JPH09107529A - Display device for closed caption - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the display device for a closed caption decoder in which an audibly handicapped person confirms sound volume without losing teletext information by changing a blink period of closed caption information. SOLUTION: In the display device for closed caption information of a television receiver incorporating a closed caption decoder, a signal averaging circuit 7 averages audio signals outputted at present from a sound processor 3 to provide an output of an average audio signal. A control section 2 compares a level of the average sound signal with a predetermined reference sound volume level and controls the closed caption decoder 5 so that a blink period of the closed caption information is changed depending on the difference between the average sound volume level and the reference sound volume level when the average sound volume signal level is larger than the reference sound volume level. A video section 6 displays the video image and the closed caption information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a closed caption display device for displaying closed caption information multiplexed on a video signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the increase in the character multiplex broadcast programs, character multiplex broadcast decoders have become popular, and the screens of television receivers have been
Character information can be displayed on normal images.
Especially in North America, in order to enable hearing-impaired persons to obtain audio information when watching a television screen, a telecast decoder is built into a television receiver of 13 inches or more to receive teletext (closed caption). You are obliged to do it.

When the closed caption is viewed by a hearing-impaired person, the voice information can be displayed on the screen as character information such as subtitles. However, the person cannot judge what the volume level is, and the surroundings are healthy. May give a person an unpleasant feeling due to a loud volume. In order to avoid such a situation, at the time of volume control operation such as remote control operation, volume data (numbers etc.) is displayed on the television screen on-screen display (hereinafter referred to as OSD) so that the volume level can be confirmed. . As a method of expressing the volume level, a number that changes according to the increase or decrease of the volume is displayed,
There is an example of displaying a bar. There is also an example in which a confirmation key is provided so that the volume level can be confirmed at any time other than the volume operation.

Further, as a means for solving such an inconvenience, a television receiver has been proposed which controls the volume automatically when the preset audio output exceeds the reference value in the closed caption mode. (JP-A-5-284482).

[0005]

However, in the former method, since the volume data may be displayed over the closed caption subtitles and the text information may be interrupted, a part of the text broadcasting information may be interrupted. Will be lost and continuity will be interrupted. Further, in order to confirm the volume level, it is necessary to operate the volume key or the confirmation key to display the current volume level on the screen, and there is a problem that such operation is troublesome.

Further, the latter method causes a sudden change in volume when the closed caption is switched on and off, which causes an uncomfortable feeling to surrounding healthy persons, and when the healthy person and the deaf person are watching at the same time. However, there is an inconvenience that the volume cannot be adjusted when a healthy person wants to hear at a volume higher than the reference value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a closed caption display device in which the volume can be confirmed without interrupting the character information in the closed caption mode.

[0008]

A closed caption display device according to claim 1 of the present invention is currently output from a sound processor in a closed caption display device of a television receiver including a closed caption decoder. Take the average of the audio signal,
A signal averaging means for outputting an average volume signal is compared with the level of the average volume signal and a predetermined reference volume level. If the average volume signal level is higher than the reference volume level, the difference between the average volume level and the reference volume level. The control means controls the closed caption decoder so as to change the blinking cycle of the closed caption information according to the size, and the display means displays the video and the closed caption information.

In such a configuration, the closed caption information displayed on the screen is visually changed cyclically in accordance with the volume of the volume currently output, and is displayed so that the hearing impaired person can confirm the volume. It can be carried out.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a closed caption display device of a television receiver incorporating a closed caption decoder, an operation section for setting a volume, a volume level set by the operation section, and a volume level set in advance are set. The set reference volume level is compared, and if the set volume level is higher than the reference volume level, the closed caption information is closed so that the blinking cycle of the closed caption information is changed according to the difference between the set volume level and the reference volume level. It is composed of control means for controlling the caption decoder and display means for displaying video and closed caption information.

