Patent Publication Number: US-2007124786-A1

Title: Home network-broadcasting linking system and method for mutually using multimedia contents between home network and broadcasting

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a home network-broadcasting linking system and method for using multimedia contents of both home network and broadcasting network; and, more particularly, to a network-broadcasting linking system and method, which can recognize multimedia contents list both in a home network and a broadcasting network by exchanging a contents list collected in a home network middleware and a contents list collected in a broadcasting module with each other through format transformation, thereby restoring broadcasting program contents in a home network terminal, i.e., a terminal accessing to the home network, and multimedia contents of the home network in a television (TV).  
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
      As a home network technology advances, a technology for storing multimedia contents in a home server or a media server, searching and restoring the multimedia contents has been developed. A user can search contents in the home network by accessing to the home network and restore desired contents with a desired terminal.  
      Meanwhile, broadcasting programs can be checked on a television (TV) screen through Electronic Program Guide (EPG), which provides a program schedule onto a TV screen.  
      Currently, home network multimedia contents can be shown only in a home network terminal and a broadcasting programs are shown only on TV. Although there is a terminal product for providing a Video on Demand (VoD) service through TV, the product does not simultaneously provide the home network multimedia contents and the EPG information.  
      That is, since the terminal product provides a home network mode and a broadcasting mode separately, there is a problem that it can only search and restore home network multimedia contents in the home network mode, and receive the EPG information and watch a TV program in the broadcasting mode.  
      Also, it is required to additionally mount a TV tuner module in a terminal to watch the TV program in the home network terminal. Since tuner modules in the home network terminal provide different interfaces such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) and peripheral component interconnect (PCI), there is another problem that the tuner module can be mounted only on a terminal having the interface of the tuner module.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a network-broadcasting linking system and method, which can recognize multimedia contents list of both home network and broadcasting network by exchanging a contents list collected in home network middleware and a contents list collected in a broadcasting module with each other through a format transformation, thereby restoring broadcasting program contents in a home network terminal, i.e., a terminal accessing to the home network, and multimedia contents of a home network in a television (TV).  
      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.  
      In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a home network-broadcasting linking system for mutually using multimedia contents of a home network and program contents of broadcasting in the broadcasting and the home network, including: a home network module which collects/manages a home network multimedia contents list and a broadcasting contents list transformed into a home network format, provides the contents list upon request of a home network terminal and repeats the home network multimedia contents or the broadcasting contents for restoration in the home network terminal or on TV; a broadcasting module which receives a broadcasting signal transmitted through a broadcasting network and separates the broadcasting signal into the broadcasting contents list and the broadcasting contents; a home network-broadcasting linking system which transforms the home network multimedia contents list collected in the home network module into a broadcasting contents list format, transforms the broadcasting contents list separated from the broadcasting module into a home network multimedia contents list format and transmits the home network multimedia contents list to the home network module; and an image process and user interface (UI) module which provides the home network multimedia contents list and the broadcasting contents list transformed into the broadcasting format, transmits user selection information to the home network module or the broadcasting module based on a type of the contents selected by the user, receives the home network multimedia contents or the broadcasting contents and performs an image signal process on the home network multimedia contents or the broadcasting contents for restoration on TV.  
      In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a home network-broadcasting linking method for restoring broadcasting program contents or home network multimedia contents on TV, including the steps of: a) collects a home network multimedia contents list from home network terminals, transforms/manages the home network multimedia contents list into a broadcasting contents list format, collects a broadcasting contents list from the broadcasting signal, transforms the broadcasting contents list into the home network multimedia contents list format and collects/manages the home network multimedia contents list; b) operating Electronic Program Guide (EPG) upon request of the user and providing the broadcasting contents list and the home network multimedia contents list which are managed in the step a) through TV; c) determining whether contents requested by a user are the home network multimedia contents or the broadcasting contents based on channel-address mapping information when the channel information is inputted from the user; d) when the contents requested by the user are the broadcasting contents, receiving the broadcasting signal of the channel selected by the user based on the channel information, and separating the broadcasting contents from the transmitted broadcasting signal and transmits the broadcasting contents to TV; and e) when the contents requested by the user are the home network multimedia contents, changing the channel information into address information based on the channel-address mapping information and transmits the transmitted home network multimedia contents to TV when the home network multimedia contents are requested to the home network terminal corresponding to the address information.  
