Patent ID: 7051359

Claim:
A digital television receiver, comprising receiving means for receiving a digital broadcasting signal including a virtual channel table, the virtual channel table including a program number field indicating whether a corresponding virtual channel is an active or an inactive channel; detecting means for detecting the program number field included in the virtual channel table; and control means for controlling display of the corresponding virtual channel when the virtual channel is selected by a user and the virtual channel is determined to be inactive, wherein said inactive channel is a channel that is not presently carrying a broadcast program; however, the same inactive channel is scheduled to carry a broadcast program at a predetermined later time from a broadcasting station without local viewer interaction, wherein said inactive channel is a channel that is not presently carrying a broadcast program; however, the same inactive channel is scheduled to carry a broadcast program at a predetermined later time from a broadcasting station without local viewer interaction, wherein the inactive channel is capable of being automatically skipped.