Information processing device, television receiver, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, a television receiver, and an information processing method capable of more appropriately managing the registration status of channels according to the actual state of broadcasting services.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a channel selection determination unit that determines whether a channel is selectable, an increment unit that increments a counter for the channel that is determined to be unselectable when the channel for which the determination has been made is not selectable, and a determination unit that determines that the channel for which the counter has exceeded the threshold is unreceivable when the counter has exceeded the threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a television receiver, and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques related to channel scanning that determine whether a channel is selectable. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that maintains the registration of a channel as selectable when a channel that was previously selectable and therefore registered as selectable is determined to be unselectable in a newly executed channel scan. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-41751 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Even if a certain channel was selectable in the past, it may become unavailable due to, for example, the termination of a broadcasting service, etc. In this case, if the channel that can no longer be selected is left registered as a selectable channel, information such as the remote control keys and EPG (Electronic Programming Guide) will remain in the device, which may interfere with user operations.

[0005] On the other hand, a channel may become temporarily unavailable due to, for example, a temporary suspension of broadcasting services, deterioration of radio wave conditions, etc. In such cases, it is appropriate to maintain the channel registered as available, since the channel will become available again once the temporary cause is removed.

[0006] However, simply determining whether a channel is selectable by channel scanning does not allow the device to determine whether the reason the channel is not selectable is permanent, such as the end of a broadcast service, or temporary.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device, a television receiver, and an information processing method that can more appropriately manage the registration status of channels according to the actual state of broadcast services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a channel selection determination unit that performs a determination as to whether a channel is selectable or not, an increment unit that increments a counter for the channel that is determined to be unselectable if the channel for which the determination has been performed is not selectable, and a determination unit that, if the counter exceeds a threshold value, determines that the channel for which the counter exceeds the threshold value is unreceivable.

[0009] A television receiver according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the information processing device described above.

[0010] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by an information processing device, which determines whether a channel is selectable or not, and if the channel for which the determination was made is not selectable, increments a counter for the channel determined to be not selectable, and if the counter exceeds a threshold, determines that the channel for which the counter exceeds the threshold is not receivable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing device, a television receiver, and an information processing method that can more appropriately manage the registration status of channels according to the actual state of broadcast services. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a television receiver according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a channel scan result table stored in a channel scan data storage unit of FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a registered channel table stored in a channel scan data storage unit of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control unit in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a channel scan process executed by a control unit in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a channel restoration process executed by the control unit of FIG. [Figure 7] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a history information table stored in a channel scan data storage unit of FIG. [Figure 8] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a channel scan result table stored in the channel scan data storage unit of FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the channel scan process executed by the control unit of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013]

[0023] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments. Various modifications other than the embodiments described below can be made depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Television receiver] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a television receiver 100 according to an embodiment. The television receiver 100 acquires a television broadcast signal received by an antenna unit 80. The antenna unit 80 is an example of a receiving means capable of receiving a television broadcast signal. The antenna unit 80 receives a broadcast signal contained in a broadcast wave transmitted from a broadcast station. The antenna unit 80 includes an antenna 82. As shown in FIG. 1, the antenna unit 80 may include a booster 84 as necessary. The antenna 82 receives an electrical signal generated by receiving incoming broadcast waves as a broadcast signal. The antenna 82 is, for example, a parabolic antenna or a Yagi antenna. The antenna 82 outputs the received broadcast signal to the booster 84. The booster 84 amplifies the intensity of the broadcast signal input from the antenna 82 and outputs the amplified broadcast signal to the television receiver 100.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the television receiver 100 according to this embodiment includes a main system unit 10, a transceiver module 40, a speaker 60, and a display unit 70. The television receiver 100 according to this embodiment is connected to an external antenna unit 80. To ensure simplicity of description, components not directly related to this embodiment are not shown in the block diagram and will not be described here. However, depending on the actual implementation, the television receiver 100 may include the omitted components.

[0016] In this embodiment, the main system unit 10 functions as an information processing device. The main system unit 10 processes television broadcast signals input from an antenna unit 80, outputs audio represented by the broadcast signals from a speaker 60, and outputs video represented by the broadcast signals from a display unit 70. As shown in Fig. 1, the main system unit 10 includes, as functional blocks, a control unit 12, a tuner unit 14, a demodulator unit 16, a descrambling and demuxing unit 18, an audio processing unit 20, a display processing unit 24, a storage unit 26, a flash memory 28, a high-speed digital I / F 30, and a channel scan data storage unit 51.

[0017] The control unit 12 comprehensively controls each unit of the television receiver 100. The control unit 12 is configured by a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). Each function of the control unit 12 and all functions included in the television receiver 100 are realized by the control unit 12 configured by the CPU or the like executing a program stored in a storage medium such as the storage unit 26 and flash memory 28.

