belongs. The signal quality determination module  403  is for detecting a signal quality of the TV data and for determining if the signal quality is larger than a threshold standard. If the signal quality determination module  403  determines that the signal quality is not larger than the threshold standard, the processing unit  401  processes the TV data according to the program type. 
     In this case, the TV data receiver  400  comprises a tuner  405  and a de-multiplexer  407 . The processing unit  401  is located in the tuner  405 , and the signal quality determination module  403  is located in the de-multiplexer  407 . In this case, the processing unit  401  can also be used by the tuner  405 . It should be noted that the processing unit  401  and the signal quality determination module  403  are not limited to the locations shown in  FIG. 4 , and that they can also be located in other positions. 
     Other detailed characteristics are already disclosed in the above-mentioned description, and thus are omitted for brevity. 
     Via above-mentioned embodiments, TV data with different program types can be processed in different ways. Also, different threshold standards can be assigned to different program types. By this way, the convenience of a user can increase. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.