Broadcast receiver device, broadcast receiving set, and channel switching method

• US 20060236356A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Takagi, Toshihiro, Inui, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

When a digital broadcast is currently extracted and a switching direction instruction is accepted, determination is made as to which of a CH number (analog number) next to a currently extracted channel in the switching direction according to the order indicated in an analog CH map and a CH number (digital number) next to the currently extracted channel in the switching direction according to the order indicated in a digital channel map is closer to the number of the currently extracted channel (extracted number). When closer to the analog number, the channel is switched to the analog number. When closer to the digital number, the channel is switched to the digital number. Thus, the channel of analog and digital broadcasts can be switched in a seamless manner.

Claims

1. A broadcast receiver device comprising:

a tuner switching a channel and extracting a broadcast signal corresponding to the switched channel from externally applied broadcast signals corresponding to respective plurality of channels,

a digital broadcast reception block converting a digital broadcast signal extracted by said tuner into an output signal to output the converted output signal,

an analog broadcast reception block converting an analog broadcast signal extracted by said tuner into an output signal to output the converted output signal,

a digital control unit controlling said digital broadcast reception block,

an analog control unit controlling said analog broadcast reception block,

digital storage means provided at said digital control unit for prestoring a digital channel map in which each channel of a digital broadcast is arranged in order of a preassigned number,

analog storage means provided at said analog control unit for prestoring an analog channel map in which each channel of an analog broadcast is arranged in order of a preassigned number,

switching instruction acceptance means for accepting an instruction of a switching direction of said channel,

analog inquiry means provided at said digital control unit for inquiring of said analog control unit about an analog number that is the number of the channel next to a currently extracted channel in said switching direction according to the order indicated in the analog channel map stored in said analog storage means in a case where a digital broadcast signal is currently extracted by said tuner when said instruction of the switching direction is accepted by said switching instruction acceptance means,

analog transmission means provided at said analog control unit for transmitting the analog number inquired by the analog inquiry means to said digital control unit,

digital determination means provided at said digital control unit for determining which of the analog number transmitted by said analog transmission means and a digital number that is the number of the channel next to the currently extracted channel in said switching direction according to the order indicated in the digital channel map stored in said digital storage means is closer to a currently extracted number that is the number of the currently extracted channel,

digital extraction mode analog switching control means provided at said analog control unit for controlling said tuner to switch to the channel of said analog number when determination is made of being closer to said analog number by said digital determination means,

digital extraction mode digital power saving means for causing transition of said digital broadcast reception block to a power saving state when switched to the channel of said analog number by said digital extraction mode analog switching control means,

digital extraction mode digital switching control means provided at said digital control means for controlling said tuner to switch to the channel of said digital number when determination is made of being closer to said digital number by said digital determination means,

digital extraction mode analog power saving means for causing transition of said analog broadcast reception block to a power saving state when switched to the channel of said digital number by said digital extraction mode digital switching control means,

digital inquiry means provided at said analog control means for inquiring of said digital control unit about said digital number in a case where an analog broadcast signal is currently extracted by said tuner when said instruction of the switching direction is accepted by said switching instruction acceptance means,

digital transmission means provided at said digital control unit for transmitting the digital number inquired by said digital inquiry means to said analog control unit,

analog determination means provided at said analog control unit for determining which of the digital number transmitted by said digital transmission means and said analog number is closer to said currently extracted number,

analog extraction mode digital switching control means provided at said digital control unit for controlling said tuner to switch to the channel of said digital number when determination is made of being closer to said digital number by said analog determination means,

analog extraction mode analog power saving means for causing transition of said analog broadcast reception block to a power saving state when switched to the channel of said digital number by said analog extraction mode digital switching control means,

analog extraction mode analog switching control means provided at said analog control unit for controlling said tuner to switch to the channel of said analog number when determination is made of being closer to said analog number by said analog determination means, and

analog extraction mode digital power saving means for causing transition of said digital broadcast reception block to a power saving state when switched to the channel of said analog number by said analog extraction mode analog switching control means.

2. A broadcast receiver device comprising:

a broadcast signal extraction unit switching a channel and extracting a broadcast signal corresponding to the switched channel from externally applied broadcast signals corresponding to respective plurality of channels,

a digital signal conversion unit converting a digital broadcast signal extracted by said broadcast signal extraction unit into an output signal to output the converted output signal,

an analog signal conversion unit converting an analog broadcast signal extracted by said broadcast signal extraction unit into an output signal to output the converted output signal,

a digital control unit controlling said digital signal conversion unit,

an analog control unit controlling said analog signal conversion unit,

digital storage means provided at said digital control unit for prestoring a digital channel map in which each channel of a broadcast signal is arranged in order of a preassigned number,

analog storage means provided at said analog control unit for prestoring an analog channel map in which each channel of an analog broadcast is arranged in order of a preassigned number,

switching instruction acceptance means for accepting an instruction of a switching direction of said channel,