[0018] In this embodiment, the control unit 12 executes a channel scan process. Details of the functional units included in the control unit 12 and the channel scan process will be described later.

[0019] The tuner unit 14 selects a transmission channel of a broadcast signal received from an external antenna unit 80. The tuner unit 14 selects a transmission channel using a known method. For example, the tuner unit 14 includes an amplifier, which amplifies the broadcast signal received by the antenna unit 80. The amplifier amplifies, for example, a broadcast signal of a predetermined frequency band. The tuner unit 14 includes a low-noise amplifier, which amplifies the amplified broadcast signal with a low noise factor. The tuner unit 14 includes a band-pass filter for removing signals other than the broadcast signal of the desired digital broadcast. The tuner unit 14 uses the band-pass filter to extract a desired frequency component from the signal amplified by the low-noise amplifier. The tuner unit 14 includes a variable gain amplifier, which uses the variable gain amplifier to amplify the signal after processing by the band-pass filter to a voltage that can be input to the demodulation unit 16. The tuner unit 14 transmits the signal generated in this manner to the demodulation unit 16.

[0020] The demodulation unit 16 demodulates the broadcast signal obtained from the tuner unit 14 to generate a digital signal. For example, the demodulation unit 16 converts the broadcast signal received from the tuner unit 14 into a digital signal using an A / D converter, demodulates the digital signal using a signal demodulation unit, corrects errors in the demodulated signal using an error correction processing unit, and outputs the demodulated signal to the descrambling and demux processing unit 18.

[0021] The descrambling and demuxing processing unit 18 descrambles the broadcast signal input from the demodulation unit 16 and divides the descrambled signal into a video signal, an audio signal, and other signals (such as subtitle data). The divided video signal is output to the display processing unit 24, and the divided audio signal is output to the audio processing unit 20.

[0022] The display processing unit 24 generates display data by processing the signal input from at least one of the control unit 12 and the descrambling and demuxing processing unit 18 so that it can be displayed on the display unit 70, and outputs the generated display data to the display unit 70.

[0023] The display unit 70 displays an image on the display surface based on the display data input from the display processing unit 24. The display unit 70 may be any device having a display function, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, the display unit 70 may be configured by a device including a display element such as a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or an EL (electro-luminescence) display, and a driver circuit that drives the display element based on the display data input from the display processing unit 24.

[0024] The audio processing unit 20 generates audio data by processing signals input from at least one of the control unit 12 and the descrambling and demuxing unit 18, and outputs the generated audio data to the speaker 60. The audio processing unit 20 can be configured, for example, by an audio output processing circuit such as an amplifier.

[0025] The speaker 60 outputs audio to the outside based on the audio data input from the audio processing unit 20 .

[0026] The storage unit 26 is used as a main storage unit in which the control program is loaded by the control unit 12. The storage unit 26 can be realized by, for example, a semiconductor ROM (read only memory) or RAM (random access memory).

[0027] Flash memory 28 is a non-volatile storage medium capable of storing various types of information, and is used as an auxiliary storage unit for main storage unit 26. Flash memory 28 may be any other storage medium as long as it is a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive or a ROM (read only memory).

[0028] The high-speed digital I / F 30 is an interface that communicates with the transceiver module 40. In this embodiment, the high-speed digital I / F 30 receives the results of the transmission and reception state detected by the transceiver module 40 and transmits the results to the control unit 12.

[0029] The channel scan data storage unit 51 is a storage medium that stores data used in a channel scan in this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the channel scan data storage unit 51 is illustrated as an independent functional unit different from the storage unit 26, but the channel scan data storage unit 51 may be realized as part of the storage unit 26. In this embodiment, the channel scan data storage unit 51 stores a channel scan result table and a registered channel table as data used in a channel scan.

[0030] The channel scan result table is a table that stores information on the results of a channel scan. In this embodiment, the channel scan result table stores channel information indicating each channel within a predetermined range and a counter based on the determination result of whether the channel is selectable, in association with each other. The predetermined range of channels is, for example, a range of physical channels that are the target of a channel scan, and is stored in advance in the storage unit 26.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a channel scan result table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51. The channel scan result table shown in Fig. 2 stores the number of NG attempts to select a station and the date of the last selection in association with the service ID (SID).

[0032] The SID is an example of channel information. The channel information is not limited to the SID, and may be other information as long as it is information that can identify a channel.

