JP2012085184A - Video display device and off timer control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video display device capable of outputting sound, and an off timer control method of a communication device included in the video display device.SOLUTION: In this embodiment, the video display device comprises: a communication processing part which receives or transmits sound and video through a network; a video processing part which outputs a video signal; a sound processing part which outputs a sound signal; a power source control part which controls on/off of a power source and setting/release of an off timer function to the communication processing part, the video processing part, and the sound processing part; and a timer control part which releases the off timer function by the power source control part when the communication processing part performs reception or transmission.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a video display device capable of outputting audio and a method for controlling an off-timer of a communication device included in the video display device.

  With the spread of the Internet network, a television receiver (TV device) can acquire (receive) a program, that is, a content via the Internet network.

  In addition, in the Internet network, voice communication using IP (Internet Protocol) or video communication, particularly communication with moving images, that is, use of an IP telephone is possible.

JP 2009-60206 A

  The TV apparatus includes an off timer that turns off the power when no operation time continues for a certain period.

  However, the no-operation time does not assume incoming and outgoing IP telephones.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a video display device capable of outputting audio and an off-timer control method for a communication device included in the video display device.

  According to the embodiment, the video display device includes a communication processing unit, a video processing unit, an audio processing unit, a power supply control unit, and a timer control unit. The communication processing unit receives or transmits audio and video through the network. The video processing unit outputs a video signal. The audio processing unit outputs an audio signal. The power control unit controls on / off of power to the communication processing unit, the video processing unit, and the audio processing unit, and setting / cancellation of an off timer function. The timer control unit cancels the off-timer function in the power supply control unit when there is reception or transmission by the communication processing unit.

Schematic which shows an example of embodiment. Schematic which shows an example of embodiment. Schematic which shows an example of embodiment. Schematic which shows an example of embodiment. Schematic which shows an example of embodiment. Schematic which shows an example of embodiment. Schematic which shows an example of embodiment. Schematic which shows an example of embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a video display device to which the embodiment is applied and a communication device incorporated in the video display device. The elements, configurations, and functions described below may be realized by hardware, or may be realized by software using a microcomputer (processing device, CPU) or the like. .

  The video display device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, a television receiver (hereinafter referred to as a TV device) that receives a television broadcast and reproduces audio (audio) and video (video).

  The TV device (video display device) 1 can receive and reproduce at least a digital broadcast program, that is, a content. The TV device 1 can receive content supplied through the Internet (network) network 100. Further, the TV apparatus 1 can use an IP phone that can perform voice communication using an IP (Internet Protocol) with an arbitrary connection partner connected through the Internet network 100.

  In the TV apparatus 1, the content received by the tuner unit 11 that receives the content (program) is separated into video (video) data and audio (audio) data by the separation (Demux) unit 12.

  The video (video) data separated by the separation unit 12 is decoded by the video (video) decoder 22 of the video (video) processing block 21 and output as a digital video (video) signal.

  The video (video) data decoded by the video decoder 22 is input to a video (video) processing unit 23 that processes the video output device so that the video output device can be displayed. It is converted into interlace (i) / non-interlace (p) or the like and supplied to the display 24. Note that the output of the video (video) processing unit 23 may be output to an output terminal 25 to which an external monitor device or a projection device (projector device) can be connected, for example.

  The audio data separated by the separation unit 12 is decoded by the audio (audio) decoder 32 of the audio (audio) processing block 31 and output as a digital audio (audio) signal.

  The audio (audio) signal decoded by the audio decoder 32 is output to the audio (audio) processing unit 33 and the audio (audio) processing unit 33 which are processed so as to be reproducible by the audio output device. In order to achieve temporal matching with the video signal to be output, D− which obtains an analog audio (audio) output through a delay unit 34 that gives a predetermined time delay (delays the audio (audio) output). Input to the A converter 35.

  The analog audio (audio) output from the DA converter 35 is input to a speaker 36, for example. The output from the DA converter 35 may be further branched to an output terminal 37 to which an AV (Audio Visual) amplifier or the like can be connected.

