JP2007121378A - Video display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video display device capable of displaying a composite video in which video and partial video are freely arranged and displayed. <P>SOLUTION: The video display device comprises a video information acquisition part which acquires video information for displaying a video; a partial video information acquisition part which acquires partial video information for displaying a partial video of the video; a composite video information generation part which generates composite video information, wherein the video and the partial video are arranged and displayed, by selecting either a split screen display method or a picture-in-picture method; and a composite video display part which displays a composite video which is a video according to the composite video information. By using this video display device, the whole video and the partial video can be displayed on a single screen. Furthermore, a lay-out of the composite video is automatically determined by arrangement display information produced, on the basis of an aspect ratio of the video and the display, without forcing the user to do special operations. At this time, overlap display of the whole video and the partial video may be permitted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a video display device.

Conventionally, an image display device capable of displaying an enlarged image has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-175045

  However, the video display apparatus adopts only the screen division method, and it is assumed that the picture-in-picture method is used to eliminate the in-screen margin that occurs when any screen becomes sufficiently small. No display method suitable for the user according to the size of the split screen has been proposed.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention proposes a video display device capable of displaying a composite video in which video and partial video are freely arranged and displayed. As a result, the entire video and the partial video can be displayed in one screen. Furthermore, the layout display information generated based on the video and the aspect ratio of the display automatically determines the layout of the composite video without the user being forced to perform any special work. At this time, there may be a case where the entire video and the partial video are allowed to be displayed in an overlapped manner in order to eliminate the user's viewing ease and unnecessary blank space in the screen.

  As described above, in the video display device according to the present invention, the entire video and the partial video are displayed in one screen with the optimal layout display for the user. It can be visually recognized by enlarging it and is convenient. In addition, when the layout of the composite video is automatically determined by the layout display information generated based on the video and the aspect ratio of the display, it is highly convenient because the user is not forced to perform special work. . In addition, since the entire video and the partial video are allowed to be displayed in an overlapping manner depending on the case, a variety of display modes are possible, and a larger display of each video can be realized.

  The best mode for carrying out each invention will be described below. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The first embodiment will mainly describe claims 1, 6, and 7. In the second embodiment, claims 2 to 5 will be mainly described.

  << Embodiment 1 >>

  <Embodiment 1: Overview> An overview of the present embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is a video display device that generates composite video information for arranging and displaying video and partial video and displaying the composite video.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a video display apparatus according to the present embodiment. Now, it is assumed that the video display apparatus acquires video information for displaying soccer video content via a reception tuner or the like. At this time, the video displayed in the right region of the video display device is the entire video that can be displayed by the acquired video information. On the other hand, in the left area, a partial video obtained by cutting out only the central portion of the entire video is displayed. Accordingly, four people are shown in the video in the right area of the video display device, but only two people in the center are cut out in the video in the left area. At this time, the video display device generates composite video information for arranging and displaying the entire video and the partial video. At this time, either the split screen display or the picture-in-picture method can be selected for the arrangement of the entire video and the partial video. In the figure, the scene displayed in the split screen display is shown, but for example, the entire video may be superimposed on the partial video and displayed in the picture-in-picture method.

  <Embodiment 1: Configuration> FIG. 2 shows an example of a functional block diagram in the present embodiment. The “video display device” (0200) of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a “video information acquisition unit” (0201), a “partial video information acquisition unit” (0202), and a “composite video information generation unit” (0203). ) And a “composite video display unit” (0204). The partial video information acquisition unit may include “enlarged partial video information acquisition unit” (0205).

  The “video display device” (0200) includes a wide range of devices having a display capable of displaying video. The display may widely include a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an EL display, a cold cathode matrix type display, and the like.

  The “video information acquisition unit” (0201) acquires video information. “Video information” is information for displaying a video and constitutes content. The video information may include not only information constituting a moving image but also information constituting a still image. In addition, when acquiring content broadcasted via a receiving tuner or downloading content via the Internet or the like, video information is already stored in an HDD or the like in the video display device. It is assumed that the content is read out and acquired.

