METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND REPRODUCING BROADCAST DATA BY MEANS OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20080246888A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Hyun-seok, OH, Jae-seuk
• Application Number:
  US11/946,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246888A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/730
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for receiving and reproducing broadcast data by means of wireless communication. When wireless communication is disconnected, by switching to a power saving mode and reproducing a predetermined sound source or image to a user, a sound source or image can be continuously provided to the user, and power can be saved.

Claims

1. A method of receiving and reproducing broadcast data by wireless communication, the method comprising:

switching to a power saving mode which uses less electrical power than a mode employed while performing wireless communication, if a wireless network providing the wireless communication is disconnected, and

reproducing a predetermined sound source or image to a user in the power saving mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exiting the power saving mode after a predetermined time elapses;

attempting to reconnect to the wireless network; and

reproducing the broadcast data received by means of wireless communication if the wireless network is reconnected.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the attempting to reconnect comprises trying to reconnect to the wireless network for a pre-set time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the attempting to reconnect comprises attempting to reconnect to the wireless network a pre-set number of times.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein attempting to reconnect comprises attempting to reconnect to the wireless network at a predetermined time before the sound source or the image provided to the user is completely reproduced.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching to the power saving mode comprises:

determining whether power supplied to an apparatus executing the method is supplied from a power supply unit having a limited capacity if the wireless network is disconnected; and

attempting to reconnect to the wireless network if the power is supplied from a power supply unit having a substantially unlimited capacity; and

switching to the power saving mode if the power is supplied from a power supply unit having a limited capacity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the switching to the power saving mode comprises, storing connection information required to re-receive the broadcast data being received if the wireless network is disconnected; and

the attempt to reconnect to the wireless network comprises reconnecting the disconnected wireless communication using the stored connection information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising

storing reproduction information required when the sound source or image provided to the user is reproduced again if the wireless network is reconnected.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the connection information comprises a frequency, a channel a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and a playlist.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the reproduction information comprises a medium type, a file name, and a reproduced time.

21. A computer readable recording medium storing a computer readable program for executing the method of claim 1.

11. An apparatus to receive and reproduce broadcast data by wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a controller to switch to a power saving mode that uses less electrical power than a mode employed while performing wireless communication, when a wireless network providing the wireless communication is disconnected; and

a reproduction unit to reproduce a predetermined sound source or image to a user while the apparatus is operating in the power saving mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein, after a predetermined time elapses, if the power saving mode is exited and the wireless network is reconnected, the reproduction unit reproduces the broadcast data received by the wireless communication.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller attempts to reconnect to the wireless network for a pre-set time period.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller attempts to reconnect to the wireless network a pre-set number of times.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller attempts to reconnect to the wireless network at a predetermined time before the sound source or image provided to the user is completely reproduced.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the controller determines whether power supplied to the apparatus is supplied from a power supply unit having a limited capacity if the wireless network is disconnected; and

if the power is supplied from a power supply unit having a substantially unlimited capacity, the controller attempts to reconnect to the wireless network, and if the power is supplied from a power supply unit having a limited capacity, the controller switches to the power saving mode.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a storage unit to store connection information required to re-receive the broadcast data being received if the wireless network is disconnected;

wherein, when the controller attempts to reconnect to the wireless network, the controller reconnects to the wireless network using the stored connection information.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a storage unit to store reproduction information required when the sound source or image provided to the user is reproduced again if the wireless network is reconnected.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the connection information comprises a frequency, a channel, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and a playlist.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the reproduction information comprises a medium type, a file name, and a reproduced time.

22. A method of conserving power in a broadcast data communication apparatus receiving broadcast data via wireless communication when the wireless network is disconnected or the wireless communication provided by the wireless network is bad, the method comprising:

informing a user of a broadcast data communication apparatus that a wireless network is disconnected or that wireless communication provided by the wireless network is bad;

determining whether the broadcast data communication apparatus is supplied with power from a source having substantially unlimited capacity or from a source having limited capacity;

operating the broadcast data communication apparatus in a power saving mode that consumes less power than a mode employed while performing wireless communication, if the power is supplied from the source having limited capacity;

attempting to reconnect to the wireless network if the power is supplied from the source having substantially unlimited capacity; and

reproducing broadcast data received via the wireless communication if the attempt to reconnect to the wireless network is successful.

23. A broadcast data reproduction apparatus that receives broadcast data over a wireless network via wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a transceiver to communicate with a wireless network;

a power supply unit to supply power to the broadcast data reproduction apparatus;

a reproducing unit to reproduce a predetermine image or sound source; and

a controller to control the transceiver to enter a power saving mode if a connection to the wireless network is disconnected or the quality of the wireless communication is bad and to control the reproducing unit to reproduce the predetermined image or sound source if the connection to the wireless network is disconnected or the quality of the wireless communication is bad;

wherein the power saving mode is a mode that consumes less power than when performing wireless communication via the transceiver.