JP2007006528A - Mobile terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the size of a substitutive image from becoming too large, without giving uneasy feelings to a user, if a television signal can not be received normally. <P>SOLUTION: If an out-of-synchronism detector 23 detects that a television signal can not be received normally, a control section 10 reads a unit pattern image from a memory 24 and sends it to a display control section 19, the unit pattern image being formed to randomly give a driving level of three pixels for each display dot of a display section 18, and the unit pattern image is displayed on a screen of a unit size provided in the display section 18. Furthermore, when a screen of an expanded size is provided in the display section 18, an expanded pattern image iteratively arraying unit pattern images vertically and horizontally is displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a portable terminal having functions of receiving television and displaying television images.

Various types of electronic devices including portable electronic devices typified by mobile phones are being equipped with television broadcast reception functions. As these electronic devices are moved from one place to another and used, the reception environment of the television signal also changes, and when the synchronization of the television image is not maintained, that is, the necessary information can be received. The normal image cannot be displayed.

Conventionally, a technology has been developed that reads out and displays a pre-stored substitute image so that detuning noise is displayed on the screen as it is when a normal image cannot be displayed and the user does not feel uncomfortable. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 stores received image data in advance, and when the disturbance of a received signal is detected, the stored image data is read and displayed.

On the other hand, for video conferencing applications, a technique has been developed to prevent disturbance of the display image on the reception side caused by loss of synchronization on the transmission side or switching of the video input source (for example, Patent Document 2).
reference. ). The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 detects the fact when out-of-synchronization or switching of the video input source occurs on the transmission side, and sends an image including a message prepared for each event to the reception side. It is to transmit. In addition to these, a mobile phone with a television receiving function that displays a solid color image when out of synchronization is also known.
JP 9-172580 A (2nd to 4th pages, FIG. 5) JP-A-6-78300 (2nd to 4th pages, FIG. 2)

The prior art has a problem of lack of continuity (natural feeling) when switching from a screen displaying detuning noise. In addition, Patent Document 1 or the prior art of single color plain color display lacks the message property that conveys the fact that out of sync occurs, and the latter is further associated with the so-called freeze phenomenon of software processing by a stationary inorganic image. Or there was a problem of misunderstanding. Furthermore, the prior art of Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 is used for a large screen (in a relative sense) when switching between large and small screen sizes in portable electronic devices with severe memory capacity restrictions. There is a problem that the substitute image may require a memory size that cannot be ignored.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and even when a television signal cannot be normally received, the display can be switched naturally and without causing discomfort, and a portable memory device having severe memory capacity restrictions. An object of the present invention is to provide a portable terminal that can alleviate the problem of memory size when switching between large and small screen sizes in a portable electronic device.

In order to achieve the above object, a portable terminal of the present invention includes a receiving means for receiving a television signal, a detecting means for detecting loss of synchronization with respect to the television signal received by the receiving means, and the received television signal. Out of synchronization is detected by the detection means when an image based on the received television signal is displayed, a display means for displaying an image generated based on the image, a storage means for storing a plurality of unit pattern images In this case, the apparatus includes a display control unit that reads the plurality of unit pattern images from the storage unit and alternately displays each of the unit pattern images on the display unit.

According to the present invention, even when a television signal cannot be normally received, it is possible to perform screen display without causing uncomfortable feeling naturally, and to prevent the memory size required for the substitute image from becoming excessive. Can do.

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

Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile phone that is a mobile terminal according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a mobile phone according to the first embodiment, and reference numeral 10 denotes a control unit that performs control monitoring of the entire mobile phone 1. Mobile phone 1
Also, the antenna 11, the radio unit 12, the modem unit 13, and the call unit 1 are the same as those of a general mobile phone.
4. A receiver 15, a transmitter 16, an operation unit 17 and a display unit 18 are provided, and voice or data communication can be performed as a subscriber terminal connected to a mobile communication network (not shown). Display unit 1
8 is configured by vertically and horizontally arranging display dots configured by combining three elements of R (red), G (green), and B (blue), and the display control unit 19 is configured by combining three elements of RGB. It is driven by applying a voltage or current input to each display dot. Further, when the television reception is started, the display control unit 19 sets a television screen on a part or all of the display unit 18.

