JP2011061469A - Content reproducing device, program and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a content reproducing device capable of increasing affinity between two different units and making the units linked with each other and operating them by the operation of a TV unit. <P>SOLUTION: The TV unit in the content reproducing device includes a first input reception means for receiving a first operation signal generated by a first operation device, a first determination means for determining which of the TV unit and a unit should be controlled, a first control means for controlling the TV unit, and a first control information transmission means for transmitting first control information to the unit. The unit includes a first control information reception means for receiving the first control information, and a second control means for controlling the unit on the basis of the first control information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a content playback apparatus, a program, and a recording medium configured by a plurality of units.

  In recent years, there has been an increasing demand among viewers to view another video on the same screen while watching a broadcast program. Against this background, various techniques for displaying video other than broadcast programs using a sub-screen have been proposed.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a next-generation television receiver in which an image of a television receiver is displayed on a display unit and a user interface image of a user interface processing unit is displayed on a display unit. In addition, the user interface processing unit of the next-generation television receiver performs image processing equivalent to that of a personal computer, and executes predetermined processing in response to information from the television image receiving unit.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that can control a television monitor and a dedicated PC controller by a common TV / PC shared remote control device.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a video display device that simultaneously displays a television screen and a browser screen obtained by connecting to the Internet on a display.

  Patent Document 4 discloses a personal computer with a TV function that allows a user to view a digital broadcast at a high resolution in a short time and to select a user's TV / PC function seamlessly.

  In Patent Document 5, a television or a recorded program can be viewed without increasing the load on the PC, and a television image by overlay display can be displayed on a small screen at an arbitrary position on the PC monitor during the PC work. Even if the work area and the overlay area of the TV overlap and the operability deteriorates, the work area can be moved to any position and changed to any size, greatly improving operability. An image processing apparatus that can be used is disclosed.

International Publication WO2007 / 004371 (Publication Date: January 11, 2007) JP 2007-208547 (release date: August 16, 2007) JP 2008-79077 (release date: April 3, 2008) JP 2006-310896 (release date: November 9, 2006) JP 2007-31958 (Publication date: November 29, 2007)

  However, the above-described prior art has the following problems.

  In the technique of Patent Document 1, the user interface image of the user interface processing unit is displayed on the display unit together with the image of the television receiver unit. However, it is not possible to operate two units in cooperation using one controller.

  In the technique of Patent Document 2, the TV / PC shared remote control device can control the operation of the TV monitor and the operation control related to the Internet browsing function provided by the dedicated PC controller. However, the TV and the PC cannot be operated in cooperation so as to improve the operability.

  In the technique of Patent Document 3, a browser function is realized in a television device. In this configuration, the software and hardware of the television device are poor compared to those of the computer, so that only limited services can be processed. In particular, since services provided via the Internet are evolving day by day, the technology of Patent Document 3 cannot cope with a large number of services that require a large processing load, such as online games and video playback services. As a result, only a few services can be provided to the user. The technique of Patent Document 4 has a similar problem.

  In the technique of Patent Document 5, a television screen and a PC screen are mixedly displayed by connecting a television and an external PC. In this technique, since two separate devices are connected to each other, wiring and the like are complicated. As a result, the installation and carrying of the apparatus becomes troublesome. Further, since the television broadcast processing and the computer processing operate independently of each other, they must be operated by separate operation devices. Moreover, it is difficult to realize the cooperation between the two.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and its object is to increase the affinity between two different units and to operate both in cooperation with each other by operating a TV unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a content reproduction apparatus, a program, and a recording medium that can operate both a TV unit and a unit that operates in cooperation with the TV unit by controlling the units mutually.

(Operation by the first operating device)
In order to solve the above problems, the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention provides:
Broadcast wave receiving means for receiving a broadcast wave, and first video acquisition means for decoding the received broadcast wave to acquire a first video, and operated by a first operating device, A content playback device comprising a TV unit for displaying a first video and a unit for providing at least a second video to the TV unit,
The TV unit is
First input receiving means for receiving a first operation signal issued by the first operating device;
First determination means for determining which of the TV unit and the unit should be controlled based on the first operation signal and information predetermined in the TV unit;
First control means for controlling the TV unit when the first determination means determines that the TV unit should be controlled;
A first control information transmission unit configured to transmit to the unit first control information for controlling the unit when the first determination unit determines that the unit should be controlled;
The above unit is
First control information receiving means for receiving the first control information transmitted from the TV unit;
And a second control means for controlling the unit based on the received first control information.

  According to the above configuration, in the content reproduction device, the first determination means determines whether the first operation signal issued by the first operation device is an operation signal to control the TV unit or the unit. Determine. Next, the first control unit controls the TV unit when it is determined by the first determination unit that the TV unit should be controlled.

  In addition, when the first determination unit determines that the unit should be controlled, the first control information transmission unit transmits the first control information for controlling the unit to the unit. . Next, the first control information receiving means of the unit receives the first control information. Next, the second control means controls the unit based on the first control information. Therefore, the user can operate the TV unit and the unit in cooperation by operating the first operating device that operates the TV unit. Also, by controlling the TV unit and the unit mutually, there is an effect that both the TV unit and the unit operating in cooperation with the TV unit can be operated by operating the TV unit.

(Operation by the second operating device)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The above unit is
A second input receiving means for receiving a second operation signal issued by the second operating device;
Second determination means for determining which of the TV unit and the unit should be controlled based on the second operation signal and information predetermined in the unit;
Second control information transmitting means for transmitting, to the TV unit, second control information for controlling the TV unit when the second determining means determines that the TV unit should be controlled. And
The second control means controls the unit when it is determined by the second determination means that the unit should be controlled,
The TV unit is
A second control information receiving means for receiving the second control information transmitted from the unit;
It is preferable that the first control means controls the TV unit based on the received second control information.

