Digital broadcast receiving device

• US 6,373,904 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Visual Solutions Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirota, Atsushi, Tomonaga, Eiichiro, Sakamoto, Noriya, Kudo, Tsukasa, Koshiro, Natsuki, Yamada, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): TSE, YOUNG TOI
• Application Number:
  US09/119,737
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 375/316, 348/725, 348/729, 348/730, 345/327, 713/320, 713/321, 713/323
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42692 for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• 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 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A digital broadcast receiving device includes a first processor for extracting added information, a storage device for storing the added information, and a second processor having a low power consumption mode and a normal power mode, for effecting the circuit control for the watching and listening operation according to a preset program and the added information. The first processor informs the second processor that the added information is extracted, the second processor changes the mode thereof to the normal power mode when it is informed from the first processor that the added information is extracted while it is set in the low power consumption mode in the standby state, writes the added information extracted by the first processor into the storage device, and changes the mode thereof into the low power consumption mode after completion of the write operation.

Claims

1. A digital broadcast receiving device comprising:

a first processor for extracting at least updating information for selecting a program, or added information containing mail information or information for watching and listening to a program and multiplexed on a digital broadcast signal from the digital broadcast;

first storage means for storing the added information or updating information; and

a second processor having a low power consumption mode and a normal power mode, for effecting the circuit control for the watching and listening operation according to a preset program and the added information or updating information;

wherein said first processor extracts the added information or updating information which meets a predetermined filter condition from the digital broadcast signal and informs said second processor that the added information or updating information is extracted, and said second processor is set into the low power consumption mode when the device is set in the standby state, and is changed into the normal power mode from the low power consumption mode when it is informed from said first processor that the added information or updating information is extracted, then said second processor transfers and writes the added information or updated information extracted by said first processor into said first storage means after the mode thereof is changed into the normal power mode, and is returned to the lower power consumption mode again after the writing operation of the added information or updating information is completed.

2. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said first storage means is a memory card used for watching and listening to a program, a power supply thereof is selectively turned ON/OFF by said second processor in a state in which said second processor is set in the normal power mode, and the added information or updating information can be written when the power supply thereof is set in the ON state.

3. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising second storage means for storing watching and listening record information;

and transmitting means for transmitting the watching and listening record information to a center;

wherein said second processor changes the mode thereof from the lower power consumption mode to the normal power mode, sets the power supply of said transmitting means in the ON state, reads out the watching and listening record information from said second storage means, transmits the watching and listening record information to the center via said transmitting means, then sets the power supply of said transmitting means in the OFF state and the mode thereof is set into the low power consumption mode again in a case where the watching and listening record information is transmitted to the center while the device is set in the standby state.

4. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 3, wherein said second storage means is a memory card used for storing the watching and listening record information, a power supply thereof is selectively turned ON/OFF by said second processor in a state in which said second processor is set in the normal power mode, and set into the ON state to permit the watching and listening record information to be readout when the watching and listening record information is transmitted to the center, and set into the OFF state after the watching and listening record information is transmitted to the center.

5. A digital broadcast receiving device comprising:

a first processor for extracting at least updating information for selecting a program, or added information containing mail information or information for watching and listening to a program and multiplexed on a digital broadcast signal from the digital broadcast;

first storage means for storing the added information or updating information; and

a second processor having a lower power consumption mode and a normal power mode, for effecting the circuit control for the watching and listening operation according to a preset program and the added information or updating information;

wherein said second processor permits said first processor to write the added information or updating information when it is set into the standby state and the mode thereof is set in the low power consumption mode, and said first processor accesses said first storage means based on the write permission to said first storage means given by said second processor and transfers and writes the added information or updating information extracted from the digital broadcast signal into said first storage means.

6. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 5, wherein said first storage means is a semiconductor memory into which the added information or updating information can be written.

7. A digital broadcast receiving device comprising:

a first processor for extracting at least updating information for selecting a program, or added information containing mail information or information for watching and listening to a program and periodically multiplexed on a digital broadcast signal from the digital broadcast;

first storage means for storing the added information or updating information; and

a second processor having a low power consumption mode and a normal power mode, for effecting the circuit control for the watching and listening operation according to a preset program and the added information or updating information;

wherein said first processor extracts timing information and the added information or updating information which meets a predetermined filter condition from the digital broadcast signal, informs said second processor that the added information or updating information is extracted and transmits the timing information to said second processor, and said second processor has a timer for informing that preset time after turn-OFF time has elapsed and repeatedly effects a process for calculating time at which next added information or updating information is transmitted based on the timing information obtained in the operative state of the receiving device, setting the calculated time into said timer, acquiring the added information or updating information when it is informed that the time set in said timer has elapsed, then calculating time at which next added information or updating information is transmitted, and setting the calculated time into said timer.

8. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 7, wherein said second processor causes the receiving of the added information or updating information during a period in which the added information or updating information is received when the broadcast receiving device is set in the standby state and causes various other elements of the broadcast receiving device to be non-active.

9. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 7, wherein said second processor supplies power to an antenna for receiving the added information or updating information active during a period in which the added information or updating information is received when the receiving device is set in the standby state and sets the antenna in the non-power supply state in the other period.

10. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 7, wherein said second processor acquires other service information during a period in which the added information or updating information is received and stores the acquired service information into said first storage means when the receiving device is set in the standby state.

11. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 7, further comprising second storage means for storing watching and listening record information;

and transmitting means for transmitting the watching and listening record information to a center;

wherein said second processor calculates time to be set into said timer by taking into consideration a period for reading out watching and listening record information from said second storage means and transmitting the watching and listening record information to the center via said transmitting means when a watching and listening record information request signal is extracted.

12. A digital broadcast receiving device according to claim 11, wherein said second processor makes active said second storage means and said transmitting means only in a period for transmission of the watching and listening record information when the receiving device is set in the standby state and makes non-active said second storage means and said transmitting means in the other period.