Next, the cellular phone 1 includes a television receiving antenna (hereinafter abbreviated as a TV antenna) 20, a tuner 21 and a demodulator 22, and receives a television broadcast and demodulates an image signal as a display control unit 19. The television image can be displayed on the display unit 18. Further, the out-of-synchronization detector 23 detects that a television image signal that may occur in the tuner 21 cannot be normally received. The out-of-synchronization detector 23 can be realized by a known technique (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Further, the mobile phone 1 includes a memory 24 and a recording unit 25. The memory 24 is provided with an area in which unit pattern images are stored in advance and an area for storing information on images captured by image capture. The unit pattern image is the display unit 18 when the out-of-sync detector 23 detects that the television signal cannot be received normally.
The details will be described later. The recording unit 25 includes a recording memory (not shown) (may be an external storage medium), and is configured to control reading and writing of the recording memory.

Next, the operation of the mobile phone 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation. When television reception is started in response to an operation in the operation unit 17 (step S0), the control unit 10 instructs the display control unit 19 to
A television screen is set on part or all of the display unit 18 (step S1). TV
A tuner 21 selects a channel from a television broadcast carrier received by the antenna 20, and a demodulator 22 demodulates a television image signal including a synchronization signal.

Here, when the tuner 21 is synchronized with the television image signal, the demodulator 22 performs demodulation, and the control unit 10 instructs the demodulator 22 to display the demodulated television image signal as the display driver 19. To send. The display drive unit 19 is generated from the television image signal for each display dot configured by combining three elements of RGB arranged vertically and horizontally within the range of the television screen set in the display unit 18. As a result, a television image is displayed on the television screen set in the display unit 18 (step S3).

Next, when an operation for recording or capturing an image is performed on the operation unit 17 (“YES” in step S4), the control unit 10 instructs the recording unit 25 to record the television image signal, or Information of the image captured from the television image signal is stored in the memory 2
The image information captured by the image capture 4 is written in an area for storing information (step S5).

If no operation for recording or image capture is performed on the operation unit 17 (“NO” in step S4), the process in step S5 is not performed. After the above processing is completed, the control unit 10 returns to the state immediately after setting the television screen and waits again for an event for detecting the presence or absence of synchronization.

On the other hand, when the tuner 21 is out of synchronization and the out-of-synchronization detector 23 detects out-of-synchronization (such as failure to receive a television image signal normally) ("NO" in step S2)
First, the control unit 10 reads out two types of unit pattern images prepared in advance from the area where the unit pattern images are stored in the memory 24 and sends them to the display control unit 19. The display control unit 19 generates a voltage or current generated from each pattern image signal for each display dot configured by combining three elements of RGB arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions in the television screen set in the display unit 18. As a result, two types of unit pattern images are alternately displayed on the television screen (step S6).

Here, the unit pattern image will be described. The two types of unit pattern images used in step S6 can be determined arbitrarily, but detuning noise is displayed on the television screen in a short time after the out of synchronization is detected until the unit pattern image starts to be displayed. Therefore, it is desirable to naturally switch to an image that can express an image of detuning noise without causing discomfort. Therefore, considering a pattern formed so that the voltage or current input level is randomly given to the three elements of each display dot configured by combining the three elements of RGB, for example, FIG. An image as shown in b) is displayed on the display unit 18. FIGS. 3A and 3B are two examples of unit pattern images formed in this way (drawn with some contrast enhanced).

These two unit pattern images are displayed as an image in which sand grains are scattered on one surface as a result of randomly giving the drive level for each pixel. Accordingly, the display image of the detuning noise is maintained to some extent, but since it is a still image, the user does not feel uncomfortable and uncomfortable. In addition, since the two types of unit pattern images are alternately displayed, the so-called freeze phenomenon of the software processing is not associated or misunderstood, and there is an effect of giving the user a sense of security.

