JP2007335947A - Channel selection apparatus, channel selection method thereof, channel selection program thereof, recording medium for recording the channel selection program, television receiver, control method thereof, control program thereof, and recording medium for recording the control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a channel selection apparatus and a channel selection method the convenience of which can be improved. <P>SOLUTION: A channel selection control means 61 configuring the channel selection apparatus 6 includes: a channel recognition section 541 for recognizing a channel set and entered to a remote controller 3; a channel selection control section 542 for allowing a tuner 2 to receive a television broadcast signal associated with the channel; a timer 543 for measuring a channel selection time; a comparison discrimination section 544 for discriminating whether the channel selection time measured by the timer 543 is a setting time or over on the basis of setting time information; and a memory 55 for storing channel information associated with the channel corresponding to the channel selection time discriminated to be the setting time or over by the comparison discrimination section 544. The channel selection control section 542 allows the tuner 2 to receive the television broadcast signal associated with the channel on the basis of the channel information stored in the memory 55 when re-channel selection information is set and entered to the remote controller 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a channel selection device, a channel selection method, a channel selection program, a recording medium recording the channel selection program, a television receiver, a control method, the control program, and a recording medium recording the control program. .

Conventionally, a channel selection device that causes a receiving means such as a tuner to receive a television broadcast signal related to a channel selected by a viewer, and a display device that displays a television image based on the received television broadcast signal are provided. Television receivers are known.
In such a television receiver, when watching a television program, for example, when entering a commercial message (CM) and leaving the place, the channel may be changed by another person. Here, the viewer needs to remember the latest viewing channel when returning to the channel of the television program that has been viewed until now (hereinafter referred to as the recent viewing channel). If the viewer does not remember the viewing channel recently, the viewer must select a channel at random and determine whether or not it is a TV program that has been viewed so far. I can't figure it out.

Therefore, a channel selection apparatus that performs an automatic channel return operation has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
This channel selection device detects the currently selected channel and stores it in the memory, selects a channel stored in the memory after a predetermined time after the channel is switched by the viewer, It has a function of automatically returning to the viewing channel.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-17499

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, even when the viewer intentionally switches the channel, that is, when the channel is switched to the other channel for the purpose of viewing a TV program of another channel. , After a predetermined time, it automatically returns to the viewing channel recently, and the convenience cannot be improved.
Moreover, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, after the channel is switched by the viewer, the viewer is notified that the countdown timer has been activated. Then, the automatic channel return operation can be canceled when the viewer presses the release key before a certain period of time elapses due to the countdown timer. However, when the viewer intentionally switches the channel as described above, the viewer needs to press the release key every time the channel is switched, and the convenience cannot be improved.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a channel selection device capable of improving convenience, this channel selection method, this channel selection program, a recording medium recording this channel selection program, a television receiver, this control method, this control program, this It is to provide a recording medium on which a control program is recorded.

  A channel selection apparatus according to the present invention includes a setting input unit configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel, and a channel selection control for causing a reception unit to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel set and input to the setting input unit. A channel selection control unit for performing the channel selection control unit, wherein the setting input unit is configured to be able to set and input re-tuning information indicating that the channel previously selected is selected again, The channel selection control means is a channel recognition section for recognizing a channel set and inputted to the setting input means, and a channel selection control for causing the reception means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition section. And a measurement unit that measures the channel selection time during which the channel selection control is performed by the channel selection control unit according to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit. A set time information storage unit that stores set time information related to a predetermined set time, a channel selection time measured by the measurement unit, and a set time based on the set time information, and the channel selection time A comparison / determination unit that determines whether or not the set time is exceeded, and a channel information storage that stores channel information related to the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined by the comparison / determination unit to be equal to or longer than the set time. And the channel selection control unit, when the re-selection information is set and input to the setting input unit, the television broadcast signal related to the channel based on the channel information stored in the channel information storage unit. Retuning control to be received by the receiving means is performed.

In the present invention, the channel selection device includes a channel recognition unit, a channel selection control unit, a measurement unit, a set time information storage unit, a comparison determination unit, and a channel information storage unit. Since the means is provided, a re-tuning process for re-selecting a previously selected channel can be executed as described below.
First, the channel recognizing unit recognizes the channel by setting input of a predetermined channel to the setting input means by the viewer (channel recognition step).
Next, the channel selection control unit controls the reception unit, and performs channel selection control that causes the reception unit to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit (channel selection control step).
Further, the measurement unit measures the channel selection time during which the channel selection control is performed by the channel selection control unit according to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit (measurement step). That is, the measurement unit measures the channel selection time during which a channel is selected (the time from when a predetermined channel is selected until another channel is selected).

Next, the comparison determination unit compares the channel selection time measured by the measurement unit with the set time based on the set time information stored in advance in the set time information storage unit, and the channel selection time is equal to or greater than the set time. It is determined whether or not there is (comparison determination step).
Here, the comparison / determination unit stores the channel information related to the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or longer than the set time in the channel information storage unit (channel information storage step).
Then, the channel selection control unit sets the channel information stored in the channel information storage unit when the re-selection information for selecting the channel again is set and input to the setting input unit. Re-tuning control is performed to cause the receiving unit to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel based on the read channel information (re-tuning control step).

