DMB package and mobile terminal for receiving DMB data and method of receiving DMB data

• US 8,243,755 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Seong-Han, Lee, Hyo-Soon, Kim, Hee-Deog
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US11/492,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,212 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 370310-313, 370/328, 370/398, 370/389, 370/484, 714/748, 725/62, 725/37, 725/38, 725/100, 725/131, 725/52, 725/39, 725/54, 375/240, 375/100, 455/3, 455/312, 455/414, 455/557, 455/412, 455/403, 455/425, 455/550, 348/441, 348/388, 348/425, 348/385, 348/14, 340/309, 340/7
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/91 broadcasting computer programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for receiving and playing Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) data using a DMB package and a mobile terminal. The DMB package is separable from the mobile terminal and can be interfaced with the mobile terminal. The apparatus includes DMB package for receiving DMB data, converting data formats of the received DMB data into multimedia data formats which can be reproduced by the typical mobile terminal, and transmitting the DMB data converted into the mobile terminal reproducible data formats to the mobile terminal. Accordingly, even a mobile terminal, which does not have a function of receiving and reproducing DMB data, can reproduce the DMB data.

Claims

1. A digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) package comprising:

a DMB signal receiving unit for receiving the DMB data;

a DMB data converter for converting data formats of the DMB data received by the DMB signal receiving unit into data formats which can be reproduced by a mobile terminal interfaced thereto;

a DMB package interface unit for interfacing with the mobile terminal;

a DMB package controller for controlling the DMB signal receiving unit and the DMB data converter to convert the data formats of the DMB data into the mobile terminal reproducible data formats and output the DMB data converted into the mobile terminal reproducible data formats to the mobile terminal through the DMB package interface unit; and

a DMB package software installation checking unit for determining whether DMB package software for allowing the mobile terminal and the DMB package to interface and be compatible with each other is installed in the mobile terminal,

wherein the DMB package software provides the mobile terminal with the ability to parse the information data and the broadcasting program information per channel of the DMB data and output the parsed information data and broadcasting program information as image information.

2. The DMB package of claim 1, further comprising a channel setting unit for receiving channel information from a key input unit of the mobile terminal and controlling the DMB signal receiving unit to receive DMB data of a channel according to the channel information.

3. The DMB package of claim 1, further comprising:

a DMB signal analyzer for identifying multimedia data and channel configuration information from the DMB data received from the DMB signal receiving unit; and

a DMB package memory unit for storing conversion information used to convert data formats of the multimedia data into specific data formats of video data and audio data.

4. The DMB package of claim 1, wherein the DMB data converter including a video data converter for converting a data format of video data of the DMB data into a video data format which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal.

5. The DMB package of claim 4, wherein if the DMB data is satellite DMB data, the DMB data converter converts video data of an H.264 (Advanced Video Coding H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10) data format into video data of an MPEG-4 (Motion Pictures Experts Group-4) data format and outputs the video data converted into the MPEG-4 data format to the mobile terminal.

6. The DMB package of claim 4, wherein the DMB data converter includes an audio data converter for converting a data format of audio data of the DMB data into an audio data format which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal.

7. The DMB package of claim 3, wherein the DMB signal analyzer extracts information data of the DMB data from the received DMB data.

8. The DMB package of claim 7, further comprising a data carousel for receiving the information data and extracting information data according to a user'"'"'s selection.

9. The DMB package of claim 3, wherein the DMB signal analyzer extracts broadcasting program information per channel from the received DMB data.

10. The DMB package of claim 1, wherein the DMB package software installation checking unit includes DMB package software installation data for installing the DMB package software and installs the DMB package software in the mobile terminal in response to a control of the DMB package controller.

11. The DMB package of claim 3, further comprising a data conversion yes/no determiner for:

receiving multimedia data format information which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal; and

determining whether the data formats of the received DMB data can be converted into data formats according to the received multimedia data format information.

12. The DMB package of claim 11, wherein the DMB data converter converts the data format of the video data of the received DMB data into a video data format which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal.

13. The DMB package of claim 11, wherein if any one of the video data and the audio data of the DMB data has a data format which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal, the DMB package converter converts a data format of data, which does not have the mobile terminal reproducible data format, into a data format, which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal, and transmits the converted data to the mobile terminal.

14. The DMB package of claim 11, wherein if both the video data and the audio data of the DMB data have data formats which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal, the DMB package converter transmits the DMB data received through the DMB signal receiving unit to the mobile terminal without the data format.

15. A mobile terminal, having a display unit for decoding and reproducing multimedia data, and a digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) package for receiving DMB data through an antenna, and converting data formats of the received DMB data into data formats which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising:

the display unit for displaying image information;

an audible sound output unit for outputting audible sound;

a terminal interface unit for interfacing with the DMB package; and

a terminal controller for;

outputting an input signal corresponding to a user'"'"'s input, to the DMB package through the terminal interface unit;

receiving the DMB data from the DMB package;

reproducing the received DMB data, and

a terminal memory unit in which DMB package software for allowing the mobile terminal and the DMB package to interface and be compatible with each other is stored,

wherein if an input for outputting broadcasting program information per channel of DMB is selected by a user, the terminal controller receives the broadcasting program information per channel from the DMB package, and outputs the received broadcasting program information per channel as image information.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein if an input for outputting information data of DMB is selected by the user, the terminal controller receives the information data from the DMB package and outputs the received information data as image information using the DMB package software.

