Television – Basic receiver with additional function
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-02
2002-01-08
Eisenzopf, Reinhard J. (Department: 2614)
Television
Basic receiver with additional function
C348S014160, C348S563000, C348S901000, C348S387100, C348S423100, C348S553000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06337715
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a broadcasting reception apparatus receiving a broadcast signal transmitted with a data broadcasting method of broadcasting program signals of two or more kinds of broadcasting formats via plurality of channels. Further, it relates to a data broadcasting method of broadcasting program signals of two or more kinds of broadcasting formats via a plurality of channels, and broadcasting a decoding software program for decoding the program signals using a channel different from the plurality of channels, and, more particularly, to a data broadcasting method with which a waiting time for downloading a decoding software program for decoding program signals can be reduced on the receiving side.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 41
is a diagram showing a structure of a broadcasting system using a broadcasting satellite. In the figure, reference numeral
201
denotes sub-broadcasters, such as television broadcasting stations, broadcasting one or more channels of broadcast signals.
202
is a broadcaster including a broadcasting satellite which receives broadcast signals from the plurality of sub-broadcasters
201
, processes the broadcast signals, and transmits the result to a viewer's terminal, i.e., a broadcasting reception apparatus.
In a prior art broadcasting system, all sub-broadcasters produce and transmit programs of a common broadcasting format, i.e., a video transmission format, a video coding format, and so on, such as MPEG, over all channels, while the viewer receives and reproduces broadcast signals by exclusive hardware corresponding to the common broadcasting format. That is, in the conventional broadcasting system, as shown in
FIG. 42
, the exclusive hardware receives data of the MPEG format transmitted by the sub-broadcasters
201
via the broadcaster
202
, and displays the data on a full screen of a TV set or the like.
On the other hand, an improvement in performance of computers makes possible video signal processing, which could have been handled only with exclusive hardware, with software using general-purpose hardware. That is, signal processing with such software makes it possible to decode broadcast data of plural different broadcasting formats, if a decoding software program (library) for decoding each broadcast data is loaded in the general-purpose hardware. Thus, if broadcast data of plural different broadcasting formats can be decoded on the receiving side, broadcasting in which various broadcasting formats coexist, such as data broadcasting different from the conventional video/audio broadcasting, i.e., CG broadcasting and animation broadcasting, becomes possible. In such a broadcasting system, it is possible to provide such data as text and CG related to the conventional video, so a producer can create elaborate contents, and a viewer can receive various kinds of contents from a conventional service only for seeing to an interactive service. For example, as shown in
FIG. 43
, it is possible that plural data of different broadcasting formats coexisting in a channel are transmitted on the transmitting side, and plural contents of different broadcasting formats are displayed in a screen on the receiving side.
Further, if a decoding software program for decoding broadcast data is provided via broadcasting, even when a broadcasting reception apparatus does not have a decoding software program for decoding a certain broadcast data, this decoding software program can be downloaded via broadcasting so that the broadcast data can be decoded. Thus, on the receiving side it is not necessary to hold many kinds of decoding software programs (libraries) at any time, that is, the receiver does not need a large amount of storage means, and the receiver can adapt to a case where the program provider adopts a new broadcasting format.
To provide a decoding software program for decoding broadcast data via broadcasting, there may be, as shown in FIG.
44
(
a
), a way in which a decoding program for decoding broadcast data is multiplexed into the broadcast data for each channel, or as shown in FIG.
44
(
b
), a way in which a channel for broadcasting exclusively a decoding program for decoding broadcast data is set up apart from channels for the broadcast data, a decoding software program for decoding the broadcast data transmitted via the channel for the broadcast data is repeatedly broadcast.
A broadcasting reception apparatus used in such a system providing a decoding software program for decoding broadcast data, includes a program storage unit for holding the decoding software program (library), and decodes the broadcast data using the decoding software program stored in the program storage unit. When the decoding software program for decoding broadcast data received is not held in the program storage unit, the decoding software program is downloaded to the broadcasting reception apparatus as described above.
The viewer usually performs an operation called zapping, by which the viewer checks the contents of programs broadcast simultaneously, by switching channels in a short time. In zapping, when all sub-broadcasters perform broadcasting of a single format about all channels like the conventional broadcasting, program pictures can be instantly switched by the viewer's switching broadcasting channels. However, in a case of a broadcasting system using the foregoing signal processing by software, when no software program for decoding its broadcast data is held in advance for a switched channel in zapping, a delay downloading the program makes it difficult to switch channels in a short time, which leads to unpleasant zapping.
For example, when zapping from channel
1
to channel
2
, if a decoding software program (library) for decoding a program signal on the channel
1
is a library A, and libraries for decoding a program signal on the channel
2
is a library B and a library D, it is necessary to download the libraries B and D, so it takes time to wait until the program on the channel
2
is displayed.
If the viewer can check for what channel a decoding software program (library) is available in a library buffer of a broadcasting reception apparatus, or can check what channel, for which a decoding library is not held in the library buffer, can be nevertheless listened or watched in a short waiting time because it takes a short time to download the library.
To select receiving channels in a broadcasting reception apparatus, based on EPG (Electric Program Guide) convoluted in program broadcasting, an EPG picture is displayed in which a plurality of cells are arranged in a matrix, each cell being indicated by a channel number, as shown in
FIG. 19
, and a channel to be received is chosen by moving a cursor shown on the EPG picture, indicating a cell ch
8
in
FIG. 19
, up to down, side to side, and diagonally with a remote control having key buttons shown in FIG.
20
. This channel selection system is convenient for a user because simple button operation lets the user shift the cursor to select channels, and the EPG picture can display only channels that the user desires by the user's setting, and so on.
In selecting channels using EPG, when all sub-broadcasters perform broadcasting of a single format on all channels like the conventional broadcasting, program pictures can be instantly displayed in response to the viewer's selecting broadcasting channels. However, in a case of a broadcasting system using the foregoing signal processing by software, when in the channel selection using EPG, for a chosen channel, no software program for decoding its broadcast data is held in advance, a delay downloading the program makes it difficult to display a program picture in a short time.
As hereinbefore pointed out, in a broadcasting system using signal processing by software, when not holding a decoding software program (library) for decoding received broadcast data, in its own program storage unit, a broadcasting reception apparatus must download the library via broadcasting. When, as shown in FIG.
44
(
b
), a
Inagaki Satoru
Ishizu Atsushi
Maeda Tetsuji
Nio Yutaka
Sakaguchi Etsuyoshi
Eisenzopf Reinhard J.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Natnael Paulos
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P.
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