Television signal receiving apparatus and method specification

• US 6,040,867 A
• Filed: 02/20/1997
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Bando, Yumi, Okamura, Takumi, Murata, Toshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Anand S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): An, Shawn S.
• Application Number:
  US08/803,532
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 348/423, 348/461, 348/462, 348/465, 348/466, 348/467, 348/473, 348/476, 348/553, 348/725, 348/726, 348/728, 348/714, 348/731
• US Class Current: 375/240.27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency

Abstract

A television signal receiving apparatus and method is provided having channel decode means for receiving a signal with a video signal, a sound signal, a data signal, and additional data multiplexed to perform tuning, demodulation, and error correction on the received signal and a demultiplexor for separating the multiplexed signal to output coded data of each of the video signal, the sound signal, and the data signal and for extracting service information as one of additional data. A storage device is provided for storing the service information extracted from the demultiplexor, together with a write controller for controlling writing into the storage device, and a read controller for controlling reading of the storage device according to a user command entered by a user. A source decoder is also provided for decoding the coded data outputted from the demultiplexor using the information outputted from said storage device to output the video signal, the sound signal, and the data signal. The storage device records the service information supplied from the demultiplexor, and the read controller performs control such that necessary data are read from the storage device as required by the user, thereby enhancing the speed of processing associated with the service information to provide a quick response to the user requirement. Also, the write controller can control storage such that only necessary information for the next processing operation is stored, thereby reducing the size of the storage device which is necessary.

Claims

1. A television signal receiving apparatus, comprising:

a channel decoder which receives a television signal containing a video signal, a sound signal, a data signal, and additional data multiplexed therein for tuning, demodulation, and error correction to produce a channel decoded signal;

a demultiplexor which separates the video signal, the sound signal, the data signal and additional data multiplexed from the channel decoded signal to produce coded data of each of the video signal, the sound signal, and the data signal and to extract service information as one of the additional data;

a storage device which stores the service information extracted from said demultiplexor;

a write controller which controls writing of the service information into said storage device in accordance with a user command input by a user;

a read controller which controls reading of the service information from said storage device in accordance with the user command input by a user;

a source decoder which decodes the coded data outputted from said demultiplexor by using the service information outputted from said storage device to produce the video signal, the sound signal, and the data signal; and

wherein said storage device is controlled by said write controller to memorize at least service information having a transmitting period greater than a predetermined time and having a quantity of information greater than a predetermined amount, and is controlled by said read controller to output necessary memorized information as required by the user to thereby enhance the processing speed of the service information for a quick response to the user command.

2. A television signal receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said write controller performs control such that at least part of the service information outputted from said demultiplexor is stored in said storage device and, if the service information is updated, the information stored in said storage device is updated.

3. A television signal receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said write controller performs control such that necessary service information to be performed during the next processing operation based on user operational information is selected from said demultiplexor to record or update the selected information in said storage device during a time period when the television signal is processed using the service information memorized in said storage device.

4. The television signal receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said write controller generates a control signal for writing the service information into said storage device such that the service information needed for the next processing operation is memorized in said storage device.

5. A television signal receiving method of a communication system comprising a channel decoder for decoding a television signal containing a video signal, a sound signal, a data signal, and additional data multiplexed therein, a demultiplexor for demultiplexing the television signal to produce coded data of each of the video signal, the sound signal, and the data signal and to extract service information as one of additional data, a storage device for storing the service information, a write controller and a read controller for controlling writing and reading of said storage device in accordance with a user'"'"'s request, said television signal receiving method comprising:

storing the service information supplied from said demultiplexor in said storage device;

controlling said read controller to read necessary data from said storage device in accordance with the user'"'"'s request; and

controlling said storage device by a control signal from said write controller to memorize at least information having a transmitting period greater than a predetermined amount and having a quantity of information greater than a predetermined amount, and to output memorized information by a control signal from said read controller.

6. A television signal receiving method according to claim 5 further comprising a step of controlling said write controller such that necessary service information to be performed during the next processing operation based on user operational information is selected from said demultiplexor to record or update the selected information in said storage device when the television signal is processed using the service information memorized in said storage device.

7. A television signal receiving method according to claim 5 further comprising a step of controlling said write controller to generate a control signal such that necessary information needed for the next processing operation is memorized in said storage device based on a control signal from said read controller.