On the other hand, a pattern formed by repeatedly arranging small basic images vertically and horizontally is suitable for the purpose of minimizing the size of the area where the unit pattern images of the memory 24 are stored. 4A and 4B are two examples of unit pattern images formed as described above. The unit pattern image shown in FIG. 4A is obtained by repeatedly arranging unit images composed of horizontal straight lines vertically and horizontally to form a horizontal stripe image, and the unit pattern image shown in FIG. 4B is a vertical straight line. Are formed by repeatedly arranging unit images formed vertically and horizontally.

When these unit pattern images are compared with the unit pattern images of FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b),
Although it is difficult to maintain the display image of detuned noise, it has the common feature of being calm and giving a sense of security. Compared to the cases of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the necessary memory size is only for the basic image, and the process of repeatedly arranging it vertically and horizontally can be performed in a regular manner.

Returning to FIG. 2, when the operation unit 17 performs an operation for recording or image capture (“YES” in step S7), the control unit 10 instructs the recording unit 25 to display the unit pattern image. Recording is performed, or these unit pattern images are written in an area for storing information of an image captured by image capture in the memory 24 (step S8). In other words, if you get out of sync (it detects that you are n’t receiving the television signal properly)
Since a television image signal may not be sent from the tuner 21 to the demodulator 22, a television image to be recorded and captured may not be obtained from the demodulator 22, but is stored in the memory 24 described above. Unit patterns are recorded and captured.

If no operation for recording or image capture is performed on the operation unit 17 (“NO” in step S7), the process of step S8 is not performed. After completion of the above processing, an event for detecting the presence or absence of synchronization is again waited. Further, when the television reception is terminated by the operation of the operation unit 17, the process is interrupted at any step of the above process.

In the above description of the first embodiment, the unit pattern image of FIG. 3 is obtained by changing the drive level distribution of display dots formed by combining three elements of RGB, so that the unit pattern image of FIG. By changing, each can be arbitrarily modified. Further, the number of unit pattern images to be displayed alternately is not limited to two, and may be any number as long as it is allowed in terms of memory capacity. The first embodiment can be applied to a mobile terminal other than the mobile phone.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, when a synchronization loss occurs, a random or regular unit pattern image is displayed or further recorded or captured, whereby the image can be switched naturally and used. Display that gives the person a sense of security.

The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In addition, since the portable terminal which concerns on Example 2 of this invention takes the same structure as the mobile telephone 1 of Example 1, it refers also to FIG. However, the display control unit 19 in Example 2 has a function of synthesizing an enlarged pattern image from a unit pattern image as will be described later. When TV reception starts,
It has a function of setting a switchable television screen of unit size or an enlarged television screen in which the length and width of the screen of unit size are doubled (4 times in terms of area and number of dots).

The unit size television screen here is set using a part of the display unit 18, and the enlarged size television screen is set using a part or all of the display unit 18. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining setting of television screens by size. For example, when the television screen of the unit size is an initial screen when the television reception is started or when an operation such as reading of mail is performed in parallel, the cellular phone 1 is placed vertically as shown in FIG. When placed, it is displayed on the hatched part of the display unit 18. Reference numeral 61 denotes a unit size television screen. On the other hand, for example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the enlarged size television screen is displayed on the entire hatched portion of the display unit 18 when the mobile phone 1 is placed horizontally. 62 is an enlarged size television screen, and the vertical and horizontal lengths are unit size television screens 6.
2 times 1 and the area (number of dots) is 4 times.

Next, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile phone 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In response to an operation on the operation unit 17, television reception is started (step S10).
), The control unit 10 confirms whether or not an operation for enlarging the screen size has been performed in the operation unit 17 (step S11), and if it has not been performed (“NO” in step S11)), the control unit 10 When instructed, a television screen of unit size is set in a part of the display unit 18 (step S12).

The subsequent processing is the same as the processing from steps S2 to S8 in FIG. 2 (step S2).
The description is omitted from 13). After the end of step S13, the control unit 10 returns to the state immediately after setting the television screen, and again waits for an event for detecting the presence or absence of synchronization. In addition, if an operation for enlarging the screen size is performed by an operation on the operation unit 17, the process proceeds to the process after “YES” in step S11 described below in an arbitrary step, and if the television reception is ended, in an arbitrary step. Processing is interrupted.