  According to the above configuration, in the content reproduction apparatus, the second determination unit of the unit may be configured such that the second operation signal generated by the second operation apparatus is an operation to control which of the TV unit and the unit. Determine if it is a signal. Next, the second control unit controls the unit when the second determination unit determines that the unit should be controlled. Further, when the second determination means determines that the TV unit should be controlled, the second control information transmission means sends the second control information for controlling the TV unit to the TV unit. Send to. Next, the second control information receiving means of the TV unit receives the second control information. Next, the first control means controls the TV unit based on the second control information. Therefore, the user can further operate the TV unit and the unit in cooperation by operating the first operating device that operates the unit.

(First video acquisition source)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
Preferably, the first video acquisition means acquires the first video through a communication network, an external storage device, an internal storage device, and a recording medium.

  According to said structure, the content reproduction apparatus can acquire various content as a 1st image | video.

(Acquisition of first video based on second control information)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The first control means preferably controls reservation for acquisition of the first video based on the second control information.

  According to said structure, the said 1st control means can control reservation of acquisition of a said 1st image | video based on the said 2nd control information. The second control information is based on a second operation signal generated by the second operation device. Therefore, the user can control the reservation for obtaining the first video by operating the second operating device.

(Electronic program guide control based on second control information)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The TV unit is
An electronic program guide acquisition means for acquiring the electronic program guide;
Preferably, the first control means controls information selection in the electronic program guide based on the second control information.

  According to the above configuration, the first control means controls information selection in the electronic program guide based on the second control information. The second control information is based on a second operation signal generated by the second operation device. Therefore, the user can control information selection in the electronic program guide by operating the second operating device.

(Software application execution)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The above unit is
An execution means for executing the software application;
The second control means preferably controls activation or termination of the software application.

  According to the above configuration, the execution means of the unit executes the software application. The second control means controls activation or termination of the software application. Therefore, the user can control activation or termination of the software application by operating the first operating device.

(Send video)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The above unit is
Second video acquisition means for acquiring a video generated when the software application is executed as the second video;
It is preferable that the apparatus further includes a video transmission unit that transmits the second video acquired by the second video acquisition unit to the TV unit.

  According to said structure, the said unit is equipped with the image | video transmission means which transmits the 2nd image | video acquired by the said 2nd image | video acquisition means to the said TV unit. Therefore, the unit can transmit the second video to the TV unit.

(Pointing device operation)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second control means preferably controls the behavior of the pointing device on the second video based on the first control information.

  According to the above configuration, the second control unit controls the behavior of the pointing device on the second video based on the first control information. The first control information is based on a first operation signal issued by the first operation device. Therefore, the user can control the behavior of the pointing device on the second video by operating the first operating device.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second control means preferably switches a window size on the second video based on the first control information.

  According to the above configuration, the second control means switches the size of the window on the second video based on the first control information. The first control information is based on a first operation signal issued by the first operation device. Therefore, the user can control the size of the window on the second video by operating the first operating device.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
Preferably, the second control means controls the moving image on the second video based on the first control information.

  According to said structure, said 2nd control means controls the moving image on said 2nd image | video based on said 1st control information. The first control information is based on a first operation signal issued by the first operation device. Therefore, the user can control the moving image on the second video by operating the first operating device.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second control means preferably switches the task of the software application on the second video based on the first control information.

  According to said structure, said 2nd control means switches the task of the said software application on said 2nd image | video based on said 1st control information. The first control information is based on a first operation signal issued by the first operation device. Therefore, the user can switch the task of the software application on the second video by operating the first operating device.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second control means preferably inputs characters on the second video based on the first control information.

  According to said structure, said 2nd control means inputs a character on said 2nd image | video based on said 1st control information. The first control information is based on a first operation signal issued by the first operation device. Therefore, the user can input characters on the second video by operating the first operating device.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second control means preferably starts or stops the power supply of the unit based on the first control information.

  According to said structure, said 2nd control means starts or stops the power supply of said unit based on said 1st control information. The first control information is based on a first operation signal issued by the first operation device. Therefore, the user can start or stop the power supply of the unit by operating the first operating device.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second control means preferably starts or stops the browser of the unit based on the first control information.

  According to said structure, said 2nd control means starts or stops the browser of the said unit based on said 1st control information. The first control information is based on a first operation signal issued by the first operation device. Therefore, the user can start or stop the browser of the unit by operating the first operating device.

(The first controller is a remote controller)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The first operating device is preferably a remote controller.

  According to the above configuration, the first operating device is a remote controller. Remote controllers are generally widespread. Therefore, the operability for many users can be improved.

(The second operating device is a mouse or keyboard)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second operating device is preferably a mouse or a keyboard.

  According to the above configuration, the second operating device is a mouse or a keyboard. A mouse or a keyboard is generally widely used. Therefore, the operability for many users can be improved.

(Video display)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The TV unit is
It is preferable to further include display means for displaying on the screen at least one of the first video and the second video provided from the unit.

  According to the above configuration, the display means can display on the screen at least one of the first video and the second video provided from the unit.

(Display of composite video)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The TV unit is
And further comprising combining means for combining the first and second images to generate a combined image,
Preferably, the display means displays the synthesized video on the screen.

  According to said structure, the said synthetic | combination means produces | generates a synthetic | combination image | video by synthesize | combining the said 1st and 2nd image | video. The display means displays the synthesized video on the screen. Therefore, a synthesized video obtained by synthesizing the first and second videos can be displayed on the screen.

(Unit is removable)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The unit is preferably detachable from the TV unit.

  According to said structure, the expandability and maintainability of a content reproduction apparatus can be improved more.

(Unit is built-in)
In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
It is preferable that the unit is built in the casing body of the TV unit.

  According to said structure, a unit can be protected from an external environment.