      In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a home network-broadcasting linking method for restoring broadcasting program contents or home network multimedia contents in a home network terminal, including the steps of: a) collecting a home network multimedia contents list from home network terminals, transforms/manages the home network multimedia contents list into a broadcasting contents list format, collects a broadcasting contents list from the broadcasting signal, transforms/manages the broadcasting contents list into the home network multimedia contents list format; b) providing the broadcasting contents list and the home network multimedia contents list which are managed in the step a) upon request of the user home network terminal; c) receiving contents request information from the user home network terminal and determining a type of the contents based on address information of the requested contents; d) when the requested contents are the broadcasting contents, receiving the broadcasting signal of the channel selected by the user based on channel information corresponding to address information of the contents request information, separating the broadcasting contents from the transmitted broadcasting signal and transmitting the broadcasting contents to the user home network terminal; and e) when the requested contents are the home network multimedia contents, requesting the home network multimedia contents to the home network terminal corresponding to the address information of the contents request information, and transmitting the home network multimedia contents transmitted as a response to the user home network terminal.  
      The present invention transforms a format of the home network multimedia contents list, displays the transformed contents list on TV with EPG information of TV. TV restores and shows the home network multimedia contents to the user as an actual broadcasting program and transforms a format of EPG information such that the home network terminals can recognize the EPG information. Accordingly, the home network terminal can recognize and use the broadcasting program contents list as it recognizes and uses the home network multimedia contents list.  
      That is, in the present invention, the user can check the home network multimedia contents as well as the broadcasting program contents through EPG, select and watch desired contents on TV by using a remote controller. Also, the user can check the broadcasting program contents list by using the home network terminal and restore the broadcasting program contents in the home network terminal of the user or other home network terminal. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      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:  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a home network-broadcasting linking system for sharing multimedia contents between a home network and a broadcasting network in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a policy table for determining whether to restore contents in a resource manager of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart describing a home network-broadcasting linking method for restoring home network contents and/or broadcasting contents on TV in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart describing a home network-broadcasting linking method for restoring the broadcasting contents and/or home network multimedia contents in a home network terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 5  shows how mapping information between channels and the URL is formed in a EPG-application manager in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      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 that the present invention is included 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.  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a home network-broadcasting linking system for sharing multimedia contents between a home network and a broadcasting network in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It shows a system which makes it possible to use multimedia contents of a home network, i.e., home network multimedia contents, and program contents of broadcasting, i.e., broadcasting contents, in both broadcasting network and home network.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , a home network-broadcasting linking system  10  of the present invention includes a home network module  11 , a broadcasting module  12 , a home network-broadcasting linking module  13 , and an image process and user interface (UI) module  14 .  
      The home network module  11  will be described in detail hereinafter.  
      The home network module  11  collects and manages a home network multimedia contents list and a broadcasting contents list whose format is transformed into a format of the home network, provides the contents lists upon request of the home network terminal and repeats the home network multimedia contents or the broadcasting contents for restoration in a home network terminal  30  or a TV  20 . Each constituent element will be described hereinafter in consideration of the above functions of the home network module  11 .  
      The home network module  11  communicates with other home network terminals accessing to the home network and acquires/controls information to restore the home network multimedia contents on TV or transmit the broadcasting program contents to the home network terminal.  
      The home network module  11  performs the following functions to restore home network multimedia contents on TV. The home network module  11  searches for a device accessing to the home network, receives the home network multimedia contents list from a media server storing the home network multimedia contents and transmits the information to the home network-broadcasting linking module  13 . Subsequently, the home network module  11  transmits a control command to the media server to restore specific home network multimedia contents upon request of a user and receives contents from the media server.  
      Meanwhile, the home network module  11  performs the following functions to restore broadcasting program contents in the home network terminal. When another home network terminal, i.e., a media player, requests a broadcasting program contents list, the home network module  11  performs a function based on the control command transmitted from the media player. Also, the home network module  11  transmits the broadcasting program contents to the media player.  
      As shown in  FIG. 10 , the home network module  11  includes a home network device controller  111 , a contents list manager  112 , a home network middleware  113 , a multimedia contents transceiver  114  and a network interface  115 . Each of the constituent elements will be described in detail hereinafter.  
