Automatic channel searching method for a television receiver

• US 5,786,869 A
• Filed: 12/28/1995
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Baek, Woon Kil, Sung, Han Sun
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R
• Assistant Examiner(s): SRIVASTAVA, VIVEK
• Application Number:
  US08/580,178
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 348/565, 348/564, 348/569, 348/570, 348/563, 348/906, 348/974
• US Class Current: 348/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

An automatic channel searching method for a picture-in-picture type television receiver which automatically searches other channel broadcasting signals and displays the searched channel broadcasting signal on a sub-channel region of a display screen when the present viewing channel program is almost completed or a new channel broadcasting program starts, thereby providing convenience for the user'"'"'s channel selection. According to the channel searching method, broadcasting program information signal is detected from an input channel broadcasting signal, if it is determined according to the detected information signal whether or not a newly starting broadcasting program of a corresponding channel is displayed on the sub-channel region. Meanwhile, the end time of the present viewing broadcasting program may be determined according to the detected information signal, and other channel'"'"'s broadcasting programs may be searched in turn and displayed on the sub-channel region before the end time of the present broadcasting program.

Claims

1. An automatic channel searching method for a picture-in-picture type television receiver, comprising the steps of:

detecting broadcasting program information from an input channel broadcasting signal;

determining from the detected broadcasting program information whether or not a newly starting broadcasting program exists; and

displaying the broadcasting program of a corresponding channel on a sub-channel region of a display screen if it is determined that the newly starting broadcasting program exists.

2. An automatic channel searching method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting program information comprises data decoded from a Korean Broadcasting Program System Signal included in the input channel broadcasting signal.

3. An automatic channel searching method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

repeating performing the broadcasting program information detecting step and the broadcasting program determining step for a predetermined time period; and

displaying the searched channel broadcasting signal on the sub-channel region of the display screen for a predetermined time if it is determined that the newly starting broadcasting program exists.

4. An automatic channel searching method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

repeatedly performing the broadcasting program information detecting step for a predetermined time period; and

increasing the channel of the sub-channel broadcasting signal each time when the predetermined time period elapses, and performing channel search with respect to the a following channel broadcasting signal.

6. An automatic channel searching method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting program information comprises data decoded from a Korean Broadcasting Program System signal included in the input channel broadcasting signal.

5. An automatic channel searching method for a picture-in-picture type television receiver, comprising the steps of;

detecting broadcasting program information from an input channel broadcasting signal, and identifying the present time and an end time of the present broadcasting program being displayed on a main-channel region of a display screen;

determining whether or not the identified present time reaches in a predetermined time before the present broadcasting program is completed; and

searching other channel broadcasting signals in turn and displaying the searched channel broadcasting signal on a sub-channel region of the display region if it is determined that the present time reaches in the predetermined time.

7. An automatic channel searching method for a picture-in-picture type television receiver, comprising the steps of:

detecting broadcasting program information from an input channel broadcasting signal, and identifying the present time and a start time of a following broadcasting program to be displayed on a main-channel region of a display screen;

determining whether or not the identified present time reaches in a predetermined time before the following broadcasting program starts; and

searching other channel broadcasting signals in turn and displaying the searched channel broadcasting signal on a sub-channel region of the display region if it is determined that the present time reaches in the predetermined time.

8. An automatic channel searching method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the broadcasting program information comprises data decoded from a Korean Broadcasting Program System signal included in the input broadcasting signal.