(Program, recording medium)
The content reproduction apparatus may be realized by a computer. In this case, a program for realizing the content reproduction apparatus in the computer by causing the computer to operate as each of the above means and a computer-readable recording medium recording the program also fall within the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention can increase the affinity between two different units and operate them in cooperation with each other by operating the TV unit. Further, by controlling the TV unit and the unit mutually, it is possible to operate both the TV unit and the unit operating in cooperation with the TV unit by operating the TV unit.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the television with a built-in PC concerning one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the external appearance at the time of seeing the television with a built-in PC concerning one Embodiment of this invention from the display screen side, (b) shows the appearance when the television with a built-in PC is seen from the top. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed internal structure of the television with a built-in PC concerning one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a flow chart of signal transmission when operating a TV with a built-in PC using a remote controller, and (b) is when operating a TV with a built-in PC using an input device (keyboard or mouse). It is a figure of the flow of signal transmission. It is a figure which shows the remote control which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the process which operates the television with a built-in PC using the remote control which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the signal in the television with a built-in PC at the time of using the remote control which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining an example which operates a television with a built-in PC using a remote control according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining an example which operates a television with a built-in PC using a remote control according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the input device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (a) is a figure which shows a mouse | mouth (b) and a keyboard. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the process which operates the television with a built-in PC using the input device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the flow of the signal in the television with a built-in PC at the time of using the input device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining an example of the process which makes a program reservation using the mouse concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining an example of the process which performs program reservation using the keyboard which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the correspondence of the key of the remote control and the key of a keyboard which concern on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the flow of an image composition in a television with a built-in PC. It is a figure which shows each example of the screen displayed on a display. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that the television with a built-in PC switches the display of a PC small screen according to selection of a PC function menu. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode with which a television with a built-in PC displays a PC small screen or changes the display position of a PC small screen according to the selection result of the information which shows a PC function menu. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the flow of the information processing at the time of displaying TV full screen and PC small screen in the television with a built-in PC of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on a display by the sequence process shown in a figure. (A) is a figure which shows the external appearance at the time of seeing the television with a built-in PC after the detachable PC unit is attached to the TV unit from the display screen side, and (b) is the detachable PC unit is the TV. It is a figure which shows the external appearance at the time of seeing the television with a built-in PC before mounting | wearing with a unit from the back side. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the television with a built-in PC concerning other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of an external appearance of BD built-in television b after the detachable BD unit is mounted | worn with the TV unit.

  An embodiment of the PC built-in television 1 according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

(Appearance of TV unit 10)
First, the external appearance of the PC built-in television 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an appearance when the PC built-in television 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the display screen side. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an external appearance when the PC built-in television 1 is viewed from the side (the side where the PC unit 20 is installed).

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the PC built-in television 1 (content reproduction apparatus) is an apparatus having a configuration in which a PC unit 20 (unit) is provided in the TV unit 10. The TV unit 10 of the present embodiment is a subunit (subsystem) having a configuration and functions as a liquid crystal television device. On the other hand, the PC unit 20 is a subunit (subsystem) having a configuration and functions as a so-called personal computer. Both are integrated to form one PC built-in television 1. Furthermore, by operating both in cooperation with each other, the user is provided with an unprecedented content playback (viewing and browsing) experience.

  The user operates the television 1 with a built-in PC using the remote controller 9 (remote controller). If there is only the remote controller 9, the TV unit 10 can be operated to view the broadcast program. Further, by using the same remote controller 9, it is possible to operate the PC unit 20 to execute various software applications, or to access a website on the Internet and browse a web page.

(Main components of TV 1 with built-in PC)
The internal configuration and functions of the PC built-in television 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of a PC built-in television 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the TV unit 10 of the TV 1 with a built-in PC includes a video output unit 11, an audio output unit 12, a content processing unit 13, a content synthesis unit 14, a content acquisition unit 15, a content reception unit 16, and a user input unit. 17, a control information communication unit 18, a control unit 19, and an operation mode management unit 29 are provided. On the other hand, the PC unit 20 includes a content processing unit 21, a content acquisition unit 22, a content transmission unit 23, a storage unit 24, a control information communication unit 25, a user input unit 26, a control unit 27, an application execution unit 28, and an operation mode management unit. 30.

  The television 1 with a built-in embodiment has a video composition function. Specifically, the TV unit 10 acquires a broadcast program (first content) by receiving and decoding a broadcast wave (television broadcast). The PC unit 20 acquires PC content (second content) such as a web page and moving image content, and provides it to the TV unit 10. The TV unit 10 synthesizes at least the video in the broadcast program (first video) and the video in the PC content (second video) to generate one composite video and outputs it to the display 2. Thereby, the display 2 displays the synthesized video. The display 2 is realized as, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or an organic EL display.

(Details of TV unit 10)
The function of each block provided in the TV unit 10 will be described below.

  The video output unit 11 outputs the video signal sent from the content synthesis unit 14 to the display 2.

  The audio output unit 12 outputs the audio signal sent from the content synthesis unit 14 to the speaker 3.

  The content processing unit 13 processes the content input from the content acquisition unit 15. In the present embodiment, the received broadcast wave is decoded to generate a broadcast program and output to the content composition unit 14.

  The content synthesizing unit 14 synthesizes the broadcast program input from the content processing unit 13 and the PC content received by the content receiving unit 16 from the PC unit 20 to generate one synthesized content.

  The content acquisition unit 15 receives the broadcast wave through the antenna 4 and outputs it to the content processing unit 13. Note that the broadcast wave receiving method is not limited to that through the antenna 4. The content acquisition unit 15 can also receive broadcast waves through a cable television broadcast network. In addition, IP broadcast data (IP broadcast wave) can be received through the Internet 8.

  The content receiving unit 16 receives the PC content transmitted from the PC unit 20 and outputs it to the content composition unit 14.

  The user input unit 17 accepts an input operation performed on the PC built-in television 1 by the user. Specifically, for example, a signal generated by the remote controller 9 in response to an input operation by the user is received and output to the control unit 19. In response to the inquiry from the control unit 19, the operation mode management unit 29 checks whether the current operation mode is the TV mode for operating the TV unit 10 or the PC mode for operating the PC unit 20. Notification to the unit 19. In addition, a signal generated by a user's direct operation on the TV unit 10 main body can be received.

  The control information communication unit 18 exchanges control information with the PC unit 20. Specifically, the control information is transmitted to the control information communication unit 25 of the PC unit 20 or the control information transmitted from the control information communication unit 25 is received. Here, the control information includes, for example, operation information for operating the PC unit 20a or the TV unit 10a. In addition, information specifying that the acquired content should be provided to the other unit is included. Furthermore, access information (link information) for acquiring content is included.

