Open cable set-top box diagnosing system and method thereof

• US 6,915,531 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yun, Hwa Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHELEHEDA, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US09/758,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 725/107, 725/108, 725/131, 725/132, 725/140, 725/152, 714/30
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4183 providing its own processing capabilities, e.g. external module for video decoding
• 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 21/438 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An open cable set-top box diagnosing system in which a point of deployment (POD), separated from a main circuit unit, having a newly defined interface is used to check an operation state of an open cable set-top box, transmits the checked state to a predetermined server, according to which the operation state of the open cable set-top box is diagnosed. The open cable set-top box diagnosing system includes an open cable set-top box for checking its own operation state by using a diagnosis resource by a communication protocol between a point of deployment (POD) separated from the main circuit unit and the main circuit, and a head end for providing a service corresponding to a request signal received from the open cable set-top box or providing a broadcast program to the open cable set-top box, and checking the operation state of the open cable set-top box.

Claims

1. An open cable set-top box comprising:

a main circuit unit receiving a broadcast signal transmitted from a head end or a broadcasting station, decoding the broadcast signal and outputting the decoded broadcast signal;

a CPU controlling the main circuit unit, performing a point of deployment (POD) interfacing with the head end or the broadcasting station through a POD interface protocol, and diagnosing specific information or an operation state of the main circuit unit by having a diagnostic resource on a resource layer of the POD interface protocol; and

a POD interface port exchanging a data with the head end or the broadcasting station according to the POD interface protocol of the CPU,

wherein the diagnostic resource includes at least one diagnostic request object and a diagnostic confirmation object.

2. The open cable set-top box of claim 1, wherein a communication module of a PCMCIA card type is connected to the POD interface port.

3. The open cable set-top box of claim 1, wherein the diagnosing is performed by the head end or the broadcasting station to check a state or an operation state of the main circuit unit.

4. The open cable set-top box of claim 1, wherein a diagnostic state confirmation object transfers the diagnosis result performed by a processor to the head end or the broadcasting station.

5. The open cable set-top box of claim 1, wherein the resource layer contains a resource manager resource, an MMI resource, an application information resource, a low speed communication resource, a conditional access support resource, a copy protection resource, a host control information resource, an extended channel support resource, a generic IPPV support resource, a specific application support resource and a diagnostic resource.

6. The open cable set-top box of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic resource contains a diagnostic open request object, a diagnostic confirmation request object, a diagnostic state request object, a diagnostic state confirmation object, a diagnostic data request object, and a diagnostic data confirmation request.

7. The open cable set-top box of claim 1, wherein the main circuit unit comprises:

a tuner tuning the received broadcast signal;

a demodulator demodulating the broadcast signal tuned by the tuner;

a demultiplexer selecting either the signal demodulated by the demodulator or a signal inputted from an interface, and outputting the selected signal;

a decoder decoding a data stream outputted from the demultiplexer;

an OOB receiver receiving broadcast information from the tuner; and

an OOB transmitter transmitting a data inputted from the interface to the tuner.

8. An open cable set-top box comprising:

a main circuit unit receiving a broadcast signal transmitted from a head end or a broadcasting station, decoding the broadcast signal and outputting the decoded broadcast signal;

a CPU controlling the main circuit unit, performing a point of deployment (POD) interfacing with the head end or the broadcasting station through a POD interface protocol, and diagnosing specific information or an operation state of the main circuit unit by having a diagnostic resource on a resource layer of the POD interface protocol; and

a POD interface port exchanging a data with the head end or the broadcasting station according to the POD interface protocol of the CPU, wherein the head end periodically checks an operation state of the set-top box and informs a pertinent set-top box manufacturer of diagnosed information on a set-top box with a problem through a network on a real time basis.

9. An open cable set-top box comprising:

a main circuit unit receiving a broadcast signal transmitted from a head end or a broadcasting station, decoding the broadcast signal and outputting the decoded broadcast signal;

a CPU controlling the main circuit unit, performing a point of deployment (POD) interfacing with the head end or the broadcasting station through a POD interface protocol, and diagnosing specific information or an operation state of the main circuit unit by having a diagnostic resource on a resource layer of the POD interface protocol; and

a POD interface port exchanging a data with the head end or the broadcasting station according to the POD interface protocol of the CPU, wherein the diagnostic resource previously defines an object that a POD interface module and the set-top box are to use for exchanging a diagnosis data, determines a specific ID information data format for identifying a subscriber set-top box, divides the whole system into sub-systems, a functional unit for checking, assigns an ID to each sub-system, defines each state of the sub-systems and exchanges status information of each sub system as a data of the object.

