Broadcasting receiver and method thereof

• US 7,606,525 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hye Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US11/533,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/432.1, 455418-420, 455/3.01, 455/3.06, 455/344, 455/345, 455/457, 455/557, 701/200, 701/201, 701/204, 701/202, 701207-211, 701/213, 340/990, 340/905, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/993, 340/995.27, 340/995.13, 340/995.23, 342/357.01, 342/357.1, 342/357.13, 342/357.17, 342/457, 342/357.09, 342/357.08
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/42 for identifying broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/53 of destinations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side

Abstract

Digital broadcasting content is viewed by a user, such as through a portable terminal having a broadcasting receiver configured to receive digital broadcasting content. An original travel path is obtained based on a travel destination. The portable terminal determines if a broadcasting blind zone exists relative to the original travel path. If the broadcasting blind zone or zones exist, the portable terminal provides navigation instructions for a modified travel path which avoids the broadcasting blind zones.

Claims

1. A method for receiving broadcasting content, the method comprising:

viewing digital broadcasting content;

obtaining an original travel path based on a travel destination;

determining if a broadcasting blind zone exists relative to the original travel path; and

if the broadcasting blind zone exists, providing navigation instructions for a modified travel path avoiding the broadcasting blind zone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing navigation instructions comprises providing navigation instructions for a modified travel path to a user through a portable terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining if the broadcasting blind zone exists comprises comparing position information relating to the broadcasting blind zone with position information of the original travel path.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the position information relating to the broadcasting blind zone is stored in a memory of a portable terminal.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the position information relating to the broadcasting blind zone is downloaded from an external source to a portable terminal.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the blind zone information comprises broadcasting channel information or broadcasting station information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the blind zone information comprises position information relating to the broadcasting blind zone for each broadcasting channel or for each broadcasting station.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising informing a user of one or more broadcasting blind zones.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein viewing digital broadcasting content comprises viewing digital multimedia broadcasting signals transmitted through a satellite, digital multimedia broadcasting signals transmitted through ground waves, or broadcasting signals transmitted through digital television broadcasting.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein viewing the digital broadcasting content comprises viewing a predetermined channel.

11. A method for receiving broadcasting content, the method comprising:

viewing digital broadcasting content;

obtaining an original travel path based on a travel destination;

determining if a broadcasting blind zone exists relative to the original travel path;

if the broadcasting blind zone exists, selecting the original travel path or selecting a modified path that does not include the broadcasting blind zone as a selected travel path; and

providing navigation data based on the selected travel path.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining if the broadcasting blind zone exists comprises comparing position information relating to the broadcasting blind zone with position information of the original travel path.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the position information relating to the broadcasting blind zone is stored in a memory of a portable terminal.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the position information relating to the broadcasting blind zone is downloaded from an external source to a portable terminal.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the blind zone information comprises broadcasting channel information or broadcasting station information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the blind zone information comprises position information relating to the broadcasting blind zone for each broadcasting channel or for each broadcasting station.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising informing a user of one or more broadcasting blind zones.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing navigation data comprises providing voice service through a portable terminal.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein providing navigation data comprises providing audio or visual navigation instructions relating to the navigation data to a user.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein viewing digital broadcasting content comprises viewing digital multimedia broadcasting signals transmitted through a satellite, digital multimedia broadcasting signals transmitted through ground waves, or broadcasting signals transmitted through digital television broadcasting.

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein selecting the original travel path or the modified path that does not include the broadcasting blind zone as the selected travel path comprises prompting a user to select the original travel path or the modified travel path.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein selecting the original travel path or the modified path that does not include the broadcasting blind zone as the selected travel path comprises a portable terminal automatically selecting the original travel path or the modified travel path.

23. A portable terminal comprising:

a broadcasting receiver configured to receive and decode digital broadcasting content;

a position information receiver configured to receive position information;

a mapping unit configured to store map information;

a video and audio processor configured to processing a video signal and an audio signal;

a display device for displaying digital broadcasting content based on the video signal;

an audio output device configured to output broadcasting content based on the voice signal;

a memory part for storing broadcasting blind zone information; and

a navigation part configured to determine if a broadcasting blind zone exists on a navigation basic path while a user views the digital broadcasting content, and to provide navigation instructions for a travel path that avoids a broadcasting blind zone.

24. The portable terminal according to claim 23, wherein the memory part comprises a detachable memory device or a built-in memory device.

25. The portable terminal according to claim 23, further comprising a radio part configured to provide wireless Internet access.

26. The portable terminal according to claim 23, wherein the mapping unit comprises blind zone information, the blind zone information including broadcasting channel information or broadcasting station information.

27. The portable terminal according to claim 26, wherein the blind zone information further includes position information relating to any blind zones for each broadcasting channel or each broadcasting station.

28. The portable terminal according to claim 23, wherein the navigation part is configured to perform navigation by providing voice instructions relative to a travel path and provided to a user viewing broadcasted content.

29. The portable terminal according to claim 23, wherein the broadcasting receiver is configured to receive signals from digital multimedia broadcasting transmitted through a satellite digital multimedia broadcasting transmitted through ground waves, or digital television broadcasting.

30. The portable terminal according to claim 23, wherein the navigation part is configured to determine if the broadcasting blind zone exists for predetermined channel and while the predetermined channel viewed by a user.

31. The portable terminal according to claim 23, wherein the navigation part is configured to determine if the broadcasting blind zone exists relative to a travel path by comparing position information contained in the blind zone information stored in the memory part with position information relating to the travel path.

32. The portable terminal according to claim 23, wherein the navigation part is configured to provide at least one modified travel path enabling the receipt of digital broadcasting without the broadcasting blind zone.

33. The portable terminal according to claim 23, wherein the navigation part is configured to prompt a user to select an original travel path or a modified travel path avoiding an existing broadcasting blind zone.