Digital broadcast receiver and broadcast data display method for simultaneous display of multi-channel visual images

Abstract

A broadcast data display method for a digital broadcast receiver is provided. In response to a broadcast reception request from a user, a channel list having identifiers of available channels is displayed. Broadcast data of a channel selected by the user from the channel list is displayed on a screen in a full-screen mode. In response to a request of all-channel view during channel list display or broadcast reception, the screen is divided into display areas corresponding to the individual available channels of the channel list. Real-time broadcast data of the selected channel is displayed in a corresponding display area of the screen. Still images of the remaining channels are displayed simultaneously or sequentially in their corresponding display areas.

1 . A broadcast data display method for a digital broadcast receiver, comprising:
 displaying, in response to a broadcast reception request from a user, a channel list having identifiers of available channels;   displaying broadcast data of a channel selected by the user from the channel list on a screen in a full-screen mode;   dividing, in response to a request of all-channel view during channel list display or broadcast reception, the screen into display areas corresponding to the individual available channels of the channel list;   displaying real-time broadcast data of the selected channel in a corresponding display area of the screen; and   displaying still images of the remaining channels simultaneously or sequentially in their corresponding display areas.   
     
     
         2 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , further comprising resizing the real-time broadcast data and the still images according to positions and sizes of their corresponding display areas. 
     
     
         3 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , wherein the still images are I-frames detected in broadcast data of the remaining channels other than the selected channel. 
     
     
         4 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 3 , wherein the I-frames are detected in decoded video data of the corresponding channels. 
     
     
         5 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , wherein the still images are raw images captured from the most recently decoded broadcast data of the remaining channels other than the selected channel. 
     
     
         6 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , further comprising periodically updating the still images of the remaining channels. 
     
     
         7 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , further comprising setting, on the basis of user selections, one channel as a major channel and one or more channels as minor channels. 
     
     
         8 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , wherein the channel list has a quantity of channel identifiers greater than or equal to the preset quantity of major and minor channels to be simultaneously output to the screen. 
     
     
         9 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 8 , wherein the channel list has identifiers of channels selected by the user. 
     
     
         10 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 8 , wherein the channel list has identifiers of favorite channels automatically collected from a channel reception history. 
     
     
         11 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 8 , wherein the channel list has identifiers of channels scanned by the digital broadcast receiver. 
     
     
         12 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 8 , wherein the channel list has channel identifiers generated using information of an electronic program guide. 
     
     
         13 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , further comprising switching, according to a channel switch request from a user or a channel switch condition set in advance, between data transmission paths of the selected channel and of a newly selected one of the remaining channels. 
     
     
         14 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing a user-requested function in response to a user input, wherein the performing a user-requested function step comprises:
 dividing the screen into display areas, and outputting the real-time broadcast data and the still images to their corresponding display areas;   receiving an input from the user to select one of the display areas; and   performing channel switching or enlargement of the selected display area, depending upon channel-display area association.   
     
     
         15 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 14 , wherein the performing channel switching or enlargement step comprises enlarging, if the selected display area is associated with the selected channel for real-time broadcast data, the selected display area using pre-stored enlargement information. 
     
     
         16 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 14 , wherein the performing channel switching or enlargement step comprises switching, if the selected display area is associated with one of the remaining channels for still images, between the selected channel and the remaining channel associated with the selected display area. 
     
     
         17 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps, performed during broadcast reception, of:
 dividing the screen into display areas corresponding to currently active channels;   displaying real-time broadcast data of one of the active channels in a corresponding display area of the screen; and   displaying I-frames of the remaining active channels as still images in their corresponding display areas.   
     
     
         18 . The broadcast data display method of  claim 17 , further comprising resizing the real-time broadcast data and the still images of I-frames according to positions and sizes of their corresponding display areas.