JP2002044541A - Receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a receiver that can express information of display data within a limited display area by providing other display area in addition to the display area provided in advance, displaying entire display data as to specific information selected by a viewer and adding indication of supplementing information when information of the display data is missing. SOLUTION: The receiver is provided with an information decoder that decodes program related information received together with a video signal and an audio signal and with a display control section having a comparison means that compares the received program relating information quantity with a displayable information quantity so as to set a display form of the program relating information to be displayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a broadcast and communication receiving apparatus for transmitting information related to a transmitted program together with video or audio data, and decoding and displaying the program-related information in a receiving apparatus. It relates to information that can be displayed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional television signal receiving apparatus, program-related information such as a program name of a broadcast program, a start time and an end time of a program is not transmitted together with a video or audio signal, but is displayed on a television screen. It was impossible to display the information. Therefore, the viewer has obtained such information from a program table described in a newspaper or the like.

In addition, instead of the conventional analog television signal, a digitized signal is transmitted to a satellite, cable,
Digital broadcasting to be transmitted to each home by terrestrial broadcasting is about to start. Some satellite broadcasts in the United States have already been broadcast in such a form, and preparations are underway in Japan to start a similar service. In digital broadcasting, various kinds of additional information can be simultaneously transmitted together with digitized video and audio signals. By using these pieces of additional information, a program table indicating a broadcast schedule of the program can be configured.

On the other hand, in a conventional analog broadcast, a program table similar to that of the digital broadcast can be constructed by adopting a method of multiplexing program-related information during a vertical blanking period. However, the amount of information that can be multiplexed during the vertical blanking interval of analog broadcasting is smaller than the amount of information transmitted by digital broadcasting, and the screen display function of analog broadcasting can handle information that can be treated as its screen display capability. The amount is limited. Therefore, a display screen realized by analog broadcasting has lower expression power than a screen display realized by digital broadcasting.

[0005]

When program-related information such as a program guide is displayed in a predetermined display area such as on a television screen, it is necessary to display all display data due to the limitation of the display area. If the appropriate display area exceeds the display area of the display area, the entire display data cannot be displayed. For this reason, there is a disadvantage that some of the information that can be presented originally is missing. Therefore, in the present invention, the entire display data is displayed for specific information selected by the viewer, and when the display data is missing, the information that the display data has is limited by adding a display that supplements the information. It is intended to be expressed in a display area.

[0006]

A broadcasting and communication receiving apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a receiving means for receiving at least a video signal or an audio signal and program-related information such as a broadcast program name, a start time, and an end time; Decoding means for decoding the program-related information, screen display means for processing the decoded program-related information and displaying it on a screen, and command receiving means for receiving an input signal from a key provided on a remote control or a receiving device body And display control means for controlling a display screen by the input signal.

[0007]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 101 denotes an input terminal for broadcasting and communication from an external antenna or the like; 102, a video signal,
Audio signal, a separating device for extracting an arbitrary signal from the program-related information signal, 103 decodes the video signal and the audio signal,
A / V decoder for reproducing the original image and original audio; 104, an image synthesizing unit for synthesizing video signals and graphics such as characters; 105, a television display; 106, a command receiving unit for receiving user input; An information decoder for decoding program-related information; 108, a program-related information buffer for holding the decoded program-related information;
Denotes a control microcomputer including 106 to 109; 111, an input data amount calculation unit for calculating display data sent from the information buffer; 113, a displayable data amount calculation unit for calculating the number of character strings that can be displayed on the screen; Is a comparing unit for comparing the input data amount with the displayable data amount, 114 is a display data setting unit for setting a character string to be displayed, and 109 is 1
It is a display control unit that includes 11 to 114 and controls the image synthesis unit.

In FIG. 1, a signal input from a signal input unit 101 is sent to a separating device 102. Separation device 1
At 02, a video signal and an audio signal are extracted from the received signal and sent to the A / V decoder. Separation device 1
At 02, program-related information is extracted from the received signal and sent to the information decoder unit 107 in the control microcomputer 110. The program-related information decoded by the information decoder unit 107 is sent to the information buffer 108.

When a signal for requesting display of program-related information is input to the command receiving unit 106, the program-related information held in the information buffer 108 is sent to the input data amount calculation unit 111 in the display control unit 109. The comparison unit 112 in the display control unit 109 compares the number of character strings calculated by the input data amount calculation unit 111 with the number of displayable character strings calculated by the displayable data amount calculation unit 113. The comparison result and the input data are sent to the display data setting unit 114, and the display characters are set. The display control unit 109 includes the image synthesizing unit 10
4 is combined with the display data sent from the display data setting unit 114 and the video signal sent from the A / V decoder 103 and displayed on the television display 105.

