Television signal processing device having a data block address memory for autonously determining television program information

• US 6,400,408 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Berger, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US09/316,778
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.708, H04/N.7087, 348/465, 348/468, 348/460, 348/473, 348/474, 348/476, 348/477, 348/478, 348/479, 348/906, 348/705, 348/714, 386/83, 386/46, 386/95, 725/39, 725/40, 725/20, 725/136, 725/137, 725/141
• US Class Current: 348/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0882 for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

A television signal processing device (12) for receiving and processing a television signal (F) and an information signal (I) which contains television program information (FPI) about future television programs. The television signal processing device (12)has television program information determining means (34) by which television program information (FPI) can be determined from the teletext information (TI) of all receivable television signals (F) and can be stored. The television program information determining means (34) are now adapted to autonomously store in a data block address memory (37) at least one teletext page number (TSN) in correlation with television signal identification information (FKI) which identifies the television signal (F) containing the received teletext information (TI). The stored teletext page number (TSN) then identifies a teletext page of the television signal (F) from which television program information (FPI) has been derived successfully the last time. During a subsequent determination of television program information (FPI) from teletext information (TI) of this television signal (F) the teletext page identified by the stored teletext page number (TSN) is first searched for television program information (FPI).

Claims

1. A television signal processing device for autonomously determining television program information, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a television signal in a receiving channel receivable by the receiving means, and for receiving an information signal comprising data blocks containing data block information, said information signal being receivable recurrently in blanking intervals of the television signal;

an information detection stage for detecting data block information identified by a given data block address in each receiving cycle of the received information signal;

television program information determining means for determining television program information contained in data block information detected by the information detection stage, and for presetting at least one further data block address for the information detection stage enabling the information detection stage to determine further television program information contained in the information signal; and

a switching stage for autonomously switching over the receiving means for the reception of at least one further television signal comprising an information signal in blanking intervals via at least one further receiving channel so as to enable further television program information to be determined autonomously, characterized in that said television signal processing device further comprises;

a data block address memory for storing at least one item of television signal identification information, for identifying a received television signal, or receiving channel identification information in correlation with at least one data block address for identifying a data block of an information signal contained in a television signal received in a receiving channel,

wherein each time television program information is determined successfully in detected data block information, the television program information determining means autonomously stores the last preset data block address in the data block address memory in correlation with television signal identification information, which identifies the received television signal, or receiving channel identification information, and

wherein, after switching over of the receiving means by the switching stage, said television program information determining means applies a data block address stored in the data block address memory in correlation with television signal identification information, which identifies the received television signal, or receiving channel identification information, autonomously to the information detection stage in order to detect data block information identified by the data block address.

2. The television signal processing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said television signal processing device further comprises a television program memory for storing the television program information derived from the data block information.

3. The television signal processing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said television program information determining means applies, after switching over of the receiving means by the switching stage, a given preferential data block address defined for a received information signal to the information detection stage, and in that the television program information determining means derives at least one data block address from the preferential data block information detected by the information detection stage and identified by the preferential data block address, said at least one data block address identifying data block information from which television program information can de derived.

4. The television signal processing device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the television program information determining means determines at least one sub-address number from preferential data block information detected by the information detection stage and identified by a preferential data block address, a sub-address number specifying how many data block sub-addresses in the information signal are assigned to a data block address and how many different items of data block information in data sub-blocks of the data block address, which are identified by data sub-block addresses, can be detected by the information detection stage in a plurality of receiving cycles.

5. The television signal processing device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the television program information determining means derives at least one item of transmission information from the preferential data block information detected by the information detection stage and identified by a preferential data block address, an item of transmission information specifying which data block addresses can be supplied to the information detection stage in order to detect data block information from the received information signal.

6. The television signal processing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, after application of a first data block address obtained from the data block address memory, the television program information determining means successively supplies further data block addresses alternately bearing numbers which increase and decrease with respect to the first data block address to the information detection stage in order to detect data block information from the received information signal.

7. The television signal processing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said television signal processing device further comprises an additional information memory for storing additional information for an information signal of a television signal receivable via a receiving channel, in correlation with television signal identification information of the television signal or receiving channel identification information of the receiving channel, said additional information having already been derived during the determination of television program information from said information signal and being used advantageously for a subsequent determination of television program information from said information signal.

8. The television signal processing device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the information detection stage detects further data block information, identified by at least one further given data block address, in each receiving cycle of a received information signal, and in that after switching over of the receiving means by the switching stage, the television program information determining means supplies a data block address stored in the data block address memory and a preferential data block address of the received information signal to the information detection stage.

9. A recording and/or reproducing arrangement comprising recording means for recording a processed received television signal of a television program, characterized in that said recording and/or reproducing arrangement further comprises a television signal processing device as claimed in claim 1.