[0033] The number of channel selection NG attempts is an example of a counter based on the determination result of whether a channel is selectable or not. Specifically, the number of channel selection NG attempts in this embodiment is the number of times that a channel is determined to be unselectable consecutively as a result of performing a channel scan. The number of channel selection NG attempts is updated by the channel selection determination unit 21 every time a channel scan is performed.

[0034] The last channel selection date is the date on which a channel was last determined to be selectable by performing a channel scan. The last channel selection date is updated by the channel selection determination unit 21 each time a channel scan is performed. Note that the last channel selection date may include not only the date but also the time.

[0035] The registered channel table is a table in which selectable channels are registered. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a registered channel table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51. As shown in FIG. 3, the registered channel table stores channel information for channels that are registered as selectable. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 3, SIDs are stored as the channel information for registered channels. As with the channel scan result table, the channel information is not limited to SIDs and may be other information as long as it is information that can identify a channel. The registered channel table is updated by the channel selection determination unit 21 based on the results of a channel scan.

[0036] 1 again, the channel scan data storage unit 51 includes a channel NG selection counter 52. The channel NG selection counter 52 is a type of data stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51. In this embodiment, the channel NG selection count shown in FIG.

[0037] The transmission / reception module 40 is a module that can transmit and receive signals. The transmission / reception module 40 is realized by, for example, a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) module, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) module, an infrared receiving module, etc. The transmission / reception module 40 transmits and receives data such as a user's channel selection instruction via a remote control or the like.

[0038] Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control unit 12 of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 12 includes, as functional units, a channel selection determination unit 91, an increment unit 93, a determination unit 94, a reset unit 95, a notification unit 96, a recording unit 97, and a registration unit 98. The control unit 12 is configured to have, for example, the functions of these functional units. In other words, the functions of these functional units are executed as part of the functions of the control unit 12.

[0039] The channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether or not a channel is selectable. In this embodiment, the channel selection determination unit 91 includes a channel deletion control unit 92. The channel deletion control unit 92 deletes channel information for a channel that is determined to satisfy a predetermined condition in a channel scan.

[0040] Specifically, the channel deletion control unit 92 deletes channel information stored in various tables stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51, i.e., the channel scan result table and registered channel table described above. The predetermined condition is a condition that allows for estimation that a channel cannot be selected for a permanent reason, and may be set appropriately. In this embodiment, the predetermined condition is that the determination unit 94, which will be described later, determines that the channel is unreceivable. Therefore, in this embodiment, the channel deletion control unit 92 deletes channels determined to be unreceivable from the registered channel table.

[0041] Furthermore, if the channel determined by the channel selection determination unit 91 as to whether it is selectable or not is not selectable and there are reset counters for channels other than the channel determined to be not selectable, the channel deletion control unit 92 deletes the channel determined to be not selectable from the registered channel table.

[0042] When the channel determined by the channel selection determination unit 91 as to whether it is selectable or not is not selectable, the increment unit 93 increments the counter of the channel determined to be not selectable. For example, the increment unit 93 increments the number of channel selection NG attempts associated with the SID of the channel determined to be not selectable in the channel scan result table by adding 1.

[0043] The determination unit 94 determines whether the counter has exceeded a threshold value. The threshold value is used to determine whether the channel cannot be selected due to a temporary cause. The threshold value is set in advance as an appropriate value that can determine whether the channel cannot be selected due to a temporary cause, and is stored in the storage unit 26, for example.

[0044] Furthermore, when the counter exceeds the threshold, the judgment unit 94 judges the channel whose counter has exceeded the threshold to be unreceivable. Unreceivable here means that the channel cannot be selected due to a permanent reason, such as the end of a broadcasting service, rather than a temporary reason.

[0045] When the channel determined by the channel selection determination unit 91 as to whether it is selectable or not is selectable, the reset unit 95 resets the counter for the channel determined to be selectable. In this embodiment, the reset unit 95 resets the counter by setting the number of channel selection NG attempts, which indicates the counter, to "0" in the channel scan result table shown in FIG.

[0046] The notification unit 96 notifies the user of information. The notification can be performed in any manner that the user can recognize. For example, the notification unit 96 can notify the user by causing the speaker 60 to output sound or by causing the display unit 70 to display information.

[0047] In this embodiment, if the channel that has been determined by the channel selection determination unit 91 as to whether it can be selected is not selectable and there are no channels other than the channel that has been determined not to be selectable that have counters that are in a reset state, the notification unit 96 notifies the user that there may be a problem with the reception environment for television broadcast signals.

[0048] When the channel determined by the channel selection determination unit 91 as to whether it is selectable is selectable, the recording unit 97 records information about the time when the determination was made, in association with the channel determined to be selectable. In this embodiment, the recording unit 97 performs recording by updating the last channel selection date in the channel scan result table shown in Fig. 2 as information about time. When the last channel selection date includes the time, the recording unit 97 records the last channel selection date and time as information about time.