  The “partial video information acquisition unit” (0202) acquires partial video information. “Partial video information” is information for displaying a partial video of the video. The partial video is information constituting the video of the part cut out from the video information. The part is not limited to the central area of the video, and the user may arbitrarily set a part to be cut out. Moreover, the scale of the part to be cut out may be arbitrarily set by the user.

  The partial video information acquisition unit may include “enlarged partial video information acquisition unit” (0205). The enlarged partial video information acquisition unit acquires the enlarged partial video information as partial video information. The “enlarged partial video information” is information for displaying an enlarged partial video that is an enlarged video of the partial video cut out from the video information. The magnification to be enlarged may be arbitrarily set by the user. In addition, the cut-out partial video is not limited to the one that is enlarged within a range in which the partial video in the display is displayed, and may be enlarged at an excessive magnification. At this time, no display is performed for the range beyond the display area.

  The “composite video information generation unit” (0203) generates composite video information. The “synthesized video information” is information obtained by arranging and displaying the video and the partial video by selecting either the split screen display or the picture-in-picture method. The divided screen display refers to a display form in which a display area is divided and each of a plurality of videos can be displayed in a list. Note that a picture-out-picture method in which the size of the main video and the sub video are different is included in the split screen display. On the other hand, the picture-in-picture method refers to a method in which another video is superimposed and displayed on one video area. In any case, the number of displayed images is not limited to two, and a plurality of images may be displayed. In addition, a black image indicating that nothing is displayed may be displayed in the surplus area generated after displaying all the videos. The selection of either the split screen display or the picture-in-picture method is automatically selected according to the display size of the entire video and partial video, as well as the case where the user can operate the remote control or the like. It is good. Information regarding the arrangement position and the like will be described in detail in the second embodiment.

  The “composite video display unit” (0204) displays the composite video. “Synthetic video” is video based on synthetic video information. By writing the composite video information in the graphic memory, the entire and partial videos are arranged and displayed.

  Embodiment 1 Specific Example FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration in a video display apparatus according to the present embodiment. The operation of each hardware component in the display processing of the video display device will be described using this figure. As shown in this figure, the video display device includes a partial video information acquisition unit and a composite video information generation unit including a “CPU (central processing unit)” (0301) and a “main memory” (0302). A “graphic memory” (0303) is provided as a video display unit. In addition, a “reception tuner” (0305) is provided as a video information acquisition unit. Furthermore, a “storage device (or storage medium)” (0304) and an “interface” (0306) are also provided. These are connected to each other via a data communication path such as a “system bus” (0307), and perform transmission / reception and processing of information.

  Here, the storage device stores various programs executed by the CPU. In addition, the main memory provides a work area which is also a work area of the program at the same time as being read in order to execute the program stored in the storage device. Furthermore, a plurality of addresses are assigned to each of the main memory and the storage device, and programs executed by the CPU can exchange and process data by specifying and accessing the addresses. It has become. The reception tuner has a function of receiving content data. The interface has a function of acquiring a content data reception command, a command for transmitting content data received by the reception tuner to the main memory, a display command for displaying a composite video, and the like.

  By acquiring a video information acquisition command (power ON, channel selection, etc.) at the interface, the video information is acquired via a reception tuner or the like and held at the address (1) of the main memory of the storage device. Also, a partial video information acquisition command is newly acquired at the interface. This can be realized by specifying a portion to be extracted from the entire video by a user's remote control operation or the like, and specifying the magnification when enlarging. A predetermined part is extracted from the acquired video information, and when the extracted part is enlarged, a predetermined enlargement process is performed. In this way, partial video information can be acquired. The acquired partial video information may be temporarily stored in the main memory (2).

  On the other hand, the composite video information generation program P stored at the address (α) of the storage device is expanded on the work area (4) of the main memory. At this time, first, the composite video information generation program P sends out an instruction “Generate composite video information based on data at addresses (1) and (2) in the main memory and store it in the graphic memory”. In accordance with this command, the video information and partial video information stored in the addresses (1) and (2) of the main memory are read, and the CPU performs processing for generating composite video information. The composite video information for arranging and displaying the partial video and the entire video is generated, and the composite video is arranged in the graphic memory according to the composite video information, so that the entire video and the partial video are displayed on the display. It is possible to display.

