Apparatus for distributing same/different digital broadcasting streams in heterogeneous home network and method thereof

• US 20060136968A1
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Park, Kwang Roh, Han, Intark, Jeong, Youn Kwae
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus for distributing same/different digital broadcasting streams in a heterogeneous home network and a method thereof The apparatus includes a home gateway, and a home server, connected to the home gateway through Ethernet and also connected to a PC, a second IP STB, a 1394 STB, an HAS (Home Auto System) and an HDTV receiver, for outputting a ground-wave broadcast, a satellite broadcast and a cable broadcast to their HDTV receivers, respectively, through the second IP STB and the 1394 STB if the ground-wave broadcast, the satellite broadcast and the cable broadcast are received through coaxial cables, interworking with the HAS in order to control home appliances, and directly outputting the broadcast to the HDTV receiver through a built-in STB function. According to the apparatus, a user having a plurality of HDTV receivers at home can simultaneously view a plurality of HDTV broadcasts irrespective of the broadcasting systems when a plurality of heterogeneous home networks match through a home network matching device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for distributing same/different digital broadcasting streams in a heterogeneous home network, the apparatus comprising:

a home gateway, connected through Ethernet to a first IP (Internet Protocol) STB (Set Top Box) connected to an HDTV receiver, for accessing the network; and

a home server, connected to the home gateway through Ethernet and also connected to a PC, a second IP STB, a 1394 STB, an HAS (Home Auto System) and an HDTV receiver, for outputting a ground-wave broadcast, a satellite broadcast and a cable broadcast to their HDTV receivers, respectively, through the second IP STB and the 1394 STB if the ground-wave broadcast, the satellite broadcast and the cable broadcast are received through coaxial cables, interworking with the HAS in order to control home appliances, and directly outputting the broadcast to an HDTV receiver through a built-in STB function.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the home server comprises:

a ground-wave tuner for receiving the ground-wave broadcast through the coaxial cable and extracting a ground-wave broadcasting TS (Transport Stream) from the ground-wave broadcast,

a satellite tuner for receiving the satellite broadcast through the coaxial cable and extracting a satellite broadcasting TS from the satellite broadcast;

a cable tuner for receiving the cable broadcast through the coaxial cable and extracting a cable broadcasting TS from the cable broadcast;

a broadcasting TS selector for selecting and outputting one of three broadcasting TSs extracted from the tuners;

a broadcast distributor for converting the broadcasting TS selected through the broadcasting TS selector into a packet of a broadcasting TS over an IP that is the broadcasting TS carried on the IP and outputting the packet if the destination of the selected broadcasting TS is the IP STB, converting the selected broadcasting TS into a packet of a broadcasting TS over a 1394 frame that is the broadcasting TS carried on the 1394 frame and outputting the packet if the destination of the selected broadcasting TS is the 1394 STB, and converting the broadcasting TS to be transmitted to an outside into a packet of a broadcasting TS over an IP that is the broadcasting TS carried on the IP and outputting the packet if the broadcasting TS to be transmitted to the outside is received;

an Ethernet switch for receiving and outputting an IP broadcasting TS being carried on the IP from the home gateway through an Ethernet port, and if the packet of the broadcasting TS over an IP that is the broadcasting TS carried on the IP from the broadcast distributor is received, transmitting the received packet to the home gateway through the Ethernet;

a central processing unit for transferring a channel selection message if a user selects a broadcasting channel and simultaneously transferring information capable of generating an IP header and a 1394 header suitable for a user'"'"'s tuner and channel selection information to the broadcast distributor, if the IP broadcasting TS being carried on the IP is received from the Ethernet switch and the received broadcasting TS is the IP broadcasting TS to be transmitted to the IP STB, transferring the IP broadcasting TS with the IP header attached thereto, and if the received broadcasting TS is not the IP broadcasting TS to be transmitted to the IP STB, removing the IP header from the IP broadcasting TS and outputting the IP broadcasting TS without the IP header attached thereto;