[0049] If a channel determined by the channel selection determination unit 91 as to whether it is selectable or not is selectable and is not registered in the registered channel table, a registration unit 98 registers the channel determined to be selectable in the registered channel table.

[0050] [Channel Scan] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a channel scan process executed by the control unit 12 of Fig. 1. The control unit 12 executes the flow shown in Fig. 5, for example, periodically or irregularly. In this embodiment, the channel scan executed by the control unit 12 periodically or irregularly is also referred to as an automatic channel scan. The control unit 12 may execute the flow shown in Fig. 5 based on, for example, a predetermined operational input by the user.

[0051] In the channel scan process, the channel selection determination unit 91 selects one of the channels within a predetermined range (step S11).

[0052] The channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether the channel selected in step S11 is selectable or not based on the television broadcast signal received by the antenna unit 80 (step S12). Whether the channel is selectable or not can be determined by a known method. For example, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether the broadcast signal has been received normally by analyzing the data of the broadcast signal. Whether the broadcast signal has been received normally or not is determined, for example, by detecting the BER (Bit Error Rate), the reception C / N, etc.

[0053] If the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the channel selected in step S11 is selectable (Yes in step S12), the recording unit 97 updates the last selection date associated with the channel determined to be selectable in the channel scan result table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51 (step S20). Specifically, the recording unit 97 updates the last selection date by recording the date on which the channel was determined to be selectable as the last selection date associated with the SID of the channel determined to be selectable in the channel scan result table shown in FIG. 2, for example. In this way, the date on which the channel was last determined to be selectable is recorded for each channel in the channel scan result table.

[0054] Furthermore, if the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the channel selected in step S11 is selectable (Yes in step S12), the reset unit 95 resets a counter associated with the channel determined to be selectable in the channel scan result table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51 (step S21). In the example shown in FIG. 2, the reset unit 95 resets the counter by setting the number of selection NG attempts indicated by the counter to "0". Therefore, for example, it is assumed that the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the channel represented by the SID "106" is selectable. In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the number of selection NG attempts indicated by the counter associated with the channel whose SID is "106" is "1", so the reset unit 95 resets the counter by setting this to "0".

[0055] Furthermore, the registration unit 98 determines whether or not the channel determined to be selectable in step S11 is registered in the registered channel table (step S22). The registration unit 98 determines, for example, whether or not the SID of the channel determined to be selectable is stored in the registered channel table shown in FIG.

[0056] If the registration unit 98 determines that the channel determined to be selectable is registered in the registered channel table (Yes in step S22), the channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether scanning has been completed for all channels in the specified range, i.e., whether the determination of whether the channel is selectable in step S12 has been completed (step S18).

[0057] If the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that scanning has been completed for all channels in the predetermined range (Yes in step S18), the flow of FIG. 4 ends.

[0058] On the other hand, if the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that scanning has not been completed for all channels in the predetermined range (No in step S18), that is, if it determines that scanning has not been performed for some of the channels in the predetermined range, the channel selection determination unit 91 proceeds to step S11. In this case, in step S11, the channel selection determination unit 91 selects a channel in the predetermined range that has not been scanned, and performs the subsequent processing.

[0059] If the registration unit 98 determines that the channel determined to be selectable is not registered in the registered channel table (No in step S22), it registers the channel determined to be selectable in the registered channel table (step S23). This allows a channel determined to be newly selectable by channel scanning to be registered. Thereafter, the channel selection determination unit 21 proceeds to step S18.

[0060] In step S12, if the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the channel selected in step S11 is not selectable (No in step S12), the increment unit 93 increments a counter associated with the channel determined to be not selectable in the channel scan result table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51 (step S13). For example, it is assumed that the channel selection determination unit 21 determines that a channel represented by an SID of "101" is not selectable. In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the number of selection NG attempts indicated by the counter associated with the channel represented by an SID of "101" is "0", so the increment unit 93 increments this to "1". For example, it is assumed that the channel selection determination unit 21 determines that a channel represented by an SID of "103" is not selectable. In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the number of selection NG attempts indicated by the counter associated with the channel represented by an SID of "103" is "7", so the increment unit 93 increments this to "8".

[0061] Next, the determination unit 94 determines whether the counter incremented in step S13 has exceeded a predetermined threshold (step S14). In this embodiment, the predetermined threshold is, for example, "7." Even if the counter associated with the channel with SID "101" is incremented to "1," the counter does not exceed the predetermined threshold of "7." Therefore, the determination unit 94 determines that the counter has not exceeded the predetermined threshold. On the other hand, if the counter associated with the channel with SID "103" is incremented to "8," the counter exceeds the predetermined threshold of "7." In this case, the determination unit 94 determines that the counter has exceeded the predetermined threshold. For example, when a channel scan is performed once a day, if it is determined that the channel cannot be selected for one consecutive week, the counter exceeds the predetermined threshold.

