U.S. patent number RE42,764 [Application Number 11/187,031] was granted by the patent office on 2011-09-27 for apparatus and method for providing, retrieving, and using data guide information supplied in a digital vestigial sideband signal.
This patent grant is currently assigned to LG Electronics Inc.. Invention is credited to Tom L. Sorensen.
United States Patent |
RE42,764 |
Sorensen |
September 27, 2011 |
Apparatus and method for providing, retrieving, and using data
guide information supplied in a digital vestigial sideband
signal
Abstract
A device for provisioning, retrieving, and using data guide
information transmitted in a digital broadcast signal is disclosed.
A receiver receives the digital broadcast signal which includes
digital television programming packets multiplexed with data
packets and thereafter routes the received signal to a demodulator.
The demodulator provides a demodulated signal to a detector which
identifies data packets contained therein. A processor then
determines the types of data in the data packets, as well as the
respective channels on which the identified types of data are
transmitted. The processor prepares a menu for a display screen
enabling a user to select the channel of interest, and enables the
user to be connected accordingly.
Inventors: |
Sorensen; Tom L. (Naperville,
IL) |
Assignee: |
LG Electronics Inc. (Seoul,
KR)
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Family
ID: |
23724721 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/187,031 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
09434559 |
Nov 12, 1999 |
6598226 |
Jul 22, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
725/58; 725/50;
725/38 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
21/8586 (20130101); H04N 7/163 (20130101); H04N
21/4586 (20130101); H04N 21/435 (20130101); H04N
21/8126 (20130101); H04N 21/47 (20130101); H04N
21/47214 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04N
5/445 (20060101); G06F 3/00 (20060101); G06F
13/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;725/109-110,112,136,37-61 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0 710 017 |
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May 1996 |
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EP |
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WO 96/37996 |
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Nov 1996 |
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WO |
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WO 98/47286 |
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Oct 1998 |
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WO |
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WO 98/57497 |
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Dec 1998 |
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WO |
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WO 99/13644 |
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Mar 1999 |
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WO |
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Other References
Mitsubishi Takes Motorola MPC801 for Diamondweb TV Computergram
International, Aug. 29, 1996. cited by other .
Comdex--Mitsubishi Previews 40-inch DiamondWeb TV Nov. 19, 1996,
Newsbytes. cited by other .
Mitsubishi joins Internet RV market Screen Digest, Dec. 1, 1996.
cited by other .
Internet Web page fro Sony "Now Everyone can experience the
Internet" 1996. cited by other .
Shimakawa et al., Method of Controlling Reception in Data Broadcast
Receiver, International Publication Date: Dec. 17, 1998, PCT WO
98/57497. cited by examiner.
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Primary Examiner: Lonsberry; Hunter B
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Schiff Hardin LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for identifying types of data transmitted on multiple
channels of a digital broadcast signal, displaying the identified
types of data transmitted on each channel, and enabling a user to
access the data transmitted on a particular channel, the device
comprising: a scanning receiver adapted to tune to the digital
broadcast signal on selected channels, the digital broadcast signal
including at least one digital television programming packet and at
least one data packet; a demodulator coupled to the receiver and
adapted to demodulate the digital broadcast signal; a detector
coupled to the demodulator and adapted to detect the at least one
data packet; a memory coupled to the detector, the memory being
adapted to store data guide software code for identifying the type
of data contained in the at least one data packet and the channel
on which the identified type of data is available, the data guide
software further being adapted to enable the data on any channel
selected by an operator to be accessed; a processor coupled to the
memory and adapted to execute the data guide software code; and, an
operator interface module coupled to the processor, the operator
interface module being adapted to display the identified types of
data and the channels on which the identified types of data are
available, the operator interface module further being adapted to
enable any displayed channel to be selected.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor comprises a central
processing unit of a personal computer, and the operator interface
module comprises a video monitor and an input device.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the operator interface module
comprises a display of a personal digital assistant.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the operator interface module
comprises a display of a telephone.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein the telephone comprises a cellular
telephone.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor comprises a
processing unit of a television, and the operator interface module
comprises a display screen of the television.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one data packet
includes at least one link to a website, the operator interface
module enables the at least one website to be selected, and wherein
the processor enables the at least one website to be accessed.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the data guide software code
generates a data guide in menu format for display on the operator
interface module.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein the operator interface module
enables the operator to scroll through the menu before selecting a
particular channel.
