Interactive video distribution systems – Operator interface – To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-07
2001-09-18
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Operator interface
To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
C725S100000, C725S131000, C348S460000, C348S730000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292943
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power control method for a set top box, and, in particular, to an improved power control method for a set top box which is capable of controlling a power of a set top box in accordance with whether or not there is a synchronous signal applied to a VCR in a state of power-off when recording a broadcasting signal received through the set top box using a broadcast recording apparatus such as the VCR.
2. Description of the Conventional Art new paragraph:
Generally, in order to watch various broadcast programs through a cable network, a public wave broadcasting network, a satellite broadcasting network, etc, at home or office, a set top box, a cable box, ect. are needed.
This set top box or cable box receives the broadcasting signal received through a cable in a modulated signal state from each broadcasting company, so that a user can watch the program on the television set.
When receiving the broadcasting signals by the set top box and watching the program on the television set, the user connects the set top box and the VCR, and the VCR and the television set using an audio/video input line, so that the user can watch the program on the television set using the set top box.
At this time, when performing a channel selection and power control of the set top box using the VCR, a corresponding channel code and power code are transmitted to the set top box using the VCR for thereby controlling the channel selection and power control.
In addition, differently from this, the channel selection and power control may be implemented using only a channel code.
If the user can not watch the program broadcasted by a predetermined channel for a predetermined time due to other schedules, the user can record the program using a time reserve function by setting the channel and time of the program for thereby recording a corresponding broadcasting program.
Namely, after the recording time is set by the user, when the time is reached, a channel code or power code is transmitted to the set top box from the VCR, and then the set top box is operated, so that the broadcasting program reserved by the user is recorded.
However, if the set top box if OFF due to temporary power failure of the power at the time when the broadcasting signal received through the set top box is recorded into the VCR based on the reserved program recording function, the broadcasting signal is received into the set top box, so that the VCR does not recognize this situation, and the VCR continuously proceeds with the recording operation.
Therefore, actually, the broadcasting signal is not recorded into the VCR.
In addition, if the set top box is OFF due to the power failure, etc., even when the VCR has a function that the power code is transferred from the VCR to the set top box, since the VCR does not recognize the power state of the set top box, the power code is outputted from the VCR in a state that the set top box is in an operation mode. Therefore, the broadcasting signal is not received, so that the broadcasting signal is not recorded into the VCR.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a virtual power control method for a set tap box which overcomes the aforementioned problems encountered in the conventional art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a power control method for a set top box which is capable of controlling the power of a set top box in accordance with whether there is a synchronous signal applied to the broadcasting signal recording apparatus when the power of the set top box is OFF due to various reasons, such as a temporary power failure, at the time when a broadcasting signal received through the set top box is recorded based on a program reserving and recording function using a broadcasting signal recording apparatus such as a VCR, etc.
In order to achieve the above objects, there is provided a power control method for a set top box which includes a first step for setting a time reserving and recording function for recording a broadcasting signal received from a set top box, a second step for recording the broadcasting signal in accordance with the time reserving and recording function of the first step, a third step for judging whether or not a synchronous signal is inputted into a broadcasting signal recording apparatus through a signal cable connected with the set top box during the operation of the second step, a fourth step for continuously performing a time reserving and recording function when it is judged that the synchronous signal is inputted into the broadcasting signal recording apparatus as a result of the third step, a fifth step for outputting a power code or channel code to the set top box when it is judged that the synchronous signal is not inputted into the broadcasting signal recording apparatus as a result of the third step, and a sixth step for performing the fourth step when the synchronous signal is inputted as a result of the judgment that the synchronous signal is inputted into the broadcasting signal recording apparatus after the fifth step.
Additional advantages, objects and other features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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patent: 6097377 (2000-08-01), Yeo
Kim Jin-Hwi
Shin Yun-Soo
Bui Kieu-Oanh
Faile Andrew
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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