Broadcasting service system using mobile communication terminal

• US 7,634,794 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2000
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Paik, Woo Hyun, Park, Tae Jun, Lee, Seng Whan, Kang, Bae Guen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US09/617,036
• Time in Patent Office: 3,441 Days
• Field of Search: 725/1, 725/62, 725/39, 725/73, 725/81, 725/99, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/452.1, 455/453, 455/63.1, 455/3.01, 455 304- 306, 4554261-426, 370/487, 375/240.01
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/06 among broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/24 Arrangements for distribution of identical information via broadcast system and non-broadcast system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A system capable of receiving a television signal and telephone signal on a mobile communication terminal. In particular, the system is capable of displaying each television broadcast on a monitor of the mobile communication terminal by receiving the video and audio signal, decoding it, and outputting it to the monitor of the mobile communication terminal. In addition, the system can transmit an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data corresponding to a subscriber request and a selected broadcasting program in real time.

Claims

1. A broadcasting service system for receiving television broadcasts and providing them directly to a mobile cellular network transmitting means and via that transmitting means to a mobile telephony terminal, comprising:

a broadcast television receiver means for receiving a broadcast television signal;

a converting means for converting the received broadcast television signal into a video and audio signal in a format compatible with a signal and transmission standard of the mobile cellular telephone network and for providing the converted format video and audio signal directly to the mobile cellular network transmitting means; and

wherein the mobile cellular network transmitting means is adapted to transmit the thusly converted video and audio signal to a mobile cellular telephone network subscriber via a transmission channel of the mobile cellular telephone network,

wherein the transmitting and converting means transmits data through a connected transmission channel between a mobile telephone subscriber terminal and a base station of the mobile cellular telephone network.

2. The broadcasting service system according to claim 1, wherein the television broadcast signal complies with a first signal standard for television broadcasting, the converted digital video and audio signal formats compatible with the mobile cellular telephone network comply with a second signal standard, and the first and second signal standards agree with a signal standard which is capable of converting between different transmission systems.

3. The broadcasting service system according to claim 2, wherein the first signal standard is the MPEG-2 (Moving Picture Experts Group 2) standard, and the second signal standard is one of the MPEG-4 (Moving Picture Experts Group 4), H.26L, H.263, and H.26X standards.

4. The broadcasting service system according to claim 1, wherein the converting means comprises a transcoder which includes a decoding means which decodes digital video and audio data complying with a digital television broadcasting standard and then encodes the thusly decoded video and audio data into a format compatible with transmission over a communication channel of the mobile cellular telephone network, and a converting-controlling means which controls an encoding rate of the transcoder to comply with a transmission rate of the mobile cellular telephone network.

5. The broadcasting service system according to claim 1, wherein the converting means includes a digital signal converting means which converts an analog television broadcast signal into digital video and audio data, an encoding means which formats the thusly converted digital video and audio data and encodes it for compatibility with the transmission standard of the mobile cellular telephone network, and a converting-controlling means which controls an encoded data rate of the encoding means in order to agree with a transmission rate of the mobile cellular telephone network.

6. The broadcasting service system according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting means includes a means for putting the formatted digital video and audio signal onto the transmission channel of the mobile cellular telephone network, and a formatting-transmission means which formats and transmits the digital video and audio data with additional broadcasting information.

7. The broadcasting service system according to claim 6, wherein EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data is formatted and transmitted with the video and audio data and additional information.

8. A broadcasting service system using a mobile cellular telephony terminal, comprising:

a digital video and audio input means which is provided a digital video and audio signal from a provider;

a transcoding means which converts the provided digital video and audio signal inputted from the digital video and audio input means into a format and transmission rate compatible with transmission over a transmission channel of the mobile cellular telephone network and provides the converted format video and audio signal directly to an allocating transmitting means;

an encoding-converting means for encoding digital data converted by the transcoding means;

a transmitting means which transmits the thusly transcoded-converted digital broadcasting signal provided directly to the allocating transmitting means on an allotted channel of the mobile cellular telephone network;

an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data converting means for converting EPG data for selecting a digital television broadcasting channel into a format compatible with transmission over the mobile cellular telephone network; and

an additional information converting means for converting the additional information of the digital television broadcasting channel into a format compatible with transmission over the mobile cellular telephone network.

9. The broadcasting service system according to claim 8, wherein the broadcasting service system transmits the EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data and additional information in compatible formats for the mobile cellular telephone network.

10. The broadcasting service system according to claim 8, wherein the EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data converting means comprises:

a decoding means for decoding an inputted EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data stream of a digital television broadcasting signal;

a restoring means for restoring the EPG data of the decoded data stream;

a database means which stores information corresponding to the restored EPG data;

an EPG information outputting means for outputting EPG information from the database means corresponding to a mobile cellular telephone network subscriber request; and

a converting means for converting the additional information of the digital television broadcasting signal into a format compatible with transmission via the mobile cellular telephone network.

11. A broadcasting service system for enabling the reception of television broadcasts by a mobile cellular telephone subscriber terminal, comprising:

a digital signal processing means for receiving a digital television broadcasting signal and providing a television broadcasting program to a mobile cellular telephone network;

a medium storing means for storing broadcast information processed by the digital signal processing means;

a data processing and converting means for converting EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data and additional information of the digital television broadcasting signal processed by the digital signal processing means into a signal format compatible with transmission via the mobile cellular telephone network; and

a transcoder and transmission means for receiving video and audio data and additional information processed by the digital signal processing means, converting them into a signal format compatible with transmission over the mobile cellular telephone network and transmitting the thusly converted data and information over a transmission channel of the mobile cellular telephone network.

12. The broadcasting service system according to claim 11, wherein the digital signal processing means comprises:

a tuner for selecting a digital television broadcasting signal carried on a transmission medium;

a demodulating means for restoring the selected digital television broadcasting signal;

a demultiplexer for fetching EPG (Electronic Program Guide) and additional information from the demodulated digital television broadcasting signal; and

a decoder for decoding the video and audio data from the demodulated digital television broadcasting signal.

13. The broadcasting service system according to claim 11, wherein the data processing and converting means comprises:

an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data decoding means for decoding EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data of the digital television broadcasting signal;

a signal converting means for converting the decoded EPG data into a signal format compatible with transmission over the mobile cellular telephone network;

a protocol converting means for converting the converted EPG data into a protocol compatible with the mobile cellular telephone network;

a decoding means for decoding the additional information of the digital television broadcasting signal;

an additional information signal converting means for converting the decoded additional information into a format compatible with transmission over the mobile cellular telephone network; and

an additional information protocol converting means for converting the converted additional information into a protocol compatible with the mobile cellular telephone network.

14. The broadcasting service system according to claim 11, wherein the transcoder and transmission means comprises:

a transcoder for transcoding video and audio data of a digital television broadcasting signal into a format compatible with transmission over a transmission channel of the mobile cellular telephone network;

a transmission rate control means for controlling a transmission rate of the transcoder to comply with the transmission channel of the mobile cellular telephone network;

a converting means for converting the output of the data processing and converting means into a data protocol agreeable to the mobile cellular telephone network;

a synchronization processing means for synchronizing synchronization request information during the transcoding and protocol converting operations; and

a transmitting means for transmitting the processed data in real time by allotting it a transmission channel of the mobile cellular telephone network.