That is, the volume level set via the operation section is compared with the reference volume level stored in advance in the control section. When the set volume level exceeds the reference volume level, the closed caption decoder is controlled so that the blinking cycle of the closed caption information is changed and displayed according to the level difference.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the closed caption display device according to the first or second aspect, when the current volume level or the set volume level is compared with the reference volume level, the current volume level with respect to the reference volume level is When the volume level or the set volume level of is large, the blinking cycle of the closed caption information is made faster according to the difference. This confirms that the volume is high.

The invention according to claim 4 is the closed caption display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the closed caption information is character information.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the closed caption display device according to the fourth aspect, the blinking period of the character information is set to a legible speed of the character information.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a closed caption display device of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an operation unit, which is composed of, for example, a remote control unit having a plurality of keys, or a key panel provided in the main body of the television receiver, for turning on / off the closed caption mode and adjusting the volume. Perform channel switching operations.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a control unit composed of, for example, a CPU, which controls a sound processor and a closed caption decoder described below. Further, since the RAM and the ROM memory are usually built in the control unit 2,
For example, the reference volume level data is stored in advance in the RAM memory and compared with the volume level actually output. The control unit 2 outputs to the caption decoder 5 (described later) an instruction signal for blinking the closed caption information to be displayed at a faster cycle as the volume level actually output according to the comparison result is higher. The reference volume level can be adjusted by the user (the deaf person or the normal person) via the operation unit 1.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a sound processor, which receives an audio signal from a tuner (not shown), controls volume, balance, surround level, etc. according to an instruction from the control unit 2 and outputs the signal to the amplifier 4. The amplifier 4 power-amplifies the audio signal and outputs it to the speaker SP.

5 is a closed caption decoder,
The closed caption signal is extracted from the received video signal, and the decoding process is performed to obtain R (red), G (green),
A B (blue) signal and a luminance signal are generated and output.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a video section, which is composed of a video output circuit and a display device such as a CRT (neither of which is shown). The normal video and the character information when the closed caption mode is turned on by the operation section 1 are displayed. Is displayed on the screen.

Reference numeral 7 is a signal averaging circuit, which is an integrating circuit 7a.
And an analog-digital converter 7b. The signal averaging circuit 7 inputs the current voice signal output from the sound processor 3 in the integrating circuit 7a, averages the current voice signal, converts the current voice signal into a digital signal in the analog-digital converter 7b, and controls the current average voice signal. Output to section 2.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
When the closed caption mode is selected from the operation unit 1, an ON signal is output to the control unit 2. The control unit 2
A sound volume instruction signal is output to the sound processor 3 and an ON instruction signal is output to the closed caption decoder 5.

The sound processor 3 controls the sound volume and the like of an audio signal input from a tuner (not shown) according to an instruction from the control unit 2 and outputs the audio signal to the amplifier 4 and the signal averaging circuit 7. The audio signal is amplified by the amplifier 4, and the speaker S
Audio is output via P.

Also, the closed caption decoder 5
Extracts character information from the input video signal, generates R, G, B signals and a luminance signal and outputs them to the video section 6. On the display screen of the display device (not shown) of the image section 6, character information is displayed in addition to the normal image.

On the other hand, the signal averaging circuit 7 averages the audio signals currently output from the sound processor 3,
The average volume signal is converted into a digital signal and output to the control unit 2.

The control unit 2 monitors the average volume signal level currently output by the signal averaging circuit 7 and compares the volume level data stored in the built-in memory with the current average volume level. When the current average volume level is higher than the preset reference volume level, the control unit 2 issues an instruction signal to the closed caption decoder 5,
The displayed character information is controlled to blink. This blinking cycle becomes faster as the current average volume level increases, that is, as the difference from the reference volume level increases. In this case, it is preferable that the blinking period of the character information for the maximum volume level is set so that the character information can be read.

