Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving broadcasting information using reserved channels

• US 9,479,738 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, In-chul
• Primary Examiner(s): SALCE, JASON P
• Application Number:
  US11/938,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,270 Days
• Field of Search: 725 48- 50, 725/54
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving broadcasting information. A method of receiving broadcasting information using reserved channels according to an aspect of the present invention includes receiving information of a program schedule that includes a dynamic program having a flexible broadcasting schedule, searching one or more reserved channels that receive broadcasting signals according to a new program schedule changed due to the dynamic program, and receiving the broadcasting signals through the one or more searched reserved channels.

Claims

1. A method of receiving broadcasting information using reserved channels, the method comprising:

receiving information of a first program schedule comprising a first group of programs including a dynamic program and information regarding reserved channels set by a broadcasting station server, the first group of programs scheduled to be displayed on a main channel according to the first program schedule;

receiving a first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs on the main channel;

searching, in response to determining that a program is currently broadcasted according to changed program schedule, at least one reserved channel which receives a second broadcasting signal of a second group of programs scheduled to be displayed on the main channel according to a second program schedule, which is different from the first program schedule due to the dynamic program, and continuously displaying, in response to determining that the program is currently broadcasted according to original program schedule, the first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs on the main channel according to the first program schedule; and

receiving the second broadcasting signal through the at least one searched reserved channel,

wherein both of the first broadcasting signal and the second broadcasting signal are received together when the first program schedule is changed so that a user views the first group of programs through the main channel and the second group of programs through the at least one searched reserved channel, and

wherein the at least one reserved channel is created by a multi-mode service scheme that divides a frequency bandwidth of the main channel which receives the first broadcasting signal for the first program schedule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic program comprises a broadcast program in which one of a start time, an end time, a broadcasting time and a broadcasting order changes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the information of the first program schedule comprises determining whether the broadcast schedule of the dynamic program is changed, wherein the determining is based on the information of the first program schedule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first broadcasting signal comprises the dynamic program according to the first program schedule and the second broadcasting signal comprises the dynamic program according to the second program schedule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein information of the at least one reserved channel is received together with the first broadcasting signal.

6. A method of receiving broadcasting information using reserved channels, the method comprising:

receiving information of a first program schedule comprising a dynamic program having a broadcasting schedule and information regarding reserved channels set by a broadcasting station server;

receiving a first broadcasting signal for the first program schedule on a main channel;

searching, in response to determining that a program is currently broadcasted according to changed program schedule, at least one reserved channel which receives a second broadcasting signal for a second program schedule, which is different from the first program schedule due to the dynamic program, and continuously displaying, in response to determining that the program is currently broadcasted according to original program schedule, the first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs on the main channel according to the first program schedule; and

receiving the second broadcasting signal through the at least one searched reserved channel,

wherein the searching of the at least one reserved channel comprises;

determining whether the at least one searched reserved channel is a valid channel; and

outputting, if it is determined that the at least one searched reserved channel is a valid channel, information of the at least one reserved channel, and notifying a user of the information, and

wherein both of the first broadcasting signal and the second broadcasting signal are received together when the first program schedule is changed so that a user views the first program schedule through the main channel and the second program schedule through the at least one searched reserved channel, and

wherein the at least one reserved channel is created by a multi-mode service scheme that divides a frequency bandwidth of the main channel which receives the first broadcasting signal for the first program schedule.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information of the at least one reserved channel comprises channel number information and resolution information of the at least one reserved channels, and information of broadcasting programs displayed on the at least one reserved channels.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the searching of the at least one reserved channel further comprises receiving a command on whether to change a channel of the at least one reserved channel according to the notifying and changing the channel to the reserved channel according to the command.