      The home network device controller  111  generally controls a home network device, e.g., the home network module  11  and the home network terminal  30 , and transmits/receives a control command with home network terminals through the home network middleware  113  to transmit/receive the contents. That is, the home network device controller  111  is a module for controlling a set-top box by transmitting a control command to the home network terminal in order to transmit/receive the contents or receiving the control command from the home network terminal. The home network device controller  111  transmits/receives commands such as restoration, halt and volume control for transmission of the contents.  
      The home network middleware  113 , which is a module realizing a home network middleware, finds out a device accessing to the home network, i.e., a home network terminal, collects a home network multimedia contents list from the found home network terminal and transmits/receives the control command and an event to/from the home network terminals. The module differs based on which home network middleware the set-top box or home server supports.  
      The contents list manager  112  stores/manages a home network multimedia contents list collected through the home network middleware  113  and a broadcasting program contents list transformed into a form of the home network multimedia contents list, i.e., an extensible markup language (XML) form, and provides the contents list upon request of the home network terminal.  
      When the home network terminal requests the contents list manager  112  for the contents, the contents list manager  112  requests the contents to another home network terminal or the broadcasting module  12  based on the type of the requested contents. That is, when the contents list manager  112  receives the contents request from the home network terminal, the contents list manager  112  determines the type of the contents, i.e., which of the home network multimedia contents and the broadcasting program contents is the requested contents, based on Uniform Resource Locator (URL) information included in the contents request. When it turns out that the requested contents are the broadcasting program contents, the contents list manager  112  requests to the broadcasting module  12  for the contents based on channel information corresponding to the URL information. When it turns out that the requested contents are the home network multimedia contents, the contents list manager  112  requests the contents to another home network terminal corresponding to the URL address information.  
      The multimedia contents transceiver  114  transmits the broadcasting program contents to the home network terminals accessing to the home network, or receives the home network multimedia contents from the home network terminals. More particularly, the multimedia contents transceiver  114  receives the contents from another home network terminal or the broadcasting module  12  upon request of the contents list manager  112  and transmits the contents to the home network terminal. Otherwise, the multimedia contents transceiver  114  receives/transmits the home network multimedia contents from the home network terminal upon request of the image process and UI module  14 . Herein, the multimedia contents transceiver  114  transmits/receives the contents by using a protocol such as hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and routing table protocol (RTP), supported by the home network terminal.  
      The network interface  115  is used to communicate with the home network terminals and it may be an Ethernet, Ultra Wide Band (UWB), and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394.  
      The broadcasting module  12  will be described in detail hereinafter.  
      The broadcasting module  12  receives a broadcasting signal from terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, or cable broadcasting to restore the broadcasting program contents on TV. Also, the broadcasting module  12  receives the broadcasting signal transmitted through a broadcasting network, divides the broadcasting signal into a broadcasting contents list and broadcasting contents, and transmits the broadcasting program contents list information to a contents information transformer  131 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the broadcasting module  12  includes a broadcasting tuner  121 , a demultiplexer  122  and a remote control input receiver  123 . Each of the constituent elements will be described in detail hereinafter.  
      The broadcasting tuner  121  receives only a signal of the channel selected by the user from a terrestrial broadcasting signal, a satellite broadcasting signal, or a cable broadcasting signal receiving all channel signals, and transmit the signal to the demultiplexer  122 .  
      Subsequently, the demultiplexer  122  separates a detailed broadcasting signal from the transmitted broadcasting channel signal. Since the signal transmitted from the broadcasting tuner  121  may have a plurality of contents, the demultiplexer  122  separates contents desired by the user from the signal transmitted from the broadcasting tuner  121  and transmits the contents to an audio/video (AV) decoder  141 .  
      That is, the demultiplexer  122  separates broadcasting program contents and broadcasting program contents list from the broadcasting channel signal transmitted from the broadcasting tuner  121 , transmits the broadcasting contents to the AV decoder  141  or the home network module  11 , and transmits the broadcasting program contents list to the home network-broadcasting linking module  13 . The format of the separated and transmitted broadcasting program contents list is transformed in the home network-broadcasting linking module  13 .  
      Meanwhile, the remote controller input receiver  123  receives user selection information, i.e., a key value inputted by the user through a remote controller, and transmits the user selection information to an Electronic Program Guide (EPG)-application manager  142 .  