  Also, the audio (audio) signal given a predetermined time delay by the delay unit 34 is also branched to the IP telephone control unit 41. The IP telephone control unit 41 can be connected to a communication set 44 including, for example, a voice input unit (microphone) 42 and a voice playback unit (earphone or speaker for low-output voice playback) 43. Input from the voice input unit 42 is possible. A / D conversion unit 45 that performs A / D conversion of the signal and a D / A conversion unit 46 that performs D / A conversion of the output to the audio reproduction unit. Note that the DA conversion unit 46 that DA converts the output to the audio reproduction unit is shared with the DA converter 35 of the audio (audio) processing block 31.

  The IP telephone control unit 41 can be accompanied by a camera 47 and a camera video processing unit 48 that acquire an image of the user's face and the like. The IP telephone control unit 41 can be accompanied by an image processing unit 49 that reproduces an image transmitted from a communication partner.

  The image processing unit 49 can reproduce, for example, a still image represented by JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) or a moving image represented by, for example, MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) -2, -4 (H.264-AVC). . The image processing unit 49 that reproduces a moving image is shared with the video (video) processing unit 23 of the video (video) processing block 21.

  In the TV device (video display device) 1, each of the tuner unit 11, the separation unit 12, the video (video) processing block 21, the audio (audio) processing block 31, and the IP telephone control unit 41 is controlled by the main control block 51. , Execute a predetermined operation.

  The main control block (Main Processing Unit, MPU) 51 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit, arithmetic device) or a microcomputer. The MPU 51 receives a memory unit 52 including at least a ROM holding an operation program and a RAM functioning as a work memory, an incoming call to the IP telephone control unit 41 via the Internet, or an external transmission from the IP telephone control unit 41. A connection between the state management unit 53 to be managed, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) displayed on the display 24 and a GUI control unit 54 for processing user input from the GUI, and the Internet network 100, that is, the Internet network At least a network control unit 55 that controls acquisition of various information from the user and access from the user to the Internet network 100.

  The MPU 51 is also connected to an operation input unit 3 that receives control input from the user.

  The operation input unit 3 receives, for example, a channel key (button) for specifying a channel selected by the tuner (input) unit 11, a power switch used for power on / off, or an instruction or control input from the remote controller 5. Part, etc. at least. In addition, a key operation input unit (keyboard) that enables input of characters, symbols, numbers, or the like may be connected.

  Note that the IP phone control unit 41 is based on the firmware of the MPU 51 or an IP phone program that operates according to a program prepared in advance, for example, “Skype”, which is an Internet phone provided by Skype, etc. The user's voice acquired by 42 can be packetized and transmitted to a communication partner connected via a network (Internet network). Of course, when the camera 47 is prepared, the user's video can be transmitted.

  A timer IC (timer controller) 61 is provided inside the MPU 51 or independently of the MPU 51. The timer IC 61 can manage information such as time, reserved time (date and time) for reserved recording set by input from the user, recording target channel, and the like, and can hold the information. Note that the timer IC 61 can always acquire “time information” called TOT (Time Offset Table) in digital broadcasting received through the tuner 11. That is, time management equivalent to that of a device having a built-in radio clock is possible. Needless to say, the timer IC 61 can control power on / off (energization) with respect to the commercial power supply at a predetermined time in a function such as a preset or off timer.

  In other words, the timer IC 61 is connected to the MPU 51 and the like excluding relatively large power consumption elements such as an audio output to the display 24 and the speaker 36 except in a situation where it is physically difficult to energize such as an outlet being disconnected. Secondary power supply (DC (direct current) 31V, 24V or 5V, etc.) is normally secured, and display 24, video (video) processing block 21, audio (audio) processing block 31, etc. at a predetermined time. Can be started. In addition, when the off timer is set, the timer IC 61 can turn off the main power after the period set by the off timer has elapsed.

  When an incoming IP call is received via the Internet network 100 while a program (content) is being viewed by the TV apparatus 1, an arbitrary position in the “video display” 501 of the program being viewed shown in FIG. In the example 5, “incoming call display” 511 is displayed in the upper right example under the control of the GUI control unit 54.