9. A method of transmitting broadcasting information using reserved channels, the method comprising:

creating a first program schedule comprising a first group of programs including a dynamic program, the first group of programs scheduled to be displayed on a main channel according to the first program schedule;

transmitting a first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs and information regarding reserved channels set by a broadcasting station server to a broadcast receiver through the main channel;

selecting, in response to determining that a program is currently broadcasted according to changed program schedule, at least one reserved channel which transmits a second broadcasting signal of a second group of programs scheduled to be displayed on the main channel according to a second program schedule which is different from the first program schedule due to the dynamic program, and continuously displaying, in response to determining that the program is currently broadcasted according to original program schedule, the first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs on the main channel according to the first program schedule; and

transmitting the second broadcasting signal to the broadcasting receiver through the selected at least one reserved channel,

wherein both of the first broadcast signal and the second broadcasting signal are transmitted together when the first program schedule is changed so that a user views the first group of programs through the main channel and the second group of programs through the at least one searched reserved channel, and

wherein the at least one reserved channel is created by a multi-mode service scheme that divides a frequency bandwidth of the main channel which transmits the first broadcasting signal for the first program schedule.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the dynamic program comprises a program in which one of a program start time, an end time, a broadcasting time and a broadcasting order changes.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first broadcasting signal comprises the dynamic program according to the first program schedule and the second broadcasting signal comprises the dynamic program according to the second program schedule.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein information of the at least one reserved channel is transmitted together with the first broadcasting signal.

13. An apparatus for receiving broadcasting information using reserved channels, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting and receiving unit which receives information of a first program schedule comprising a first group of programs including a dynamic program and information regarding reserved channels set by a broadcasting station server, the first group of programs being scheduled to be displayed on a main channel according to the first program schedule, and receives a first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs through the main channel; and

a channel searching unit which searches for, in response to determining that a program is currently broadcasted according to changed program schedule, at least one reserved channel that receives a second broadcasting signal of a second group of programs scheduled to be displayed on the main channel according to a second program schedule, which is different from the first program schedule due to the dynamic program, wherein the channel searching unit continuously displays, in response to determining that the program is currently broadcasted according to original program schedule, the first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs on the main channel according to the first program schedule,

wherein the transmitting and receiving unit receives the second broadcasting signal through the at least one searched reserved channel, and

wherein the transmitting and receiving unit receives both of the first broadcasting signal and the second broadcasting signal together when the first program schedule is changed so that a user views the first group of programs through the main channel and the second group of programs through the at least one searched reserved channel, and

wherein the at least one reserved channel is created by a multi-mode service scheme that divides a frequency bandwidth of the main channel which receives the first broadcasting signal for the first program schedule.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the dynamic program comprises a program in which one of a start time, an end time, a broadcasting time and a broadcasting order changes.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transmitting and receiving unit determines whether the broadcast schedule of the dynamic program is changed, wherein the determining is based on the information of the first program schedule.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first broadcasting signal comprises the dynamic program according to the first program schedule and the second broadcasting signal comprises the dynamic program according to the second program schedule.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein information of the at least one reserved channel is received together with the first broadcasting signal.

18. An apparatus for receiving broadcasting information using reserved channels, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting and receiving unit which receives information of a first program schedule comprising a dynamic program having a broadcasting schedule and information regarding reserved channels set by a broadcasting station server, and receives a first broadcasting signal according to the first program schedule;

a channel searching unit which searches for, in response to determining that a program is currently broadcasted according to changed program schedule, at least one reserved channel that receives a second broadcasting signal for a second program schedule, which is different from the first program schedule due to the dynamic program, wherein the channel searching unit continuously displays, in response to determining that the program is currently broadcasted according to original program schedule, the first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs on the main channel according to the first program schedule,

wherein the transmitting and receiving unit receives the second broadcasting signal through the at least one searched reserved channel,

a channel determining unit which determines whether the at least one reserved channel is valid; and

an output unit which outputs, if it is determined that the at least one searched reserved channel is valid, information of the at least one reserved channel, and notifying a user of the information, and

wherein the transmitting and receiving unit receives both of the first broadcasting signal and the second broadcasting signal together when the first program schedule is changed so that a user views the first program schedule through the main channel and the second program schedule through the at least one searched reserved channel, and

wherein the at least one reserved channel is created by a multi-mode service scheme that divides a frequency bandwidth of the main channel which receives the first broadcasting signal for the first program schedule.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the information of the at least one reserved channel comprises channel number information and resolution information of the at least one reserved channel and information of broadcasting programs displayed on the at least one reserved channel.