      The home network-broadcasting linking module  13  will be described in detail hereinafter.  
      The home network-broadcasting linking module  13  transforms information between the format of the home network module  11  and the format of the broadcasting module  12  to use the information in both modules. Also, home network-broadcasting linking module  13  approves or disapproves the use of resources for sharing resources of a limited home server, or a set-top box and TV resources. The home network module  11  and the broadcasting module  12  are linked through the home network-broadcasting linking module  13 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the home network-broadcasting linking module  13  includes the contents information transformer  131  and a resource manager  132 , which will be described in detail hereinafter.  
      The contents information transformer  131  transforms a home network multimedia contents list of an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format into a broadcasting program contents list format defined in broadcasting, and transmits the broadcasting program contents list to the EPG-application manager  142 . Otherwise, the contents information transformer  131  transforms the format of the broadcasting program contents list into the XML format and transmits the transformed contents list to the contents list manager  112 . The transformation will be described in detail hereinafter.  
      First, a process for transforming the format of the broadcasting program contents list into the format of the home network multimedia contents list, i.e., a broadcasting-to-home network format transformation, is as follows.  
      The broadcasting program contents list transmitted from the broadcasting module  12  includes information on a program title, a channel, a start time, and an end time in each of the program contents. The contents information transformer  131  uses the information for the XML format transformation and creates Unique Resource Location (URL), at which other home network terminals can request the broadcasting program contents. That is, channel information on the broadcasting program contents is expressed in the form of the URL.  
      Herein, the form of the URL may be “transmission protocol name”://“host IP address”:“host port”/“unique name showing whether it is a broadcasting program”/“broadcasting program contents identifier”/“channel”. For example, when a program called “xxx” is broadcasted on a channel 3 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and the program contents are transmitted based on the HTTP protocol, the URL of the contents is http://1.1.1.1:20000/broadcast/xxx/3. Herein, the URL is to include an identifier showing that the requested contents of the URL are broadcasting contents, an identifier of the broadcasting program contents and the channel information. The broadcasting program contents identifier can be expressed explicitly as the above example or implicitly. That is, although the broadcasting contents are not explicitly identified, the URL can be created meaning the contents are broadcasting contents. Information on start time, end time and a channel of a program are included in a contents list XML text.  
      Secondly, a process for transforming the format of the home network multimedia contents list into the format of the broadcasting program contents list, i.e., a home network-to-broadcasting format transformation, is as follows.  
      The home network multimedia contents do not have start time and channel information. Accordingly, when the format of the home network multimedia contents list is transformed into the format of the broadcasting program contents list, ‘start time’ is displayed as a present time or always available, and ‘end time’ is displayed as a time obtained by adding restoration time to the present time, or the restoration time.  
      A ‘channel’, which is accessible in TV, is allocated to the home network multimedia contents and the allocated channel information is transmitted to the EPG-application manager  142 . Herein, there are two methods for allocating channels to contents. One is allocating one channel to one content and the other is allocating one channel to one contents group.  
      The method for allocating one channel to one content is applied to a content designated by a user, a content having a long restoration time, and a content requiring one channel allocated thereto by other methods. Channels which are not currently used in an entire broadcasting channel, are allocated to the above-mentioned contents.  
      In the above method, the user can acquire diverse information on home network multimedia contents name, a start time, an end time and a channel on TV through EPG.  
      Meanwhile, when a home network multimedia contents group is allocated to one channel, a name of representative contents of the contents group, a certain end time, and an allocated channel are displayed. When the user selects a specific channel, a list of the contents group is displayed in the EPG screen.  
      In the method, the channel, which is not currently used in the entire broadcasting channel, is also allocated. The method for allocating a channel to a contents group is the same as the method of  FIG. 5 .  
      An example of a case where the method for allocating one channel to a contents group is used in that contents stored in one media server are grouped and stored for one channel. Also, the user can arbitrarily designate the contents group such as channel  30  for action movies, channel  31  for a soap opera, channel  32  for family pictures. All contents in one media server can be treated as one group by designating one media server as a group.  
      When a specific channel is allocated to the home network multimedia contents, the user does not have to go through EPG to find out the desired contents. The user can watch the desired home network multimedia contents by inputting only the channel anytime.  