[0062] If the determination unit 94 determines that the counter does not exceed the predetermined threshold value (No in step S14), the process proceeds to step S18.

[0063] When the determination unit 94 determines that the counter has exceeded the predetermined threshold (Yes in step S14), it determines whether or not there is a counter in the channel scan result table that is associated with channel information indicating a channel other than the channel determined to be unselectable and that is in a reset state (step S15). For example, suppose that the counter associated with the channel with SID "103" has been incremented to "8" and thus exceeded the threshold value of "7." In this case, the determination unit 94 determines whether or not there is a channel in the channel scan result table other than the SID "103" that has a tuning failure count of "0."

[0064] If the determination unit 94 determines that there is no counter associated with the channel information indicating another channel that is in a reset state (No in step S15), the notification unit 96 notifies the user that there may be a problem with the reception environment (step S19). For example, in the channel scan result table shown in FIG. 3, if the number of tuning failures associated with the SID for all other channels is 1 or more, there is no counter in a reset state. This state occurs when all channels are determined to be unselectable in step S12 and the counter is incremented in step S13. That is, this state indicates that all channels are unselectable. However, a state in which all channels are unselectable is unlikely to occur in reality as long as the broadcast signal is being transmitted from the broadcast station. Therefore, in this case, the notification unit 96 notifies the user that there may be a problem with the reception environment. Examples of a problem with the reception environment include a poor antenna connection, a change in the direction of the antenna, or a parabolic antenna being turned off.

[0065] The notification allows the user to recognize the possibility that a problem has occurred in the reception environment, and to take measures to resolve the problem. When the notification unit 96 notifies the user that there may be a problem in the reception environment, the flow of Fig. 4 ends. This is because the state in which other channels cannot be selected will continue until the problem in the reception environment is resolved.

[0066] On the other hand, if the determination unit 94 determines that the counters associated with the channel information indicating other channels are in a reset state (Yes in step S15), this means that there are other channels that can be selected. This is because the counters are reset in step S21 after it is determined in step S12 that a channel is selectable. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, if the number of times that at least one channel has been NG to be selected is 0, this means that the channel with the number of times that it has been NG to be selected is selectable.

[0067] In this case, a channel that is determined to be unselectable in step S12 and whose counter is determined to have exceeded the threshold in step S14 has been determined to be unselectable a number of times in succession over multiple channel scans, which is equal to the threshold number of times. This is not a temporary cause, but rather indicates that the channel is unselectable for a permanent reason, such as the end of a broadcasting service.

[0068] Therefore, when the determination unit 94 determines that the counters associated with the channel information indicating other channels are in a reset state (Yes in step S15), the channel deletion control unit 22 of the channel selection determination unit 21 deletes the channels determined in step S12 as not selectable from the channel scan result table (step S16). In this case, for example, the SID of the channels determined in step S12 as not selectable and all information associated with the SID are deleted from the channel scan result table.

[0069] Furthermore, if the determination unit 94 determines that the counters associated with the channel information indicating other channels are in a reset state (Yes in step S15), the channel deletion control unit 22 of the channel selection determination unit 21 deletes the channels determined in step S12 to be unselectable from the registered channel table (step S17). In this case, for example, the SID of the channels determined in step S12 to be unselectable is deleted from the registered channel table. This allows the registration of channels that have become unselectable for permanent reasons, such as the termination of a broadcast service, to be deleted from the television receiver 100. In this way, the main system unit 10, which functions as an information processing device, can more appropriately manage the registration status of channels according to the actual state of the broadcast service.

[0070] After deleting the channel in steps S16 and S17, the channel selection determination unit 21 proceeds to step S18.

[0071] In this way, when the counter incremented by the increment unit 93 exceeds the threshold, the television receiver 100 according to this embodiment determines that the channel for which the counter has exceeded the threshold is unreceivable. As a result, if the channel is unselectable due to a temporary cause, the television receiver 100 does not determine that the channel is unreceivable, but if the channel is selectable for a permanent reason, the television receiver 100 determines that the channel is unreceivable. This allows the television receiver 100 to more appropriately manage the registration status of channels according to the actual state of the broadcast service.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the television receiver 100 executes the channel scan process using the channel scan result table and the registered channel table stored in the storage unit 26. However, the television receiver 100 does not necessarily have to use these tables. The television receiver 100 can execute the channel scan process by using at least a counter.