38. The mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the received broadcasting program information per channel is parsed.

17. A method of receiving digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) data using a DMB package matched with a mobile terminal through a DMB package interface unit and reproducing the received DMB data through the mobile terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the DMB package, the DMB data;

determining whether a key input signal is input from the mobile terminal;

if it is determined that a key input signal corresponding to a selected channel has been input, receiving DMB data corresponding to the selected channel and converting data formats of the received DMB data into data formats according to a predetermined data format conversion; and

outputting the converted DMB data to the mobile terminal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving further includes:

determining whether DMB package software for converting information data and broadcasting program information per channel of DMB into image information and outputting the converted image information, is installed in the mobile terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of determining whether the DMB Package Software is installed further includes:

checking, by the DMB package, whether the DMB package software is installed in the mobile terminal; and

controlling the mobile terminal to inform a user of the result of the checking.

20. The method of claim 18, further including:

checking, by the DMB package, whether the DMB package software is installed in the mobile terminal; and

installing the DMB package software in the mobile terminal using prepared installation data of the DMB package software, if it is determined that the DMB package software is not installed in the mobile terminal.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving and converting further includes:

receiving, by the DMB package, information on multimedia data formats which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal and setting a data format conversion of the DMB data according to the received multimedia data formats; and

receiving DMB data corresponding to the selected channel and converting data formats of the received DMB data into data formats according to the set data format conversion.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of setting a data format conversion includes:

requesting, by the DMB package, information on multimedia data formats which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal from the mobile terminal;

receiving the multimedia data format information from the mobile terminal; and

setting the data format conversion of the DMB data into multimedia data formats which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal according to whether multimedia data of the DMB data can be converted based on the received multimedia data format information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of setting the data format conversion includes:

determining, by the DMB package, whether the multimedia data of the DMB data can be converted based on the received multimedia data format information; and

setting the data format conversion of the DMB data into multimedia data formats which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal according to results of the determination.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of determining whether multimedia data of the DMB data can be converted further includes determining, by the DMB package, according to the received multimedia data format information, whether the mobile terminal can reproduce the multimedia data of the DMB data.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of setting the data format conversion includes setting, by the DMB package, the data format conversion of the multimedia data of the DMB data into multimedia data formats which can be reproduced by the mobile terminal if it is determined that the mobile terminal cannot reproduce the multimedia data of the DMB.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving and converting includes extracting, by the DMB package, information data of the DMB data according to a user'"'"'s selection from the DMB data and providing the extracted information data to the mobile terminal if it is determined that the key input signal corresponds to a key for outputting information data.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving and converting includes extracting, by the DMB package, broadcasting program information per channel from the DMB data and providing the extracted broadcasting program information per channel to the mobile terminal if it is determined that the key input signal corresponds to a key for outputting broadcasting program information per channel of the DMB data.

28. A method of receiving digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) data using a DMB package matched through an interface unit of a mobile terminal and reproducing the received DMB data through the mobile terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

if the DMB package is matched with the mobile terminal, recognizing, by the mobile terminal, the DMB package;

transmitting a key input signal according to a user'"'"'s key selection to the DMB package;

receiving multimedia data of DMB data whose data formats have been converted into mobile terminal reproducible data formats, from the DMB package; and

reproducing the received multimedia data.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of recognizing further includes checking, by the mobile terminal, according to a request of the DMB package whether DMB package software for allowing the mobile terminal and the DMB package to interface and be compatible with each other is installed.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of checking further includes transmitting, by the mobile terminal, the results of the checking to the DMB package.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of transmitting the checking result further includes informing, by the mobile terminal, the user that the DMB package software is not installed in response to a control of the DMB package if it is determined that the DMB package software is not installed.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of transmitting the results of the checking includes:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, installation data of the DMB package software from the DMB package if it is determined that DMB package software is not installed; and

receiving the DMB package software from the DMB package and installing the DMB package software.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of recognizing further includes providing, by the mobile terminal, information on reproducible multimedia data formats to the DMB package in response to a request of the DMB package.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving, by the mobile terminal, information data of the DMB data according to the user'"'"'s selection from the DMB package and outputting the received information data.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of receiving and outputting the information data includes:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, the information data from the DMB package; and

converting the received information data into image information using the installed DMB package software and outputting the converted image information.

36. The method of claim 28, further comprising outputting, by the mobile terminal, broadcasting program information per channel of DMB as image information.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of outputting broadcasting program information per channel includes:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, the broadcasting program information per channel of DMB from the DMB package and parsing the received broadcasting program information per channel in response to a control of the DMB package; and

converting the broadcasting program information per channel into image information using the DMB package software and outputting the converted image information.