Next, when an operation for enlarging the screen size is performed in the operation unit 17 (“YES” in step S11), the control unit 10 instructs the display control unit 19 to enlarge the size of a part or all of the display unit 18. Is set (step S14). In this state, the tuner 21 selects a channel from the television broadcast carrier wave received by the TV antenna 20, and the demodulator 22 demodulates the television image signal including the synchronization signal to achieve normal synchronization (in step S15). The processing of “YES”) (steps S16-S18) is performed in steps S3-S of FIG.
Since this is the same as the processing of No. 5, description thereof is omitted. Note that a television image displayed, recorded, or captured in these processes has a resolution that is four times as high as the number of dots compared to a unit-size screen. In recording or capturing, recording or capturing may be performed in unit size as in step 5.

On the other hand, when the synchronization in the demodulator 22 is incomplete and the out-of-synchronization detector 23 detects out-of-synchronization (for example, the television signal cannot be normally received) ("
NO "), the control unit 10 reads out two types of unit pattern images prepared in advance from the area of the memory 24 where the unit pattern images are stored, and sends them to the display control unit 19. Display control unit 1
In step 9, each unit pattern image is repeatedly arranged vertically and horizontally to synthesize two kinds of enlarged pattern images (step S19). FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an enlarged pattern image. The enlarged pattern image of FIG. 7 (a) is obtained by repeating the unit pattern image of FIG. 3 (a) twice vertically and horizontally from a total of four unit pattern images, and the enlarged pattern image of FIG. ) Is repeated twice vertically and horizontally, and is synthesized from a total of four unit pattern images. Note that broken lines in the figure indicate unit pattern image breaks that are not actually displayed.

The processing following Step S19 (Steps S20 to S22) is the same as the processing of Steps S6 to S8 in FIG. 2 except that the pattern image is enlarged, and thus description thereof is omitted. However, the image recorded or captured in step 22 may be an enlargement of the single pattern image shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, or may be an enlarged pattern image shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. There may be. After the above processing is completed, the control unit 10 returns to the state immediately after setting the television screen and waits again for an event for detecting the presence or absence of synchronization. The operation unit 17
If the operation for returning the screen to the unit size is performed by the operation in, the process proceeds to the process after “NO” in step S11 described above in an arbitrary step, and if the television reception is terminated, the process is performed in an arbitrary step. Interrupted.

In the description of the second embodiment, the enlarged pattern image of FIG. 7 is shown in FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 4A, FIG. Any combination of images can be arbitrarily modified. Since the unit pattern image gives a random or regular image, a natural enlarged pattern image with little discomfort can be obtained when synthesized. Further, the number of enlarged pattern images to be displayed alternately is not limited to two and may be any number. Furthermore, an appropriate value can be selected as a design parameter for how many unit pattern images are combined from one enlarged pattern image. The second embodiment can also be applied to mobile terminals other than mobile phones.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, a pattern image to be displayed when a television signal cannot be received normally is prepared for a relatively small unit size in an application in which the television screen size is switched. An additional effect is obtained that it can be applied to an enlarged size just by keeping it.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile phone according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile phone according to the first embodiment of the present invention. (a) And (b) is two examples of the unit pattern image formed at random. (a) and (b) are two examples of regularly formed unit pattern images. (A) is unit size, (b) is explanatory drawing of the setting of the enlarged size television screen. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mobile phone according to the second embodiment of the present invention. (a) and (b) are two examples of an enlarged pattern image.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cellular phone 11 Antenna 12 Radio | wireless part 13 Modulator / demodulator 14 Telephone part 15 Receiver 16 Transmitter 17 Operation part 18 Display part 19 Display control part 20 Television reception (TV) antenna 21 Tuner 22 Demodulator 23 Out-of-sync detector 24 memory 25 recording unit

Claims (1)

Receiving means for receiving a television signal;
Detecting means for detecting that the television signal received by the receiving means is not normally received;
Display means for displaying an image generated based on the received television signal;
Storage means for storing a plurality of unit pattern images;
When the detection unit detects that the television signal cannot be normally received when an image based on the received television signal is displayed, the plurality of alternative images are read from the storage unit and A portable terminal comprising display control means for displaying a substitute image on the display means.

Images