  “Incoming display” 511 includes, for example, “Incoming display” 512 that displays that there is an incoming call, “Destination display” 513 that displays a transmission source, that is, a destination, “Response display <1>” 514 that indicates a response method, “Response display <2>” 515, “response display <3>” 516, and the like. Note that “response display <1>” 514 is an incoming call response with video, “response display <2>” 515 is a voice-only incoming response, and “response display <3>” is not responding. Are shown respectively. Therefore, the viewer can select one of the response methods by, for example, moving the cursor with the remote controller 5 or focusing, and can select “no response” or “no response”.

  FIG. 2 illustrates an example of display screen switching and off-timer control when there is an incoming IP call during broadcast viewing and the user selects the call.

  When there is an incoming call [202] while watching the broadcast [201], the “incoming display” 512 described with reference to FIG. 5 is displayed in the “video display” 501 [203].

  When the user selects “response display <1>” described with reference to FIG. 5, that is, an incoming call response with video [204-YES], the output of the audio (audio) decoder 32 of the audio (audio) processing block 31 A mute with a volume of “0” is temporarily applied [205]. At this time, as the information used to return the audio (audio) output to the original viewing environment at the end of the IP call, the acoustic setting condition is temporarily set in the RAM or MPU (microcomputer) 51 of the memory unit 52. [206].

  Next, the “busy flag” is turned on by the firmware of the MPU 51 [207]. At this time, when the “busy flag” is turned on or at a predetermined timing after the “busy flag” is turned on, the “power supply“ off ”wait flag” is turned off, or the count of the off timer by the timer IC 61 is turned off. Is preferred [208].

  Subsequently, the display screen displayed on the display 24 is switched to a “call screen” 601 shown in FIG. 6 [209]. The “call screen” 601 includes, for example, a “mode display” 611 indicating that the IP call mode is activated, a “displaying incoming call” 612 indicating that a call is being received (call waiting), and a “phone book (address list)” ) Display ”613 to 617,“ Operation Display ”618 indicating the operation of the camera, etc.,“ Video Display ”619 and 620 for displaying the video of the other party and his / her face, and the like.

  Subsequently, at the same time as the display of the “call screen” 601 or at a predetermined timing, the sound setting for the call, for example, the level of the transmission voice transmitted by itself (the sensitivity of the microphone 42), the reproduction level of the other party voice (to the earphone 43) Are set [210].

  Thereafter, the mute is released [211], the call preparation is completed, and the call (transmission and reception) becomes possible [212].

  When the call ends, as shown in FIG. 3, the call end [311] is checked, and the “busy flag” is turned off [312]. Subsequently, it is detected that the “power“ waiting ”waiting” flag is on [313-YES], the main power of the TV apparatus 1 is turned off by the power “off” (main power off) process, or the power “ An off timer that becomes effective x seconds before “off” is set [314], and “power supply“ off ”waiting mode” is activated [315].

  Thereby, when the off timer is not set, the main power supply of the TV apparatus 1 is turned off at a predetermined timing following the end of the call. On the other hand, when the off timer is set, the count of the off timer set before the start of the call is continued, and the main power supply of the TV apparatus is turned off after a predetermined time measured by the off timer.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the timer IC 61 continues counting the off timer, when the off timer time is reached [401], it is detected [402] whether the “call flag” is on. When the “call flag” is off [402-NO], the power-off process [404] is executed, but when the “call flag” is on [402-YES], “power-off” is awaited. It is also possible to count the passage of the off-timer period by the timer IC 61 by turning on the “flag” [403].

  FIG. 8 shows an example of the elapse of the off timer period by the timer IC 61, that is, on / off of the off timer when the “power supply“ waiting ”” flag is used.

  An off-timer is set by the timer IC 61. For example, when no operation is performed or the off-timer is activated (the off-timer is counting a predetermined period) according to the setting by the user, an IP call is received or transmission by the IP call is started. Then, for example, as an MPU 51 firmware, an IP call GUI (Graphical User Interface) application 801 is activated.

  The IP call GUI application 801 includes an intermediate processing layer 811 that monitors the operation of the TV device 1 in order to continue / suspend the count of the off timer. When the application starts, the codec engine thread (in the intermediate processing layer 811) Codec Engine Thread (CET) 812, Input Output Interface Thread (I / O-IT) 813, Idle Thread Off Timer Control (I-T-OT) 814, The IT-OT 814 is set to be active only when the other two threads are not working.

