JP2001186439A - Television receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a television receiver that can select a channel while confirming contents of programs of other station (a component program on the different channel) in real time. SOLUTION: The television receiver is provided with a mode changeover means that selects an ordinary mode where a video image corresponding to single video information is displayed or a multi-screen mode where video images corresponding to a plurality of different video image information sets are displayed on one screen while being separated into a plurality of display areas, an identification display means that visibly identifies a display area selected among a plurality of the display areas from the other display areas in the multiple-screen mode, and a moving picture display means that displays the video image on the display area visibly selected from the other display areas at least by the identification display means in a moving picture. The mode changeover means selects the ordinary mode from the multi-screen mode based on a confirmation operation, the video image having been displayed in the moving picture form is displayed in the ordinary mode after the changeover with the moving picture display means before the confirmation operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a television receiver, and more particularly to a television receiver capable of performing a channel selection operation while confirming program contents.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, the mainstream of channel selection of a television receiver has been such that the whole screen changes at once when a certain channel selection operation is performed. The tuning operation is performed by rotating the station display dial in the television, pressing the station display button (channel button) on the television or the remote controller, or using the up and down buttons on the remote controller one by one. There were many ways to change it. As other channel selection methods, when a specific channel selection operation is performed, the screen of another station is displayed as a sub-screen in one corner of the screen or the still images of multiple stations are simultaneously displayed on one screen Some stations can be seen, but the actual tuning is performed by pressing the station display button on the remote controller.
In addition, as this kind of prior art, for example,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 130080 and 62-21379 are known.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional channel selection method does not take into consideration that the channel selection is performed while checking the broadcast contents of a plurality of stations in real time, and when a certain station is selected. The contents of other stations could not be seen at all, or only two stations could be seen, or even three or more stations could be seen but only still images.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a television receiver capable of selecting a station while confirming the contents of a program (back program) of another station in real time. To provide machines.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a television receiver according to the present invention has a normal mode for displaying an image corresponding to a single image information and a normal mode for displaying a plurality of different image information. Mode switching means for switching between a multi-screen mode in which a video to be displayed is divided into a plurality of display areas and displayed on one screen, and a display area selected from the plurality of display areas during the multi-screen mode, An identification display means for visually distinguishing the display area from the display area, and at least a moving image display means for displaying an image of the display area visually distinguished from the others by the identification display means as a moving image; Means for switching from the multi-screen mode to the normal mode based on an operation for determination, and in the normal mode after the switching, the moving image table before the operation for determination. It is characterized in that to display the image displayed moving image by means.

[0006] The identification display means may display a cursor in a selected display area so as to be visually distinguishable from other display areas. Further, the cursor may be movable between the plurality of display areas by a cursor key provided on a remote controller for remotely operating the television receiver.

According to such a configuration, the video of the display area designated by the cursor, that is, the video of the program that the user desires to view (select) changes from a still image to a moving image. Can understand in real time
In addition, the content of other programs can be roughly grasped though it is a still image. Furthermore, based on the confirmation operation,
The selected and displayed moving image can be viewed in the normal mode. Therefore, the channel selection operation can be performed while checking the current program content.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a channel selection according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram showing a change in screen in channel selection according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a remote controller used for channel selection according to the present invention.

2A and 2B, FIG. 2A shows a normal reception state of the television receiver. For example, it is assumed that a total of 12 stations can be received from station a to station l in alphabetical order. It is assumed that the tuner (hereinafter referred to as "tuner 1") is receiving station d therein. Next, the remote controller issues an instruction to change the screen to the channel selection mode. In this embodiment, this change instruction is
It is issued by touching the trackball, cross cursor key or joystick lever on the remote controller shown in FIGS. 3A, 2B, 3B and 3C. After the change instruction, the tuner, which has been receiving station d until then, continuously receives station d and displays the video as a moving image in the upper left quarter of the screen (hereinafter referred to as the upper left corner).
One-half of the moving image is referred to as a “temporary channel selection screen”). At the same time, the other tuner (hereinafter referred to as “tuner 2”) sequentially saves the images of all the 12 stations being broadcast at that time in the image memory as still images having a size of ８ of the entire screen. , Displayed in the remaining three quarters of the screen,
The tuner 2 also receives the d-station, displays the d-station portion of the still image as a moving image, and further displays a cursor frame in this portion (hereinafter, the moving image in the cursor frame is referred to as a “search screen”). . FIG. 2B shows a screen immediately after the mode is changed to the channel selection mode (hereinafter, a state in which the provisional channel selection screen matches the search screen is referred to as a “provisional channel selection state”). Thereafter, when the track frame 2 on the remote controller is rotated, the cross cursor key 3 is pressed, or the joystick lever 4 is depressed to move the cursor frame on the screen in units of stations, the cursor frame on the screen on which the cursor frame has moved is displayed. The tuner 2 receives the station, the screen of the station becomes a search screen, and the moving picture is displayed. C in FIG. 2 indicates that the cursor has moved to the j-station portion and that this screen is a search screen (hereinafter, a state where the provisional channel selection screen and the search screen are different is referred to as a “search state”. Name).

