Broadcast signal and receiver and method of decoding digital broadcast signal

• US 20060166616A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ko, Woo Suk, Kwak, Kook Yeon, Moon, Sang Chul, Jun, Jung Sig, Shin, Jong Woong
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/42 for identifying broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/50 of broadcast or relay stations

Abstract

A tuner included in a digital broadcast receiver tunes a broadcast signal from a transmitter via a re-transmitter. A demodulator demodulates the broadcast signal, and an identification information detector detects identification information of a re-transmission service provided by the re-transmitter from the demodulated broadcast signal. A decoder arranged to decode the modulated broadcast signal, and a controller controls operation of the decoder based upon the identification information detected by the identification information detector. The identification information of the re-transmitter may directly include information identifying a type of the re-transmission service (e.g., a free or charged service) or may include a unique ID number of the re-transmission service, which could be used by the broadcast receiver to determine service type.

Claims

1. A digital broadcast signal for use in a broadcast receiver for receiving broadcast service data from a broadcast transmitter via a re-transmitter, the digital broadcast signal comprising:

an encoded data frame, wherein the encoded data frame comprises;

a main service channel (MSC) including main service data;

a fast information channel (FIC) including multiplexing configuration information of the main service data; and

a synchronization channel including identification information of a re-transmission service provided by the re-transmitter.

2. The digital broadcast signal of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes information identifying a type of the re-transmission service.

3. The digital broadcast signal of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes a unique ID number of the re-transmission service.

4. The digital broadcast signal of claim 3, wherein the unique ID number of the re-transmission service is used by the broadcast receiver to obtain information identifying a type of the re-transmission service.

5. The digital broadcast signal of claim 4, wherein the broadcast receiver obtains the information identifying the type of the re-transmission service from a memory.

6. The digital broadcast signal of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes information identifying the re-transmission service as a free or charged service.

7. The digital broadcast signal of claim 1, wherein the identification information is included in a null symbol interval of the synchronization channel.

8. The digital broadcast signal of claim 1, wherein the identification information is included in transmitter identification information (TII) which includes identification information of the broadcast transmitter.

9. The digital broadcast signal of claim 1, wherein the main service data includes at least one of audio, video, and data service data.

10. The digital broadcast signal of claim 1, wherein the identification information is added to the synchronization channel by the re-transmitter.

11. A method of decoding a digital broadcast signal in a digital broadcast receiver, the method comprising:

receiving a digital broadcast signal from a broadcast transmitter via a re-transmitter, the digital broadcast signal including main service data;

detecting identification information of a re-transmission service provided by the re-transmitter from the digital broadcast signal; and

controlling decoding operation of a decoder included in the digital broadcast receiver based upon the detected identification information of the re-transmission service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification information includes information which identifies a type of the re-transmission service.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification information includes information which identifies the re-transmission service as a free or charged service.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling decoding operation of a decoder included in the digital broadcast receiver comprises:

determining whether a user is a subscriber to the re-transmission service when the re-transmission service is identified as a charged service; and

allowing the decoder to decode the main service data when the user is determined to be the subscriber.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling decoding operation of a decoder included in the digital broadcast receiver comprises:

determining whether a user makes an order to use the re-transmission service when the re-transmission service is identified as a charged service; and

allowing the decoder to decode the main service data when the user makes the order.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling decoding operation of a decoder included in the digital broadcast receiver comprises:

comparing an amplitude of a signal including the identification information with a predefined value when the re-transmission service is identified as a charged service; and

allowing the decoder to decode the main service data when the amplitude of the signal is greater than the predefined value.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the digital broadcast signal comprises:

an encoded data frame which comprises;

a main service channel (MSC) including the main service data;

a fast information channel (FIC) including multiplexing configuration information of the main service data; and

a synchronization channel including the identification information of the re-transmission service.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identification information is included in a null symbol interval of the synchronization channel.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the identification information is included in transmitter identification information (TII) which includes identification information of the broadcast transmitter.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the main service data includes at least one of audio, video, and data service data.

21. A digital broadcast receiver comprising:

a tuner tuned to receive a broadcast signal from a broadcast transmitter via a re-transmitter, the digital broadcast signal including main service data;

a demodulator arranged to demodulate the broadcast signal;

an information detector arranged to detect identification information of a re-transmission service provided by the re-transmitter from the demodulated broadcast signal;

a decoder arranged to decode the modulated broadcast signal; and

a controller arranged to control operation of the decoder based upon the identification information detected by the information detector.

22. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 21, wherein the identification information includes information which identifies a type of the re-transmission service.

23. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 21, wherein the identification information includes information which identifies the re-transmission service as a free or charged service.

24. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 23, wherein the controller allows the decoder to decode the main service data when the re-transmission service is identified as a charged service and a user is determined to be a subscriber to the re-transmission service.

25. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 23, wherein the controller allows the decoder to decode the main service data when the re-transmission service is identified as a charged service and a user makes an order to use the re-transmission service.

26. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 23, wherein the controller allows the decoder to decode the main service data when the re-transmission service is identified as a charged service and an amplitude of a signal including the identification information is greater than a predefined value.

27. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 21, wherein the digital broadcast signal comprises:

an encoded data frame which comprises;

a main service channel (MSC) including the main service data;

a fast information channel (FIC) including multiplexing configuration information of the main service data; and

a synchronization channel including the identification information of the re-transmission service.

28. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 27, wherein the identification information is included in a null symbol interval of the synchronization channel.

29. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 27, wherein the identification information is included in transmitter identification information (TII) which includes identification information of the broadcast transmitter.

30. The digital broadcast receiver of claim 21, wherein the main service data includes at least one of audio, video, and data service data.