      The resource manager  132  is a module for managing resources of TV which cannot simultaneously perform a plurality of works such as a TV screen, a tuner and a speaker. It will be described in detail with reference to  FIG. 2 .  
      The image process and UI module  14  will be described hereinafter.  
      The image process and UI module  14  restores the multimedia contents transmitted from the home network module  11  and the broadcasting module  12  on the TV screen, and EPG information and UI information displayed on the TV screen. More particularly, the image process and UI module  14  provides the home network multimedia contents list and the broadcasting program contents list transformed into a broadcasting format to the user on the TV screen, and transmits user selection information to the home network module  11  or the broadcasting module  12  based on the type of the contents selected by the user. Subsequently, the image process and UI module  14  receives the home network multimedia contents or the broadcasting contents, and processes an image signal to restore the home network multimedia contents or the broadcasting contents on TV.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the image process and UI module  14  includes the AV decoder  141 , the EPG-application manager  142 , a graphic synthesizing unit  143  and a signal transformer  144 . Each of the constituent elements will be described as follows.  
      The AV decoder  141  decodes contents data transmitted from the home network module  11  and the broadcasting module  12 . Since the contents data transmitted from the home network module  11  and the broadcasting module  12  are encoded in a method such as Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and windows media video (WMV), the contents data are required to be decoded for restoration.  
      The EPG-application manager  142  provides EPG information including the home network multimedia contents list and the broadcasting program contents list to the user with the UI information on the TV screen, and transmits the user selection information to the broadcasting module  12  or the home network module  11  based on the type of the contents selected by the user.  
      It will be described in detail hereinafter. The EPG-application manager  142  displays the EPG information and the UI information on the TV screen. Also, since the EPG-application manager  142  has the URL of the home network multimedia contents and the mapping table of the channel, which will be called a ‘channel-URL mapping table’ hereinafter, the EPG-application manager  142  can determine whether the channel selected by the user is of the broadcasting program contents or of the home network multimedia contents. When no channel information is selected by the user in the channel-URL mapping table, it is determined that the home network multimedia contents are selected. Otherwise, it is determined that the broadcasting program contents are selected.  
      When it turns out that the channel information on the broadcasting program contents is selected by the user, the channel information is transmitted to the broadcasting module  12 . When the channel information is of the home network multimedia contents, the channel information is changed into the URL address information and transmitted to the home network module  11 .  
      Meanwhile, the graphic synthesizing unit  143  synthesizes the EPG screen and the UI information with the image screen of the multimedia contents decoded in the AV decoder  141  to simultaneously display the EPG screen and UI information can be with the contents image on the TV screen.  
      Subsequently, the signal transformer  144  transforms digital image data outputted in the graphic synthesizing unit  143  into an analog image signal such as S-Video, Component and Composite.  
       FIG. 2  is a policy table used for determining whether to restore contents in the resource manager of  FIG. 1 .  
      The resource manager  132  manages resources of TV which cannot simultaneously perform a plurality of works such as a TV screen, a tuner and a speaker.  
      When the home network multimedia contents are to be restored, the resource manager  132  checks a current condition of TV at step S 201 , a restoration request location of the home network multimedia contents at step S 202 , and a restoration location at step S 203 . Subsequently, the resource manager  132  determines whether to approve or disapprove the restoration request of the contents based on the above check result at step S 204 . Whether the contents are to be restored will be determined in the method of  FIG. 2 .  
      That is, the resource manager  132  determines whether to restore the contents by the method shown in  FIG. 2  or a similar method before restoring the contents requested by the user through the TV resources shared by the home network module  110  and the broadcasting module  12 .  
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart describing a home network-broadcasting linking method for restoring the home network contents and/or broadcasting contents on TV in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It shows a method performed in the home network-broadcasting linking system  10 . That is,  FIG. 3  shows a method for transmitting the broadcasting contents or the home network multimedia contents to TV to restore the broadcasting contents or the home network multimedia contents on TV.  
      The user can restore the contents on TV or home network terminal by using a TV remote controller and the home network terminal. There are a method for restoring the home network multimedia contents on TV and a method for restoring the broadcasting program contents in the home network terminal. The former will be described with reference to  FIG. 3  and the latter will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 .  
