JP2000165771A - Television receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily select channels where programs desired to be viewed are provided by retrieving a channel number where a number from the leading to inputted digits coincides with an inputted number among the whole receivable channel numbers and showing items including each channel number in a list every time a channel number having two or more than digits is inputted from the leading digit. SOLUTION: When the '1' of a numeric key of a remote control is pressed down, '1' in the leading digit of a numeric character input box in which numeric characters for four digits can be shown in the upper right of an image A and the selection item of each channel having the possibility of being designated by the inputted numeric character '1' are shown on the screen. When a user inputs a numeric character '2' of the next digit by referring to displayed selection items, 1 and 2 in the numeric character input box and the selection item for each channel where the front of a channel number starts with '12' are shown as in an image B. It is possible to prescribe one channel by inputting 3rd and 4th numeric characters in the same manner.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a television receiver.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a multi-channel digital satellite broadcasting (CS broadcasting) system using CS which has recently been started, for example, a large number of channels of 100 or more are prepared.
Numerous programs are provided. For this reason, it is difficult to accurately remember the channel number where the program desired to be viewed is provided, and it is not easy to input the channel number and select a channel.

[0003] The same applies to a receiver capable of receiving not only digital broadcasting but also analog broadcasting such as terrestrial broadcasting and BS broadcasting.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, when a channel is selected by inputting a channel number,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a television receiver which makes it easy to select a channel on which a program to be viewed is provided.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a television receiver having a function of designating a channel number by using a number key of 0 to 9 and having a channel number of two or more digits. Every time a number is input one digit at a time starting from the first digit, a search is made for a channel number of all receivable channels that matches the input number, up to the digit of the input number. A search unit and a display unit for displaying a list of items including each channel number extracted by the search unit are provided.

It is preferable that information on the corresponding channel is also displayed in the item including each channel number.

It is preferable to provide a means for allowing the user to select an item of a desired channel number from the items including the respective channel numbers, and a means for performing a channel selection operation for the channel number of the selected item.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a television receiver having a function of receiving terrestrial broadcasting and CS digital broadcasting will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[1] Description of the configuration of a digital television receiver

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a television receiver having a function of receiving terrestrial broadcasting and CS digital broadcasting.

A terrestrial broadcast wave is sent to a terrestrial tuner 2 via a terrestrial antenna 1. First audio / video signal (AV signal) obtained from terrestrial tuner 2
Is sent to the signal switch 5.

A CS broadcast wave using a communication satellite (CS) is sent to a CS digital receiving circuit 4 via a CS antenna 3. The second audio / video signal (AV signal) obtained from the CS digital receiving circuit 4 is
Sent to Additional information such as program guide information obtained from the CS digital receiving circuit 4 is sent to the system controller 20.

The system controller 20 has a memory card 12 storing contract information for CS broadcast programs and the like.
The information from is input. Further, the system controller 20 includes a remote control transmitter (hereinafter, referred to as a remote control).
A remote control signal from 13 is input via a remote control light receiver 14.

The system controller 20 sends information for channel selection and the like to the terrestrial tuner 2 and the CS digital receiving circuit 4 and sends a switching signal corresponding to the receiving mode to the signal switch 5. The reception modes include a terrestrial broadcast program reception mode, a BS broadcast program reception mode, and a CS broadcast reception mode. Also, the system controller 20
An OSD signal for causing the CRT 8 to display an on-screen program guide screen for the S broadcast, various setting screens for the CS broadcast, and the like is sent to the OSD display circuit 15. The OSD display circuit 15 sends the on-screen image information to the superimpose circuit 6.

The signal switch 5 is connected to the system controller 2
Based on the switching signal sent from 0, one of the first and second AV signals is selected, and a video signal and an audio signal included in the selected AV signal are output.

The video signal output from the signal switch 5 is
It is sent to the superimpose circuit 6. The superimpose circuit 6 is connected to the video signal output from the signal switch 5 and the OS.
Based on the on-screen image information sent from the D display circuit 15, a video signal is generated such that the on-screen image is displayed on-screen on the video of the selected program. The video signal output from the superimpose circuit 6 is sent to the CRT 8 via the video output circuit 7.