In the display data setting unit 114, when the number of character strings of the input data is larger than the number of displayable character strings,
A character string that can be displayed in the input data and a symbol indicating omission are added to the end of the character string, and this is sent to the image combining unit 104 as display data.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a program-related information display screen.
201 is the start time of the program, 202 is the end time of the program, 2
03 indicates a program name. In the example of the program-related information display screen shown in FIG. 2, the program start time 201 and the end time 20
2. The program names 203 are arranged to represent the broadcast schedule of the program. However, the display area for displaying the program names 203 is narrow, and the entire program names 203 cannot be displayed on the screen to the end.

In particular, in the case of a system in Japanese notation, it is necessary to increase the size of characters in order to express kanji.
As a result, the number of character strings that can be displayed in the display area decreases, so that a situation in which not all display data can be displayed appears remarkably.

FIG. 3 is an example of a first program-related information display screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An abbreviated symbol 301 indicates that the end of the display data is omitted.

In the program-related information display screen shown in FIG. 2, it is determined whether the display data such as the program name is all displayed to the end or only a displayable character string of the display data is displayed. Can not do. On the other hand, on the program-related information display screen shown in FIG. 3, when only a displayable character string of the display data is displayed, an abbreviation symbol 301 indicating that the end of the display data is omitted is displayed. It is added to the end of the display character string to clarify that only the displayable character string of the display data is displayed. On the program-related information display screen shown in FIG.
Although "..." is used as a symbol indicating the omission, other symbols may be used. The contents to be displayed include a program start time 201, a program end time 202, a program name 203.
And other information other than the program-related information.

FIG. 4 is an example of a second program-related information display screen according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 401 denotes a first display area, 402 denotes a second display area, 403 denotes a cursor for selecting the first display area 401, and 404 denotes an option display area in which a plurality of first display areas 401 are arranged. It is.

A first display area 401 displays at least a part of display data such as a program name, and a second display area 402 displays a program name or the like to be displayed on the first display area 401. All display data identical to the data is displayed without abbreviated display. The cursor 403 selects the first display area 401 according to a user input signal.

Since the user can arbitrarily select a specific first display area 401 from the first display area 401 arranged in the option display area 404 by operating the cursor 403, the second display area 402 is selected. Can display all display data such as a program name required by the user without abbreviated display.

Further, only display data required by the user is displayed in the second display area 402 without abbreviated, and the display data displayed in the first display area 401 is abbreviated display using an abbreviation symbol. More first display areas can be displayed in the display area 404.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 115 denotes a time information determining unit for determining time information of input data; 117, a display time zone setting unit for setting a time zone of a program guide to be displayed on the screen;
Reference numeral 6 denotes a time information comparing unit for comparing the time information of the input data with the time zone of the program table to be displayed.

When a program-related information screen display request signal is input to command receiving section 106, the program-related information held in information buffer 108 is sent to input data time information discriminating section 115 in display control section 109. Can be The time information comparison unit 116 in the display control unit 109 compares the time information determined by the input data time information determination unit 115 with the display time zone set by the display time zone setting unit 117. The comparison result and the input data are sent to the display data setting unit 114, and the display format is set. The display control unit 109 controls the image synthesizing unit 104, synthesizes the display data sent from the display data setting unit and the video signal sent from the A / V decoder 103, and displays them on the television display 105.

In the program-related information screen, the information field has a display format using at least a character string and a background. The left end of the program name field indicates the start time of the program, and the right end of each information field indicates the end time of the program. And a program table showing a broadcast schedule of the program.

When the display data setting unit 114 determines that the time information of the input data is out of the display time range, the display data setting unit 114 changes the shape of the left or right background of the display data, and Send to The shape of the left or right end of the program name field is changed to clearly indicate that the start time or end time of the program is located outside the time zone indicated by the displayed program guide.

FIG. 6 is an example of a third program-related information display screen according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 501 denotes a channel number column, 502 denotes a time scale column, 503 denotes a first program name display column, 504 denotes a second program name display column, 505 denotes a broadcast start time or a broadcast end time of a program. A continuation display pattern 506 indicating that it is located outside the middle program table is a program name option field in which a plurality of first program name display fields 503 are arranged.

In this program table screen, the horizontal axis represents time, the horizontal display start position of the first program name display column 503 represents the broadcast start time of the program, and the horizontal length is the program length. Represents the broadcast period. Estimated time is time scale column 5
02.

The vertical axis represents the broadcast channel, and the channel number column 501 displays the channel number of the broadcast station, the name of the broadcast station, the logo mark of the broadcast station, and the like.

