Broadcasting signal receiver and control method thereof

• US 20070058083A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Je-ik
• Granted Patent: US 7,773,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A broadcasting signal receiver and a method of controlling the broadcasting signal receiver having a user selection unit, the method including: determining whether a plurality of channels that correspond to a selected channel exist; determining whether the plurality of channels have the same contents if it is determined that the plurality of channels exist; selecting a first channel among the plurality of channels according to a priority if it is determined that the plurality of channels have the same contents; and determining whether the first channel provides a corresponding signal; and selecting a second channel among the plurality of channels according to the priority if it is determined that the first channel does not provide the corresponding signal.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a broadcasting signal receiver, the method comprising:

determining whether a plurality of channels which correspond to a selected channel exist;

determining whether the plurality of channels have the same contents if it is determined that the plurality of channels exist;

selecting a first channel among the plurality of channels according to a priority if it is determined that the plurality of channels have the same contents; and

determining whether the first channel provides a corresponding signal; and

selecting a second channel among the plurality of channels according to the priority if it is determined that the first channel does not provide the corresponding signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface for setting the priority; and

storing the priority if the priority is set through the user interface.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the priority is a broadcasting mode priority.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein in the selecting the first channel and the selecting the second channel comprises the first and second channels are selected according to the stored priority.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the broadcasting mode comprises at least one of an analog terrestrial broadcasting, a digital terrestrial broadcasting, a cable broadcasting and a satellite broadcasting.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the priority is set in an order of a digital terrestrial broadcasting, a satellite broadcasting, a cable broadcasting and an analog terrestrial broadcasting.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining whether the plurality of channels have the same contents comprises determining whether the plurality of channels have the same contents based on of program information of the plurality of channels which is transmitted in a broadcasting signal received by the broadcasting signal receiver.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the program information is transmitted through at least one of a vertical blanking interval and a program and system information protocol.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined that the plurality of channels do not have the same contents, a channel is selected based on a preset broadcasting mode.

10. A broadcasting signal receiver, the broadcasting receiver comprising:

a user selection unit which selects a channel of a broadcasting signal; and

a controller which determines whether a plurality of channels exist which correspond to the selected channel, determines if the plurality of channels have the same contents as the channel selected through the user selection unit if it is determined that the plurality of channels exist, selects a first channel among the plurality of channels according to a priority if it is determined that the plurality of channels have the same contents, determines whether the first channel provides a corresponding signal; and

selects a second channel according to the priority if the first channel does not provide the corresponding signal.

11. The broadcasting signal receiver according to claim 10, further comprising a user interface generator which generates a user interface for setting the priority,

wherein the controller stores the priority in a storage unit if the priority is set through the user interface by the user selection unit.

12. The broadcasting signal receiver according to claim 11, wherein the priority is a broadcasting mode priority.

13. The broadcasting signal receiver according to claim 12, wherein the controller selects the first and second channels according to the priority stored in the storage unit.

14. The broadcasting signal receiver according to claim 13, wherein the broadcasting mode comprises at least one of an analog terrestrial broadcasting, a digital terrestrial broadcasting, a cable broadcasting and a satellite broadcasting.

15. The broadcasting signal receiver according to claim 10, wherein the priority is set in an order of a digital terrestrial broadcasting, a satellite broadcasting, a cable broadcasting and an analog terrestrial broadcasting.

16. The broadcasting signal receiver according to claim 10, wherein the controller determines whether the plurality of channels have the same contents comprises based on of received program information of the plurality of channels which is transmitted in a broadcasting signal received by the broadcasting signal receiver.

17. The broadcasting signal receiver according to claim 16, wherein the program information is transmitted through at least one of a vertical blanking interval and a program and system information protocol.

18. The broadcasting signal receiver according to claim 10, wherein if it is determined that the plurality of channels do not have the same contents, the controller selects a channel based on a preset broadcasting mode.