  The control unit 19 performs overall control of each block constituting the TV unit 10.

(Details of PC unit 20)
The function of each block constituting the PC unit 20 will be described below.

  The content processing unit 21 processes the PC content acquired by the content acquisition unit 22.

  The content acquisition unit 22 acquires PC content from the outside. For example, PC content is acquired from the recording disk 7 or the Internet (communication network) 8. PC content is content that can be processed and played back by a computer. For example, content such as text, video, audio, and moving image corresponds to this, and multimedia content including a combination of these also corresponds. In addition, a web page is also included in the PC content. These PC contents can be obtained from various places. The acquisition destination is, for example, a website on the Internet 8, an external device connected to the PC built-in television 1, and the recording disk 7.

  The content transmission unit 23 transmits the content processed by the content processing unit 21 to the content reception unit 16.

  The storage unit 24 stores various PC contents. For example, it is realized as a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk or a flash memory. The storage unit 24 stores various software applications executed by the application execution unit 28 in addition to the PC content.

  The control information communication unit 25 exchanges control information with the control information communication unit 18. Specifically, the control information is transmitted to the control information communication unit 18 of the TV unit 10 or the control information transmitted from the control information communication unit 18 is received.

  The user input unit 26 receives an input operation to the PC built-in television 1 by the user. Specifically, a signal issued by the operation device (in this embodiment, the mouse 5 and the keyboard 6) in response to an input operation by the user is received and output to the control unit 27. Other examples of the operation device include a pointing device such as a trackball and a trackpad, and a joystick.

  The control unit 27 controls various operations in the PC unit 20. In response to the inquiry from the control unit 27, the operation mode management unit 30 determines whether the current operation mode is the PC mode or the TV mode via the control information communication unit 25 and manages the operation mode of the TV unit 10. Check with part 29. The operation mode management unit 30 notifies the control unit 27 of the confirmed operation mode.

  The application execution unit 28 reads and executes the software application stored in the storage unit 24.

(Detailed internal configuration of TV 1 with built-in PC)
Next, a detailed internal configuration of the PC built-in television 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a detailed internal configuration of the PC built-in television 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Each functional block shown in FIG. 1 is realized by any one of the blocks shown in FIG. 3 or a combination thereof.

  An RF (Radio Frequency) receiving unit 101 receives a signal transmitted from the outside. That is, the RF receiving unit 101 is a video signal input unit that receives a digital broadcast signal such as a video signal transmitted wirelessly as terrestrial digital broadcast. Note that the signal received by the RF unit 101 is not limited to a signal transmitted as terrestrial digital broadcast, and is, for example, a signal transmitted as general analog broadcast, satellite broadcast, cable television broadcast, or the like. It may be.

  Examples of these signals include video signals digitized as a system such as MPG2 or MPEG4 in the case of digital broadcasting. The signal input to the RF receiving unit 101 is not limited to the video signal. For example, a digital broadcast signal (broadcast) such as a digitized audio signal, data broadcast, electronic program guide information, or network information can be used. Wave).

  The demodulator 102 demodulates the digital broadcast signal input to the RF receiver 101 and sends it to the decoder 103.

  The decoder 103 decomposes a demodulated signal such as MPEG2TS into a video component (signal) and an audio component (signal). The decoder 103 decodes the video signal among the decomposed signals and sends the audio signal to the audio processor 104. At this time, the data accompanying the audio signal is sent to the CPU 109 and processed there.

  The audio processor 104 decodes the audio signal received from the decoder 103. Since the audio signal has many formats, the audio processor 104 normally performs the decoding process of the audio signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the audio signal may be decoded by the decoder 103 or the CPU 109. The processed audio signal is sent to the speaker 105.

  The speaker 105 outputs the audio signal decoded by the audio processor 104. In addition, although this embodiment shows a form of a television including the display unit 112 and the speaker 105, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a BD (BluRay) recorder or STB (Set Top Box), Instead of the speaker 105, an audio signal may be output to an external device.

  Remote control communication unit 106 receives a control signal from a remote control (not shown). Examples of the remote controller 7 that transmits a control signal include an infrared remote controller that transmits a signal in one direction or a wireless remote controller that transmits a signal in both directions. The control signal received by the remote control communication unit 106 is sent to the CPU 109.

  The external input unit 107 receives a signal output from the video output unit 208 of the PC unit 20. Examples of the external input unit 107 include an HDMI interface or a DVI / D terminal. The signal received by the external input unit 107 includes decoded data or compressed data (for example, MPEG4).

  The audio signal received by the external input unit 107 is output to the audio processor 104. On the other hand, the video signal received by the external input unit 107 is output to the graphic memory 110 and developed. For example, when the video signal received by the external input unit 107 is a compressed image, the received video signal is once sent to the graphic memory 110 via the decode 103. Note that there is no essential difference in the video signal output to the graphic memory 110 depending on whether or not the signal passes through the decode 103.

  The memory 108 is a memory that stores a program or data.

  The CPU 109 is a CPU that controls the entire TV unit 10.

  The graphic memory 110 holds two or more videos and display data. Examples of the display data include data broadcasting, data such as OSD (on-screen display) data, and setting menus. The graphic memory 110 includes a plurality of planes, and each plane can be superimposed or alpha blended.

  The graphic controller 111 combines video and display data held in the graphic memory 110 to create one screen. That is, the graphic controller 111 performs, for example, enlargement / reduction or position setting of a plurality of planes in accordance with control from the CPU 109, and generates a final screen by combining them. This final screen is sent to the display unit 112.

  The display unit 112 displays the video received from the graphic controller 111. For example, video may be displayed on a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, or video data may be output to an external device.

  A LAN (Local Area Network) controller 113 is connected to an external device through a network. The LAN controller 113 may be connected to another device according to a home network standard such as DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) or may be connected to a video service through the Internet. The connection with the external device may be either wired or wireless. The video signal acquired from the LAN controller 113 is not particularly limited, but is preferably handled in the same manner as the video signal acquired through the RF receiving unit 101.