With the above configuration, even when another person has changed the channel while watching a TV program, the viewer remembers the channel of the TV program that he / she has watched so far. The TV program of the channel that was previously viewed can be viewed again by a simple operation of setting and inputting the re-tuning information to the setting input means.
In addition, as a trigger when the re-tuning information is set and input to the setting input means, the previously selected channel is selected again, so even if the viewer intentionally switches the channel, As in the prior art, it does not automatically return to the viewing channel recently after a predetermined time. Further, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary for the viewer to perform an operation of pressing the release key every time the channel is switched.
Therefore, according to the channel selection device of the present invention, the convenience can be improved.

A channel selection method for a channel selection apparatus according to the present invention includes a setting input unit configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel, and a reception unit to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel set and input to the setting input unit. A channel selection method for a channel selection apparatus comprising channel selection control means for performing channel selection control, wherein the channel selection control means recognizes a channel set and input to the setting input means, A channel selection control step for performing channel selection control for causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized in the channel recognition step; and the channel selection control according to the channel recognized in the channel recognition step. A step of measuring the channel selection time during which the channel selection control is performed in step, a channel selection time measured in the measurement step, and a predetermined setting. A comparison determination step for comparing whether or not the channel selection time is equal to or greater than the set time, and corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or greater than the set time in the comparison determination step Channel information storing step for storing channel information relating to the channel, and when the re-selection information for selecting again the channel previously selected is set and input to the setting input means, based on the channel information And a re-tuning control step of performing re-tuning control for causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel.
Since the channel selection method of the present invention is implemented by the above-described channel selection device, it can enjoy the same operations and effects as the above-described channel selection device.

  The channel selection program of the channel selection apparatus according to the present invention has a setting input unit configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel, and causes the receiving unit to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel set and input to the setting input unit. A channel selection program for a channel selection device including channel selection control means for performing channel selection control, wherein the channel selection control means is caused to execute the above-described channel selection method.

  The recording medium of the present invention is characterized in that the above-described channel selection program is recorded in a computer in a readable manner.

  Since the channel selection program and the recording medium configured as described above are used to implement the channel selection method described above, the same operations and effects as those of the channel selection method described above can be enjoyed.

The television receiver of the present invention displays on the display means a receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal, the above-described channel selection device, and a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the receiving means. And a display control means.
Since the television receiver of the present invention includes the above-described channel selecting device, it can enjoy the same operations and effects as the above-described channel selecting device.

  The television receiver of the present invention includes a receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal, a setting input means configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel, and a television relating to a channel set and input to the setting input means. A television receiver comprising: a control means for causing the receiving means to receive a broadcast signal and causing a display means to display a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the receiving means. The input means is configured to be able to set and input re-tuning information indicating that the previously selected channel is selected again, and the control means recognizes the channel set and input to the setting input means. And a channel selection control for causing the reception means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit A channel selection control unit to be implemented, a measurement unit for measuring the channel selection time in which the channel selection control is performed by the channel selection control unit according to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit, and a predetermined set time A set time information storage unit that stores set time information related to, a channel selection time measured by the measurement unit, and a set time based on the set time information, and the channel selection time is equal to or greater than the set time A comparison determination unit that determines whether or not there is, a channel information storage unit that sequentially stores channel information related to the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or longer than the set time by the comparison determination unit; A list creation unit that creates a list of the channel information that can be displayed on the display unit based on the plurality of channel information stored in the channel information storage unit; and the setting input unit When said re-election station information is set and input, characterized in that it comprises a superimposing display control unit for superimposing displaying the list in the television picture on.

In the present invention, the television receiver includes a channel recognition unit, a channel selection control unit, a measurement unit, a set time information storage unit, a comparison determination unit, a channel information storage unit, a list creation unit, Since the control means including the display control unit is provided, a re-tuning process for re-selecting a previously selected channel can be executed as described below.
First, the channel recognizing unit recognizes the channel by setting input of a predetermined channel to the setting input means by the viewer (channel recognition step).
Next, the channel selection control unit controls the reception unit, and performs channel selection control that causes the reception unit to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit (channel selection control step).
Further, the measurement unit measures the channel selection time during which the channel selection control is performed by the channel selection control unit according to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit (measurement step). That is, the measurement unit measures the channel selection time during which a channel is selected (the time from when a predetermined channel is selected until another channel is selected).

Next, the comparison determination unit compares the channel selection time measured by the measurement unit with the set time based on the set time information stored in advance in the set time information storage unit, and the channel selection time is equal to or greater than the set time. It is determined whether or not there is (comparison determination step).
Here, the comparison / determination unit causes the channel information storage unit to sequentially store channel information related to the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or longer than the set time (channel information storage step).
Next, the list creation unit reads a plurality of channel information stored in the channel information storage unit, and creates a list of channel information that can be displayed on the display unit based on the plurality of channel information (list creation). Step).
The superimposition display control unit sets the list created by the list creation unit when re-tuning information indicating that the channel previously selected is selected again is set and input to the setting input unit. And the list is superimposed on the television image and displayed on the display means (superimposition display control step). That is, by superimposing the list on the television image, the user is made to recognize a plurality of channels that have been previously selected, and is prompted to select one of the plurality of channels.
Therefore, when the user selects a channel based on the list superimposed on the television image, the previously selected channel is selected again by the channel recognition step and the channel selection control step described above. It will be.

