Broadcast receiver

• US 20020022462A1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zumkeller, Markus, Merkle, Carsten, Schill, Dietmar
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/186.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0248 dependent on the time of the day, e.g. according to expected transmission activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In digital broadcast systems, it is common to broadcast besides main services additional services like news services. Typically, these additional services are regularly updated and broadcasted by a service provider (3) several times a day. In order to keep service data transmitted by the additional services up to date in a receiving device (1) receiving the services, a method of accessing services is given according to which a respective service information about the services provided by service providers (3) is extracted from a service presently received by the receiving device (1), and then at least one of the services about which service information was extracted according to the respective extracted service information might be accessed. Thus, the service data can automatically be updated by the receiving device (1) itself, even if transmission conditions of an additional service like update rates change over the time.

Claims

1. Method of accessing at least one additional service temporarily included within a respective main service provided by a respective service provider (3), said accessing process using a receiving device (1) connectable to said respective service provider (3), characterized by the following steps:

a) extracting from a main service presently received by said receiving device service information about at least one of said corresponding additional services,

b) accessing at least one of said additional services about which service information was extracted according to said respective extracted service information.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step a) comprises the step of extracting a service ID and a service name of at least one of said additional services.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step a) comprises the step of extracting time information including transmission times of at least one of said additional services.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that step a) comprises the step of extracting service channel information of at least one additional service showing which service channel will be used when transmitting a corresponding additional service from a corresponding service provider via said service channel to said receiving device, respectively.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that step b) comprises the step of connecting said receiving device (1) to at least one of said service channels according to said service channel information and said time information.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized by storing said extracted service information in said receiving device (1).

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized by updating said stored service information each time when step a) is executed.

8. Method according to claim 6, characterized by activating said receiving device (1) or necessary parts thereof for receiving a service during time intervals in which an additional service is transmitted from the corresponding service provider (3) to said receiving device (1), returning said receiving device (1) or said parts thereof into the state before activation during the rest of the time, said processes of activating and re turning being carried out on the basis of said stored service information or said latest extracted service information.

9. Method according to claim 6, characterized by managing the time order of different accessing processes, if said additional services assigned thereto are transmitted at the same time to said receiving device (1), respectively, said managing process being done according to said stored service information or said latest extracted service information.

10. Method according to claim 6, characterized by subscribing into a service list containing entries representing available additional services of respective service providers (3), said process of subscribing changing said stored service information.

11. Method according to claim 8, characterized by, if the receiving device (1) is in its activated state, only accessing that additional services which are transmitted over that service channels (2a) used by said main services presently received or that have a specific priority level.

12. Method according to claim 9, characterized by eliminating subscribed services in said service list which preferrably have no specific priority level if the power resources of said receiving device (1) fall below a predetermined limit.

13. Method according to claim 11, characterized by monitoring all additional services provided by a corresponding service provider (3) during the time in which said receiving device (1) receives a main service from said corresponding service provider (3).

14. Method according to claim 1, characterized by storing service data extracted from said at least one additional service after having accessed them in step b) in said receiving device, said stored service data being accessable.

16. Broadcast signal according to claim 15, characterized by containing time information about transmission times of said at least one additional service.

18. Broadcast signal according to claim 15, characterized by comprising a service ID and/or a service name and/or priority information of at least one service.

19. Broadcast signal according to claim 15, characterized in that said time information is structured so that it comprises at least one absolute time of the next transmission of a corresponding additional service, at least one relative time to a full hour if said corresponding additional service is transmitted every hour, or at least one offset to the time of the beginning of the day plus at least one repetition rate of said corresponding additional service.

15. Broadcast signal being sent from a service provider (3) to a receiving device (1) for providing said receiving device (1) with a main service, characterized by containing service information about at least one additional service provided by said service provider (3) indicating how to access said at least one additional service.

17. Broadcast signal according to claims 15, characterized by containing service channel information about at least one additional service showing which service channel (2a) will be used when transmitting an additional service from a service provider (1) via said service channel (2a) to said receiving device (3), respectively.

20. Apparatus (1) for accessing at least one additional service provided by at least one service provider (3), said apparatus (1) comprising receiving, means (2) connectable via at least one service channel (2a) to said at least one service provider (3) for receiving at least one additional service from said at least one service provider (3), a user interface (4) for informing a user and for controlling said apparatus (1) by said user, and a processing unit (5) connected to said receiving means (2) and to said user interface (4), characterized by a scheduler means (6) connected to said processing unit (5) for controlling said process of accessing said at least one additional service, a service information memory means (7) for storing service information needed by said scheduler means (6) to control said apparatus (1), and a service data memory means (8) connected to said processing unit (5) for storing service data extracted by said receiving means (2) from said at least one additional service according to said service information.

21. Apparatus (1) according to claim 20, characterized iii that said scheduler means (6) comprises a wake-up control means (9) connected to said receiving means (2) and said processing unit (5) for activating or deactivating said receiving means (2) and said processing unit (5).

22. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, characterized in that said scheduler means (6) comprises a timer (10) connected to said wake-up control means (9) for providing said wake-up control means (9) with the actual time.

23. Apparatus (1) according to claim 20, characterized in that said receiving means (2) comprises means for receiving services transmitted wireless or transmitted by cable.

24. Apparatus (1) according to claim 20, characterized by an conditional access means 11 to decrypt an encrypted service in case an access is permitted.