  That is, the IT-OT 814 continues the count of the off timer by the timer IC 61 only when active (adds the timer count), and resets the off timer when inactive. Therefore, when an IP call is activated, that is, when an IP call is received or transmitted while the off timer is activated, the off timer is reset, and the count of the off timer is restarted at the timing when the IP call ends. . The CET 812 is activated when there is a request for reproduction or recording of video (video) or audio (audio), and the I / O-I-T 813 receives a program (content) of an arbitrary channel by the tuner 11 or externally. Needless to say, it is activated in response to the start of input or the output request of the video signal to the display 24 / the output request of the audio (audio) signal to the speaker 36.

  As described above, in the intermediate processing layer 811, the off-timer is counted by the timer IC 61 only when active using the IT-OT 814 that monitors the start (count start) / reset (count stop and count reset) of the off timer. By continuing (incrementing the timer count), when the IP call is activated, that is, when there is an incoming or transmitted IP call, the off-timer count can be stopped and reset.

  Note that the platform (Platform, for example, MPU 51) 821 is controlled in accordance with the above-described presence / absence of IP call activation by the intermediate processing layer 811 or the off-timer count, and the HW (HardWare, for example, timer IC 61) 831 performs a predetermined operation. become.

  As described above, according to the present proposal, in a digital TV device capable of IP calling, when an IP call is received or transmitted, an off timer in the TV device (main power is turned off when a certain period of time is not operated by a timer IC or the like) With the function, it is possible to prevent the TV call such as the display and the voice processing unit from being turned off at a timing unintended by the user and the IP call from being blocked. Therefore, the convenience during an IP call is improved.

  In addition, when the off timer is set, the off timer is started again when the IP call is finished, and thus the function of turning off the main power supply of the TV apparatus by the off timer continues. Therefore, when no operation (during a non-call) such as a user sleeping during an IP call continues, the power of the TV device is turned off after a predetermined period of time according to the setting of the off timer. Therefore, there is no disadvantage for the user who uses the IP call.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Television receiver (TV apparatus), 3 ... Operation input part, 21 ... Image | video (video) processing block, 22 ... Image | video decoder, 23 (49) ... Image | video (video) process part, 31 ... Audio | voice (audio) process Block, 32 ... audio decoder, 33 ... audio (audio) processing unit, 34 ... delay unit, 35 (46) ... DA converter, 41 ... IP telephone control unit, 42 ... audio input unit, 43 ... audio reproduction unit, 47 ... Camera, 48 ... Camera image processing unit, 51 ... Main control block, 52 ... Memory unit, 53 ... GUI control unit, 54 ... Status control unit, 55 ... Network control unit, 61 ... Timer IC.

Claims (9)

A communication processor that receives or transmits audio and video over a network;
A video processing unit for outputting a video signal;
An audio processing unit for outputting an audio signal;
A power control unit for controlling power on / off of the communication processing unit, the video processing unit, and the audio processing unit, and setting / canceling of an off timer function;
A timer control unit for releasing the off-timer function in the power supply control unit when there is reception or transmission by the communication processing unit;
A video display device comprising: The video display device according to claim 1, wherein the timer control unit temporarily stops an off-timer function in the power supply control unit when there is reception or transmission by the communication processing unit. 2. The video display device according to claim 1, wherein, when reception or transmission is performed by the communication processing unit, the timer control unit resets an off-timer function in the power supply control unit and starts counting when the reception or transmission ends. . 4. The video display device according to claim 2, wherein the communication via the network includes communication conforming to IP (Internet Protocol). The video display device according to claim 1, wherein the communication via the network includes communication conforming to IP (Internet Protocol). The video display device according to claim 5, wherein the timer control unit temporarily stops an off-timer function in the power supply control unit when receiving or transmitting by the communication processing unit. 6. The video display device according to claim 5, wherein, when reception or transmission is performed by the communication processing unit, the timer control unit resets an off-timer function in the power supply control unit and starts counting when the reception or transmission ends. . Set the main power off using the off timer function,
When there is reception or transmission by the communication processing unit, the set off timer function is canceled,
An off-timer control method for setting an off-timer function when reception or transmission by a communication processing unit is completed. The off-timer control method according to claim 8, wherein the setting of the off-timer function includes a reset of an off-timer.

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