With the above configuration, even when another person has changed the channel while watching a TV program, the viewer remembers the channel of the TV program that he / she has watched so far. It is not necessary to set the re-tuning information in the setting input means, and the channel that was previously viewed can be recognized from the list by a simple operation. In addition, the viewer can set and input any one of the channels in the list to the setting input means, so that the viewer can watch the TV program of the channel that was previously viewed again.
Also, triggered by the re-selection information being set and input to the setting input means, a list of a plurality of channel information is superimposed on the television image to prompt selection of the previously selected channel, and the channel is selected. As a result, the previously selected channel is selected again, so even if the viewer intentionally switches the channel, the channel is automatically set to the recently viewed channel after a predetermined time, as in the past. Will never return. Further, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary for the viewer to perform an operation of pressing the release key every time the channel is switched.
Therefore, according to the television receiver of the present invention, the convenience can be improved.

  The control method of the television receiver of the present invention includes a receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal, a setting input means configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel, and a channel set and input to the setting input means. A control method for a television receiver comprising: control means for causing the receiving means to receive such a television broadcast signal and causing the display means to display a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the receiving means. The control means recognizes a channel set and inputted to the setting input means, and selects the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized in the channel recognition step. A channel selection control step for performing station control and a channel recognized in the channel recognition step. Measuring the channel selection time measured in the channel selection control step according to the channel, comparing the channel selection time measured in the measurement step with a predetermined setting time, A comparison determination step for determining whether or not the channel selection time is equal to or longer than the set time, and sequentially channel information on the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or longer than the set time in the comparison determination step, A channel information storing step for storing, a list creating step for creating a list of the channel information that can be displayed on the display means based on the plurality of channel information stored in the channel information storing step, and the setting When the re-tuning information is set and input to the input means, the superimposition display control system for superimposing the list on the television image. And executes and-up.

  Since the television receiver control method of the present invention is implemented by the above-described television receiver, the same operations and effects as those of the above-described television receiver can be enjoyed.

  A control program for a television receiver according to the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives a television broadcast signal, a setting input unit configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel, and a channel set and input to the setting input unit. A control program for a television receiver, comprising: control means for causing the receiving means to receive the television broadcast signal and to display a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the receiving means on the display means Then, the control means is caused to execute the control method described above.

  The recording medium of the present invention is characterized in that the control program described above is recorded in a computer readable manner.

  Since the control program and the recording medium configured as described above are used to implement the control method described above, the same operations and effects as the control method described above can be enjoyed.

[First embodiment]
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Configuration of television receiver]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the television receiver 1.
The television receiver 1 receives a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to a channel selected by a viewer and displays a television image based on the television broadcast signal. As shown in FIG. 1, the television receiver 1 includes a tuner 2 as receiving means, a remote controller 3 as setting input means, an image display device 4 as display means, a control device 5 and the like.

  The tuner 2 selects and receives a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to a predetermined channel from the television broadcast signals received via the antenna ANT, under the control of the control device 5. The tuner 2 converts the received television broadcast signal into a signal having a constant frequency and outputs the signal to the control device 5.

The remote controller 3 includes a plurality of operation keys 31, and when the operation key is pressed by the viewer, the remote controller 3 transmits an operation signal corresponding to the operation key to the control device 5 by infrared rays. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of operation keys 31 are a re-selection indicating that a plurality of channel operation keys 311 for setting and inputting a predetermined channel and a previously selected channel are selected again. It includes a re-tuning operation key 312 for setting and inputting station information. The remote controller 3 transmits an operation signal such as a channel switching operation signal when the channel operation key 311 is pressed or a re-selection operation signal when the re-selection operation key 312 is pressed.
In FIG. 1, operation keys for turning on / off the television receiver 1 using a plurality of operation keys 31, operation keys for adjusting volume, and image adjustment (size adjustment, image quality adjustment, etc.) are executed. Other operation keys such as operation keys are not shown.
In addition, the remote controller 3 is configured to transmit the operation signal using infrared rays, but may be configured to transmit the operation signal using radio waves.

  The image display device 4 displays a television image or the like based on a television broadcast signal under the control of the control device 5.

The control device 5 controls the tuner 2, the remote controller 3, the image display device 4, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 5 includes a signal processing unit 51, an information separation unit 52, an image information processing unit 53, a control unit 54, a memory 55, and the like.
The signal processing unit 51 receives the infrared operation signal transmitted from the remote controller 3, converts it into a signal (digital signal) that can be read by the control unit 54, and outputs the signal to the control unit 54.

  The information separation unit 52 is composed of, for example, a demultiplexer, and separates and extracts image information, audio information, EPG (Electronic Program Guide) information, and the like from the signal converted by the tuner 2. Among these, the image information is output to the image information processing unit 53. Also, the voice information is processed by a voice information processing unit (not shown) and output as voice corresponding to the voice information via a speaker (not shown). Further, the EPG information is processed by an EPG information processing unit (not shown) and displayed on the image display device 4 as appropriate.

The image information processing unit 53 performs image processing and drawing processing on the image information output from the information separation unit 52. As shown in FIG. 1, the image information processing unit 53 includes an image processing unit 531, a drawing processing unit 532, a buffer 533, and an image output unit 534.
The image processing unit 531 converts the image information output from the information separation unit 52 into image information for each frame that conforms to the specifications of the image display device 4, and outputs the image information to the drawing processing unit 532.
The drawing processing unit 532 adjusts the image size, the display position, and the image displayed on the image display device 4 under the control of the control unit 54 with respect to the image information output from the image processing unit 531. And output to the buffer 533 as a display image of one frame.
The image output unit 534 reads the display image stored in the buffer 533 and outputs it as an image signal to the image display device 4. Then, the image display device 4 displays a television video based on the television broadcast signal received by the tuner 2.