an MPEG2 decoder for generating a control signal corresponding to the channel selection message to control the ground-wave tuner, the satellite tuner and the cable tuner if the channel selection message is received from the central processing unit, decoding and outputting the IP broadcasting TS to the HDTV receiver if the IP broadcasting TS is input from the central processing unit, and decoding and outputting the broadcasting TS to the HDTV receiver if the broadcasting TS is input from the broadcasting TS selector;

an IP home network matching device for transferring the packer of the broadcasting TS over an IP or the IP broadcasting TS to the IP STB if the packet of the broadcasting TS over an IP is received from the broadcast distributor or if the IP broadcasting TS is input from the central processing unit;

a 1394 home network matching device for receiving the packet of the broadcasting TS over a 1394 frame from the broadcast distributor and transferring the packet to the 1394 STB; and

a tuner/channel selection information input device for outputting a tuner or channel selection message to the central processing unit if the user selects the channel or the channel.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel selection of the IP broadcast, the ground-wave broadcast, the satellite broadcast or the cable broadcast is performed by the user'"'"'s direct input of the selection information through the tuner/channel selection information input device, by the user'"'"'s input of the selection information through the IP STB or the 1394 STB, or by the input of the selection information through the IP STB connected to the home gateway.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the broadcast distributor comprises:

two TS receiving units for generating and outputting headers by the same header information to match a protocol for transferring the broadcasting TSs to a destination using header generation information received from the central processing unit according to the destination of the received broadcasting TSs;

two multiplexers for receiving and multiplexing the same header information from the two TS receiving units;

an IP transmitting unit for receiving and transmitting packets multiplexed by one of the multiplexers using the IP as a discriminator;

a 1394 transmitting unit for receiving and transmitting the packets multiplexed by the other of the multiplexers using the 1394 device number as a discriminator;

an MII transmission matching unit for receiving and transmitting the multiplexed packets from the IP transmitting unit if the Ethernet is judged as the next destination;

a PCI transmission matching unit for receiving and transmitting the multiplexed packets from the IP transmitting unit or the 1394 transmitting unit if it is judged that the packets are transferred to the next destination through a PCI;

an MII reception matching unit for receiving the broadcasting TS input through the Ethernet switch;

a PCI reception matching unit for receiving the broadcasting TS input through the PCI;

an IP receiving unit for receiving the packets from the MII reception matching unit or the PCI reception matching unit and removing IP, UDP and RTP (Real Time Protocol) headers from the packets in order if the received TS is the packet carried on the IP;

an 1394 receiving unit for receiving the packets from the PCI reception matching unit and removing a 1394 header from the packets if the received TS is the packet carried on the 1394 frame;

two demultiplexers for receiving and demultiplexing the packets input from the IP receiving unit or the 1394 receiving unit; and

two TS transmitting units for receiving and transmitting the packets input from the two demultiplexers.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the Ethernet frame in the form of an IP packet through which the broadcast distributor transmits the broadcasting TS to the destination using a protocol of a destination includes an Ethernet header;

an IP packet composed of an IP header, a UDP header, an RTP (Real Time Protocol) header and the broadcasting TS; and

an FCS (Frame Check Sum).

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the PCI frame in the form of an IP packet through which the broadcast distributor transmits the broadcasting TS to the destination using a protocol of a destination includes a PCI header;

an IP packet composed of an IP header, a UDP header, an RTP (Real Time Protocol) header and the broadcasting TS; and

an FCS (Frame Check Sum).

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the PCI frame in the form of a 1394 packet through which the broadcast distributor transmits the broadcasting TS to the destination using a protocol of a destination includes a PCI header;

a 1394 packet composed of a 1394 ISO (Isochronous) header and the broadcasting TS; and

an FCS (Frame Check Sum).