10. A method of providing a data guide summarizing .[.types.].
.Iadd.a type .Iaddend.of data transmitted in a digital broadcast
signal and .[.the channels.]. .Iadd.a channel
.Iaddend.corresponding to the .[.types.]. .Iadd.type .Iaddend.of
data comprising the steps of: receiving the digital broadcast
signal containing digital programming packets and data packets;
demodulating the digital broadcast signal; detecting the data
packets; storing the data guide based on information contained in
the data packets; and, displaying the data guide .Iadd.on a display
of a personal digital assistant.Iaddend..
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the digital broadcast signal is
transmitted in multiple channels, and wherein the receiving step is
performed by scanning through the multiple channels.
12. The method of claim 10 further including the step of selecting
one of the identified channels and gaining access to data
transmitted on the selected channel.
13. The method of 10 performed by a central processing unit of a
personal computer, wherein the displaying step is performed using a
video monitor connected to the personal computer.
14. The method of claim 10 performed by a processor of a
television, wherein the displaying step is performed using a video
screen of the television.
.[.15. The method of claim 10 wherein the displaying of the data
guide comprises displaying the data guide on a display of a
personal digital assistant..].
16. .[.The method of claim 10 wherein the displaying of the data
guide comprises.]. .Iadd.A method of providing a data guide
summarizing a type of data transmitted in a digital broadcast
signal and a channel corresponding to the type of data comprising
the steps of: receiving the digital broadcast signal containing
digital programming packets and data packets; demodulating the
digital broadcast signal; detecting the data packets; storing the
data guide based on information contained in the data packets; and,
.Iaddend. displaying the data guide on a display of a
telephone.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the telephone comprises a
cellular telephone.
.[.18. A data casting system comprising: a receiver adapted to
receive a digital broadcast signal containing at least one digital
television programming packet and at least one data packet; a
detector coupled to the receiver and adapted to detect the at least
one data packet, the detector further adapted to detect types of
data transmitted within the at least one data packet and channels
on which the detected types of data are available; and, an operator
interface module coupled to the detector and adapted to display the
detected types of data and the channels on which the detected types
of data are available..].
.[.19. The data casting system of claim 18 further including a
processor coupled to the detector, the processor being adapted to
execute data guide software, the data guide software generating a
menu based on the types of data and channels detected by the
detector, the menu being displayed on the operator interface
module..].
.[.20. The data casting system of claim 19 wherein the operator
interface module allows any of the displayed channels to be
selected, and the data guide software and processor connect the
operator interface module to the selected channel..].
.[.21. The data casting system of claim 20 wherein the at least one
channel includes at least one link to a website..].
.[.22. A computer readable storage medium of a digital program
receiver having a data guide stored thereon, wherein the data guide
contains a list of the types of data receivable by the digital
program receiver and the corresponding RF channels in which the
data is present..].
.[.23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the
data guide is a menu..].
.[.24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the
menu contains selectable items..].
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus that enables a user
to receive and utilize data which is broadcast via a digital
vestigial sideband (VSB) broadcast signal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART
The ATSC digital broadcast standard for digital television allows
for the transmission of 19 Mbits/sec in an RF channel having a 6
MHZ bandwidth. Although this allocated bandwidth is adequate for a
single analog NTSC television channel, the ATSC bit rate permits
the same channel to support the concurrent transmission of several
standard definition television (SDTV) programs (i.e., programs
displayable with a resolution comparable to that of the NTSC analog
program). Alternatively, the allocated bandwidth at the ATSC bit
rate permits a channel to support the transmission of a single high
definition television (HDTV) program at a time. Moreover, the ATSC
digital broadcast standard permits data to be transmitted in the
channel along with the digital program being transmitted.
Therefore, data packets may be multiplexed in the channel with
video and audio packets of one or more of the programs.
While channel guides in the form of a table displayed on a
dedicated channel and providing channels, titles, and show times,
currently exist for analog television programming, none exist which
provide a similar guide or key for digital television as to the
type of data transmitted on various channels. Moreover, no channel
or data guides exists which enable various entries in the guide to
be selected by a user for access to further information.
