Method and apparatus for displaying channel information and selecting channel on digital television

Abstract

A method for displaying channel information on a digital TV. Channel information which can know the number of programs or program numbers received through a currently selected major channel is displayed. As channel information, a major channel number and minor channel numbers are displayed. If a channel up or down key is pressed, a viewing program is selected and corresponding channel information is displayed on a TV screen.

1 . A method for displaying channel information on a digital television for receiving digital multichannel television broadcasting, comprising:
 selecting a radio frequency (RF) channel corresponding to a major channel number selected by a user;   displaying, as a viewing program, a program of a minor channel received through said selected RF channel corresponding to the major channel number selected by the user; and   displaying minor channel numbers received through said major channel on the digital television.   
   
   
       2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said displaying a program displays, as said viewing program, a program of a lowest minor channel number among said minor channel numbers. 
   
   
       3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said minor channel numbers are arranged in a prescribed direction on the digital television. 
   
   
       4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising changing said viewing program by selecting a corresponding minor channel in response to a channel up or down key being pressed. 
   
   
       5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said changing said viewing program comprises:
 if said channel up key is pressed, determining if the minor channel number of said viewing program is a highest number among said minor channel numbers;   if the manor channel number of said viewing program is the highest number, displaying a program of a lowest minor channel number as said viewing program, and returning to said displaying minor channel numbers;   if the minor channel number of said viewing program is not the highest number displaying a program of a higher number adjacent to the minor channel number of said viewing program, and returning to said displaying minor channel numbers;   if a channel down key is pressed, determining if the minor channel number of said viewing program is the lowest number among said minor channel numbers;   if the minor channel number of said viewing program is the lowest number, displaying a program of the highest minor channel number as said viewing program, and returning to said displaying minor channel numbers; and   if the minor channel number of said viewing program is not the lowest number, displaying a program of a lower number adjacent to the minor channel dumber of said viewing program, and returning to said displaying minor channel numbers.   
   
   
       6 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising changing said viewing program by selecting a corresponding major channel and a corresponding minor channel whenever a channel up or down key is pressed. 
   
   
       7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said changing said viewing program comprises:
 if said channel up key is pressed, determining if the minor channel number   of said viewing program is a highest number among said minor channel numbers;   if the minor channel number of said viewing program is the highest number, selecting an RF channel of the next major channel number of said selected major channel, and returning to said displaying a program;   if the minor channel number of said viewing program is not the highest number, displaying a program of a higher number adjacent to the minor channel number of said viewing program as said viewing program, and returning to said displaying minor channel numbers;   if a channel down key is pressed, determining if the minor channel number of said viewing program is a lowest number among said minor channel numbers;   if the minor channel number of said viewing program is the lowest number, selecting an RF channel of the previous major channel number of said selected major channel, and returning to said displaying one of minor channel; and   if the minor channel number of said viewing program is not the lowest number, displaying a program of a lower number adjacent to the minor channel number of said viewing program as said viewing program, and returning to said displaying minor channel numbers.   
   
   
       8 . A device for displaying channel information on a digital television for receiving digital multichannel television broadcasting, comprising:
 a selecting device to select a radio frequency channel corresponding to a major channel number selected by a user; and   the digital television to display, as a viewing program, a program of a minor channel received through said selected RF channel corresponding to the major channel number selected by the user, and to display minor channel numbers received through said major channel and the major channel number separately from the corresponding minor channel numbers without any extensions,   wherein the display displays the minor channel numbers and the major channel number simultaneously and displays in a format of X, X-1, X-2 . . . X-n, wherein X is the major channel number, 1, 2 . . . n are minor channel numbers, and n is the highest minor channel number.   
   
   
       9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising displaying the program of the selected minor channel, wherein the programs of the non-selected minor channel are not displayed. 
   
   
       10 . A method comprising:
 displaying a major channel number and a corresponding minor channel number of a currently received and displayed digital correspond program as received through the major channel.   
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the programs having the minor channel numbers are on a same RF band as the major channel.