EP0625737A1

EP0625737A1 - Method and device for timer programming

Info

Publication number: EP0625737A1
Application number: EP93401306A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jino Nguyen; Nour-Eddine Tazine
Original assignee: Thomson Multimedia SA; Thomson Consumer Electronics SA; Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc
Current assignee: Technicolor SA
Priority date: 1993-05-19
Filing date: 1993-05-19
Publication date: 1994-11-23

Abstract

According to the present invention a list of fields is displayed on a display like a TV screen. Each field corresponds to a given time period, like an hour, a day, a week, or the like. Control-times which are input by a user via an according input device, are displayed in that field, time period of which includes said control-time.

In a preferred embodiment the fields are arranged such that the first field of this list corresponds a given time period, e.g. of a current hour, a current day, like today, a day before or the like. The list can be designed e.g. as a calendar with a number of fields, each for one day. Inside each of these fields a sub-list can be generated which gives an overview of programmed times of the according day.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and an according device for programming a timer which controls devices connected to it.
Timers e.g. for switching on or off respectively devices connected with said timer are well known. There are also timers known which do not simply switch a device on or off but also select operation parameters which effect according operation modes. One example for such a programming is the programming of a video tape-recorder (VTR) which is switched on to a given time and records e.g. a television (TV) program of a given TV-channel.
Timer programming of a device may include one or more on/off times and at each of these times different operation parameters may be selected.
It is also known to realise the timer programming of one or more devices via a common monitor device. Such a monitor device may be a TV set and via this TV set this itself and a VTR may be programmed. It is further possible to program other devices which may be connected to the TV set via a so-called homebus-system, like audio-tuners, further TV sets, further VTRs, or thelike.
The programming of devices where beside on/off-times several operation parameters can be programmed is quite complicate.
It is an object of the present invention to develop a timer system of the type mentioned such that programming is simplified for a user.
This can be realised by a method according to claim 1 and a device according to the first device claim.
Advantageous developments are given by the subclaims.
According to the present invention a list of fields is displayed on a display like a TV screen. Each field corresponds to a given time period, like an hour, a day, a week, or thelike. Control-times which are input by a user via an according input device, are displayed in that field, time period of which includes said control-time.
In a preferred embodiment the fields are arranged such that the first field of this list corresponds a given time period, e.g. of a current hour, a current day, like today, a day before or thelike. The list can be designed e.g. as a calendar with a number of fields, each for one day. Inside each of these fields a sub-list can be generated which gives an over-view of programmed times of the according day.
In a development the calendar-fields are expanded when a time is programmed at the day belonging to an according calendar-field.
Further characteristics, advantages and details of the invention will be explained in the following embodiments, where

Fig. 1: shows a block diagram of a preferred embodiment;
Fig. 2: shows a calendar with a number of fields displayed on a TV screen;
Fig. 3: shows an expanded calendar-field during a program ming process for the according day;
Fig. 4, 5: show flow-charts for subroutines of a preferred method.