The audio signal output from the signal switch 5 is
The signal is sent to the speaker 11 via the audio processing circuit 9 and the audio output circuit 10.

[2] Description of direct channel selection operation

In this television receiver, when a channel number is input as a number, a channel selection operation (hereinafter referred to as a direct channel selection operation) for the input channel is performed. Here, it is assumed that a 1- to 4-digit channel number exists.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of the direct channel selection operation.

When a numeric key of the remote controller 13 is pressed in a state where a program is being broadcast (a state in which a reception screen is displayed), four digits can be displayed as shown in a screen A in FIG. A number input box and a selection item of each channel (hereinafter, a channel selection item) that may be designated by the input number are displayed on-screen. Each channel selection item includes a channel logo indicating a broadcast station mark and a channel number. The channel logo is composed of bitmap data. The channel name may be included in the channel selection item.

The screen A shows an example in which the numeral "1" is pressed first, and the numeral "1" is displayed at the leftmost digit (first digit) in the numeral input box. Also, channel selection items for each channel whose channel number starts with 1 are displayed.

The user inputs the next digit in reference to the displayed channel selection item. Here, assuming that the number “2” has been input, the input number “2” is displayed at the position of the second digit (second digit) from the left in the number input box as shown in screen B. In addition, a channel selection item for each channel whose channel number starts with “12” is displayed.

The user inputs the next digit with reference to the displayed channel selection item. Here, assuming that the number “3” is input, as shown in screen C, the input number “3” is displayed at the position of the third digit (third digit) from the left in the number input box. Also, a channel selection item of each channel whose channel number starts with “123” is displayed.

The user inputs the next digit with reference to the displayed channel selection item. Here, assuming that the number “3” is input, as shown in screen D, the input number “3” is displayed at the position of the fourth digit (the fourth digit) from the left in the number input box. , A channel selection item corresponding to the channel number “1233” is displayed.

When the fourth digit is input, one channel is specified, and a tuning operation for the specified channel is performed.

Note that a channel can be designated by directly selecting a channel selection item displayed during direct channel selection.

For example, when the channel selection item shown in screen C is displayed, the channel number is "
To select the channel selection item corresponding to 1233 ", press the enter key on the remote controller. As shown in screen E, the list of channel selection items becomes active, and among the displayed channel selection items, The cursor is moved to the channel selection item corresponding to the smallest channel number.

Then, the user operates the up, down, left, and right keys on the remote controller to change the channel number to "123" as shown in the screen F.
After moving the cursor to the channel selection item corresponding to 3 ", pressing the enter key performs a channel selection operation for the channel corresponding to the selected channel selection item.

FIG. 3 shows a direct channel selection processing procedure by the system controller.

If there is a numeric key input (YES in step 1), numeric key processing is performed (step 2). Details of the numeric key processing will be described later.

If there is an enter key (YES in step 3), enter key processing is performed (step 4).

If there is an up / down / left / right key input (YES in step 5), up / down / left / right key processing is performed (step 6).

If there is a cancel key input (YES in step 7), a cancel key process is performed (step 8).

FIG. 4 shows details of the numeric key processing procedure.

First, when a number is input, the number of input digits is determined and temporarily stored (step 11). If the input digit number is the first digit (the highest digit) (step 12
YES), the channel numbers of all channels (all receivable channels) and their channel selection items are set in the search input table (step 1).
3). Then, the process proceeds to step 15.

If the number of input digits is the second to fourth digits (NO in step 12), the channel number previously set in the search output table and those channel selection items are stored in the search input table. Set (step 14). Then, the process proceeds to step 15.

In step 15, the search output table is cleared. Thereafter, channel numbers are extracted one by one from the search input table (step 16).
Then, it is determined whether or not the number corresponding to the number of input digits in the extracted channel number is the same as the number input this time (step 17).

If the number corresponding to the number of input digits in the extracted channel number is the same as the number input this time, the channel number and the corresponding channel selection item are added to the search output table (step 1).
8). Then, it is determined whether or not the channel number extracted in step 16 is the last channel number in the search input table (step 19). If the channel number extracted in step 16 is not the last channel number in the search input table, the process returns to step 16.