[0073] In the above embodiment, it has been described that channels determined to be unselectable in steps S16 and S17 are deleted. When a channel is deleted in this manner, information related to the channel may also be deleted. For example, information related to the channel may include the EPG, the channel number assigned to the remote control (remote control number), and reservation information related to the channel.

[0074] [Return to Channel] In the above embodiment, the control unit 12 may restore the channel deleted in step S17 of Fig. 5 to the registered channel table under a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is, for example, that after a certain channel has been deleted from the registered channel table, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the channel can be selected in a subsequent channel scan. An example of the process of restoring a channel will be described with reference to Fig. 6.

[0075] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a channel restoration process executed by the control unit 12 of Fig. 1. In the flowchart of Fig. 6, steps S11 to S17 are the same as steps S11 to S17 described in Fig. 5, respectively, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0076] When the channel deletion control unit 22 deletes a channel that is determined to be unselectable from the registered channel table, it stores history information regarding the deletion of the channel in a history information table (step S31). Here, the history information table is a table that stores history information regarding the deletion of a channel from the registered channel table. The history information table is stored in, for example, the channel scan data storage unit 51. The history information table may also be stored in a storage medium other than the channel scan data storage unit 51.

[0077] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a history information table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51 of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 7, the history information table includes history information related to channel deletion. Specifically, the history information table stores, as history information, a deletion date, an SID, and additional information in association with each other.

[0078] The deletion date indicates the date the channel was deleted from the registered channel table. The SID indicates the SID of the channel deleted from the registered channel table. The additional information is appropriate information related to the channel deleted from the registered channel table, and in the example shown in Figure 7, includes a remote control number, reservation information, and EPG information. The remote control number is, for example, the number of the remote control assigned to the channel by the user. The reservation information is, for example, information related to a viewing or recording reservation set by the user. The EPG information is, for example, information registered in the EPG by the user. However, the additional information is not limited to a remote control number, reservation information, and EPG information, and may include other information.

[0079] Also, in the example shown in Figure 7, the history information table stores history information regarding the deletion of channels from the registered channel table, but the history information table may also store history information regarding the registration of channels in the registered channel table.

[0080] 6 again, in step S31, the channel deletion control unit 22 stores history information related to the deletion of the channel deleted from the registered channel table in step S17 in, for example, the history information table shown in FIG. 7. As a result, information on the deleted channel is stored in the history information table. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S18. Step S18 is the same as step S18 described in FIG. 5, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0081] In the channel restoration process, if the channel selected in step S11 is determined to be selectable (Yes in step S12), the channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether the channel determined to be selectable is a new channel that is not registered in the registered channel table (step S32). The channel selection determination unit 91 can determine whether the channel determined to be selectable is a new channel by, for example, referring to the registered channel table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51.

[0082] Specifically, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether the channel determined to be selectable is a new channel based on, for example, whether the SID of the channel determined to be selectable is registered in the registered channel table shown in Fig. 3. If the SID of the channel determined to be selectable is registered in the registered channel table, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the channel determined to be selectable is not a new channel. On the other hand, if the SID of the channel determined to be selectable is not registered in the registered channel table, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the channel determined to be selectable is a new channel.

[0083] If the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the channel that it has determined to be selectable is not a new channel (No in step S32), that is, if the channel that it has determined to be selectable has already been registered, it proceeds to step S20. The processes from step S20 onwards are the same as those described with reference to Fig. 5, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0084] On the other hand, if the channel determined to be selectable is determined to be a new channel (Yes in step S32), that is, if the channel determined to be selectable is not registered in the registered channel table, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether or not there is a deletion history for the channel (step S33). Specifically, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether or not the SID of the channel determined to be selectable exists in the history information table shown in FIG. 7. If the SID of the channel determined to be selectable exists in the history information table, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that there is a deletion history for the channel determined to be selectable. On the other hand, if the SID of the channel determined to be selectable does not exist in the history information table, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that there is no deletion history for the channel determined to be selectable.

[0085] If the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that there is no deletion history for the channel that it has determined to be selectable (No in step S33), it proceeds to step S20. In this case, the channel that it has determined to be selectable is not registered in the registered channel table, and does not exist in the history information table either, and therefore has never been registered in the registered channel table in the past, so it is registered in the registered channel table as an entirely new channel in the subsequent step S23.