  The I / F unit 114 is an interface unit that controls LAN, USB, serial, or the like. The I / F unit 114 exchanges control information including a still image with the PC unit 20. Note that the transmission / reception method of control information in the I / F unit 114 is not particularly limited.

  The power supply unit 115 is a power supply circuit in the TV unit 10. The power supply unit 204 is a power supply circuit in the PC unit 20. These power supply units 115 and 204 are supplied with power from a common power supply 150. At this time, it is desirable to receive power from one AC plug.

  The input unit 201 receives input from the outside. Thus, the PC unit 20 may have its own input unit. For example, a Bluetooth wireless keyboard or a wireless mouse can be used as the input unit 201.

  The IO processor 202 controls various external interfaces.

  The LAN controller 203 is connected to the IP network. Note that the LAN controller 113 and the LAN controller 203 preferably share one IP address with each other. Further, when the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 are provided with individual LAN controllers 113 and 203, respectively, it is preferable to have a bridge function inside the television 1 with a built-in PC. Thereby, for example, when connecting a wired LAN, the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 can be simultaneously connected to the network by inserting only one LAN cable.

  A memory 205 is a memory of the CPU 206 that performs various controls.

  The CPU 206 comprehensively controls each block included in the PC unit 20. For example, the compressed PC content is decoded by software and converted to the original PC content. In the present embodiment, the PC unit 20 does not include hardware such as the decoder 103 in the TV unit 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the PC unit 20 may include hardware such as the decoder 103.

  The graphic controller 207 speeds up graphic processing during video rendering.

  The video output unit 208 outputs the video signal processed by the graphic controller 207 in a format such as HDMI. The audio signal is also transmitted to the TV unit 10 in the same manner as the video signal.

  The storage unit 209 permanently stores PC content acquired through the Internet 8 or the recording disk 7. Examples of the storage unit 209 include a hard disk, a BD (Blu-ray Disk), a DVD (Digital Video Disk), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The CPU 206 reproduces the video acquired via the network or the video stored in the storage unit 209 and transmits it to the TV unit 10.

  Here, the image is not limited to a moving image, and includes a screen created by an application such as music, a book, a photo, a slide show, a word processing document, or a game.

(How to operate PC built-in TV 1)
FIG. 4A is a diagram for explaining the flow of signal transmission when operating the PC built-in television 1 using the remote controller 9. FIG. 4B is a diagram for explaining the flow of signal transmission when the PC built-in television 1 is operated using the input device (keyboard 6 or mouse 5).

  FIG. 5 shows a remote controller 9 for operating the television 1 with a built-in PC. The keys provided on the remote controller 9 will be described later with reference to different drawings. As shown in FIG. 5, the remote controller 9 includes keys similar to those of a general remote controller, such as numeric keys (0 to 9), volume keys, and channel selection keys. Further, although details of the function will be described later, various keys for operating the PC unit 20 are further provided.

  The user can operate both the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 using the remote controller 9. The flow of this process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, first, the user operates the remote controller 9 to transmit a signal (operation signal) (step S21). A signal transmitted from the remote controller 9 in response to a user input is input to the control unit 19 via the user input unit 17 (step S22). The control unit 19 inquires of the operation mode management unit 29 whether the current operation mode is the PC mode or the TV mode. In response to the inquiry from the control unit 19, the operation mode management unit 29 confirms whether the current operation mode is the TV mode for operating the TV unit 10 or the PC mode for operating the PC unit 20 (step). S23). Next, according to the mode information transmitted from the operation mode management unit 29, the control unit 19 determines whether the input operation signal is an operation signal for operating the TV unit 10 or an operation signal for operating the PC unit 20. Determination is made (step S24). When the operation signal for operating the TV unit 10 is determined, each block in the TV unit 10 is controlled according to the content of the operation signal (step S25). As a result of these processes, the user can operate the TV unit 10 using the remote controller 9.

  On the other hand, if the control unit 19 determines that the operation signal is a signal for operating the PC unit 20, the control unit 19 generates control information for controlling the PC unit 20 (step S26). Next, this control information is transmitted to the PC unit 20 through the control information communication unit 18 (step S27). The control information is input to the control unit 27 of the PC unit 20 via the control information communication unit 25 (step S28). The PC unit 20 controls each block in the PC unit 20 based on the input control information (step S29). As a result of these processes, the user can operate the PC unit 20 using the remote controller 9.

Next, the flow of signals in the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 when the remote controller 9 is used will be described with reference to FIG. A signal transmitted from the remote controller 9 is transmitted as command information. The command information is input as parameter information in the PC unit 20. As an example, command information RC transmitted from the remote controller 9
The PC unit 20 recognizes the parameter information “1” corresponding to the NUM. Similarly, each parameter information corresponding to each command information RCNUM transmitted from the remote controller 9 is recognized by the PC unit 20.

  Next, the operation of the pointing device of the PC unit 20 using the remote controller 9 will be described. The user operates the pointing device of the PC unit 20 by pressing each of the up / down / left / right cursor keys on the remote controller 9 to move the mouse pointer on the display screen of the PC unit 20 up / down / left / right. As an example, by pressing an “up” cursor key on the remote controller 9, the mouse pointer on the display screen is moved upward on the screen. Further, by pressing the “OK” key on the remote controller 9, processing corresponding to the left click of the mouse is performed. Similarly, by pressing the “program information” key on the remote controller 9, a process corresponding to a right click of the mouse is performed. As described above, the same processing as the basic operation of the mouse is performed using the remote controller 9.

  Specifically, in order to perform a drag operation, first, the “OK” key of the remote controller 9 is pressed and released. As a result, the drag state is the same as when the left mouse button is held down. In this state, by pressing each of the up / down / left / right cursor keys of the remote controller 9, the dragged object is moved. Next, the dragged object is released by pressing the “OK” key again. Note that the “determine” key may be dragged when the key is pressed once instead of long pressing. Alternatively, the user may enter a drag state by long-pressing the “decision” key of the remote controller 9 and release the “decision” key after moving the drag target with the up / down / left / right cursor keys. As described above, the drag operation is performed on the display screen of the PC unit 20 by the remote controller 9. The flow of signal processing in the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 when the pointing device of the PC unit 20 is operated using the remote controller 9 is as described with reference to FIG.