8. A method of distributing same/different digital broadcasting streams in a heterogeneous home network that controls a broadcasting tuner, selects a corresponding channel simultaneously and outputs a broadcasting TS (Transport Stream) of the selected channel to an IP (Internet Protocol) STB (Set Top Box) if a user inputs broadcast and channel selection information through the IP STB, the method comprising:

a 101^st step of transmitting a message having the broadcast and channel selection information input by the user if the IP STB receives an input of the broadcast and channel selection information from the user;

a 102^nd step of searching for tuner type information from the received message and determining a tuner type of the broadcast required by the user;

a 103^rd step of receiving the corresponding channel broadcast among received IP broadcasts and transmitting the received channel broadcast to an HDTV receiver through the IP STB if the tuner type determined at the 102^nd step corresponds to an IP tuner;

a 104^th step of transferring a control signal having a tuner number and a channel number and destination IP information if the tuner type determined at the 102^nd step corresponds to a ground-wave tuner; and

a 105^th step of receiving the broadcasting TS of the corresponding channel extracted by the ground-wave tuner and transferring the broadcasting TS of the corresponding channel to the IP STB.

9. A method of distributing same/different digital broadcasting streams in a heterogeneous home network that controls a broadcasting tuner, selects a corresponding channel simultaneously and outputs a broadcasting TS (Transport Stream) of the selected channel to a 1394 STB (Set Top Box) if a user inputs broadcast and channel selection information through the 1394 STB, the method comprising:

a 106^th step of transmitting a message having the broadcast and channel selection information input by the user if the user of the 1394 STB receives an input of the broadcast and channel selection information;

a 107^th step of searching for tuner type information from the received message and determining a tuner type of the broadcast required by the user;

a 108^th step of transferring a control signal having a tuner number and a channel number and 1394 ID information of a destination if the tuner type determined at the 107^th step corresponds to a satellite tuner; and

a 109^th step of carrying the selected broadcasting TS on a 1394 frame with the destination 1394 ID and transferring the broadcasting TS to the 1394 STB if the satellite tuner receives an input of the broadcasting TS of the corresponding channel extracted by the satellite tuner.

10. A method of distributing same/different digital broadcasting streams in a heterogeneous home network that controls a broadcasting tuner, selects a corresponding channel simultaneously and outputs a broadcasting TS (Transport Stream) of the selected channel to a home server if a user directly inputs broadcast and channel selection information through the home server, the method comprising:

a 201^st step of transmitting a message having the broadcast and channel selection information input by the user if the home server receives an input of the broadcast and channel selection information from the user;

a 202^nd step of searching for tuner type information from the received message and determining a tuner type of the broadcast required by the user;

a 203^rd step of receiving the corresponding channel broadcast among input IP broadcasts, removing an IP header from the received channel broadcast, decoding the channel broadcast, and transmitting the decoded channel broadcast to an HDTV receiver if the tuner type determined at the 202^nd step corresponds to an IP tuner; and

a 204^th step of simultaneously transferring a control signal having a tuner number and a channel number and the broadcasting TS of the corresponding channel extracted by a cable tuner to the home server if the tuner type determined at the 202^nd step corresponds to a cable tuner.

11. A method of distributing same/different digital broadcasting streams in a heterogeneous home network that controls a broadcasting tuner, selects a corresponding channel simultaneously and outputs a broadcasting TS (Transport Stream) of the selected channel to an IP (Internet Protocol) STB (Set Top Box) if a user directly inputs broadcast and channel selection information through the IP STB connected to a home gateway, the method comprising:

a 205^th step of transmitting a packet having a tuner number and a channel number input by the user if broadcast and channel selection information is received from the user of the IP STB;

a 206^th step of determining a type of the broadcast required by the user from the received tuner number;

a 207^th step of simultaneously transferring a control signal having the tuner number and the channel number and destination IP information if the tuner type determined at the 206^th step corresponds to a ground-wave tuner; and

a 208^th step of carrying the selected broadcasting TS of the corresponding channel extracted by the ground-wave tuner on a destination IP and transferring the broadcasting TS to the IP STB.