Time synchronization apparatus and method of digital broadcasting reception terminal

Abstract

Disclosed is a time synchronization apparatus and method of a digital broadcasting reception terminal. A Time and Data Table (TDT) is extracted from Program Specific Information and Service Information contained in received digital broadcasting data, and current Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) time is calculated form the extracted TDT. Current local time, which is a correct time of a region where a digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located, is calculated by reflecting local time information on the calculated UTC time. Time information is set by synchronizing the calculated current local time with a Real Time Clock. Accordingly, since a user does not have to directly set an internal time of the digital broadcasting receiving terminal, troublesomeness due to the internal time setting can be solved, and a correct time of a region where the digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located can be set.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital broadcasting receiving terminal according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing time synchronization in a digital broadcasting receiving terminal according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of selecting and loading time information depending on a currently located region in a digital broadcasting receiving terminal according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A time synchronization apparatus of a digital broadcasting receiving terminal connected to an asynchronous mobile communication network, the apparatus comprising: a Real Time Clock (RTC);a digital broadcasting receiver for receiving digital broadcasting data and extracting Time and Data Table (TDT) information containing current Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) information from the received digital broadcasting data;a memory unit for storing local time information, which indicates a difference between current local time of a region where the digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located and current UTC time;a time information calculator for calculating the current UTC time from the TDT information and extracting the current local time of the region in which the digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located, by reflecting the local time information on the calculated current UTC time; anda controller for, if a pre-set time synchronization condition is satisfied, extracting the TDT information through the digital broadcasting receiver, loading the local time information, outputting the loaded local time information and the extracted TDT information to the time information calculator, and, if the current local time is extracted, synchronizing the extracted current local time with the RTC.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller receives the local time information from a currently connected Base Transceiver Station (BTS) of the asynchronous mobile communication network and stores the received local time information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local time information indicates a time difference according to each region and is one of a plurality of pieces of time information according to regions, which are time differences between the UTC time and local times according to regions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller selects one of the plurality of pieces of time information according to regions, which corresponds to the region where the digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller receives regional information according to the region where the digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located, wherein the received information is from the currently connected BTS of the asynchronous mobile communication network, and the controller selects one of the plurality of pieces of time information according to the received regional information.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the regional information is stored in a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card of the digital broadcasting receiving terminal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pre-set time synchronization condition is satisfied when the digital broadcasting data can be received or when a period pre-set by a user has elapsed.

8. A time synchronization method of a digital broadcasting receiving terminal connected to an asynchronous mobile communication network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving digital broadcasting data;determining whether a pre-set time synchronization condition is satisfied;if the time synchronization condition is satisfied, loading local time information, which indicates a difference between current Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) time and current local time of a region where the digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located;extracting Time and Data Table (TDT) information containing the UTC information from the received digital broadcasting data;calculating the current UTC time from the extracted TDT information;calculating the current local time of the region in which the digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located, by reflecting the local time information on the calculated current UTC time; andsynchronizing the extracted current local time with a Real Time Clock (RTC) of the digital broadcasting receiving terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the pre-set time synchronization condition is satisfied when the digital broadcasting data can be received or when a period pre-set by a user has elapsed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of loading local time information comprises: downloading the local time information from a currently connected asynchronous mobile communication network; andloading the downloaded local time information.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of loading local time information comprises: loading regional information according to the region where the digital broadcasting receiving terminal is currently located;selecting local time information corresponding to the loaded regional information from among a plurality of pieces of time information according to regions, which are time differences between the UTC time and local times according to regions; andloading the selected local time information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of loading regional information comprises: downloading the regional information from a currently connected asynchronous mobile communication network; andloading the downloaded regional information.