Interactive video distribution systems – Satellite video distribution system – Receiver
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-16
2001-12-25
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Satellite video distribution system
Receiver
C343S760000, C343S766000, C455S039000, C342S420000, C342S359000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334218
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for receiving satellite broadcast and a receiving method therefor, and more particularly to a device for receiving satellite broadcast and a method therefor which enable users to conveniently view versatile satellite broadcast.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In order to watch broadcast programs via a satellite, a satellite antenna which receives satellite signals, a set-top box which processes the received signals, and a display device which displays the signals processed by the set-top box are needed.
For the optimal viewing of a satellite broadcast, the satellite antenna should be positioned to the direction of the satellite which transmits the satellite broadcast. Accordingly, the position information of satellites which transmit various satellite broadcasts should be pre-set at initial stage to enable the convenient viewing of satellite broadcasts.
Satellite broadcasts are classified into analog satellite broadcasts and digital satellite broadcasts, and set-top boxes which process the satellite broadcast signals and control the movement of the antenna are classified into analog set-top boxes and digital set-top boxes.
Methods for searching satellite signals vary in accordance with the kind of satellite targeted. The different methods for searching satellite signals are as follows.
In the analog set-top box, the user determines whether the satellite broadcast displayed on the display device is the desired satellite broadcast by changing the direction of the antenna, and inputs the position information of the determined satellite into the analog set-top box. In this way, the position information of the desired satellites is stored in the analog set-top box.
FIG. 1
shows a position relation between the satellite antenna and the satellites.
Assuming that there are two satellites, satellite A and satellite B, as shown in
FIG. 1
, if the user wants to watch the satellite broadcast transmitted from satellite B, the user of the analog set-top box confirms whether the satellite is satellite B, based on the image displayed on the display device, by changing the direction of the antenna.
However, in the conventional analog set-top box, if the position of the satellite antenna is directed to a middle area between satellite A and satellite B, since the user does not have information about how far the satellite is from the position of the antenna and the present direction of the satellite antenna, the desired satellite can be found only by checking if the image displayed on the display device is the desired image.
With regard to the conventional digital set-top box, there are difficulties in finding the position of satellite, because the image transmitted from the digital satellite can not be displayed on the display device in real time. As a result, each one of the separate satellite antenna must be used for each satellite, thereby requiring a large number of satellite antennas in the case where the user desires to watch various satellite broadcast.
Another problem of the conventional satellite broadcast receiver is the complicated process of the user's setting the position information of satellites manually based on the status of the image displayed on the display device.
In case that a desired satellite is added, the user finds the added satellite using the signal transmitted from the satellite by changing the direction of the satellite antenna. This process is inconvenient and time-consuming especially when the user desires to watch a large number of satellite broadcasts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a satellite broadcast receiver and a method for receiving satellite broadcasts which enables users to detect a position of satellites and watch satellite broadcasts conveniently based on the detected position of satellites.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a satellite broadcast receiver and a method for receiving satellite broadcast which enable users to detect satellites conveniently by displaying graphic and numerical menus to indicate positions of the satellite and direction of a satellite antenna.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a satellite broadcast receiver and a method for receiving satellite broadcast which model the position information of pre-found satellites and detects other satellites based on the modeled position information.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a satellite antenna driver which does not overload such that the abnormal operation of the satellite antenna is prevented.
These and other objects are provided, according to the present invention, by providing a digital satellite broadcast receiver including an antenna for receiving a satellite signal, a tuner for tuning the satellite signal received by antenna, a demodulator which demodulates the satellite signal tuned by tuner into digital signal, an error corrector which corrects errors of the signal demodulated by the demodulator, a microprocessor which receives the signal modulated by the modulator and the output signal of the error corrector, and outputs a signal which controls the position of the antenna, and an antenna driver which drives the antenna in accordance with the control of the microprocessor.
A digital & analog combined satellite broadcast receiver of the present invention comprises a satellite antenna, an analog set-top box, a digital set-top box, a graphic menu generator, and a display device. The satellite antenna moves and receives the satellite signal. The analog set-top box receives analog signal among the signal from the satellite and converts the analog satellite signal into image signal, and controls the direction of the satellite antenna. The digital set-top box receives digital signal among the signals received from the satellite, and converts the digital signal into image signal, and controls the direction of the satellite antenna. The graphic menu generator receives the output signals of the digital set-top box and the analog set-top box and then generates a plurality of graphic menus for performing many operations of detecting satellites. The display device displays the graphic menus on the display device which are generated by the graphic menu generator.
The graphic menu generator comprises a synchronizing signal detector which receives the image signal from the analog set-top box and detects horizontal synchronizing signal and vertical synchronizing signal; an MPEG decoder which receives the horizontal synchronizing signal and vertical synchronizing signal detected by the synchronizing signal detector, and generates and outputs the digital graphic menu signal and the position information of the digital graphic menu, and which receives the digital image signal from the digital set-top box, and decodes and outputs the digital image signal; a timing controller which receives the position information of the digital graphic menu from the MPEG decoder and controls the timing of the synchronizing signal appropriate to a standard video synchronizing signal; and a video switch which receives the digital graphic menu signal and the digital image signal from the MPEG decoder and the analog image signal from the analog set-top box, and outputs the analog image signal, the digital graphic menu signal, and the digital image signal selectively in accordance with the position information of digital graphic menu.
An antenna driving device of the present invention, which gains power from AC power source and controls direction of antenna, comprises a first plurality of switches, a power supply, a second plurality of switches, and a motor. The switches are connected to the AC power source. The power supply is connected to the switches and receives AC current from the AC power source and outputs DC current which has specified voltage. The switches are connected to the power supply. The motor is connected to the switches and receives the DC current when s
Jeong Ki-Won
Kim Min-Gu
Lee Jang-Hee
Lee Yong-Kook
Park Joong-Jeh
Faile Andrew
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Handan Broadinfocom Co., Ltd.
Vu Ngoc K.
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