  <Embodiment 1: Process Flow> FIG. 4 shows a flow of display processing in the video display apparatus of the present embodiment. First, video information for displaying a video is acquired (video information acquisition step S0401). The video information corresponds to a case where content broadcast via a receiving tuner or the like is acquired.

  Next, partial video information for displaying the partial video of the video is acquired (partial video information acquisition step S0402). The partial video information may be acquired by specifying the part by the user's operation, or a predetermined part is determined in advance, and the partial video information can be acquired in synchronization with the acquisition of the video information. Sometimes it becomes. At this time, there is a case where enlarged partial video information for displaying an enlarged partial video, which is a video obtained by enlarging the partial video cut out from the video information, is acquired as partial video information.

  Next, composite video information for selecting and displaying the video and the partial video in either a split screen display or a picture-in-picture method is generated (composite video information generation step S0403). The composite video information is generated according to the display size of the entire video and the partial video.

  Finally, a composite video that is a video based on the composite video information is displayed (composite video display step S0404). According to the composite video information, the video and the partial video are respectively arranged in the graphic memory, so that predetermined content can be displayed at a predetermined position on the display.

  The above processing can be executed by a program for causing a computer to execute, and the program can be recorded on a recording medium readable by the computer. (The same applies throughout the specification.)

  <Embodiment 1: Effect> The present embodiment is a video display device that generates composite video information for arranging and displaying video and partial video and displaying the composite video. Since the entire video and the partial video are displayed on a single screen, the viewer can zoom in on the part that the viewer wants to focus on, which is convenient. At this time, the viewer can zoom in on the portion of the content that he / she wants to focus on and enjoy a powerful video while simultaneously checking the entire video. By displaying the entire contents and details at the same time in a variety of display formats, it is possible to expect the effect of being able to meet the diverse needs of viewers.

  << Embodiment 2 >>

  <Embodiment 2: Overview> An overview of the present embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is a video display device characterized by acquiring layout display information for determining the layout in a composite video. The arrangement display information may be generated based on the aspect ratio information of the video and the aspect ratio information of the display.

  <Embodiment 2: Configuration 1> FIG. 5 shows an example of a functional block diagram in the present embodiment. The “video display device” (0500) of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 5 includes a “video information acquisition unit” (0501), a “partial video information acquisition unit” (0502), and a “composite video information generation unit” (0503). ”,“ Composite video display unit ”(0504), and“ arrangement display information acquisition unit ”(0505). Although not shown, the partial video information acquisition unit may include an enlarged partial video information acquisition unit.

  The “arrangement display information acquisition unit” (0505) acquires arrangement display information. “Arrangement display information” is information for determining the arrangement in the composite video. The layout display information includes information for indicating the layout position in the display area, the vertical / horizontal size and vertical / horizontal ratio of the entire video and partial video, the display size and vertical / horizontal ratio, and the composite video. In some cases, information indicating whether or not to allow images to be combined to be displayed in an overlapping manner is included. The arrangement display information indicates that, for example, the entire image is displayed on the right side of the display area with 360/640 vertical / horizontal dots, and the enlarged image is displayed on the left side of the display area with 720/1280 dots. Information is applicable.

  At this time, depending on the arrangement, the composite video may not fit within the display area of the display. At this time, the display beyond the display area may not be performed. An example of the display at this time is shown in FIG.

  As will be described later, the arrangement display information may be automatically generated and obtainable based on the aspect ratio and size of the video and the display, or may be obtained from data set and input by the user. Good. The acquired arrangement display information may be used in the composite video information generation unit (0503) when generating the composite video information.

  The processing of each other part is the same as in the first embodiment.

