Method, apparatus and system for terrestrial DMB service

• US 8,036,612 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kum, Dong-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Lee
• Application Number:
  US11/834,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 4551611-1612, 4551661-1662, 455/184.1, 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 348731-732, 725/38
• US Class Current: 455/166.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) service are provided. A DMB receiving terminal identifies a channel service area in which the DMB receiving terminal is currently located based on an identified current location, and configures a channel information list by searching only a frequency band corresponding to the channel service area. When the channel service area is changed, the DMB receiving terminal searches a pre-stored connection channel list, and identifies a predetermined channel established as a transition channel corresponding to a channel which the DMB receiving terminal has received, from channels belonging to the changed channel service area. The DMB receiving terminal then receives the identified channel and provides terrestrial DMB service, thereby reducing a channel search time period and smoothly providing the terrestrial DMB service.

Claims

1. A Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) terminal for providing a DMB service, wherein the DMB terminal performs a method comprising the steps of:

monitoring the occurrence of a channel search request;

identifying a current location of the DMB terminal;

searching a connection channel as a transition relation corresponding to a channel received in a previous service area when the DMB terminal moves from the previous service area to another service area;

searching a channel service area database, which includes channel service area information according to areas, for the another service area corresponding to the current location; and

configuring a channel information list with channels belonging to the channel service area according to a result of the searching for the connection channel, and providing the DMB service to a user.

2. The DMB terminal of claim 1, further comprising, when a broadcast of a predetermined channel is currently being output after the DMB processing unit has provided the channel information list,

detecting a channel established as a transition channel corresponding to the predetermined channel in a pre-stored connection channel list, from among the channels belonging to the another service area;

and

receiving and outputting a terrestrial DMB of the transition channel to the user.

3. The DMB terminal of claim 2, wherein the channel service area database includes a connection channel list, the connection channel list includes a transition relation established between channels belonging to different service areas, in which each channel belonging to one service area is established to have a transition relation with a channel belonging to each of the other service areas according to the designation of the user, and the transition relation is recorded in the connection channel list.

4. The DMB terminal of claim 1, wherein the channel service area database is constructed by partitioning an entire area to which terrestrial DMB service is provided into a predetermined lattice, relating longitude and latitude values of each lattice cell to a corresponding terrestrial DMB service area, and mapping each channel service area to a corresponding frequency band.

5. The DMB terminal of claim 1, wherein the channel search request occurs in response to an input of the user.

6. The DMB terminal of claim 1, wherein the channel search request occurs at preset intervals.

7. The DMB terminal of claim 1, wherein the channel search request occurs when the DMB receiving terminal receives a new base station ID from a mobile communication network.

8. The DMB terminal of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the current location is performed by means of a pre-installed Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

9. The DMB terminal of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the current location is performed by requesting the current location to a Location Based Service (LBS) server by means of a base station ID of a base station which the DMB receiving terminal currently accesses.

10. A terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) service apparatus comprising:

a memory unit for storing a channel service area database which includes channel service area information according to areas; and

a DMB processing unit for, when a channel search request has occurred, identifying a current location, searching a connection channel as a transition relation corresponding to a channel received in a previous service area when the DMB terminal moves from the previous service area to another service area, searching a pre-stored channel service area database for the another service area corresponding to the current location, configuring a channel information list with channels belonging to the channel service area according to a result of the searching for the connection channel, and providing the DMB service list to a user.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the memory unit stores a channel list which includes a transition relation established between channels belonging to different service areas;

and

when a broadcast of a predetermined channel is currently being output after the DMB processing unit has provided the channel information list, the DMB processing unit detects a channel established as a transition channel corresponding to the predetermined channel in a pre-stored connection channel list, from among the channels belonging to the another service area, and receives and outputs a terrestrial DMB of the transition channel to the user.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein, the connection channel list is configured in such a manner that each channel belonging to one service area is established to have a transition relation with a channel belonging to each of the other service areas according to the designation of the user, and the transition relation is recorded in the connection channel list.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the channel service area database is constructed by partitioning an entire area to which terrestrial DMB service is provided into a predetermined lattice, relating longitude and latitude values of each lattice cell to a corresponding terrestrial DMB service area, and mapping each channel service area to a corresponding frequency band.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the DMB processing unit senses the channel search request occurring in response to an input of the user.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the DMB processing unit senses the channel search request occurring at preset intervals.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the DMB processing unit senses the channel search request occurring when receiving a new base station ID from a mobile communication network.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the DMB processing unit identifies the current location by means of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the DMB processing unit identifies the current location by requesting the current location to a Location Based Service (LBS) server by means of a base station ID of a base station which the DMB receiving terminal currently accesses.

19. A terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) service apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a DMB processing unit for, when a channel search request has occurred, identifying a current location, identifying a channel service area corresponding to the current location by accessing a server which includes channel service area information according to areas, searching for a connection channel as a transition relation corresponding to a channel received in a previous service area in a server when the identified channel service area is different from the previous service area, searching for channels belonging to the identified channel service area in the server, configuring a channel information list with searched channels according to a result of the searching for the connection channel, and providing the DMB service list to a user.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein, when a broadcast of a predetermined channel is currently being output after the DMB receiving terminal has provided the channel information list, the DMB processing unit detects a channel established as a transition channel corresponding to the predetermined channel in a pre-stored connection channel list, from among the channels belonging to the identified channel service area, and receives and outputs a terrestrial DMB of the transition channel to the user.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the connection channel list includes a transition relation established between channels belonging to different service areas, in which each channel belonging to one service area is established to have a transition relation with a channel belonging to each of the other service areas according to the designation of the user, and the transition relation is recorded in the connection channel list.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the channel service area database is constructed by partitioning an entire area to which terrestrial DMB service is provided into a predetermined lattice, relating longitude and latitude values of each lattice cell to a corresponding terrestrial DMB service area, and mapping each channel service area to a corresponding frequency band.