20. A system for transmitting and receiving broadcasting information using reserved channels, the system comprising:

a broadcasting station server which transmits a first broadcasting signal of a first group of programs scheduled to be displayed on a main channel according to a first program schedule through the main channel, and selects, in response to determining that there is a change in the first program schedule that comprises a dynamic program having a broadcasting schedule which changes, at least one reserved channel, and transmits a second broadcasting signal through the at least one reserved channel, wherein the second broadcasting signal is of a second group of programs scheduled to be displayed the main channel according to a second program schedule, which is different from the first program schedule due to the dynamic program, and wherein the broadcasting station server continuously transmits, in response to determining that the first program schedule is not changed, the first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs on the main channel according to the first program schedule; and

a broadcasting receiver, which receives information regarding reserved channels set by the broadcasting station server and the first broadcasting signal through the main channel and the second broadcasting signal through the at least one reserved channel,

wherein the broadcasting receiver receives both of the first broadcasting signal and the second broadcasting signal together when the first program schedule is changed so that a user views the first group of programs through the main channel and the second group of programs through the at least one searched reserved channel, and

wherein the at least one reserved channel is created by a multi-mode service scheme that divides a frequency bandwidth of the main channel which receives the first broadcasting signal for the first program schedule.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the broadcasting receiver comprises:

a transmitting and receiving unit receives information of the first program schedule; and

a channel searching unit which searches for the at least one reserved channel,

wherein the transmitting and receiving unit receives the second broadcasting signal through the at least one searched reserved channel.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the dynamic program comprises a program in which one of a start time, an end time, a broadcasting time and a broadcasting order changes.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the transmitting and receiving unit determines whether the broadcast schedule of the dynamic program is changed, wherein the determining is based on the information of the first program schedule.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the first broadcasting signal comprises the dynamic program according to the first program schedule and the second broadcasting signal comprises the dynamic program according to the second program schedule.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the broadcasting station server transmits information of the at least one reserved channel together with the first broadcasting signal.

26. A system for transmitting and receiving broadcasting information using reserved channels, the system comprising:

a broadcasting station server which selects, if there is a change in a first program schedule that comprises a dynamic program having a broadcasting schedule which changes, at least one reserved channel, and transmits a second broadcasting signal through the at least one reserved channel, wherein the second broadcasting signal comprises a second program schedule, which is different from the first program schedule due to the dynamic program;

a broadcasting receiver, which receives the second broadcasting signal through the at least one reserved channel,

wherein the broadcasting receiver comprises;

a transmitting and receiving unit receives information of the first program schedule and information regarding reserved channels set by the broadcasting station server, and receives a first broadcasting signal according to the first program schedule; and

a channel searching unit which searches for, in response to determining that a program is currently broadcasted according to changed program schedule, the at least one reserved channel, and continuously displays, in response to determining that the program is currently broadcasted according to original program schedule, the first broadcasting signal of the first group of programs on the main channel according to the first program schedule,

wherein the transmitting and receiving unit receives the second broadcasting signal through the at least one searched reserved channel,

a channel determining unit determining whether the one or more searched reserved channels are currently valid channels; and

an output unit which outputs, if it is determined that the one or more searched reserved channels are currently valid channels, information of the one or more reserved channels, and notifying a user of the information,

wherein the broadcasting receiver receives both of the first broadcasting signal and the second broadcasting signal together when the first program schedule is changed so that a user views the first program schedule through the main channel and the second program schedule through the at least one searched reserved channel, and

wherein the at least one reserved channel is created by a multi-mode service scheme that divides a frequency bandwidth of the main channel which receives the first broadcasting signal for the first program schedule.