[0086] On the other hand, if the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that there is a deletion history for the channel that it has determined to be selectable (Yes in step S33), the registration unit 98 returns the channel to the registered channel table based on the history information stored in the history information table (step S34). Here, returning a channel to the registered channel table means registering the channel in the registered channel table and restoring the information associated with the channel to its original state. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, if a remote control number, reservation information, and EPG information are associated with the SID of a channel, the registration unit 98 returns the remote control number, reservation information, and EPG information to the same state as when the channel was registered in the registered channel table. If the remote control number, reservation information, and EPG information are stored in a table other than the registered channel table, for example, this information is stored again in the other table.

[0087] In this way, in the channel restoration process, if the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that a channel that was deleted from the registered channel table is selectable after being deleted from the registered channel table, the registration unit 98 restores the channel to the registered channel table. As a result, when a channel changes from an unselectable state to a selectable state, not only is the channel registered in the registered channel table, but the information previously associated with the channel is also restored to its original state. In this way, because the information previously associated with the channel is automatically restored, the user does not need to make any new settings when the channel is registered again in the registered channel table. Therefore, the channel restoration process can improve user convenience.

[0088] [Channel scanning based on user operation] 5 illustrates an automatic channel scan that the control unit 12 performs periodically or irregularly. However, the channel scan is not limited to this, and may be performed based on, for example, a channel selection operation by the user. That is, the channel selection determination unit 91 may determine whether a channel is selectable based on a channel selection operation by the user. Hereinafter, a channel scan that is performed based on a channel selection operation by the user will be described.

[0089] In a channel scan performed based on a channel selection operation by a user, the channel scan result table stores a last OK date for selection and a last NG date for selection instead of the last selection date. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the channel scan result table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51 of Fig. 1. Specifically, Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a channel scan result table used in a channel scan performed based on a channel selection operation by a user.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 8, the channel scan result table stores the number of failed channel selection attempts, the last successful channel selection date, and the last failed channel selection date, each associated with an SID. The last successful channel selection date is the date on which a channel was last determined to be selectable after a channel scan was performed. The last failed channel selection date is the date on which a channel was last determined to be unselectable after a channel scan was performed. Each time a channel scan is performed, either the last successful channel selection date or the last failed channel selection date is updated by the channel selection determination unit 21 depending on the results of the channel scan. Note that the last successful channel selection date and the last failed channel selection date may include not only the date but also the time.

[0091] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing another example of the channel scan process executed by the control unit 12 in Fig. 1. Specifically, Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the channel scan process executed based on a channel selection operation by a user.

[0092] 9 is executed when a user performs a channel selection operation using, for example, a remote control or an operation button (not shown) on a television receiver. The channel selection determination unit 91 selects the channel specified by the user's channel selection operation (step S11).

[0093] The channel selection determination unit 91 determines whether or not the channel selected in step S11 is selectable (step S12). Step S12 is the same as step S12 described in FIG. 5, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0094] If the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the selected channel is not selectable (No in step S12), it determines whether the current determination is within a predetermined time range since the channel was last determined to be not selectable. The channel selection determination unit 91 can determine whether the current determination is within a predetermined time range since the channel was last determined to be not selectable by, for example, referring to the last channel selection NG date in the channel scan result table shown in FIG.

[0095] Here, the predetermined time range can be determined as appropriate. For example, the predetermined time range can be a predetermined time (e.g., 24 hours) or a predetermined number of days (e.g., one day) since the channel was last determined to be unselectable. In this case, if the current determination is made within the predetermined time or number of days since the channel was last determined to be unselectable, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the current determination falls within the predetermined time range. Alternatively, the predetermined time range can be the same day as the day on which the channel was last determined to be unselectable. In this case, if the current determination is made on the same day as the day on which the channel was last determined to be unselectable, the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the current determination falls within the predetermined time range. Here, the predetermined time range is the same day as the day on which the channel was last determined to be unselectable. Therefore, when the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the selected channel is unselectable (No in step S12), it determines whether the current determination is made on the same day as the day on which the channel was last determined to be unselectable (step S41).

[0096] If the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the current determination falls within a predetermined time range since the last time the channel was determined to be unselectable, that is, if the current determination is that the current date is the same as the last time the channel was determined to be unselectable (Yes in step S41), this flow ends. That is, in this case, the increment unit 93 does not increment the counter even if the channel is determined to be unselectable again within the predetermined time range (here, the same date). This prevents the counter from being incremented excessively and, as a result, being deleted early, even if the same channel is determined to be unselectable within a short period of time.

[0097] On the other hand, if the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the current determination is not within a predetermined time range since the channel was last determined to be unselectable, that is, if the current determination is not the same day as the day the channel was last determined to be unselectable (No in step S41), the recording unit 97 updates the last unselectable date associated with the channel determined to be unselectable in the channel scan result table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51 (step S42).

