Receiving apparatus and control method therefor

• US 20060039361A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohno, Tomoyuki, Hoshi, Nobuhiro, Ichihashi, Nobuharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42615 involving specific demultiplexing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

The tuner unit of a digital broadcast receiving apparatus receives a digital broadcast and generates a data stream from a digital broadcast signal having a desired modulation frequency. A data stream of a digital broadcast is also input from an external digital broadcast receiving apparatus via an external I/F. A stream switching unit and demultiplexer play back the content on a desired channel, contained in the two data streams, on an image display unit in real time, and at the same time, store the content on the other channel, contained in the other data stream, in a storage unit. This makes it possible to watch one of at least two programs with different modulation frequencies while recording the other program.

Claims

1. A digital broadcast receiving apparatus comprising:

generating means for receiving a digital broadcast and generating a data stream from a digital broadcast signal having a desired modulation frequency;

input means for inputting a data stream based on a digital broadcast from an external digital broadcast receiving apparatus;

playback means for playing back a content of a channel contained in one of the data streams obtained by said generating means and input means; and

switching means for switching the data streams input from the generating means and the input means, and outputting each data stream to a first demultiplexer which outputs first image data to a playback means, and a second demultiplexer which outputs second image data to said storage means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means includes a network connection or bus connection to the external digital broadcast receiving apparatus.

2-5. -5. (canceled)

7-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A digital broadcast receiving system in which a plurality of digital broadcast receiving apparatuses are connected to each other via communication means so as to be able to communicate with each other, comprising:

generating means for receiving a digital broadcast and generating a data stream from a digital broadcast signal having a desired modulation frequency in a first digital broadcast receiving apparatus;

input means for allowing the first digital broadcast receiving apparatus to input a data stream based on a digital broadcast from an external digital broadcast receiving apparatus via the communication means;

playback means for allowing the first digital broadcast receiving apparatus to play back in real time a content of a channel contained in one of the data streams respectively obtained by said generating means and input means; and

switching means for allowing the first digital broadcast receiving apparatus to switch the data streams input from the generating means and the input means, and outputting each data stream to a first demultiplexer which outputs first image data to said playback means, and a second demultiplexer which outputs second image data to a storage means.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communication means includes a network connection or bus connection to the plurality of digital broadcast receiving apparatuses.

11-14. -14. (canceled)

16. A control method for a digital broadcast receiving apparatus, comprising:

a generating step of receiving a digital broadcast and generating a data stream from a digital broadcast signal having a desired modulation frequency;

an input step of inputting a data stream based on a digital broadcast from an external digital broadcast receiving apparatus;

a playback step of playing back a content of a channel contained in one of the data streams obtained in the generating step and input step; and

a switching step of switching the data streams input by the generating step and the input step, and outputting each data stream to a first demultiplexer which outputs first image data to be played back in the playback step, and a second demultiplexer which outputs second image data to be stored in a data storage medium.

17. (canceled)

18. A control method for a digital broadcast receiving system in which a plurality of digital broadcast receiving apparatuses are connected to each other via communication means so as to be able to communicate with each other, comprising:

a generating step of receiving a digital broadcast and generating a data stream from a digital broadcast signal having a desired modulation frequency in a first digital broadcast receiving apparatus;

a input step of allowing the first digital broadcast receiving apparatus to input a data stream based on a digital broadcast from an external digital broadcast receiving apparatus via the communication means;

a playback step of allowing the first digital broadcast receiving apparatus to play back in real time a content of a channel contained in one of the data streams respectively obtained in the generating step and input step; and

a switching step of allowing the first digital broadcast receiving apparatus to switch the data streams generated in the generating step and the data streams input in the input step, and outputting each data stream to a first demultiplexer which outputs first image data to be played back in the playback step, and a second demultiplexer which outputs second image data to be stored in a data storage medium.

19-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A digital broadcast receiving apparatus comprising:

generating means for receiving a digital broadcast and generating a data stream from a digital broadcast signal having a desired modulation frequency;

input means for inputting a data stream based on a digital broadcast from an external digital broadcast receiving apparatus;

playback means for playing back a content of a channel contained in one of the data stream obtained by said generating means and input means;

wherein said input means comprises;

acquisition means for acquiring a channel information indicative of a channel that can be received by the external digital broadcast receiving apparatus, from the external digital broadcast receiving apparatus, and

determination means for determining on the basis of the channel information acquired by said acquisition means whether the external digital broadcast receiving apparatus can receive a digital broadcast signal containing a desired channel,

and wherein said input means inputs the data stream form the external digital broadcast receiving apparatus that is determined by said determination means as an apparatus capable of receiving the desired channel.