The present invention contemplates using the data transmission
feature of the ATSC standard in order to transmit data guide
information in the data packets. The data guide may include
identifying information as to the channels under which data is
transmitted with the digital VSB broadcast signals, as well as the
type of data provided on each channel. The invention further
contemplates displaying the transmitted data guide in a format
enabling a user to select and access the data on any of the
displayed channels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a device
identifies types of data transmitted on multiple channels of a
digital broadcast signal, displays the identified types of data
transmitted on each channel, and enables a user to access the data
transmitted on a particular channel. The device comprises a
scanning receiver, a demodulator, a detector, a memory, a
processor, and an operator interface module. The scanning receiver
is adapted to tune to the digital broadcast signal on selected
channels, and the digital broadcast signal includes at least one
digital television programming packet and at least one data packet.
The demodulator is coupled to the receiver and is adapted to
demodulate the digital broadcast signal. The detector is coupled to
the demodulator and is adapted to detect the at least one data
packet. The memory is coupled to the detector, and the memory is
adapted to store data guide software code for identifying the type
of data contained in the at least one data packet and the channel
on which the identified type of data is available. The data guide
software is further adapted to enable the data on any channel
selected by an operator to be accessed. The processor is coupled to
the memory and is adapted to execute the data guide software code.
The operator interface module is coupled to the processor, and is
adapted to display the identified types of data and the channels on
which the identified types of data are available. The operator
interface module is further adapted to enable any displayed channel
to be selected.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of
providing a data guide summarizing types of data transmitted in a
digital broadcast signal and the channels corresponding to the
types of data is provided. The method includes the steps of
receiving a digital broadcast signal containing digital programming
packets and data packets, demodulating the digital broadcast
signal, detecting the data packets, storing the data guide based on
information contained in the data packets, and displaying the data
guide.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a data
casting system is provided which comprises a receiver, a detector
coupled to the receiver, and a operator interface module coupled to
the detector. The receiver is adapted to receive a digital
broadcast signal containing at least one digital television
programming packet and at least one data packet. The detector is
adapted to detect the at least one data packet and is further
adapted to detect types of data transmitted within the at least one
data packet and channels on which the detected types of data are
available. The screen is adapted to display the detected types of
data and the channels on which the detected types of data are
available.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a computer
readable storage medium of a digital program receiver having a data
guide stored thereon is provided, wherein the data guide contains a
list of the types of data receivable by the digital program
receiver and the corresponding RF channels in which the data is
present.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features and advantages of the present invention will become
more apparent from a detailed consideration of the invention taken
in conjunction with the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a data guide system according to one embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a sample portion of a digital vestigial sideband
(VSB) signal having a set of digital programming packets
multiplexed with a set of data packets;
FIG. 3 illustrates data packets and digital television programming
packets having an identification header;
FIG. 4 illustrates a sample data guide display screen according to
the present invention; and
FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of a method for retrieving a
digital VSB broadcast signal, extracting at least one data packet
from the digital VSB broadcast signal, determining the type of data
received, and generating a data guide according to the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals
designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several
figures, and more particularly to FIG. 1, a data guide system
according to the present invention is generally depicted by
reference numeral 10. The data guide system 10 includes a digital
vestigial sideband (VSB) broadcast signal transmitter 11 (such as a
digital television provider), and a datacasting receiver 12.
The datacasting receiver 12 includes a digital scanning receiver
13, a demodulator 14, a detector 16, a processor 18, a memory 20,
and an operator interface module 21. The digital scanning receiver
13 is a tunable receiver which is able to scan through and be tuned
to the RF channels within the bands allocated to the digital
scanning receiver 13, including, for example, any of the RF
channels in any of the bands allocated for digital television
viewing. In operation, the digital scanning receiver 13 receives a
digital VSB broadcast signal which is defined to include any of a 2
digital VSB, a 4 digital VSB, an 8 digital VSB, an 8T digital VSB
or a 16 digital VSB signal, transmitted via one of the RF channels.
As will be discussed in further detail herein, the digital scanning
receiver 13 may be an existing receiver of a device such as a
digital television or personal computer, or may be a separate
receiver dedicated to the data guide system 10.
Referring to FIG. 2, a sample portion of a digital VSB broadcast
signal 22 to which the digital scanning receiver 13 may be tuned is
depicted. As shown therein, the digital VSB broadcast signal 22
includes a set of digital television (DTV) programming packets 24
having audio and video components multiplexed with a set of data
packets 26. The DTV programming packets 24 and data packets 26 are
both formatted in conformance with the ATSC standard and thus have
symbols and symbol rates as specified therein.