  Further, instead of continuously moving the mouse pointer on the display screen of the PC unit 20, it may be moved sequentially on the toolbar or tool icon. This will be described with reference to FIG. The mouse pointer A shown in FIG. 8 moves to the mouse pointer C as indicated by an arrow B only by pressing the right cursor key of the remote controller 9 once. This eliminates the need to press the cursor key of the remote controller 9 unnecessarily many times, improving operability.

  Further, the application software (tool) may be activated by operating the remote controller 9. This will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of tools are displayed by first pressing the “menu” key on the remote control 9. Next, by pressing the up / down / left / right cursor keys of the remote controller 9, the mouse pointer is brought over the tool to be activated. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the mouse pointer is on the “text editor”. When it is desired to move this onto “e-mail”, the “up” cursor key on the remote controller 9 is pressed to move the mouse pointer over “e-mail” as shown by arrow D. Similarly, as shown by the arrow E, when the user wants to move the cursor to “music player”, the “down” cursor key of the remote controller 9 is pressed. Similarly, when it is desired to move the cursor to “text editor 3” as indicated by arrow F, the “right” cursor key on remote controller 9 is pressed. Next, the tool is activated by pressing the “OK” key.

  Alternatively, a launcher for activating various tools may be displayed by pressing an “input switching” key on the remote controller 9. On the launcher, a tool is selected by pressing the up / down / left / right cursor keys of the remote controller 9 as described with reference to FIG. For example, to select the upper tool on the screen, press the “up” cursor key. Similarly, to select the lower tool on the screen, press the “down” cursor key. In this way, the tool is activated by pressing the “OK” key after the mouse pointer is moved over the tool to be activated.

  Further, the application software (tool) may be terminated by operating the remote controller 9. Specifically, an active tool is ended by pressing an “end” key of the remote controller 9. If it is desired to activate another tool, the other tool may be selected and activated using the remote controller 9 as described above.

  Further, by operating the remote controller 9, the window on the display screen of the PC unit 20 may be switched between maximization and minimization. Specifically, pressing the “window switching” key of the remote controller 9 shown in FIG. 5 switches between maximization and minimization of the window to be operated.

  In the operation with the mouse 5 which is the operation device of the PC unit 20, it is necessary to move the mouse pointer to a predetermined place and then left-click to switch the window. That is, two or more actions are required. On the other hand, in the window switching by the remote controller 9 described above, it is only necessary to press the “window switching” key once. Therefore, the operation is easy. Further, even a person unfamiliar with the operation device of the PC unit 20 can easily switch windows.

  In addition, when the moving image displayed in the window is reproduced, a “reproduction” key provided on the remote controller 9 may be pressed. Similarly, when the moving image displayed in the window is stopped, stopped, fast forwarded, rewinded, or skipped for 30 seconds, “Still”, “Stop”, “Fast forward”, “Rewind”, Alternatively, the “skip for 30 seconds” key may be pressed.

  Further, by operating the remote controller 9, the application software task on the display screen of the PC unit 20 may be switched. Specifically, each time the “ALT + TAB” key of the remote controller 9 is pressed once, a plurality of tasks are switched one by one. This is the same as the function of pressing the TAB key while pressing the ALT key on the keyboard 6.

  Task switching by the remote controller 9 is easy because it is only necessary to press the “ALT + TAB” key. Further, even a person unfamiliar with the operation device of the PC unit 20 can easily switch tasks. Alternatively, a task can be selected by pressing the “ALT + TAB” key of the remote controller 9 for a certain period of time to display a switchable task and then pressing the “ALT + TAB” key an arbitrary number of times within a certain period of time. Good. Thereby, malfunction can be prevented.

  In addition, a browser for using the Internet may be activated by operating the remote controller 9. Specifically, by pressing the “Internet” key of the remote controller 9, the screen display is switched to the PC side and the browser is activated. Normally, when the browser is activated, it is necessary to first switch the display screen to the PC side by a predetermined operation and then activate the browser by operating the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6.

  On the other hand, activation of the browser by the remote controller 9 is easy because it is only necessary to press the “Internet” key. Further, even a person unfamiliar with the operation device of the PC unit 20 can easily start the browser. Note that a home page registered as a favorite may be displayed after the browser is activated. Thereby, a favorite site on the Internet can be easily displayed.

  Further, by operating the remote controller 9, characters may be input on the display screen of the PC unit 20. Specifically, a character is input by pressing a numeric key “0-9” on the remote controller 9. This character input is the same as or similar to the character input in the mobile phone which is now common. For example, when inputting “red”, the quantity key “1” is pressed once and then “2” is pressed once.

  In the case of Kanji conversion, the “down” cursor key may be pressed any number of times to select a conversion candidate Kanji, and then the “OK” key may be pressed. When inputting the alphabet, it is only necessary to change the input mode from “Hiragana” to “Alphabet” by pressing the “Menu” key and then press the numeric key. For example, when inputting “PC”, it is sufficient to press “7” once and then press “2” three times. This makes it easier for a user who is more accustomed to inputting characters using a general mobile phone than the keyboard 6 to input characters.

  Further, the PC unit 20 may be activated or stopped by operating the remote controller 9. Specifically, the PC is started and stopped by pressing the “PC power” key on the remote controller 9.

  When starting up the power supply of the PC unit 20, the power supply circuit to the PC unit 20 is turned on by pressing the “PC power supply” key, and the reset is released after a predetermined time. On the other hand, in order to stop the power supply of the PC unit 20, by pressing the “PC power supply” key, a power supply stop command is sent from the TV unit 10 to the PC unit 20. Upon receiving this command, the PC unit 20 stops the OS and then stops the power supply.

  Thus, the PC unit 20 can be easily started and stopped while continuing to watch TV. For this reason, it is less likely that the PC unit 20 is turned on unnecessarily during TV viewing. Therefore, energy can be saved. In order to prevent malfunction, the PC may be started and stopped by long pressing the “PC power” key.