  <Embodiment 2: Configuration 2> FIG. 7 shows an example of a functional block diagram in the present embodiment. The “video display device” (0700) of the present embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 includes a “video information acquisition unit” (0701), a “partial video information acquisition unit” (0702), and a “composite video information generation unit” (0703). , A “composite video display unit” (0704), and an “arrangement display information acquisition unit” (0705). Furthermore, the arrangement display information acquisition unit (0705) includes a “video aspect / aspect ratio information acquisition unit” (0706), a “display aspect / aspect ratio information acquisition unit” (0707), and an “arrangement display information generation unit” ( 0708).

  The “video aspect / aspect ratio information acquisition unit” (0706) acquires the video aspect / aspect ratio information from the video information. The “video aspect / aspect ratio information” is information indicating the aspect ratio of the video that can be displayed by the video information. The video aspect ratio / aspect ratio information may include not only information indicating the aspect ratio of the entire image but also information indicating the aspect ratio of the partial image. The video aspect / aspect ratio information is added to the video information and can be acquired when the video information is acquired from a receiving tuner or the like. Further, the information indicating the aspect ratio of the partial video is acquired when it is previously stored in a storage device or the like, and is acquired from the input data by the user when set by the user.

  “Display aspect ratio information acquisition means” (0707) acquires display aspect ratio information of the display on which the composite video is displayed. “Display aspect ratio information” is information indicating the aspect ratio of the display. Display aspect ratio information is stored in advance in a storage device or the like, and can be acquired by reading it.

  The “arrangement display information generating means” (0708) generates the arrangement display information based on the aspect ratio information. The aspect ratio information used as the basis for generating the layout display information includes image aspect ratio information and / or display aspect ratio information. The respective arrangements are determined based on the displayable area and the aspect ratio / size of the entire or partial video.

  The processing of other parts is the same as in the first embodiment.

  <Embodiment 2: Configuration 3> FIG. 8 shows an example of a functional block diagram in the present embodiment. The “video display device” (0800) of this embodiment shown in FIG. 8 includes a “video information acquisition unit” (0801), a “partial video information acquisition unit” (0802), and a “composite video information generation unit” (0803). , A “composite video display unit” (0804), and an “arrangement display information acquisition unit” (0805). Furthermore, the arrangement display information acquisition unit (0805) includes an “overlapping display determination command acquisition unit” (0806). Although not shown, the arrangement display information acquisition unit (0805) may include a video vertical / aspect ratio information acquisition unit, a display vertical / aspect ratio information acquisition unit, and an arrangement display information generation unit. .

  The “overlapping display determination command acquisition unit” (0806) acquires an overlapping display determination command. The “overlapping display determination command” is information that determines whether to display arrangement display information that allows a combined image to be displayed in an overlapping manner, or to acquire arrangement display information that is not allowed. If the overlap display determination command is a command to obtain arrangement display information that does not allow the combined images to be displayed in a composite image, the entire image and the partial image are not overlapped on the display. The displayed arrangement display information can be acquired. At this time, the entire video or / and partial video may be cut or reduced depending on circumstances.

  On the other hand, when the overlap display determination command is a command for obtaining arrangement display information that allows a composite image to be displayed in an overlapping manner, the entire image and the partial image are overlapped. The arrangement display information displayed on the display can be acquired. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of this display form. FIG. 9A shows a mode in which a part of the entire video is superimposed and displayed on the partial video, and FIG. 9B shows a mode in which the entire video is superimposed and displayed on the partial video. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a partial video may be displayed superimposed on the entire video. The arrangement display information acquired in response to the overlap display determination command may be used when the composite video information generation unit (0803) generates the composite video information.

  The overlap display determination command may be acquired from data set and input by the user, and the overlap display determination command acquisition unit may have a size-dependent overlap display determination command acquisition unit. The “size-dependent overlap display determination command acquisition unit” acquires an overlap display determination command according to the video size of the entire video and / or partial video. As an example, let us consider a display mode in which an enlargement video is displayed on one of the two screens of the split screen method, and the entire video is displayed on the other and is positioned for confirmation. In the process of reducing the display area of the entire video for confirmation, if the display area of the entire video exceeds a predetermined threshold value, an overlap display determination command that allows overlapping display is acquired without further reduction. In other words, the entire video can be displayed on the display by being superimposed on the partial video. This eliminates an imbalance in the display balance between the upper and lower blank portions generated as the display area becomes smaller. The predetermined threshold value may be set freely by the user. The threshold value can be determined based on the size at which an image can be recognized, the size that can be reduced in hardware, the apparent relative ratio to the blank portion, and the like. This prevents the video from becoming too small and difficult to view.