digital determination means provided at said digital control unit for determining which of an analog number that is the number of the channel next to a currently extracted channel in said switching direction according to the order indicated in the analog channel map stored in said analog storage means and a digital number that is the number of the channel next to the currently extracted channel in said switching direction according to the order indicated in the digital channel map stored in said digital storage means is closer to a currently extracted number that is the number of the currently extracted channel, in a case where a digital broadcast signal is currently extracted by said broadcast signal extraction unit when said instruction of the switching direction is accepted by said switching instruction acceptance means,

digital extraction mode analog switching control means provided at said analog control unit for controlling said broadcast signal extraction unit to switch to the channel of said analog number when determination is made of being closer to said analog number by said digital determination means,

digital extraction mode digital switching control means provided at said digital control unit for controlling said broadcast signal extraction unit to switch to the channel of said digital number when determination is made of being closer to said digital number by said digital determination means,

analog determination means provided at said analog control unit for determining which of said digital number and said analog number is closer to said currently extracted number in a case where an analog broadcast signal is currently extracted by said broadcast signal extraction unit when said instruction of the switching direction is accepted by said switching instruction acceptance means,

analog extraction mode digital switching control means provided at said digital control unit for controlling said broadcast signal extraction unit to switch to the channel of said digital number when determination is made of being closer to said digital number by said analog determination means, and

analog extraction mode analog switching control means provided at said analog control unit for controlling said broadcast signal extraction unit to switch to the channel of said analog number when determination is made of being closer to said analog number by said analog determination means.

3. The broadcast receiver device according to claim 2, wherein

said digital determination means comprises analog inquiry means for inquiring of said analog control unit about said analog number,

said analog determination means comprises digital inquiry means for inquiring of said digital control unit about said digital number,

said broadcast receiver device further comprising:

analog transmission means provided at said analog control unit for transmitting the analog number inquired by said analog inquiry means to said digital control unit,

digital transmission means provided at said digital control unit for transmitting the digital number inquired by said digital inquiry means to said analog control unit, wherein

said digital determination means determines which of the analog number transmitted by said analog transmission means and said digital number is closer to the currently extracted number, and

said analog determination means determines which of the digital number transmitted by said digital transmission means and said analog number is closer to the currently extracted number.

4. The broadcast receiver device according to claim 3, further comprising:

digital extraction mode digital power saving means for causing transition of said digital signal conversion unit to a power saving state when switched to the channel of said analog number by said digital extraction mode analog switching control means,

digital extraction mode analog power saving means for causing transition of said analog signal conversion unit to a power saving state when switched to the channel of said digital number by said digital extraction mode digital switching control means,

analog extraction mode analog power saving means for causing transition of said analog signal conversion unit to a power saving state when switched to the channel of said digital number by said analog extraction mode digital switching control means, and

analog extraction mode digital power saving means for causing transition of said digital signal conversion unit to a power saving state when switched to the channel of said analog number by said analog extraction mode analog switching control means.

5. The broadcast receiver device according to claim 4, wherein said broadcast signal extraction unit is a tuner, said digital signal conversion unit is a digital broadcast reception block, and said analog signal conversion unit is an analog broadcast reception block.

6. A broadcast receiving set comprising the broadcast receiver device defined in claim 2, and an output device providing information indicated by an output signal output from one of said digital signal conversion unit and said an analog signal conversion unit.

7. A channel switching method for switching a channel by a broadcast receiver device including a broadcast signal extraction unit switching a channel and extracting a broadcast signal corresponding to the switched channel from externally applied broadcast signals corresponding to respective plurality of channels, a digital signal conversion unit converting a digital broadcast signal extracted by said broadcast signal extraction unit into an output signal to output the converted output signal, an analog signal conversion unit converting an analog broadcast signal extracted by said broadcast signal extraction unit into an output signal to output the converted output signal, a digital control unit controlling said digital signal conversion unit, and an analog control unit controlling said analog signal conversion unit,

said digital control unit prestoring a digital channel map in which each channel of a digital broadcast is arranged in order of a preassigned number,

said analog control unit prestoring an analog channel map in which each channel of an analog broadcast is arranged in order of a preassigned number,

said channel extraction method comprising the steps of:

accepting an instruction of a switching direction of said channel,

said digital control unit determining which of an analog number that is the number of the channel next to a currently extracted channel in said switching direction according to the order indicated in said analog channel map and a digital number that is the number of the channel next to the currently extracted channel in said switching direction according to the order indicated in said digital channel map is closer to a currently extracted number that is the number of the currently extracted channel in a case where a digital broadcast signal is currently extracted by said broadcast signal extraction unit when said instruction of the switching direction is accepted,

said analog control unit controlling said broadcast signal extraction unit to switch to the channel of said analog number when determination is made of being closer to said analog number,

said digital control unit controlling said broadcast signal extraction unit to switch to the channel of said digital number when determination is made of being closer to said digital number,

said analog control unit determining which of said digital number and said analog number is closer to said currently extracted number in a case where an analog broadcast signal is currently extracted by said broadcast signal extraction unit when said instruction of the switching direction is accepted,

said digital control unit controlling said broadcast signal extraction unit to switch to the channel of said digital number when determination is made of being closer to the digital number, and

said analog control unit controlling said broadcast signal extraction unit to switch to the channel of said analog number when determination is made of being closer to said analog number.