10. An open cable system comprising:

a set-top box decoding a broadcast signal receiving from a head end or a broadcasting station and outputting a decoded broadcast signal;

a point of deployment (POD) module having a conditional access unit, descrambling the broadcast signal received from the head end or the broadcasting station and performing a bi-directional communication with the set-top box and the head end; and

a POD interface having a POD interface protocol so as to perform an interfacing between the set-top box and the POD module, the POD interface protocol having a diagnostic resource at a resource layer so that the head end or the broadcasting station can diagnose specific information or an operation state of the set-top box,

wherein the diagnostic resource includes at least one diagnostic request object and a diagnostic confirmation object.

11. The open cable system of claim 10, wherein the set-top box and the POD module are separable.

12. An open cable system comprising:

a set-top box decoding a broadcast signal receiving from a head end or a broadcasting station and outputting a decoded broadcast signal;

a point of deployment (POD) module having a conditional access unit, descrambling the broadcast signal received from the head end or the broadcasting station and performing a bi-directional communication with the set-top box and the head end; and

a POD interface having a POD interface protocol so as to perform an interfacing between the set-top box and the POD module, the POD interface protocol having a diagnostic resource at a resource layer so that the head end or the broadcasting station can diagnose specific information or an operation state of the set-top box,

wherein the diagnostic resource previously defines an object that the POD interface module and the set-top box are to use for exchanging a diagnosis data, determines a specific ID information data format for identifying a subscriber set-top box, divides the whole system into sub-systems, a functional unit for checking, assigns an ID to each sub-system, defines each state of the sub-systems and exchanges status information of each sub system as a data of the object.

13. A method of performing diagnostic function in an open set-top box that receives information from a head end, wherein the set-top box comprises a main circuit unit receiving a broadcast signal transmitted from a head end or a broadcasting station, decoding the broadcast signal and outputting the decoded broadcast signal;

a CPU controlling the main circuit unit, performing a point of deployment (POD) interfacing with the head end or the broadcasting station through a POD interface protocol, and diagnosing specific information or an operation state of the main circuit unit by having a diagnostic resource on a resource layer of the POD interface protocol; and

a POD interface port exchanging a data with the head end or the broadcasting station according to the POD interface protocol of the CPU, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving from the head end a set-top box status request;

communicating with the main circuit module using the diagnostic resource that includes diagnostic support objects, wherein the POD module transmits a diagnostic request object;

upon receiving the diagnostic request object, performing by the main circuit unit a requested function dictated by the diagnostic request object and providing information to the POD module through a diagnostic confirmation object; and

communicating with the head end to provide information contained in the diagnostic confirmation object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the set-top box status request includes ID information related to the set-top box and a sub-system construction.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the diagnostic resource includes diagnostic support objects comprising at least one of the following:

a diagnostic open request object, a diagnostic open confirmation object, a diagnostic state request object, a diagnostic state confirmation object, a diagnostic data request object and a diagnostic data confirmation object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the POD module communicates with the main circuit unit using the diagnostic open request object to request the main circuit unit to open diagnostic source, using the diagnostic state request object to request a system status, and using the diagnostic data request object to request detailed information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the POD module requests the diagnostic data request object to the main circuit unit to request the detailed information when there exists an abnormality in the main circuit unit.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the main circuit unit communicates to the POD module using the diagnostic open confirmation object to provide sub-system construction information, using the diagnostic state confirmation object to provide an error status of the main circuit unit, and using the diagnostic data confirmation object to provide at least error status information of the sub-system of the main circuit unit.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the set-top box status request is periodically received from the head end.

20. A method of performing diagnostic function in an open set-top box that receives information from a head end, wherein the set-top box comprises a main circuit unit receiving a broadcast signal transmitted from a head end or a broadcasting station, decoding the broadcast signal and outputting the decoded broadcast signal;

a CPU controlling the main circuit unit, performing a point of deployment (POD) interfacing with the head end or the broadcasting station through a POD interface protocol, and diagnosing specific information or an operation state of the main circuit unit by having a diagnostic resource on a resource layer of the POD interface protocol; and

a POD interface port exchanging a data with the head end or the broadcasting station according to the POD interface protocol of the CPU, the method comprising;

a step in which when a command for checking the operation state of the set-top box is inputted from the head end, the POD module requests system state information from the set-top box, and when the system state information is received from the set-top box, the POD module transmits the system state information to the head end;

a step in which the head end checks whether there is an error in the set-top box on the basis of the received system state information and requests detailed information on a defective sub-system from the POD module in case that there is an error in the set-top box; and

a step in which the POD module requests detailed information of the defective sub-system from the set-top box, and when detailed information on the defective sub-system is received from the set-top box, the POD module transmits the detailed information to the head end.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising a step in which when information indicating that there is an error in the set-top box is received, the head end registers the received error information with a subscriber managing server and informs a manufacturer of the corresponding set-top box and a set-top box ID.