Mobile communication terminal, channel information providing module, method of automatically accessing to DMB, and method of providing channel access information

A channel information providing module incorporated in a channel information providing server that exchanges data with a broadcast control server and a mobile communication terminal which are connected over a network, comprising:

• a program information processing unit that receives program information from the broadcast control server and stores the program information in a database;
• a channel information retrieving unit that, when a channel access information request message is input from the mobile communication terminal, uses time information concerning the time when an audio signal included in the message is input to read and sort out programs broadcasted at the corresponding time from the database, and compares data concerning the broadcast programs with the audio signal included in the message to retrieve a corresponding broadcast program;
• and
• a channel access information providing unit that generates and transmits a response message, which includes channel access information corresponding to the retrieved broadcast program and terminal identification information, to the mobile communication terminal.

A method of automatically accessing to DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) that is played in a mobile communication terminal capable of receiving the DMB, the method comprising the operations of:

• receiving an automatic channel access selection signal;
• receiving an audio signal of a channel, which a user desires to access, from a microphone of the mobile communication terminal;
• generating a channel access information request message that requests channel access information including the audio signal and time information concerning the time when the audio signal is input;
• transmitting the generated channel access information request message to a channel information providing server;
• receiving a channel access information response message from the channel information providing server;
• and
• accessing to the DMB through the channel access information.

A method of providing channel access information that is executed in a channel information providing module incorporated in a channel information providing server that exchanges data with a broadcast control server and a mobile communication terminal over a network, the method comprising the operations of:

• receiving a channel access information request message from the mobile communication terminal, the channel access information request message comprising an audio signal and time information;
• comparing broadcast programs stored in a database with the audio signal and the time information to retrieve a corresponding broadcast program;
• generating a response message that includes channel access information, which corresponds to the retrieved broadcast program, and terminal identification information;
• and
• transmitting the generated response message to the mobile communication terminal.