  Further, as described above, the user can operate both the PC unit 20 and the TV unit 10 by using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as an operation device). The mouse 5 and the keyboard 6 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10A, the mouse 5 is a general mouse 5 including a left button 31, a right button 32, and a mouse wheel 33. Moreover, as shown in FIG.10 (b), the keyboard 6 is the general keyboard 6 provided with the number keys 0-9 and the alphabet key.

  Next, the flow of processing using the operating device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, first, the user operates the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 to transmit a signal (operation signal) (step S31). A signal transmitted from the controller device in response to a user input is input to the control unit 27 via the user input unit 26 (step S32). The control unit 27 inquires of the operation mode management unit 30 whether the current operation mode is the PC mode for operating the PC unit 20 or the TV mode for operating the TV unit 10. When receiving an inquiry from the control unit 27, the operation mode management unit 30 checks whether the current operation mode is the PC mode for operating the PC unit 20 or the TV mode for operating the TV unit 10 (step S33). ). More specifically, the operation mode management unit 29 of the TV unit 10 is inquired and confirmed via the control information communication unit 25. Next, the control unit 27 determines whether the input operation signal is an operation signal for operating the PC unit 20 or an operation signal for operating the TV unit 10 according to the operation mode information transmitted from the operation mode management unit 30. (Step S34). If it is determined that the operation signal is for operating the PC unit 20, each block in the PC unit 20 is controlled according to the content of the operation signal (step S35). As a result of these processes, the user can operate the PC unit 20 using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6.

  On the other hand, when determining that the operation signal is a signal for operating the TV unit 10, the control unit 27 generates control information for controlling the TV unit 10 (step S36). Next, this control information is transmitted to the TV unit 10 through the control information communication unit 25 (step S37). The control information is input to the control unit 19 of the TV unit 10 via the control information communication unit 18 (step S38). The control unit 19 controls each block in the TV unit 10 based on the input control information (step S39). As a result of these processes, the user can operate the TV unit 10 using the operation device (mouse 5 or keyboard 6).

  Next, the flow of signals in the PC unit 20 and the TV unit 10 when the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 is used will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating a signal flow in the PC unit 20 and the TV unit 10 when the keyboard 6 is operated. FIG. 12B is a diagram illustrating a signal flow in the PC unit 20 and the TV unit 10 when the mouse 5 is operated. FIG. 12C is a diagram illustrating the flow of signals in the PC unit 20 and the TV unit 10 when the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 is operated.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, when the keyboard 6 is operated, control information and key code information are generated. The control information is information indicating 1 when the Shift key is pressed and 0 when it is released as shown in FIG. The key code information corresponds to the key of the pressed keyboard 6.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 12B, when the mouse 5 is operated, a signal is generated. For example, as shown in FIG. 12B, a signal of 1 is generated when the right button 32 of the mouse 5 is clicked, and a signal of 0 is generated when the click is released.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 12C, when the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 is operated, a signal requesting the current operation mode information is transmitted from the PC unit 20 to the TV unit 10 as described above. .

  By using the mouse 5, the following operations can be performed on the TV unit 10 as in the case of using the remote controller 9. First, by clicking the mouse wheel 33, menu items in the TV unit 10 are displayed. Next, by moving the mouse 5, the mouse pointer is moved over the menu item to be selected. Next, clicking the left button 31 of the mouse 5 activates the menu item.

  Further, a list of channels is displayed on the display 2 by dragging while the left button 31 of the mouse 5 is being pressed. Next, the channel is selected by releasing the left button 31 of the mouse 5 on the selected channel. Further, a volume bar is displayed on the display 2 by dragging in a state where the right button 32 of the mouse 5 is pressed. After displaying the volume bar, the volume is decreased by moving the mouse 5 to the left while dragging. On the contrary, the volume is increased by moving the mouse 5 to the right.

  Further, by rotating the mouse wheel 33, the input switching items between the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 and the list of the terrestrial A / terrestrial D / BS / CS / switching items are displayed on the display 2. Further, by rotating the mouse wheel 33, the mouse pointer is moved over the switching item to be selected. Next, when the left button 31 of the mouse 5 is clicked, the switching item is activated.

  Next, a process for making a program reservation on the display 2 using the mouse 5 will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the process of making a program reservation using the mouse 5 on the display 2.

  In FIG. 13, an EPG screen is displayed on the display 2. By moving the mouse 5, the mouse pointer G on the title of the program to be reserved on the EPG screen is moved as indicated by an arrow H as shown in FIG. As a result, the mouse pointer G is moved over the program to be reserved. Next, the program is reserved by clicking the left button 31 of the mouse 5. By moving the mouse 5 and moving the mouse pointer G, it is possible to move the mouse pointer G more easily than operating using the up / down / left / right cursor keys of the remote controller 9. Therefore, the operability in program reservation is improved.

  Next, processing for reserving a program using the keyboard 6 on the display 2 will be described. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the process of making a program reservation by inputting a search keyword using the keyboard 6 on the display 2. As shown in FIG. 14, the user can input a search keyword using the keyboard 6 on the program search screen on the display 2. In the example shown in FIG. 14, a search keyword can be input for each of “genre”, “title”, and “detail (performer name, etc.)”. Thereby, it is possible to search for a program that hits the search keyword and reserve the program. The flow of signal processing in the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 when the TV unit 10 is operated using the mouse 5 and the keyboard 6 is as described with reference to FIG.

  As described above, the television with built-in PC 1 of the present embodiment can operate two units (TV unit 10 and PC unit 20) having completely different functions by using one operating device. In particular, the point that the operation of the PC unit 20 can be performed by the remote controller 9 has a great merit for the user. This is because the operation of the remote controller 9 is refined compared to the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 and is intuitive and easy to understand. In particular, it is possible to execute the activation and termination of an application that has been complicated in recent years due to the pursuit of a smart display design with a simple operation. Therefore, the user who uses the television with built-in PC 1 of the present embodiment can experience various services (execution of applications, browsing of web pages) provided by the PC unit 20 more easily than using a general-purpose personal computer. it can. It is not necessary to prepare a mouse table by operating using the remote controller 9.