The control unit 54 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like that reads and executes a control program (such as a channel selection program) from the memory 55, and controls the entire television receiver 1, as shown in FIG. In addition, a channel recognition unit 541, a channel selection control unit 542, a timer 543 as a measurement unit, a comparison determination unit 544, a display control unit 545 as a display control means, and the like are provided.
The channel recognition unit 541 recognizes a channel set and input to the remote controller 3 by the viewer based on a channel switching operation signal (digital signal) transmitted from the remote controller 3 and input via the signal processing unit 51. Then, the channel recognition unit 541 stores channel information regarding the recognized channel in an internal memory (not shown) of the control unit 54. Here, as a channel recognizing method by the channel recognizing unit 541, for example, channel information (channel number, broadcasting station name corresponding to the channel number, etc.) previously associated with the channel switching operation signal (digital signal) is not shown. For example, the channel information can be recognized by acquiring channel information associated with the input channel switching operation signal from the internal memory. Then, the channel recognition unit 541 stores channel information regarding the recognized channel in an internal memory (not shown) or the like.

The channel selection control unit 542 controls the tuner 2 and performs channel selection control that causes the tuner 2 to receive a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit 541.
In addition, the channel selection control unit 542 receives a channel selection operation signal (digital signal) transmitted from the remote controller 3 via the signal processing unit 51 and relates to a channel based on channel information stored in the memory 55. Re-tuning control is performed so that the tuner 2 receives a frequency television broadcast signal.

  The timer 543 measures the channel selection time during which the channel selection control is performed by the channel selection control unit 542 according to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit 541. More specifically, the timer 543 starts measuring time with the input of a channel switching operation signal via the signal processing unit 51 as a trigger. In addition, when the channel switching operation signal is input via the signal processing unit 51 during the time measurement, the timer 543 stops the time measurement and starts the time measurement again. That is, the timer 543 measures the channel selection time from when the remote controller 3 is operated by the viewer and a channel is set and input until another channel is set and input (until the channel is switched).

  The comparison determination unit 544 compares the channel selection time measured by the timer 543 with the set time based on the set time information stored in the memory 55, and determines whether or not the channel selection time is equal to or greater than the set time. To do. When the comparison determination unit 544 determines that the channel selection time is equal to or longer than the set time, the comparison determination unit 544 recognizes channel information corresponding to the channel selection time from the internal memory, and stores the recognized channel information in the memory 55. .

  The display control unit 545 operates a predetermined control command to the image information processing unit 53 in accordance with an operation signal for performing adjustment of an image operated by the viewer and output from the remote controller 3, or a control program stored in the memory 55. , And causes the image information processing unit 53 to execute the above-described processing on the image information. Then, the display control unit 545 causes the image display device 4 to display a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the tuner 2.

The memory 55 stores information necessary for processing by the control unit 54 (for example, control program and set time information) and information processed by the control unit 54 (for example, channel information).
The set time information is information relating to a predetermined set time and is stored in the memory 55 in advance.
In the present embodiment, the memory 55 is configured to store only one channel information when storing the channel information. That is, the memory 55 is configured to sequentially update the stored channel information to the channel information output from the comparison / determination unit 544.
That is, the memory 55 corresponds to a set time information storage unit and a channel information storage unit according to the present invention.
The channel recognition unit 541, the channel selection control unit 542, the timer 543, the comparison determination unit 544, and the memory 55 correspond to the channel selection control unit 61 (FIG. 1) according to the present invention.
Further, the channel selection control means 61, the signal processing unit 51, and the remote controller 3 correspond to the channel selection device 6 (FIG. 1) according to the present invention.

[Control method of television receiver]
Next, a method for controlling the television receiver 1 by the control device 5 described above (a channel selection method for the channel selection device 6) will be described with reference to the drawings.
2 and 3 are flowcharts for explaining a control method of the television receiver 1 by the control device 5. Specifically, FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a channel selection process executed by the control device 5. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the re-tuning process executed by the control device 5.

[Channel selection processing by control device]
First, the channel selection process executed by the control device 5 will be described with reference to FIG.
In the following description, it is assumed that the power of the television receiver 1 is ON, a predetermined channel is selected, and a television image related to the channel is displayed on the image display device 4.
First, the channel recognition unit 541 of the control device 5 constantly monitors whether or not the remote controller 3 is operated by the viewer and a channel switching operation signal transmitted from the remote controller 3 and input via the signal processing unit 51 is input. (Step S1).
In step S1, when the channel recognition unit 541 receives a channel switching operation signal via the signal processing unit 51, the channel recognition unit 541 recognizes the channel set and input to the remote controller 3 by the viewer based on the channel switching operation signal (step S1). S2: Channel recognition step). Then, the channel recognition unit 541 stores channel information regarding the recognized channel in the internal memory.

After step S2, the channel selection control unit 542 of the control device 5 controls the tuner 2, and performs channel selection control that causes the tuner 2 to receive a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit 541. Implement (step S3: channel selection control step).
After step S <b> 3, the display control unit 545 of the control device 5 outputs a predetermined control command to the image information processing unit 53, causes the image information processing unit 53 to execute processing on the image information, and receives it by the tuner 2. A television image based on the television broadcast signal thus displayed is displayed on the image display device 4 (step S4).