As described above, as the currently output volume level is higher than the reference volume level, the character information is displayed on the screen of the image section 6 in a blinking manner at a rapid cycle, so it is immediately confirmed that the volume is high. Therefore, the operation unit 1 can quickly perform the operation of lowering the volume.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. The parts corresponding to those in the embodiment of FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the duplicate description will be omitted. The difference from the embodiment of FIG. 1 is that the signal averaging circuit 7 is omitted, and it is configured to determine whether or not the volume level set by the operation unit 1 is higher than the reference volume level, and other configurations are the same. Is.

In such a configuration, the volume level is set in advance via the operation unit 1 and the closed caption mode is turned on. The control unit 2 outputs a volume setting signal to the sound processor 3 so as to output the set volume, and also includes a reference volume level data stored in advance in a built-in RAM memory and the set volume level, for example. Compare with. Moreover, the control unit 2 instructs the closed caption decoder 5 that the closed caption mode is turned on.

The closed caption decoder 5 extracts character information from the input video signal, and outputs R,
The G and B signals and the luminance signal are generated and output to the video unit 6. Character information is displayed on the screen of the display device (not shown) of the image section 6 together with the normal image.

The sound processor 3 outputs a sound signal of a set volume to the amplifier 4 and outputs sound from the speaker SP. At this time, if the set volume level is higher than the reference volume level set in the memory (RAM) in the control unit 2, the control unit 2 outputs an instruction signal to the closed caption decoder 5, and the video unit 6 The character information displayed on the screen of the display device is blinked, and the blinking cycle is controlled to be faster as the set volume level becomes higher than the reference volume level. Therefore,
When the set volume is too high, the volume can be determined by looking at the blinking speed of the displayed character information, and the volume can be immediately reduced via the operation unit 1. Further, it is preferable that the blinking speed is set so that the displayed character information can be read even at the maximum volume, as in the embodiment of FIG.

[0032]

As described above, according to the closed caption display device of the present invention as set forth in claims 1 to 4, it is possible to confirm the volume level while watching the closed caption information and quickly adjust the volume. Therefore, there is an advantage that it is possible to reduce the discomfort of the surrounding healthy persons.

Further, since it can be viewed without erasing the character information by the OSD (on-screen display) as in the prior art, there is an advantage that the continuity of the program content can be viewed without interruption.

Further, according to the present invention as set forth in claim 5, since the blinking cycle of the character information can be read even when the volume is maximum, the program content is not interrupted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a closed caption display device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation part 2 Control part (control means) 3 Sound processor 5 Closed caption decoder 6 Video part 7 Signal averaging circuit (signal averaging means) 7a Integration circuit 7b Analog-digital converter

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H04N 7/08 7/081

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In a closed caption display device of a television receiver including a closed caption decoder, a signal averaging means for averaging audio signals currently output from a sound processor and outputting an average volume signal, The level of the average volume signal is compared with a predetermined reference volume level, and if the average volume signal level is higher than the reference volume level, it is closed according to the difference between the average volume level and the reference volume level. A closed caption display device comprising: a control unit that controls a closed caption decoder so as to change the blinking period of the caption information; and a display unit that displays an image and the closed caption information. 2. In a closed caption display device of a television receiver having a closed caption decoder built-in, an operating section for setting a volume, a volume level set by the operating section and a preset reference volume level. When the set volume level is higher than the reference volume level, the closed caption information is changed so as to change the blinking cycle of the closed caption information according to the difference between the set volume level and the reference volume level. A closed caption display device comprising: control means for controlling a decoder; and display means for displaying video and closed caption information. 3. When comparing the current volume level or the set volume level with the reference volume level, when the current volume level or the set volume level is higher than the reference volume level,
3. The closed caption display device according to claim 1, wherein the blinking cycle of the closed caption information is shortened according to the magnitude of the difference. 4. The closed caption display device according to claim 1, wherein the closed caption information is character information. 5. The closed caption display device according to claim 4, wherein the character information is made to blink periodically at a speed at which the character information can be read.