If it is determined in step 17 that the number corresponding to the number of input digits in the channel number extracted in step 16 is not the same as the number input this time, it is extracted in step 16. It is determined whether or not the obtained channel number is the last channel number in the search input table (step 19).
If the channel number extracted in step 16 is not the last channel number in the search input table, the process returns to step 16.

When the processing in step 17 has been performed for all the channel numbers in the search input table, the result in step 19 is YES, so that the flow proceeds to step 20.
In step 20, the currently input number is drawn and the cursor is moved to the position corresponding to the number of input digits determined in step 1 in the number input box.

Then, a channel selection item corresponding to the channel number included in the search output table is drawn (step 21).

Next, it is determined whether or not the number of input digits determined in step 1 is the fourth digit (step 22). If the number of input digits determined in step 1 is
If it is not the fourth digit, the current numeric key processing ends.

When the number of input digits determined in step 1 is
If it is the fourth digit, a tuning operation is performed for the four-digit channel number displayed in the number box (step 23). Further, the numeral input box and the channel selection item are deleted (step 24).
Then, the numeric key processing ends.

FIG. 5 shows the details of the decision key processing procedure.

If the enter key is pressed during the direct selection operation, it is determined whether or not the number input box is active (step 31).

When the numeric input box is active, the displayed list of channel selection items is activated, and the cursor is moved to the channel selection item having the smallest channel number among the displayed channel selection items. Is moved (step 3
2). Then, the current decision key processing is terminated.

If the number input box is not active, that is, if the list of channel selection items is active, tuning to the channel number corresponding to the channel selection item where the cursor is located The operation is performed (step 33). Further, the number input box and the channel selection item are deleted. Then, the current decision key processing is terminated.

FIG. 6 shows the details of the cancel key processing procedure.

If the cancel key is pressed during the direct selection operation, it is determined whether or not the number input box is active (step 41).

If the numeric input box is active, the numeric input box and the channel selection items are deleted, and the search input table and the search output table are cleared (step 4).
2). Then, the current cancel key processing ends.

If the number input box is not active, that is, if the list of channel selection items is active, the displayed number input box is activated (step 43).
At this time, the cursor is moved to the digit position where the most recently entered number is displayed. Then, the current cancel key processing ends.

FIG. 7 shows details of the up / down / left / right key processing procedure.

If the up / down / left / right key is pressed during the direct selection operation, it is determined whether or not the number input box is active (step 51).

If the numeral input box is active, the current up / down / left / right key is ended without performing any processing.

If the number input box is not active, that is, if the list of channel selection items is active, the cursor is moved over the channel selection item according to the direction of the input key. It is moved (step 52). Then, the up / down / left / right keys of this time are ended.

Note that a channel confirmation key may be provided on the remote controller, and when the channel confirmation key is pressed, a channel selection operation may be performed on a channel corresponding to the number displayed in the number input box. For example,
When the display as shown in screen B of FIG. 2 is performed,
When the channel confirmation key is pressed, a channel selection operation for the channel corresponding to the number “12” is performed.

[0058]

According to the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide a television receiver in which, when a channel number is selected by inputting a channel number, a channel provided with a program to be viewed is easily selected. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a television receiver.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a direct channel selection operation.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a direct channel selection processing procedure.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a numeric key processing procedure.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a determination key processing procedure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a cancel key processing procedure.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an up / down / left / right key processing procedure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Terrestrial tuner 4 CS digital receiving circuit 6 Superimpose circuit 7 Video output circuit 8 CRT 13 Remote control transmitter 15 OSD display circuit 20 System controller

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In a television receiver having a channel number of two or more digits and having a function of designating a channel number by using numeric keys 0 to 9, every time a number is inputted one by one in order from a leading digit. Searching means for searching for a channel number corresponding to the input number from the beginning to the input digit number of all receivable channel numbers, and each channel number extracted by the searching means A display means for displaying a list of items including: a television receiver. 2. In the item including each channel number,
The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein information on a corresponding channel is also displayed. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for allowing a user to select an item of a desired channel number from the items including the respective channel numbers, and means for performing a channel selection operation for the channel number of the selected item. Item 1
3. The television receiver according to any one of 2. and 2.