Broadcast Receiver Channel Switching Using External Reference Frames
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital broadcast receiving devices experience delays when changing channels due to the time required to tune to a new channel, buffer frames, and decode pictures, resulting in user experience delays in watching the requested channel.
Innovation Solution
A broadcast receiving device and method that includes a receiving unit, signal processing unit, control unit, communication unit, and storage unit to request and decode reference frames from external devices, allowing for immediate channel changes by using previously received frames as references, reducing the need to wait for intra pictures and buffer entire GOPs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a digital broadcast receiving device waits to receive an I picture and buffers all frames in a GOP before decoding, then the decoding can be performed with complete reference data, but the channel change time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary actions by receiving and storing reference frames from external devices before the channel change is completed. When a channel change command is received, the device already has reference frames available, eliminating the need to wait for I pictures and buffer entire GOPs before decoding can begin.
Solution Approach 2:
External devices act as intermediaries by providing reference frames to the broadcast receiving device. These reference frames serve as the necessary decoding reference data that would otherwise require waiting for I pictures, thus mediating between the need for complete reference data and the desire for fast channel switching.
2Reliability
If the device buffers all frames in a GOP including the I picture, then proper reference frames are available for decoding, but the user experiences delay in watching the requested channel
Solution Approach 1:
The device receives and stores reference frames in advance from external devices before the channel change operation is initiated. This preliminary acquisition of reference frames eliminates the need to buffer entire GOPs during channel switching, enabling immediate decoding when the channel change command is received.
Solution Approach 2:
The device extracts only the necessary reference frames from external devices rather than buffering all frames in a GOP. This selective extraction of essential reference data maintains decoding reliability while significantly reducing the time required for channel switching.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the device uses digital image compression technology with GOPs including I, P, and B pictures, then efficient bandwidth utilization is achieved, but the channel change process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
External devices serve as intermediaries that provide pre-prepared reference frames, simplifying the channel change process. Instead of managing the complex process of waiting for I pictures and buffering entire GOPs, the device receives ready-to-use reference frames from external sources, maintaining compression efficiency while reducing process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical buffering process (waiting for I pictures and buffering entire GOPs) with a communication-based system that receives reference frames from external devices. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming mechanical buffering steps while maintaining the benefits of digital image compression.
Data Source
AI summary
A broadcast receiving device and method are provided. The broadcast receiving device includes a receiving unit which selects a channel and receives a first broadcast signal that includes a plurality of frames, a signal processing unit which processes the first broadcast signal, a control unit which controls the receiving unit to select another channel when a channel change command is input, a communication unit which receives from an external device at least one reference frame used to decode a frame, which corresponds to a time when the channel change command was input, from among frames of a second broadcast signal received from the another channel, and a storage unit which stores the at least one reference frame. When the channel change command is input, the signal processing unit decodes the frames of the second broadcast signal by using the at least one reference frame.