Digital television receiver including non-volatile memory

Details Digital television receiver including non-volatile memory Digital television receiver including non-volatile memory

1999-10-26

2001-11-13

Hsia, Sherrie (Department: 2614)

Television

Basic receiver with additional function

C348S725000, C348S720000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06317162

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital television receiver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a multi-channel digital satellite broadcasting (CS broadcasting) system using CS (Communication Satellite) which has been started in recent years, a lot of (for example, 100 or more) channels are prepared, and a lot of programs are provided.
In such broadcasting, there are functions which have not been so far seen. For example, guide information relating to programs which are being currently broadcast and programs which will be broadcast in the future, together with original program data, are transmitted at predetermined time intervals, and a viewer can select and view the program on the basis of the program guide (electronic program guide [EPG]) information.
In such a digital television receiver, a ROM whose contents cannot be generally rewritten has been employed as a program ROM. For convenience of a CS broadcasting form, it is prescribed that a rewritabie ROM is mounted as a program ROM (hereinafter referred to as a program memory) as a standard in order to change the specification thereof and improve the function thereof.
When the rewritable program memory is mounted on the digital television receiver, it is possible to rewrite the contents of the program memory by sending a rewriting program by a broadcast wave.
When the power is shut off on the basis of a power failure or the power is shut off on the basis of a user operation while the contents of the program memory are being rewritten utilizing the broadcast wave, however, a program for a control portion in the receiver is not normally rewritten. Accordingly, the contents of the program memory must be rewritten by a repairing person.
When the control portion is reactivated upon normal completion of the rewiring of the program, the structures of data stored in a non-volatile data area change depending on the program which has been rewritten. Therefore, the data structures must be manually reset.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a digital television receiver in which in a case where a program is not normally rewritten by the shutoff of the power based on a power failure or the shutoff of the power based on a user operation while the contents of a program memory are being rewritten utilizing a broadcast wave, the program is automatically rewritten when the power is returned.
A television receiver according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a control portion for controlling the whole of the receiver; an electrically rewritabie first non-volatile memory storing an execution program for the control portion; first program rewriting means for downloading a program sent by broadcasting to rewrite the contents of the first non-volatile memory; an electrically rewritable second non-volatile memory storing identification information indicating whether the program has been normally rewritten by the program rewriting means or the program has not been normally rewritten by the shutoff of the power during the rewriting; second program rewriting means for checking the identification information when the control portion is activated, and downloading the program sent by broadcasting again to rewrite the contents of the first non-volatile memory when it is detected that the program has not been normally rewritten; and means for changing, when the program has been normally rewritten by the second program rewriting means, the identification information into information indicating that the program has been normally rewritten.
It is preferable that there is provided means for initializing the second non-volatile memory when the control portion is first activated after the program is normally rewritten.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4750040 (1988-06-01), Hakamada
patent: 5303063 (1994-04-01), Kim
patent: 5440632 (1995-08-01), Bacon et al.
patent: 5617146 (1997-04-01), Duffield
patent: 5666293 (1997-09-01), Metz et al.
patent: 5734853 (1998-03-01), Hendricks et al.
patent: 0 748 132 A2 (1996-12-01), None
patent: 0 875 824 A1 (1998-11-01), None

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