      The home network-broadcasting linking system  10  collects the home network multimedia contents list in the home network terminals, transforms the format of the home network multimedia contents list into the broadcasting contents list format and manages the contents. Also, the home network-broadcasting linking system  10  collects the broadcasting contents list from the broadcasting signal, transforms the format of the broadcasting contents list into the home network multimedia contents list format and manages the contents at step S 300 .  
      The image process and UI module  14  provides the broadcasting contents list and the home network multimedia contents list on the screen of the TV  20  at step S 301  by operating the EPG upon request of the user. That is, when the user operates the EPG by the TV remote control, the home network multimedia contents list as well as the broadcasting program contents list can be displayed. Herein, the home network multimedia contents list also includes the broadcasting channel information.  
      When channel information is inputted from the user through the TV remote controller at step S 302 , the EPG-application manager  142  determines at steps S 304  and S 306  which contents the user requests among the home network multimedia contents and the broadcasting program contents based on a channel-address URL mapping table of  FIG. 5 . That is, when the user inputs the channel with the remote controller, the inputted channel is transmitted to the EPG-application manager  142  through the remote control input receiver  123 . The EPG-application manager  142  searches the channel-URL mapping table and determines the type of the contents requested by the user. Herein, it is checked at step S 304  whether the channel information inputted by the user exists in the channel-address URL mapping table. When the inputted channel information does not exist in the channel-address URL mapping table, it is determined at step S 306  that the user requests the broadcasting program contents. When the inputted channel information exists in the channel-address URL mapping table, it is determined at step S 306  that the user requests the home network multimedia contents.  
      When the channel information is transformed from the user, a resource managing process (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) that the resource manager  132  determines whether to approve the contents restoration on TV based on the current condition of TV, the restoration request location of the contents and the contents restoration location can be added to the above processes. The contents can be transmitted only when the restoration is approved through the resource managing process.  
      When the contents requested by the user are the broadcasting program contents, the EPG-application manager  142  transmits the channel information to the broadcasting module  12 . Subsequently, the broadcasting module  12  receives the broadcasting signal of the channel selected by the user based on the channel information at step S 308 , separates the broadcasting program contents from the inputted broadcasting signal and transmits the broadcasting program contents to TV at step S 310 . The transmitted broadcasting program contents are restored on TV.  
      When it turns out that the contents requested by the user are the home network multimedia contents, the EPG-application manager  142  changes the channel information into address URL information based on the channel-address URL mapping table and transmits the address URL information to the home network module  11  at step S 312 . Herein, the channel-address URL mapping table includes channel information allocated for each of the home network multimedia contents and URL information of the home network terminal providing the home network multimedia contents. When the home network multimedia contents group is allocated to the channel information of the user, the EPG-application manager  142  is finally selected by the user through a process providing additional contents group information to the user and changed into URL address information for the finally selected contents as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
      The home network module  11  requests for home network multimedia contents to a home network terminal corresponding to address URL information at step S 314 , receives home network multimedia contents from the home network terminal and transmits the home network multimedia contents to TV through the image process and UI module  14  at step S 316 . The transmitted home network multimedia contents are restored on TV.  
      When the contents group is allocated to a channel inputted by the user, the EPG-application manager  142  additionally provides UI information providing the contents group information to the user such that the user can select the desired contents. When the user selects specific contents in the contents group, the EPG-application manager  142  transmits the selected contents information to the home network module  11  based on the URL information. Subsequently, the home network module  11  requests contents to the home network terminal, i.e., a media server, receives the contents and transmits the contents to TV through the image process and UI module  14 .  
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart describing a home network-broadcasting linking method for restoring the broadcasting contents and/or home network multimedia contents in the home network terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It shows a method operated in the home network-broadcasting linking system  10 . That is,  FIG. 4  shows a method for transmitting the broadcasting contents or the home network multimedia contents to the home network terminal such that the broadcasting contents or the home network multimedia contents can be restored in the home network terminal.  
      The home network-broadcasting linking system  10  collects a home network multimedia contents list from home network terminals, transforms the format of the home network multimedia contents list into a broadcasting contents list format and manages the contents list. Also, the home network-broadcasting linking system  10  collects a broadcasting contents list from the broadcasting signal, transforms the format of the broadcasting contents list into a home network multimedia contents list format and manages the contents list at step S 400 .  