The digital scanning receiver 13 scans through all available
channels, and at each channel tunes to the corresponding digital
VSB broadcast signal 22. The demodulator 14 demodulates the digital
VSB broadcast signal 22 from the digital scanning receiver 13.
In accordance with the ATSC standard and as shown in FIG. 3, each
of the data packets 26 and each of the digital television
programming packets 24 are identifiable via a pre-defined sequence
of identification bits [not shown in detail] residing at a location
allocated as a header 30.
Preferably, the detector 16 is implemented with a software
application that is stored in the memory 20. The software
application preferably has search engine capabilities, such that in
order to enable identification of the DTV programming packets 24
and the data packets 26, the software application compares the
header 30 of each DTV programming packet 24 and each incoming data
packet 26 to pre-defined bit sequences used to identify the
relevant packets. The detector 16 then passes the identified DTV
programming packets 24 to appropriate video and/or audio processors
(not shown). When the detector 16 recognizes that a relevant data
packet 26 is received on the particular channel to which the
digital scanning receiving 13 is currently tuned, the detector 16
transmits an appropriate signal to the processor 18.
The signal from the detector 16 to the processor 18 indicates to
the processor 18 that the received data and channel on which it has
been received should be stored in the memory 20, and that the
processor 18 must interpret the data packet 26 to determine the
particular type of data received. This interpretation may be
accomplished similar to the manner in which the presence of the
data packet 26 is determined. More specifically, the header 30 or
the data portions of a data packet may include a predetermined bit
stream which the processor 18 may compare to a database of bit
streams stored in memory 20. For example, the bit streams may
indicate that the data following the header comprises: price update
information for a grocery shopping service program, addresses of
relevant websites related to the digital television programming
packet 24, business news, sports statistics, government tax forms,
etc. If website addresses are included, they may allow an HTML link
program, such as a web browser, to seek out a website that is
associated with the DTV programming packet 24.
Alternatively, once the processor 18 receives the signal from the
detector indicating that a data packet 26 has been received, the
processor 18 may utilize a template stored in the memory 20 which
automatically indicates the type of data received based on the
channel to which the receiver 13 is tuned at the time of reception.
In other words, it may be known that a particular channel always
and only transmits business data, while another channel always and
only transmits sports statistics. As a result, once the detector 16
determines that data is received, the processor 18 can reference
the template to determine which type of data corresponds to the
tuned channel.
Upon identifying the specific type of data received, the data
packets 26 are checked for errors. The processor 18 uses an error
checking program to examine the data packets 26 for errors, such as
those typically caused by discontinuities from storms or multi-path
interferences. If an error is detected, data is erased and the
system tunes to the next channel to retrieve data. The data from
the current channel can be retrieved the next time it is
transmitted.
If no error is detected, the processor 18 determines if the data
type corresponding to the data transmitted in the current channel
is new or updated since the last time that data type was received
on that particular channel. Such checking can be performed through
a comparison-of the received data packets 26 to the previous data
type stored in the memory 20. If the received data type of the data
contained in the current channel is not new, it is erased. If this
data type is new, the data type is stored in the memory 20,
replacing the previously stored data type.
Also, if the data type is determined to be new, the processor 18
executes data guide software to generate or update a menu 32
containing that data type. The operator interface module 21 can
display the menu 32 at any time the user selects. The operator
interface module 21 can be in the form of, for example, a computer
monitor, a television screen, a liquid crystal display screen of a
cellular telephone or personal digital assistant, or the like. The
menu 32 could be displayed on a designated channel to which the
user could tune when desired. Using a peripheral input device (not
shown) associated with the operator interface module 21, such as a
mouse, trackball, keyboard, remote control, or touch screen, a user
can scroll through the displayed menu 32 and select the channel of
interest. Once a particular channel is selected the processor 18
then directly connects the user to the desired channel, or if a
website is selected, to the desired website. A representative menu
32 generated by the processor 18 is depicted in FIG. 4.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the method by which the data guide system
10 may function is depicted. As shown, the method begins at a block
60 where the digital scanning receiver 13 tunes to a channel
containing the digital VSB broadcast signal 22. Once the signal 22
is tuned, control proceeds to a block 62 where the received VSB
broadcast signal 22 is provided to the demodulator 14. The
demodulator 14 demodulates the VSB broadcast signal 22. The digital
television programming packets 24 and the data packets 26 are then
transferred to the detector 16 at a block 64.
