JPH0576068A - Remote controlling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the required operation frequency of a remote controller when a system is controlled by a combined operations of the operational menu displayed on the screen and the remote controller by adding a signal selecting circuit so as to chiefly display the operational screen for the AV equipments currently viewed or listened to. CONSTITUTION:Plural operation content selecting screens are stored in an operational menu memory 6 and outputted in response to the request from an operational menu calling circuit 5. The signal of operation content selecting screen issued by the circuit 5 and the cursor signal generated by a cursor generating circuit 7 are synthesized by a cursor synthesizing circuit 8, thus the operation content selecting screen is completed. This screen and the video signal of the AV equipments selected by a signal selecting circuit 2 are synthesized by an on-screen image synthesizing circuit 9 and outputted to a signal output terminal 10 as the video signal on which the operation content selecting screen is superimposed and then displayed on the screen of a television receiver. Thus, required steps for oreration are reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a television receiver,
The present invention relates to a remote control device for remotely operating various AV devices such as VTR and VDP.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, remote control of AV equipment has become widespread, and a remote control unit (hereinafter abbreviated as a remote controller) is attached to AV equipment such as a television receiver and a VTR. The user operates the remote control to perform various operations including turning the power on / off.
The operation can be performed remotely and selectively without operating the operation unit provided in the V device itself.

A remote control method has also been considered in which a display screen and a remote controller are combined to perform an operation in order to eliminate the complexity of the operation caused by the diversification of the functions of AV equipment or the enlargement of the system. One example is JP-A-5
This is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-171397. This remote control device performs remote control of various electronic devices by an operating device while watching operation contents according to an operation program displayed on a screen of a display device. The remote control device will be specifically described below. When a display request is made by the remote controller, an operation target selection screen showing a plurality of AV devices to be operated is displayed on the screen of the television receiver. Next, move the cursor with the remote control and select the AV device to be operated.
An operation content selection screen indicating the operation content of the V equipment is displayed on the television receiver, and if the operation content is selected by the remote control, the control unit can issue a control signal of the corresponding AV equipment to perform control. It is a thing. FIG. 4 shows an example of the operation target selection screen, and FIG. 3 shows an example of the operation content selection screen. On the operation target selection screen of FIG.
If you select, the VTR operation content selection screen will be displayed.
The operation can be selected.

[0004]

However, when the AV system is controlled by using the remote control device having the above-described configuration, the operator must always specify the device to be operated, and then the operation content. Must be specified. No matter what kind of operation is performed, the operation of two or more steps is always required, and the deterioration of the operation feeling cannot be avoided.

Therefore, according to the present invention, when the AV system is operated, the operator requests the most operation of the source device currently being viewed, and pays attention to the required number of operation steps. It is intended to reduce the number and enable smooth operation without resistance.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, a remote control device of the present invention provides an operation content selection screen showing the operation content of a plurality of AV devices and the plurality of AV devices to be operated. Display means for displaying the operation target selection screen shown, and at least one operation command for requesting to display the operation target selection screen or the operation content selection screen displayed by the display means and designating the operation target or the operation content An operation unit having a switch, a transmission unit that transmits an operation command signal in response to the operation of the switch, a receiver that receives the operation command signal transmitted from the operation unit, and the content of the received operation command signal is determined. Control means, a means for generating an operation control signal of each AV device, and a display means for displaying the operation target selection screen and the operation content selection screen. Means for generating an operation control signal for each of the AV devices in accordance with a determination output from the determining means in accordance with an operation program stored in advance, and a display means for displaying the operation target selection screen and the operation content selection screen. Control means for controlling the operation of the signal selection circuit and a control means for controlling the operation of the signal selection circuit, and an operation content selection screen of the AV device selected by the signal selection circuit in response to an operation screen display request from the operation device. Is configured to be displayed first.

[0007]

With this configuration, the remote control device of the present invention is an AV
The source device that is currently being viewed, which occurs most often when operating the system, can be operated with a minimum of one step operation, which reduces the deterioration of operational feeling and enables smooth operation without resistance. ..

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (FIG. 2) is an example of a key arrangement of a remote control signal transmitter used in the remote control device of one embodiment of the present invention, and (FIG. 3) is an example of an operation content selection screen of the remote control device of one embodiment of the present invention. , (FIG. 4) each show an example of the operation target selection screen of the remote control device of one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1a, 1b, 1
c is a signal input terminal, 2 is a signal selection circuit, 3 is a light receiving section for remote control signals, 4 is a remote control signal decoding circuit,
5 is an operation menu calling circuit, 6 is an operation menu memory,
7 is a cursor generation circuit, 8 is a cursor composition circuit, 9 is an on-screen video composition circuit, 10 is a signal output terminal, 11
Is a control circuit, 12 is an external device remote control signal memory, 13
Is an external device remote control signal generation circuit, and 14 is a light emitting unit.

Now, it is assumed that the signal input terminals 1a, 1b and 1c are assigned to a VTR, a video disc player (hereinafter referred to as VDP) and a TV tuner, respectively. Also, AV devices, that is, VTR, VDP, and TV, respectively associated with the signal input terminals 1a, 1b, and 1c.
It is assumed that a system is configured in which a tuner is connected, the signal selection circuit 2 selectively outputs the signal, outputs the signal to a television receiver, and displays the signal.