  Also, in the case of a display mode in which the entire video for overall confirmation is displayed in the surplus area of the partial video for enlarged display, when the partial video display area is enlarged, the display area of the entire video is relatively reduced. However, at this time, as in the previous example, the display area of the entire video is not reduced beyond a predetermined threshold value, and an overlapping display determination command that allows overlapping display is acquired. As the partial video for enlargement display is enlarged, the overlap between the partial video and the whole video increases, and finally the picture is displayed in a picture-in-picture method in which the whole video is completely superimposed on the partial video. Become.

  The processing of other parts is the same as in the first embodiment.

  <Embodiment 2: Specific Example> FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration in a video display apparatus according to the present embodiment. The operation of each hardware component in the display processing of the video display device will be described using this figure. As shown in this figure, the video display apparatus includes a partial video information acquisition unit, a composite video information generation unit, and a “CPU (central processing unit)” (1001) as a layout display information acquisition unit, and a “main memory”. (1002), and a “graphic memory” (1003) as a composite video display unit. In addition, a “reception tuner” (1005) is provided as a video information acquisition unit. Furthermore, a “storage device (or storage medium)” (1004) and an “interface” (1006) are also provided. These are connected to each other through a data communication path such as a “system bus” (1007), and perform transmission / reception and processing of information.

  By acquiring a video information acquisition command (power ON, channel selection, etc.) at the interface, the video information is acquired via a reception tuner or the like and held at the address (1) of the main memory of the storage device. Also, a partial video information acquisition command is newly acquired at the interface. This can be realized by specifying a portion to be extracted from the entire video by a user's remote control operation or the like, and specifying the magnification when enlarging. A predetermined part is extracted from the acquired video information, and when the extracted part is enlarged, a predetermined enlargement process is performed. In this way, partial video information can be acquired. The acquired partial video information may be temporarily stored in the main memory (2).

  Also, a new arrangement display information acquisition command is acquired through the interface. The arrangement display information may be acquired by a user's remote control operation, etc., and the video aspect ratio / aspect ratio information added to the video information acquired via a receiving tuner or the like is stored and stored in the storage device. It may be generated and acquired based on the displayed display aspect ratio information. The acquired arrangement display information may be temporarily stored in the main memory (3).

  On the other hand, although not shown, the composite video information generation program P stored in the storage device is expanded on the work area of the main memory. At this time, the composite video information generation program P firstly generates the composite video information from the data (1) and (2) based on the data at the address (3) in the main memory and stores it in the graphic memory. Is sent. In accordance with this instruction, the video information and partial video information stored in the addresses (1) and (2) of the main memory are read out, and the CPU displays the information based on the arrangement display information stored in (3). Processing for generating composite video information is performed. The composite video information is generated from the partial video and the entire video based on the arrangement position based on the arrangement display information, and the composite video is arranged in the graphic memory according to the synthetic video information. It is possible to display a video and a partial video.

  <Embodiment 2: Process Flow> FIG. 11 shows a flow of display processing in the video display apparatus of the present embodiment. First, video information for displaying a video is acquired (video information acquisition step S1101). The video information corresponds to a case where content broadcast via a receiving tuner or the like is acquired.

  Next, partial video information for displaying the partial video of the video is acquired (partial video information acquisition step S1102). The partial video information may be acquired by specifying the part by the user's operation, or a predetermined part is determined in advance, and the partial video information can be acquired in synchronization with the acquisition of the video information. Sometimes it becomes. At this time, there is a case where enlarged partial video information for displaying an enlarged partial video, which is a video obtained by enlarging the partial video cut out from the video information, is acquired as partial video information.