      The home network module  11  provides the broadcasting program contents list and the home network multimedia contents list upon request of the user home network terminal  30  at step S 401 .  
      Subsequently, the user requests the broadcasting program contents by using the home network terminal. The user request is expressed as URL information and transmitted to the home network module  11 . Herein, the URL information includes an identifier identifying the broadcasting contents request, a broadcasting program contents identifier and channel information.  
      When the home network module  11  receives contents request information from user home network terminal, the home network module  11  determines the type of the contents through URL information, i.e., address information of the requested contents, at steps S 402  and S 404 . That is, the home network module  11  analyzes the URL information and determines which contents the user requests among the broadcasting program contents and the home network multimedia contents.  
      When the user home network terminal requests a content, a resource managing process (not shown in  FIG. 4 ) that the resource manager  132  determines whether to approve content restoration in the home network terminal based on a current condition of TV, a restoration request location of the contents, and a contents restoration location can be added to the above processes. The content can be transmitted only when the restoration is approved through the resource managing process.  
      When it turns out that the requested contents are the broadcasting program contents, the home network module  11  changes URL information included in the contents request information into channel information and transmits the channel information to the broadcasting module  12  at step S 406 . Herein, the URL can be easily changed into the channel information by acquiring the channel information through only the URL, because the channel information is inserted when the URL is created.  
      The broadcasting module  12  receives a broadcasting signal of the channel selected by the user based on the changed channel information at step S 408 , separates broadcasting program contents from the broadcasting signal and transmits the broadcasting program contents to the user home network terminal  30  through the home network module  11  at step S 410 . That is, when the broadcasting module  12  transmits the broadcasting program contents to the home network module  11 , the home network module  11  transmits the broadcasting program contents to the user home network terminal  30 .  
      The broadcasting program contents to be transmitted to the home network terminal  30  can include program contents to be broadcasted as well as contents which are currently being broadcasted.  
      When the broadcasting program contents requested by the user are the contents which are currently being broadcasted, the contents is instantly restored in the home network terminal. When the broadcasting program contents requested by the user are the contents to be broadcasted later, the contents are reserved in the home network terminal  30  and the home network-broadcasting linking system  10 . Accordingly, when the contents starts, the broadcasting module  12 , the home network module  11 , and the resource manager  132  are automatically operated and the contents are restored in the home network terminal. That is, the broadcasting module  12  waits with the channel information on the broadcasting program contents to be broadcasted later, and receives a broadcasting signal when the broadcasting of the contents starts.  
      Meanwhile, the requested contents are the home network multimedia contents, the home network module  11  requests home network multimedia contents to the home network terminal based on URL information of contents request information at step S 412 . Accordingly, when the home network module  11  receives the home network multimedia contents from the home network terminal, the home network module  11  transmits the contents to home network terminal at step S 414 .  
      Just as the method of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , when the broadcasting program contents or the home network multimedia contents are restored on TV, or when the broadcasting program contents are restored in the home network terminal, the contents can be restored only when it is determined whether the resource manager  132  approves the use of resources before the contents restoration. From this, limited resources can be efficiently used.  
       FIG. 5  shows a method for organizing mapping information between channels and URL in the EPG-application manager in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
      As shown in  FIG. 3 , when a home network multimedia contents group is allocated to the channel information of the user, the user finally selects contents through a process that the EPG-application manager  142  provides additional contents group information to the user. URL information of the finally selected contents is the URL information on the contents selected by the user.  
      The URL information can be acquired for each of the contents  501 ,  502 ,  503  and  504 . One content is finally selected for the contents group through the additional contents group information continuously provided as reference numbers  502 ,  503  and  504 . The URL information on the channel information selected by the user through the above process is mapped.  
      According to the present invention, the home network terminal, i.e., the terminal accessing to the home network, recognizes the broadcasting program contents list, restore the contents, and it also recognizes and restores the home network multimedia contents on TV. Accordingly, the home network multimedia contents and the broadcasting program contents existing as a file or other formats can be used in both of the home network terminal and TV without any difference.  
      That is, the system of the present invention can search and restore the home network multimedia contents and the broadcasting multimedia contents in the home network terminal or TV as long as it has network interface.  
      As described above, 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.  
      The present application contains subject matter related to Korean patent application No. 2005-0114392, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Nov. 28, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
      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.