Now, let us consider a case where the operator uses the remote controller to execute the operation of this system. First, the "menu display" key of the remote control shown in FIG. 2 is pressed to transmit an infrared remote control signal. The infrared remote control signal is converted into an electric signal by the light receiving section 3 and input to the remote control signal decoding circuit 4. The remote control signal decoding circuit 4 determines that this electric signal is a request for displaying the operation menu,
A signal for instructing menu display is output to the operation menu calling circuit 5. The operation menu calling circuit 5 obtains information from the control circuit 11 which signal input terminal is selected by the signal selection circuit 2 and displays the operation content selection screen of the AV device corresponding to the selected signal input terminal on the operation menu. Memory 6
Call from. Now, in the signal selection circuit 2, the signal input terminal 1
If a is selected, the operation content selection screen of the corresponding VTR is called. An example of the operation content selection screen of the VTR is as shown in (FIG. 3). Such a plurality of operation content selection screens or operation target selection screens are stored in the operation menu memory 6 and output in response to a request from the operation menu calling circuit 5. The operation content selection screen signal generated by the operation menu calling circuit 5 and the cursor signal generated by the cursor generation circuit 7 are combined by the cursor combining circuit 8 to complete the operation content selection screen. The operation content selection screen and the video signal of the AV device selected by the signal selection circuit 2 are combined by the on-screen image composition circuit 9, and the operation content selection screen is output to the signal output terminal 10 as a superimposed image signal. , Is displayed on the screen of the television receiver.

Next, in order to move the cursor displayed in the operation content selection screen and specify the operation content, one of the four "cursor move" keys of the remote controller is pressed to transmit an infrared remote control signal. The infrared remote control signal is converted into an electric signal by the light receiving section 3 and input to the remote control signal decoding circuit 4. The remote control signal decoding circuit 4 determines that this electric signal is a request for moving the cursor, and outputs a signal for instructing the cursor generating circuit 7 to move the cursor. The cursor generation circuit 7 generates a cursor at the moved position, and as a result, the cursor on the operation content selection screen displayed in superimpose moves. After repeating this operation to move the cursor to the desired operation content, press the "Enter" key on the remote controller to transmit the infrared remote controller signal. This signal is transmitted to the remote control signal decoding circuit 4 through the same path, and the remote control signal decoding circuit 4 determines that it is a request for determination and transmits it to the control circuit 11. The control circuit 11 obtains information of "which operation content selection screen is displayed" and "which operation content is the cursor" from the operation menu calling circuit 5 and the cursor generation circuit 7, respectively, and the control target and control. Determine what to do. Based on this determined information, the control circuit 11 requests the external device remote control signal generation circuit 13 to generate a remote control signal for controlling the operation of a desired AV device. In response to this, the external device remote control signal generation circuit 13 calls a desired code from the code table stored in the external device remote control signal memory 12 and generates a remote control code. This remote control code is output by the light emitting unit 14 as an infrared remote control signal. The corresponding AV equipment receives the infrared remote control signal and operates to perform the operation desired by the operator.

Next, A other than the AV device currently being viewed
When operating V equipment, follow the same procedure (Fig. 3).
After calling the operation content selection screen shown in, select the "Operation selection" item with the remote control and cursor,
Therefore, the operation target selection screen shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. When a desired operation target is selected on the screen, the operation content selection screen of the AV device is subsequently displayed, and thereafter,
The same operation is performed.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to combine an operation menu displayed on the screen with a remote controller to make an AV.
When operating the system, the most frequently occurring source device currently being viewed can be operated with a minimum of 1 step operation, which reduces the deterioration of operational feeling and enables smooth operation without resistance. The practical effects are extremely large.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a key arrangement of a remote control signal transmitter used in a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation content selection screen of a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation target selection screen of the remote control device in the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a 1b 1c signal input terminal 2 signal selection circuit 3 light receiving section 4 remote control signal decoding circuit 5 operation menu recall circuit 6 operation menu memory 7 cursor generation circuit 8 cursor synthesis circuit 9 on-screen video synthesis circuit 10 signal output terminal 11 control circuit 12 external Device remote control signal memory 13 External device remote control signal generation circuit 14 Light emitting unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A display unit for displaying an operation content selection screen showing operation contents of a plurality of AV devices and an operation target selection screen showing the plurality of AV devices to be operated, and an operation displayed by the display unit. Operation having at least one operation command switch for requesting to display an object selection screen or operation content selection screen and designating an operation object or operation content, and a transmission unit for transmitting an operation command signal in response to operation of the switch Device, a receiver for receiving an operation command signal transmitted from the operation device, a determination means for determining the content of the received operation command signal, a means for generating an operation control signal for each AV device, and the operation target. Selection screen and operation content A means for controlling the content displayed by the display means for displaying the selection screen, and an output signal of a device that outputs an AV signal among the respective AV devices. Signal selection circuit for selecting a signal, means for generating an operation control signal for each AV device in accordance with a judgment output from the judgment means according to a prestored operation program, the operation target selection screen and the operation content selection screen Of the AV equipment selected by the signal selection circuit in response to an operation screen display request from the operation device, the control means controlling the contents displayed by the display means and the control means for controlling the operation of the signal selection circuit. A remote control device characterized in that an operation content selection screen is displayed first. 2. The remote control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation target selection screen or the operation content selection screen is combined with the output video signal of the AV device selected by the signal selection circuit and displayed.