Further, after step S2, the timer 543 of the control device 5 starts measuring time in parallel with steps S3 and S4 (step S5: measurement step).
After step S5, the channel recognizing unit 541 constantly monitors whether or not a channel switching operation signal has been input, similarly to step S1 described above (step S6).
If the channel recognition unit 541 determines “N” in step S6, that is, if it is determined that the operation of switching the channel is not performed by the operation of the remote controller 3 by the viewer, the above-described steps S3 to S3 are performed. Continue S5.

  On the other hand, when the channel recognizing unit 541 determines “Y” in step S6, that is, when it is determined that an operation of switching channels is performed by the operation of the remote controller 3 by the viewer, the comparison determining unit 544 The set time information stored in the memory 55 is read, and the channel selection time until the channel measured by the timer 543 is switched is recognized. Then, the comparison determination unit 544 determines whether or not the channel selection time is equal to or longer than the set time based on the set time information (S7: comparison determination step). That is, the comparison / determination unit 544 determines whether or not the viewing time (channel selection time) of the television image related to the channel set and input by the viewer in step S1 is equal to or longer than the set time.

  If the comparison determination unit 544 determines “N” in step S7, that is, if it is determined that the channel selection time is less than the set time, the process returns to step S2 described above. Then, similarly to the above, based on the channel switching operation signal input by the viewer operating the remote controller 3 in step S6, the channel set and input by the viewer is recognized (step S2), and the television of the frequency related to the channel is set. Tuning control for causing the tuner 2 to receive the John broadcast signal (Step S3), display of the television image based on the received television broadcast signal (Step S4), and selection of the television image related to the channel set and input by the viewer Station time is measured (step S5).

On the other hand, in step S7, when the comparison determination unit 544 determines “Y”, that is, when the channel selection time is determined to be equal to or longer than the set time, the channel recognition unit 541 stores it in the internal memory. The channel information (channel information corresponding to the channel selection time) is recognized, and the recognized channel information is stored in the memory 55 (step S8: channel information storage step).
After step S8, the process returns to step S2 described above. Then, similarly to the above, based on the channel switching operation signal input by the viewer operating the remote controller 3 in step S6, the channel set and input by the viewer is recognized (step S2), and the television of the frequency related to the channel is set. Tuning control for causing the tuner 2 to receive the John broadcast signal (Step S3), display of the television image based on the received television broadcast signal (Step S4), and selection of the television image related to the channel set and input by the viewer Station time is measured (step S5).
As described above, steps S2, S3, S4, S5, S7, and S8 are repeatedly executed in response to the input of the channel switching operation signal (step S6).

[Re-tuning process by control device]
Next, the re-tuning process executed by the control device 5 will be described with reference to FIG.
In the following description, it is assumed that the above-described channel selection process is executed by the control device 5 and a television image is displayed on the image display device 4.
First, the channel selection control unit 542 constantly monitors whether or not the remote controller 3 is operated by the viewer and a re-selection operation signal transmitted from the remote controller 3 and input via the signal processing unit 51 is input (step S11). ).

In step S11, when the channel selection control unit 542 inputs the re-selection operation signal via the signal processing unit 51, the channel selection information stored in the memory 55 in step S8 described above is read (step S12).
After step S12, the channel selection control unit 542 performs re-tuning control that causes the tuner 2 to receive a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to the channel based on the read channel information (step S13: re-tuning control step).
After step S13, the display control unit 545 outputs a predetermined control command to the image information processing unit 53, causes the image information processing unit 53 to perform processing on the image information, and receives the television set received by the tuner 2. A television image based on the broadcast signal is displayed on the image display device 4 (step S14).

The first embodiment described above has the following effects.
In this embodiment, the channel selection device 6 constituting the television receiver 1 includes a channel recognition unit 541, a channel selection control unit 542, a timer 543, a comparison determination unit 544, and a memory 55. A tuning control means 61 is provided. This makes it necessary for viewers to remember the TV program channels they have been watching, even if they change the channel while watching TV programs. The television program of the channel that was previously viewed can be viewed again by a simple operation of pressing the re-tuning operation key 312 of the remote controller 3.

In addition, when the channel selection operation key 312 of the remote controller 3 is pressed (a channel selection operation signal is input), the channel selected previously is selected again, so that the viewer can select the channel. Even if it is intentionally switched, i.e., when switching to the other channel for the purpose of viewing a TV program on another channel, There is no automatic return to the TV show channel. Further, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary for the viewer to perform an operation of pressing the release key every time the channel is switched.
Therefore, according to the television receiver 1 of this embodiment, the convenience can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, 2nd Embodiment of this invention is described based on drawing.
In the following description, the same structure and the same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted or simplified.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the television receiver 1A in the second embodiment.
In the first embodiment, the memory 55 stores only one channel information. When the re-tuning operation signal is input via the signal processing unit 51, the control device 5 receives the television broadcast signal having the frequency related to the channel based on only one channel information stored in the memory 55 as the tuner 2. And a re-tuning process for displaying a television image based on the received television broadcast signal on the image display device 4 is executed.
On the other hand, in the second embodiment, channel information is sequentially stored in the memory 55A. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the configuration of the display control unit 545A is different from that of the first embodiment. Then, when the control device 5A serving as the control means inputs a re-tuning operation signal via the signal processing unit 51, the control device 5A generates channel information list data based on the plurality of channel information stored in the memory 55A. The list data is created and superimposed on a television image to prompt selection, the tuner 2 receives a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to the selected channel, and the television based on the received television broadcast signal A re-tuning process for displaying the video on the image display device 4 is executed. That is, the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the memory 55A stores a plurality of channel information, the function of the channel selection control unit 542A is different, and the configuration of the display control unit 545A is different.