At a block 66, the detector 16 identifies the data packets 26. As
will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, the
data packets 26 may be transmitted by the digital television
transmitter 11 at selected times during the day and may be
transmitted repeatedly at convenient intervals. If the digital
receiver 12 contains a single tuner in the form of the digital
scanning receiver 13, the data monitoring step 66 may be performed
during non-prime time hours so as not interfere with heavier prime
time usage of the digital broadcast. Alternatively, the datacasting
receiver 12 could include one tuner for normal usage and reception
of the digital television broadcast, and a separate scanning tuner
dedicated to scanning through all channels in search of data being
received. Accordingly, the tuning step 60 and monitoring step 66
need not be limited to any particular period of usage.
As described earlier, the monitoring process preferably involves
launching a search engine application that causes the detector 16
to search for a predefined sequence of identification bits located
in the header 30 of each DTV programming packet 24 and each data
packet 26 wherein the predefined sequence of bits indicate a data
packet 26.
If it is determined that a data packet 26 has been detected, the
data and the channel on which this data packet 26 was received are
stored in the memory 20 as indicated by a block 68, and the
detector 16 generates a signal which causes control to pass to a
block 70 where the processor 18 determines the type of data
detected. As indicated above this can be performed in numerous ways
including performing a comparison of bit streams to a database of
known bit streams, or using a template to determine the type of
data always transmitted on the channel to which the receiver 13 is
tuned.
Once the type of data is determined, the processor 18 performs an
error checking routine, as indicated at a block 72, to determine
whether any of the received data has been tainted by, for example,
discontinuities caused by storms or multi-path interference. If an
error is detected, the retrieved data is erased as indicated by a
block 74 and control returns to the block 60 to enable the next
channel to be checked. As described hereinbefore, since the data is
transmitted periodically, error-free data packets 26 can be
retrieved from a later transmission. In alternative embodiments,
the error checking step can be performed at a different time,
including before the storing step 68.
If no error is detected at the block 72, control proceeds to a
block 76 where the processor 18 determines if the data type is new
or updated since the last time the monitoring step 66 was
performed. The processor 18 compares the data type determined at
the block 70 to the data type contained in the menu 32 stored in
the memory 20 corresponding to the tuned channel. If the data type
is determined not to be new, the data type is erased at the block
74 and control returns to the block 60 wherein the next channel is
checked.
If the data type is determined to be new, control passes to a block
78 wherein the received data type replaces the old data contained
in the menu 32 stored in the memory 20. The channel to which the
receiver 13 is tuned at that time is also determined and stored in
the memory 20. The channel on which the current data is received
may be utilized as an address into the memory 20 corresponding to
the relevant line in the menu 32.
At any time selected by the user, the processor 18 causes the menu
32 to be displayed by the operator interface module 21, such as on
a channel dedicated to providing a data guide. When tuned to the
dedicated data guide channel, the user can scroll through the menu
32 and select any one of the displayed channels. The processor 18
responds to the received user input by connecting to the selected
channel, or if web links are included in the selected channel, to
the selected website assuming that the datacasting receiver 12 is
web enabled.
In an alternative embodiment, data guide information as contained
in the menu 32 could be transmitted on a single channel. As a
result, the step of scanning all channels need not be performed,
but rather the single channel on which the data is transmitted
could be periodically checked and the memory 20 and menu 32 could
be updated when new data is received.
Although it is suggested that the detector 16 be implemented using
a software application having search engine capabilities, it may
instead be implemented using hardware or firmware. For example, the
detector 16 may be implemented using an ASIC device configured to
behave like a gate array such that the device, when presented with
the proper pre-define data sequence, allows the data to pass
therethrough.
Certain modifications of the present invention have been discussed
above. Other modifications will occur to those practicing in the
art of the present invention. For example, the present invention
has been described above at least in part in relation to providing
a data guide based upon data transmitted in a digital vestigial
sideband (VSB) broadcast signal. However, it should be noted that
the present invention also is applicable to providing a data guide
based upon data transmitted in other types of digital broadcast
signals such as COFDM signals, QAM signals, QPSK signals, and/or
the like.
Accordingly, the description of the present invention is to be
construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching
those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the
invention. The details may be varied substantially without
departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use
of all modifications which are within the scope of the appended
claims is reserved.
* * * * *