The user operates the cursor 403 with a key provided on the remote controller or the main body of the receiving apparatus to select one of the first program name display fields 503 displayed in the program name option field 506. . The selected first program name display field 503 is also displayed in the second program name display field 504. At least a part of the program name is displayed in the first program name display column 503, and all the program names are displayed in the second program name display column 504 without abbreviated display.

The broadcast start time, broadcast period, or broadcast end time of a program is represented by a standard time displayed in the time scale column 502. However, if the broadcast period of the program is longer than the period that can be displayed on the program guide screen, or if the broadcast start time and broadcast end time of the program are located outside the time zone represented by the displayed program guide, Broadcast start time,
Alternatively, the broadcast end time cannot be represented in the program guide screen. The continuous display pattern 505 is used to express that the broadcast of the program starts at a time before the displayed time zone or that the broadcast of the program ends at a time after the displayed time zone.

By using the continuous display pattern 505, it is possible to express that the broadcast start time or the broadcast end time is out of the display time zone when the broadcast period extends before and after the display time zone. Will be possible.

FIG. 7 is an example of a fourth program-related information display screen according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 601 denotes a program time information display column.

On the program table screen, a time information display column 601 is provided in the program-related information display screen to display the broadcast start time of the program and the broadcast end time of the program. Accordingly, when the broadcast period of the program is longer than the period that can be displayed on the program table screen, and the time scale column 502 in the program table screen cannot represent the broadcast start time or the broadcast end time of the program, The broadcast start time and the broadcast end time can be displayed, and the time information included in the received program-related information can be specified without missing.

The time information display field 601 may be an independent display area, or may be provided in the second program name display field 504 and displayed together with the program name.

Although the present embodiment has been described with reference to a digital broadcast program guide screen as an example, the present invention is not limited to a digital broadcast, but may be applied to a conventional analog television broadcast.
The present invention can also be applied to a broadcasting system that multiplexes and transmits program-related information. Further, the present invention is not limited to the program guide screen, and can be applied to other general displays.

[0040]

According to the present invention, when displaying information related to a selected item on a program-related information display screen of a broadcast and communication receiving apparatus, the program-related information received by the receiving apparatus is omitted. And a display screen for displaying the entire display data can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a broadcasting and communication receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a display screen of a broadcasting and communication receiving apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a display screen 1 of a broadcast and communication receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a display screen 2 of a broadcasting and communication receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a broadcasting and communication receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a display screen 3 of the broadcast and communication receiving apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a display screen 4 of a broadcasting and communication receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Broadcast and communication input terminal 102 Separation device 103 A / V decoder 104 Image combining unit 105 TV display 106 Command receiving unit 107 Information decoder 108 Information buffer 109 Display control unit 110 Control microcomputer 111 Input data amount calculation unit 112 Comparison unit 113 Displayable data amount calculation unit 114 Display data setting unit 115 Time information determination unit 116 Time information Comparison section 117 Display time zone setting section 201 Program start time 202 Program end time 203 Program name 301 Ellipsis symbol 401 First display area 402 Second display area 403 ... Cursor 404... Choice display area 501... Channel number field 502... Time scale field 503.示欄 504 ...... second program name display column 505 ...... continued display pattern 506 ...... program name alternative column 601 ...... time information display column

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Naoko Saito 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the multimedia system development headquarters of Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Satoshi Takashimizu Yoshida, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 292, Hitachi, Ltd. Multimedia System Development Headquarters, Hitachi, Ltd. (72) Inventor Takanori Eda 292, Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan F-term in Hitachi Multimedia System Development Headquarters (reference) 5C025 BA28 CA09 CB06 CB08 DA01

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A receiving apparatus for receiving a digital broadcast and displaying a video or a plurality of program character information, wherein when one program character information cannot be displayed in a predetermined column, one program character information is omitted. 1. A receiving apparatus comprising: an abbreviated display means for displaying a program character information which is omitted and displayed by a predetermined selection; 2. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether all of one piece of program character information can be displayed in a predetermined column. 3. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit for selecting one piece of program character information from a plurality of pieces of program character information. 4. The receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the abbreviated display means adds an abbreviation symbol when displaying one program character information by omitting it. 5. A receiving apparatus for receiving a digital broadcast and displaying video or background information relating to a plurality of program times, wherein one background program for one program time cannot be displayed in a predetermined column. A change display means for changing and displaying background information related to time, and an overall display means for displaying all background information related to one program time changed and displayed by a predetermined selection in a predetermined column. Receiver. 6. The receiving apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a judging means for judging whether all background information relating to one program time can be displayed in a predetermined column. 7. The receiving apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a selection unit for selecting background information about one program time from background information about a plurality of program times.