Similarly to the memory 55 described in the first embodiment, the memory 55A is information necessary for processing by the control unit 54A (for example, control program and set time information) and information processed by the control unit 54A (for example, , Channel information, etc.).
In the present embodiment, the memory 55 </ b> A is configured to sequentially store channel information output from the comparison determination unit 544. For example, the channel information stored in the memory 55A has a table structure that is arranged according to the stored order.
That is, the memory 55A corresponds to the set time information storage unit and the channel information storage unit according to the present invention, like the memory 55 described in the first embodiment.
The channel selection control unit 542A has substantially the same function as the channel selection control unit 542 described in the first embodiment, and is different in that no re-selection control is performed.

In addition to the same function as the display control unit 545 described in the first embodiment, the display control unit 545A includes a list creation unit 5451 and a superimposed display control unit 5452 as shown in FIG.
The list creation unit 5451 reads a plurality of channel information stored in the memory 55A, and creates a list of channel information that can be displayed on the image display device 4 based on the plurality of channel information.
When the re-selection operation signal is input via the signal processing unit 51, the superimposed display control unit 5452 receives a predetermined control command from the image information processing unit 53 and the list data created by the list creation unit 5451. Is output. Then, the image information processing unit 53 causes the image display device 4 to display the list display data superimposed on the television video based on the control command and the list data output from the superimposed display control unit 5452.

Next, a control method of the television receiver 1A in the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a control method of the television receiver 1A by the control device 5A according to the second embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the re-tuning process executed by the control device 5A.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of controlling the television receiver 1A by the control device 5A. Specifically, FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating information displayed on the image display device 4.
The control method for the television receiver 1A in the present embodiment is different from the control method in the first embodiment only in the re-tuning process executed by the control device 5A. Hereinafter, the control method is executed by the control device 5A. The re-tuning process to be performed will be described.
In the following description, it is assumed that the channel selection process described in the first embodiment is executed by the control device 5A and a television image is displayed on the image display device 4.
First, similarly to step S11 described in the first embodiment, the control device 5A operates the remote controller 3 by the viewer and inputs a re-tuning operation signal transmitted from the remote controller 3 via the signal processing unit 51. It is constantly monitored whether or not it has been done (step S11).

In step S11, when the display control unit 545A inputs a re-tuning operation signal via the signal processing unit 51, the display control unit 545A reads a plurality of channel information stored in the memory 55A (step S21).
After step S21, the list creation unit 5451 of the display control unit 545A creates channel information list data based on the read channel information (step S22: list creation step).
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the list data D <b> 1 is based on a plurality of channel information, and “channels” such as “10: ○○○”, “15: ΔΔΔ”, “20: xxx”, etc. An example is a data structure in which channel information of “number: broadcast station name” are arranged in the order of storage. As the list data, a data structure to which color data related to the display color of each channel information is added may be adopted. For example, each channel information is stored in the memory 55 together with each channel information, and a data structure in which each color data relating to a different display color is added to each channel information according to each channel selection time. The list data is not limited to a data structure in which channel information is arranged in the order in which it is stored. For example, a data structure in which channel information is arranged in order according to the channel selection time may be used.

After step S22, the superimposed display control unit 5452 of the display control unit 545A outputs a predetermined control instruction and the list data D1 created by the list creation unit 5451 to the image information processing unit 53, and performs image information processing. The processing is executed by the unit 53, and the list data D1 is superimposed on the television video D0 and displayed on the image display device 4 as shown in FIG. 6 (step S23: superimposed display control step). Then, the display control unit 545A prompts the viewer to select each channel according to the plurality of channel information in the list data D1 based on the list data D1 displayed on the image display device 4.
When the color data described above is added to the list data D1, the superimposed display control unit 5452 displays each channel information in a display color based on each color data.

  After step S23, the channel recognizing unit 541 sets and inputs a channel corresponding to any one of the plurality of channel information in the list data D1 by the operation of the remote controller 3 by the viewer, and transmits from the remote controller 3 Whether or not a channel switching operation signal is input via the signal processing unit 51 is constantly monitored (step S24).

  If it is determined in step S24 that the channel recognition unit 541 has not input a channel switching operation signal via the signal processing unit 51, the control unit 54A lists the television video D0 in step S23 described above. The superimposed display state of the data D1 is continued. If the channel recognizing unit 541 determines that the channel switching operation signal has not been input even after the predetermined time has elapsed, the superimposed display state of the list data D1 on the television video D0 is stopped, and the television video is displayed. It may be configured to display only D0.