In the search state, when a confirmation instruction is transmitted by pressing a confirmation instruction button on the remote controller shown in 5 of FIG. 3, the tuner 1 receives the j station and temporarily selects the upper left quarter. The screen is replaced with the j station, a moving image is displayed, and the state is again temporarily selected. Here, when the confirmation instruction is transmitted again by the remote controller, the tuning is completed and the entire screen is switched to the j station. FIG. 2D and FIG. 2E show that the j station in the provisional channel selection state has been selected. If it is desired to select another station without terminating the channel in the temporary channel selection state, if the cursor is moved without issuing a confirmation instruction, the search screen is again in a search state different from the temporary channel selection screen. F in FIG. 2 indicates that the state has been changed from the temporary channel selection state to the search state again, and the search screen has been changed to the station a. Further, G in FIG. 2 and H in FIG. 2 indicate that station a is provisionally selected from the search state and displayed on the provisional selection screen portion, indicating that station a is finally selected. It goes without saying that stations other than the j station and the a station can be selected in a similar manner.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart summarizing the above-mentioned tuning operation. In this embodiment, since there are two tuners, the reception work of a plurality of stations can be performed by the two tuners at the time of simultaneous display of a plurality of stations. This makes it possible to display a plurality of screens at high speed.

In the embodiment described above, an example in which two tuners are provided has been described. However, according to the present invention, an external input device connected to a television receiver in addition to images of a plurality of stations. For example, by reducing the image of a video tape recorder, a video disk, a cable television, a personal computer, and the like, dividing the image at the same time on one screen, and moving the cursor displaying the divided screen on the screen, The station of the image to be shown or an external input may be selected.

[0014]

According to the present invention, the contents of a program desired to be tuned can be known in real time.

Therefore, the user can visually know the contents of a program to be viewed (selecting a desired channel) in the normal mode before selecting the channel, thereby improving the usability of selecting the channel.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of channel selection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram showing a change in a screen during channel selection according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a remote controller used for channel selection according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cursor display frame 2 ... Trackball 3 ... Cross cursor key 4 ... Joystick lever 5 ... Confirmation instruction button aj ... Transmission screen of each station

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] November 9, 2000 (200.11.
9)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All figures

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG. 3

FIG.

FIG. 2

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Naoto Yamakuma 4-6-6 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Maki Furui 4-6-6-1 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Within Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Naoko Kubo 4-6-chome, Kanda-surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Hitachi, Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A television receiver, comprising: a normal mode for displaying video corresponding to a single video information; and a video corresponding to a plurality of different video information, divided into a plurality of display areas and displayed on one screen. Mode switching means for switching between a multi-screen mode to be performed, and identification display means for visually distinguishing a display area selected from the plurality of display areas from other display areas in the multi-screen mode. Moving image display means for displaying a moving image of a display area visually distinguished from the other by the identification display means, wherein the mode switching means switches from the multi-screen mode based on an operation for determination. Switching to the normal mode, and displaying a moving image displayed by the moving image display unit in the normal mode after the switching and before the operation for determination. A television receiver characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein the identification display means displays a cursor on the selected display area so as to be visually distinguishable from other display areas. Machine. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said cursor is movable between said plurality of display areas by a cursor key provided on a remote controller for remotely controlling said television receiver. 3. The television receiver according to item 1.