Apparatus for receiving digital multimedia broadcasting channels

• US 20070022454A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chang, Sun-Hee, Yoon, Sang-Hyeon
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/16 digital video broadcasting - handhelds [DVB-H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47

Abstract

Disclosed is a digital broadcast receiver including a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) module for receiving digital broadcastings of multiple channels; an output unit for outputting voice and image signals of the digital broadcastings; and a controller for controlling the DMB module to receive the digital broadcastings while successively and automatically switching the channels at a predetermined time interval, and controlling the digital broadcasting data received in the DMB module to be transmitted to the output unit.

Claims

1. A digital broadcast receiver, comprising:

a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) module for receiving digital broadcasts of multiple channels;

an output unit for outputting voice and image signals of the digital broadcasts; and

a controller for controlling the DMB module to receive the digital broadcasts while successively and automatically switching the channels at a predetermined time interval, and controlling the digital broadcasting data received in the DMB module to be transmitted to the output unit.

2. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller controls the DMB module to stop an automatic channel switching and to continuously receive a currently received broadcast when a key input is received from a user while the output unit outputs the currently received broadcasts.

3. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller controls the DMB module to stop an automatic channel switching and to continuously receive a currently received broadcast when a predetermined event is detected while the output unit outputs the currently received broadcast.

4. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multiple channels are determined according to a predetermined broadcasting channel list.

5. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined broadcasting channel list is received from an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) channel for transmitting information for a service broadcasting channel.

6. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a timer for notifying the controller of the predetermined time interval.

7. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digital broadcast receiver outputs one of stored still images and moving images during a time interval required for switching the digital broadcasting channels.

8. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a mobile communication terminal having the digital broadcast receiver therein, wherein the predetermined event corresponds to one of a call termination, a short message service (SMS) message termination, an alarm and a schedule notification.

9. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined broadcasting channel list is determined according to a user'"'"'s selection.

10. A digital broadcast receiver, comprising:

a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) module for receiving at least two broadcasting channels, generating Transport Stream (TS) data for the corresponding broadcasting channels, and outputting the generated TS data;

an output unit for outputting voice and image signals of a digital broadcast;

a channel setup controller for controlling the DMB module to receive the at least two broadcasting channels, which are determined based on a predetermined broadcasting channel list, at a predetermined time interval;

at least two buffers for buffering data of the at least two broadcasting channels; and

a switch for alternately switching the at least two buffers to the output unit at the predetermined time interval, the switch being located between the at least two buffers and the output unit.

11. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller controls the DMB module to stop an automatic channel switching and continuously receive a currently received broadcast of the at least two broadcastings when an input is received from a user while the output unit outputs the broadcast.

12. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller controls the DMB module to stop an automatic channel switching and continuously receive a currently received broadcast of the at least two broadcastings when an event is detected while the output unit outputs the broadcast.

13. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a timer for notifying the controller of the predetermined time interval.

14. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least two buffers include a first buffer for buffering video data and a second buffer for buffering audio data.

15. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the TS includes a mode field for identifying an automatic channel switching mode or a general channel switching mode.

16. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined broadcasting channel list is determined according to broadcasting channel preference or a user'"'"'s selection.

17. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined broadcasting channel list is received from an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) channel for transmitting information for a service broadcasting channel.

18. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a mobile communication terminal having the digital broadcast receiver therein, wherein the event corresponds to one of a call termination, a short message service (SMS) message termination, an alarm and a schedule.

19. A digital broadcast receiver, comprising:

a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) module for receiving digital broadcasting;

a display unit for outputting video signals of the digital broadcasting; and

a controller for controlling the DMB module to receive digital broadcasting while continuously and automatically shifting multiple channels at regular intervals in an automatic channel shift mode according to a predetermined channel list, controlling video signals of the digital broadcasting, corresponding to a channel being currently viewed to be displayed on a main screen of the display unit, controlling video signals of digital broadcasting corresponding to the automatically shifted channel to be displayed on a sub-screen of the display unit, and controlling the video signals of the digital broadcasting displayed on the sub-screen to be displayed on an entire screen of the display unit when occurrence of a predetermined event is detected while the video signals of the digital broadcasting corresponding to the automatically shifted channel are displayed on the sub-screen.

20. The digital broadcast receiver as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a speaker, and wherein the controller prevents the video signals of the digital broadcasting corresponding to the automatically shifted channel from being transferred to the speaker while the video signals of the digital broadcasting corresponding to the automatically shifted channel are displayed on the sub-screen.