[0098] Thereafter, steps S13 to S19 are executed. Steps S13 to S19 are the same as steps S13 to S19 described in Fig. 5, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here. However, since the flow in Fig. 9 is performed based on a channel selection operation by the user, a channel scan is not performed for channels not selected by the user. Therefore, the determination in step S18 is not performed, and this flow ends.

[0099] In this way, if the current determination is that the channel is not within a predetermined time range since it was last determined that the channel was not selectable, the last selection NG date is updated (step S42) and the counter associated with the channel is incremented (step S13).

[0100] On the other hand, if the channel selection determination unit 91 determines that the selected channel is selectable (Yes in step S12), the recording unit 97 updates the last channel selection OK date associated with the channel determined to be selectable in the channel scan result table stored in the channel scan data storage unit 51 (step S43).

[0101] Thereafter, steps S21 to S23 are executed. Steps S21 to S23 are the same as steps S21 to S23 described with reference to Fig. 5, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0102] In this way, a determination is made as to whether or not a channel is selectable based on a channel selection operation by a user.

[0103] The control unit 12 may execute both the flowchart shown in Fig. 5 and the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. That is, the control unit 12 may execute the automatic channel scan described with reference to Fig. 5, and, when a channel selection operation is input by the user, may execute the channel scan described with reference to Fig. 9 based on the channel selection operation. In this case, the channel scan result table shown in Fig. 8 is shared between the flowchart shown in Fig. 5 and the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. That is, the channel scan result table shown in Fig. 8 is also updated by the automatic channel scan processing.

[0104] The process of step S41 in Fig. 9 may also be performed in the automatic channel scan described with reference to Fig. 5. This prevents the counter from being incremented excessively and, as a result, deleted early, even if the automatic channel scan is performed multiple times on the same day.

[0105] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, functions included in each functional unit or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple functional units or steps can be combined or divided into one. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 10 Main System Section 12 Control Unit 14 Tuner section 16 Demodulation section 18 Descrambling and Demuxing Processor 20 Audio processing unit 24 Display processing section 26 Memory section 28 Flash Memory 30 high-speed digital I / F 40 Transmitting and receiving module 51 Channel scan data storage unit 52 Channel selection NG counter 60 speakers 70 Display section 80 Antenna section 82 Antenna 84 Booster 91 Channel selection determination unit 92 Channel deletion control section 93 Increment section 94 Judgment Department 95 Reset section 96 Notification Department 97 Recording Section 98 Registration Department 100 Television receiver

Claims

1. a channel selection determination unit that determines whether a channel is selectable; an increment unit that increments a counter of the channel determined to be unselectable when the channel determined to be unselectable is unselectable; a determination unit that, when the counter exceeds a threshold, determines that the channel for which the counter exceeds the threshold is unreceivable; An information processing device comprising:

2. a channel scan data storage unit for storing a registered channel table in which selectable channels are registered; a channel deletion control unit that deletes the channel determined to be unreceivable from the registered channel table; The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a reset unit that resets a counter for the channel determined to be selectable when the channel determined to be selectable is selectable.

4. The information processing device of claim 3, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the user that there may be a problem with the reception environment for television broadcast signals if the channel for which the judgment was performed is not selectable and there are no counters for channels other than the channel judged to be not selectable that are in a reset state.

5. The information processing device described in claim 3, wherein the channel deletion control unit deletes the channel determined to be unselectable from the registered channel table if the channel for which the judgment was performed is not selectable and there are counters for channels other than the channel determined to be unselectable that are in a reset state.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a recording unit that, if the channel for which the determination has been made is selectable, records information relating to the time when the determination was made in association with the channel determined to be selectable.

7. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, further comprising a registration unit that, if the channel for which the determination has been made is selectable and is not registered in the registered channel table, registers the channel determined to be selectable in the registered channel table.

8. the channel scan data storage unit further stores history information regarding the deletion of the channel determined to be unreceivable from the registered channel table; The apparatus further includes a registration unit that, when the channel selection determination unit determines that a channel that has been deleted from the registered channel table is selectable after being deleted from the registered channel table, returns the channel to the registered channel table. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

9. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the channel selection determination unit performs the determination by automatic channel scanning that is performed periodically or irregularly.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the channel selection determination unit performs the determination based on a channel selection operation by a user.

11. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when the increment unit increments the counter for a channel determined to be unselectable, the increment unit does not increment the counter even if the channel is determined to be unselectable again within a predetermined time range.

12. A television receiver comprising the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, performing a determination as to whether the channel is tunable; If the channel for which the determination has been made is not selectable, incrementing a counter for the channel for which the determination has been made is not selectable; If the counter exceeds a threshold, the channel for which the counter exceeds the threshold is determined to be unreceivable. Information processing methods.

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