  Next, arrangement display information for determining arrangement in the composite video is acquired (arrangement display information acquisition step S1103). At this time, the arrangement display information may be generated based on video aspect ratio information acquired from the video information or display aspect ratio information of a display on which the composite image is displayed. In addition, an overlapping display determination command is acquired, which is information for determining whether to display arrangement display information that allows an image to be combined and displayed in a composite image to be overlapped or not to be acquired. The corresponding arrangement display information may be acquired.

  Further, composite video information for displaying the video and the partial video based on the arrangement display information is generated (composite video information generation step S1104). The composite video information is generated according to the display size of the entire video and the partial video.

  Finally, a composite video that is a video based on the composite video information is displayed (composite video display step S1105). According to the composite video information, the video and the partial video are respectively arranged in the graphic memory, so that predetermined content can be displayed at a predetermined position on the display.

  <Embodiment 2: Effect> The present embodiment is a video display device characterized by acquiring layout display information that determines the layout in a composite video. The arrangement display information generated based on the video and the aspect ratio of the display is highly convenient because the arrangement of the composite video is automatically determined without the user being forced to perform any special work.

  In addition, the entire video and the partial video may be allowed to be displayed in an overlapping manner, so that a variety of display modes are possible, and a larger display of each video can be realized. This can be expected to be effective in that the surplus area can be effectively utilized, particularly when the display area and the aspect ratio of the video content do not match.

Conceptual diagram for explaining the first embodiment The figure which showed an example of the functional block of Embodiment 1. The figure which showed an example of the hardware constitutions of Embodiment 1. The figure which showed the flow of the process of Embodiment 1. The figure which showed an example of the functional block of the structure 1 of Embodiment 2. The figure which showed the example of the display form at the time of expanding beyond the display area in Embodiment 2. The figure which showed an example of the functional block of the structure 2 of Embodiment 2. The figure which showed the example of the overlap display form in Embodiment 2. The figure which showed an example of the concept of the structure 3 of Embodiment 2. The figure which showed an example of the hardware constitutions of Embodiment 2. The figure which showed the flow of the process of Embodiment 2.

Explanation of symbols

0200 Video display device 0201 Video information acquisition unit 0202 Partial video information acquisition unit 0203 Composite video information generation unit 0204 Composite video display unit 0205 Enlarged partial video information acquisition means

Claims (7)

A video information acquisition unit for acquiring video information for displaying video;
A partial video information acquisition unit for acquiring partial video information for displaying a partial video of the video;
A composite video information generating unit that generates composite video information in which the video and the partial video are selected and displayed by either split screen display or picture-in-picture method;
A composite video display unit that displays a composite video that is a video based on the composite video information;
A video display device.   The video display device according to claim 1, further comprising a layout display information acquisition unit that acquires layout display information that defines the layout display in a composite video. The arrangement display information acquisition unit
Video aspect ratio information acquisition means for acquiring image aspect ratio information from image information;
Display aspect ratio information acquiring means for acquiring display aspect ratio information of a display on which the composite video is displayed;
Arrangement display information generating means for generating the arrangement display information based on the aspect ratio information,
The video display device according to claim 2, comprising:   The arrangement display information acquisition unit obtains an overlapping display determination command that is information for determining whether to acquire arrangement display information that allows an image to be combined and displayed in a combined image to be displayed. The video display device according to claim 2, further comprising an overlapping display determination instruction acquisition unit for acquiring.   The video display device according to claim 4, wherein the overlap display determination command acquisition unit includes a size-dependent overlap display determination command acquirer that acquires an overlap display determination command according to the video size of the entire video or / and the partial video.   The partial video information acquisition unit includes an enlarged partial video information acquisition unit that acquires, as partial video information, enlarged partial video information for displaying an enlarged partial video that is an enlarged video of a partial video cut out from the video information. The video display device according to any one of the above. A video information acquisition step for acquiring video information for displaying video;
A partial video information acquisition step of acquiring partial video information for displaying a partial video of the video;
A composite video information generation step for generating composite video information for arranging and displaying the video and the partial video;
A composite video display step for displaying a composite video that is a video based on the composite video information;
A video display method comprising:

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