Prior to the further description of the embodiments it may be mentioned that the blocks shown in the figures just serve for a better understanding of the invention. Normally some or more of these blocks are integrated to units. These can be realised e.g. as integrated circuit, hybrid circuit or as programcontrolled microcomputer or as part of a program usable for controlling said computer.
The elements included inside the shown stages can also be realised separately.
Fig. 1 shows a block circuit of a preferred embodiment. An electronic control unit (ECU) 100 is connected with a clock (CL) 101, from which it receives clock signals Sc having informa tion of a current date (day, month, year) and of the current time. The ECU 100 sends display signals Sd to a TV set 102 having a screen 103. The TV set 102 receives control signals Su1 from a user via an input unit 104 which can be realised as an infrared (IR) or ultrasonic remote control unit or as a direct input control unit or thelike.
The TV set 102 sends control signals Su2 to the ECU 100, values of these signals Su2 are a mass for the values of the signal Su1. The ECU is further connected to a number of devices 105 to be controlled. According device control signals Sdc are sent from the ECU to the devices 105 and feedback signals Sdf from the devices 105 are received by the ECU 100.
The function of the embodiment of fig. 1 will now be explained with the aid of fig. 2 to fig. 5.
When activating the preferred embodiment of fig. 1, there appears a headline on the screen 103 (see fig. 2) displaying the current date, e.g. "Sunday December 6, 1992" and two fields "PREVIOUS" and "NEXT" respectively. Additionally theme appears a list with a number of fields 106 (more exactly 106.1 to 106.21), in this embodiment arranged as a calendar. The first field 106.1 shows the current date, e.g. with the aid of a text like "Dec, 6", and shows information according to broadcasting services, which have been programmed for this day. The other fields 106.2,...,106.21 show according information.
When the user wants to program broadcasting services, e.g. for Wednesday December 16, he can indicate the corresponding calendar field 106.11 which is displayed in enlarged form, may be instead or in addition to the calendar, like shown in fig. 3.
A method for the above and further described presentations for timer programming are processed by the electronic control unit 100 in this embodiment with the aid of a program including several subroutines. For some of the said presentations flow charts of subroutines are shown in the following figures and are described by according descriptions.
Fig. 4 shows a flow chart of a subroutine used for displaying the calendar fields 106 on the screen 103. After START in step 200 the control unit 100 reads the signal Sc from the clock 101 in step 201. The current calendar date (december 6) is selected from signal Sc and displayed in the headline in step 202. The first field-day is identical with the current date (step 203) and an according calendar-day is elected in step 204. The dates concerning the programmed broadcasting services are elected and the field 106.1 is displayed in step 205. The date value is increased in step 206 and in step 207 is controlled that the steps 204 to 206 are repeated for 21 times.
After the above decribed sub-routine is finished with step 208, the main-routine is running, which controls whether a user inputs any dates. By actuating the "NEXT" or "PREVIOUS" order which can be realised e.g. by a curser which is moved on the according field in the headline or by pressing an according button of the input unit 104, a corresponding day can be elected, e.g. December, 16, like shown in fig. 2.
Thereby the field of fig. 3 appears which is created according to the flow-chart of fig. 5.
If the selected field is the last calendar field 106.21, in this embodiment the calendar will be restructured in that way that the first line (week) disappears and that a new line (week) of calendar fields is created and displayed.
The subroutine of fig. 5 starts with step 300. In step 301 the field date, which means month (December) and day (16), of the elected field 106.11 is displayed. A table, which contains information of programs to be recorded and which is called "record table", is read in step 302. When a date, at which a program is to be recorded and which is called "record date", is identical (step 303) with the field date the according program to be recorded is displayed as shown in fig. 3 (step 304). In step 305, which is elected after step 304 and in those cases in which step 303 decides that the record date and the field date are not identical, the next record date is elected. If this record date is not the last date of the record table (step 306) the program leads again to step 303. Otherwise the subroutine ends (step 307) and leads again to the main program.
Now the complete field for input is displayed on the screen 103 and the ECU 100 waits for further input concerning programs to be recorded.
From time to time the program checks whether one of the record times (month, day, time) is identical with the current time. As current time can be taken the time elected from the signal Sc of clock 101 or, instead and/or additionally transmitted data signals, like the so-called Video-Programming-Signal (VPS), commonly used in Germany, Switzerland, etc.
If one of the record times and the current time is identical, an according device 105 is switched or controlled accordingly. If for example device 105.a is an audio receiver and device 105.b is an audio recorder, the following steps may be realised by this embodiment. Receiver 105.a is switched on, tuned on the correct frequency and output signal is connected with the ECU 100. Device 105.b is also switched on, put into the record mode and the output signal of the receiver 105.a is led to an input terminal of the recorder 105.b.
Further versions of the described embodiments may include at least one of the following variations:

all kinds of audio, video and/or data receivers and recorders can be taken as device 105;
the so-called record time may be used for just controlling a receiver and according monitor/amplifying means to provide the user with according signals. This means it is not necessary to record the received signal;
signals to be recorded or monitored can be received cordless, via an electrical cable, an optical cable, or the like and can be transmitted from a broadcast station, an audio and/or videorecorder, or the like;
the displayed calendar can be such that a complete month is displayed, independent from the current day. This can be realised as a first calendar display or after an according order from the user;
the devices (105) can be connected with eachother via a homebus system.

Claims

Method for timer programming where one or more devices can be controlled in dependence on given control-times, corresponding signals are to be input, characterised in that a list is created including a number of fields (106), each of these fields (106) corresponds to a given time period, and that the input control-times are displayed inside that field to which time period they belong.
Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the first field (106.1) is that field to which the current time belongs.
Method according to one of the claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the fields (106) are arranged as calendar.
Method according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the arrangement of the fields (106) is changed when control-times are input, which be long to the last displayed field (106.21)
Device for timer programming with
- control means (100) which can control one or more devices (105) in dependence on given control-times,

- input means (102, 104) for the input of signals corresponding to given control-times, and

- monitor means (103) for displaying the control-times,
characterised in that
- the control means (100) generate a list which includes a number of fields (106), each of these fields (106) corresponds to a given time period,

- said list is displayed with the aid of the monitor means (103) and

- the input control times are displayed inside that field (106) to which time period they belong.
Device according to claim 5, characterised in that the control means (100) generate the list such that its first field (106.1) is that field to which the current time belongs.
Device according to one of the claims 5 or 6, characterised in that the fields (106) are arranged as calendar.
Device according to one of the claims 5 to 7, characterised in that the control means (100) change the arrangement of the fields (106) when control-times are input, which belong to the last displayed field (106.21)