In step S24, when the channel recognizing unit 541 receives the channel switching operation signal via the signal processing unit 51, the channel corresponding to the channel information selected from the list data D1 by the viewer based on the channel switching operation signal. (Step S25: Channel recognition step).
After step S25, the channel selection control unit 542 controls the tuner 2 and performs channel selection control for causing the tuner 2 to receive a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit 541 (step S25). S26: Channel selection control step).
After step S26, the display control unit 545A outputs a predetermined control command to the image information processing unit 53, causes the image information processing unit 53 to perform processing on the image information, and receives the television set received by the tuner 2. A television image based on the broadcast signal is displayed on the image display device 4 (step S27).

The second embodiment described above has the following effects.
In the present embodiment, the control device 5A configuring the television receiver 1A includes a channel recognition unit 541, a channel selection control unit 542, a timer 543, a comparison determination unit 544, a list creation unit 5451, and a superimposed display. A control unit 5452 and a memory 55 are provided. This makes it necessary for viewers to remember the TV program channels they have been watching, even if they change the channel while watching TV programs. In a simple operation of pressing the re-tuning operation key 312 of the remote controller 3, it is possible to recognize the channel that has been viewed by the list data D1. In addition, the viewer can view again the TV program of the channel that has been viewed by selecting one of the channels in the list data D1 with the channel operation key 311 of the remote controller 3. it can.

In addition, when the re-tuning operation key 312 of the remote controller 3 is pressed (a re-tuning operation signal is input), a list data D1 of a plurality of channel information is superimposed on the television video D0. Prompt the user to select the channel that was previously selected, and when the channel is selected, the channel that was previously selected is selected again, so even if the viewer intentionally switches the channel, As in the prior art, it does not automatically return to the channel of the television program that has been viewed up to now after a predetermined time. Further, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary for the viewer to perform an operation of pressing the release key every time the channel is switched.
Therefore, according to the television receiver 1A of the present invention, the convenience can be improved.

  Furthermore, even if the re-tuning operation key 312 of the remote controller 3 is accidentally pressed, the list data D1 is only superimposed on the television image D0, so that the first embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment. Immediately after the re-tuning operation key 312 is pressed, the channel is not switched to the previously selected channel, and in such a case, the convenience can be further improved.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, and the like within the scope that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.
In the first embodiment, the memory 55 is configured to store only one channel information when storing the channel information. However, the channel information is sequentially stored as in the second embodiment. In addition, a plurality of channel information may be stored. In the case of such a configuration, the channel selection control unit 542 is configured to perform re-selection control as described below.
That is, when the channel selection control unit 542 receives a re-selection operation signal transmitted from the remote controller 3 via the signal processing unit 51, the channel selection control unit 542 reads a plurality of channel information stored in the memory 55, and any one of the plurality of channel information. Channel selection information is selected, and re-tuning control is performed so that the tuner 2 receives a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to the channel based on the channel information. In addition, when the channel selection control unit 542 receives the re-selection operation signal transmitted from the remote controller 3 through the signal processing unit 51 again, the frequency related to the channel based on the other channel information among the plurality of channel information. The re-tuning control is performed so that the tuner 2 receives the TV broadcast signal.

  In the second embodiment, “channel number: broadcast station name” is adopted as the channel information included in the list data D1, but is not limited thereto. For example, the channel information is included in the EPG information separated by the information separation unit 52. You may employ | adopt the structure which added the program information regarding a program. That is, as channel information, the channel number of the channel that was previously viewed, the broadcast station name, the program information of the TV program (broadcast date, broadcast start time, broadcast end time, title, program content, genre, etc.) are adopted. It doesn't matter.

  In each of the above embodiments, the set time based on the set time information stored in the memories 55 and 55A may be appropriately changed by an input operation of the remote controller 3 or the like, for example.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the remote controller 3 is employed as the setting input unit according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is not limited thereto. You may comprise with the operation panel provided. This operation panel has the same operation keys as the remote controller 3.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the channel selection processing when the power of the television receivers 1 and 1A is on and a predetermined channel is selected has been described as the channel selection processing. The following channel selection process may be adopted as the channel selection process at the time of startup when the power of 1, 1A is turned on.
For example, when the television receivers 1 and 1A are activated, the channel selection control units 542 and 542A select the channel that was selected when the power of the television receivers 1 and 1A was turned off (in the channel recognition unit 541). Channel selection control is performed so that the tuner 2 receives a television broadcast signal having a frequency related to a channel based on channel information stored in the recognized internal memory. Thereafter, the steps S3 to S8 described above are executed as described in the above embodiments.

  In each of the above embodiments, the television receivers 1 and 1A can be constituted by a front projector, a rear projector, a plasma television, a liquid crystal television, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) television, or the like. That is, the image display device 4 can be configured by a liquid crystal panel, an electro-optical device including a digital micromirror device (trademark of Texas Instruments), a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), a CRT display, or the like. Is.

  Since the present invention can improve convenience, it can be used for a channel selection device or a television receiver.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the television receiver in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the control method of the television receiver by the control apparatus in the said embodiment. The flowchart explaining the control method of the television receiver by the control apparatus in the said embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of the television receiver in 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the control method of the television receiver by the control apparatus in the said embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the control method of the television receiver by the control apparatus in the said embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1A ... Television receiver, 2 ... Tuner (reception means), 3 ... Remote controller (setting input means), 4 ... Image display apparatus (display means), 5A ... Control Device (control means), 6 ... Channel selection device, 55, 55A ... Memory (set time information storage unit, channel information storage unit), 61 ... Channel selection control unit, 541 ... Channel recognition unit , 542, 542A ... channel selection control unit, 543 ... timer (measurement unit), 544 ... comparison judgment unit, 545, 545A ... display control unit (display control means), 5451 ... list Table creation unit, 5452 ... superimposed display control unit, S2, S25 ... channel recognition step, S3, S26 ... channel selection control step, S5 ... measurement step, S7 ... comparison judgment step, S8 ... Channel information Storage step, S13 · · · re-elected station control step, S22 · · · list creation step, S23 · · · superimposed display control step.

Claims (9)

Setting input means configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel; and channel selection control means for performing channel selection control for causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel set and input to the setting input means. A channel selection device comprising:
The setting input means is configured to be able to set and input re-tuning information indicating that a previously selected channel is selected again.
The channel selection control means includes
A channel recognition unit for recognizing a channel set and input to the setting input means;
A channel selection control unit for performing channel selection control for causing the reception unit to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit;
A measurement unit that measures the channel selection time during which the channel selection control is performed by the channel selection control unit according to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit;
A set time information storage unit for storing set time information relating to a predetermined set time;
A comparison determination unit that compares the channel selection time measured by the measurement unit with a set time based on the set time information, and determines whether the channel selection time is equal to or longer than the set time;
A channel information storage unit that stores channel information related to the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or longer than the set time by the comparison determination unit;
The channel selection control unit receives a television broadcast signal related to a channel based on the channel information stored in the channel information storage unit when the re-selection information is set and input to the setting input unit. A channel selection apparatus that performs re-tuning control. Setting input means configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel; and channel selection control means for performing channel selection control for causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel set and input to the setting input means. A tuning method of a tuning device provided,
The tuning control means is
A channel recognition step for recognizing a channel set and input to the setting input means;
A tuning control step for performing tuning control for causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized in the channel recognition step;
A measurement step of measuring a channel selection time in which the channel selection control is performed in the channel selection control step according to the channel recognized in the channel recognition step;
A comparison determination step for comparing the channel selection time measured in the measurement step with a predetermined set time, and determining whether the channel selection time is equal to or longer than the set time;
A channel information storage step for storing channel information related to the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or longer than the set time in the comparison determination step;
When the re-tuning information indicating that the channel previously selected is selected again is set and input to the setting input unit, the receiving unit receives a television broadcast signal related to the channel based on the channel information. And a re-tuning control step for performing the re-tuning control to be performed. Setting input means configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel; and channel selection control means for performing channel selection control for causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel set and input to the setting input means. A tuning program for a tuning device provided,
A channel selection program for a channel selection apparatus, characterized by causing the channel selection control means to execute the channel selection method according to claim 2.   A recording medium in which the channel selection program according to claim 3 is recorded in a computer in a readable manner. Receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal;
A channel selection device according to claim 1;
A television receiver comprising: display control means for displaying on the display means a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the receiving means. Receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal; setting input means configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel; and causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to a channel set and input to the setting input means. And a television receiver comprising a control means for displaying on the display means a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the receiving means,
The setting input means is configured to be able to set and input re-tuning information indicating that a previously selected channel is selected again.
The control means includes
A channel recognition unit for recognizing a channel set and input to the setting input means;
A channel selection control unit for performing channel selection control for causing the reception unit to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit;
A measurement unit that measures the channel selection time during which the channel selection control is performed by the channel selection control unit according to the channel recognized by the channel recognition unit;
A set time information storage unit for storing set time information relating to a predetermined set time;
A comparison determination unit that compares the channel selection time measured by the measurement unit with a set time based on the set time information, and determines whether the channel selection time is equal to or longer than the set time;
A channel information storage unit for sequentially storing channel information related to the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or longer than the set time by the comparison determination unit;
A list creation unit that creates a list of the channel information that can be displayed on the display means based on the plurality of channel information stored in the channel information storage unit;
A television receiver comprising: a superimposition display control unit that superimposes and displays the list on the television image when the re-tuning information is set and input to the setting input unit. Receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal; setting input means configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel; and causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to a channel set and input to the setting input means. And a control method for a television receiver comprising control means for displaying on the display means a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the receiving means,
The control means is
A channel recognition step for recognizing a channel set and input to the setting input means;
A tuning control step for performing tuning control for causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to the channel recognized in the channel recognition step;
A measurement step of measuring a channel selection time in which the channel selection control is performed in the channel selection control step according to the channel recognized in the channel recognition step;
A comparison determination step for comparing the channel selection time measured in the measurement step with a predetermined set time, and determining whether the channel selection time is equal to or longer than the set time;
A channel information storage step for sequentially storing channel information related to the channel corresponding to the channel selection time determined to be equal to or longer than the set time in the comparison determination step;
A list creation step for creating a list of the channel information that can be displayed on the display means based on the plurality of channel information stored in the channel information storage step;
A control method for a television receiver, comprising: a superimposition display control step of superimposing and displaying the list on the television video when the re-tuning information is set and input to the setting input unit. Receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal; setting input means configured to be able to set and input a predetermined channel; and causing the receiving means to receive a television broadcast signal related to a channel set and input to the setting input means. And a control program for a television receiver comprising control means for displaying on the display means a television image based on the television broadcast signal received by the receiving means,
A control program for a television receiver, which causes the control means to execute the control method according to claim 7.   A recording medium in which the control program according to claim 8 is recorded in a computer in a readable manner.

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