  In addition, there is a merit for the user that the TV unit 10 can be operated by the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 of the PC unit 20. For example, the operability is improved by using the mouse 5 when the mouse pointer is moved up, down, left and right on the display 2. In the operation by the remote controller 9, the number of times of pressing the cursor key for moving the mouse pointer is increased, and it can be moved only in four directions, up, down, left and right. On the other hand, if the mouse 5 is used, it can move linearly to the target position on the display 2 only by moving the mouse 5. Also, in the channel selection, volume adjustment, and image quality adjustment, a predetermined value can be directly selected on the display 2, so that operability is improved.

  Further, there is a great merit in program reservation on the EPG screen. In recent years, due to an increase in the number of channels and an increase in description of program contents, the relative number of programs displayed on one screen has decreased. As a result, there are many demands for scrolling the screen easily and quickly. By using the mouse 5, it is easier to scroll the screen than the operation by the remote controller 9. In addition, when inputting a search keyword for searching for a program on the EPG screen, it is possible to easily input a word by using the keyboard 6. Therefore, the operability is improved.

  FIG. 15 shows the correspondence between each key on the keyboard 6 and each key on the remote controller 9 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, by pressing each key on the keyboard 6, it is possible to transmit a signal similar to pressing each key on the remote controller 9 corresponding to each key. As an example, by pressing the “A” key on the keyboard 6, a signal similar to that when the “ground A” key on the remote control 9 is pressed can be transmitted. On the other hand, by pressing each key of the remote controller 9, it is possible to transmit the same signal as when each key of the keyboard 6 corresponding to each key is pressed.

(Example of the flow of video composition)
A flow of the composition and display processing of a plurality of videos in the PC built-in television 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of video composition and display in the television 1 with a built-in PC.

  As shown in this figure, the content acquisition unit 22 of the PC unit 20 acquires a video 50 (second video included in the second content) and related information 52. The acquisition destination is, for example, the Internet 8 or the recording disk 7. The video 50 and the related information 52 are transmitted to the TV unit 10 via the content acquisition unit 22, the content processing unit 21, and the content transmission unit 23. In the TV unit 10, the content is provided to the content composition unit 14 via the content reception unit 16.

  On the other hand, the content acquisition unit 15 of the TV unit 10 acquires the video 54 (the first video included in the first content) and the related information 56. The acquisition destination is, for example, a broadcasting station. The video 54 and the related information 52 are provided to the content composition unit 14 via the content acquisition unit 15 and the content processing unit 13. Note that control information defining that the video 50 and related information 54 should be provided to the TV unit 10a is transmitted in advance from the TV unit 10a to the PC unit 20a. The PC unit 20a provides the video 50 and the related information 54 to the TV unit 10a in response to the reception of the control information.

  The content synthesizing unit 14 synthesizes the input video 50, related information 52, video 54, and related information 56 to generate one synthesized video (synthesized content). In this embodiment, the graphic memory 110 is used to write data to each of the three planes. Specifically, video 50 is written in the first plane, video 54 is written in the second plane, and related information 52 and related information 56 are written in the third plane. The three planes thus obtained are overlapped to generate one composite image shown in FIG. The synthesized video is input to the display 2 via the video output unit 11. As a result of these processes, the user visually recognizes the synthesized video through the display 2. As a result, it is possible to enjoy movie content on a sub-screen while watching a broadcast program.

(Example of screen displayed on display 2)
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating examples of screens displayed on the display 2.

  In FIG. 17A, only the TV full screen 60 is displayed on the entire surface of the display 2. At this time, when the user presses the “PC button” provided on the remote controller 9, the screen in FIG. 17A is switched to that in FIG. In FIG. 17B, a TV main screen 61, PC function menus 62 to 65, and a PC small screen 66 are displayed on the display 2. The user uses the TV 1 with a built-in PC mainly for viewing TV content (broadcast program) reproduced by the TV unit 10. On the other hand, PC content is viewed as an auxiliary.

  When the screen of FIG. 17B is displayed, when the user presses the “PC button” provided on the remote controller 9, the screen of FIG. 17B is switched to that of FIG. In FIG. 17C, the display position of the TV screen and the display position of the PC screen are switched. Specifically, the PC main screen 69 is displayed at the display position of the TV main screen 61, while the TV sub screen 68 is displayed at the display position of the PC sub screen 66. Through these processes, the user uses the PC built-in television 1 mainly for the operation of the PC unit 20 and the viewing of the PC content reproduced by the operation. On the other hand, broadcast programs are watched supplementarily.

  When the screen of FIG. 17 (c) is displayed, if the user selects another menu in the PC function menus 62 to 65, the PC small screen 68 is maximized as shown in FIG. 17 (d). You can also. That is, the PC full screen 67 is displayed on the display 2. In addition, when the user presses the “PC button”, the display is similarly switched to the display of FIG.

(Example of PC sub-screen switching)
FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the PC built-in television 1 switches the display of the PC small screen in accordance with the selection of the PC function menu.

  In FIG. 18A, a TV main screen 61, menu items 71 to 74, and a PC small screen 75 are displayed on the display 2. The PC small screen 75 is displayed when the menu item 71 is selected. Here, when the user selects the menu item 72, as shown in FIG. 18B, the PC small screen 76 related to the menu item 72 is immediately displayed.

(Example of processing according to PC function menu selection)
The television with built-in PC 1 of the present embodiment displays the PC function menu on the display 2 by processing data in HTML format representing the menu of the PC function. Therefore, a process corresponding to the link information corresponding to the selected item is executed. A specific example of this will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the PC built-in television 1 displays the PC small screen or changes the display position of the PC small screen in accordance with the selection result of the information indicating the PC function menu.

  In the example of FIG. 19A, the PC built-in television 1 processes the menu data 80 and displays a PC function menu. The menu data 80 includes four pieces of link information including link information 81 and link information 82. Each link information individually corresponds to an item name (gourmet, search, game, etc.).

  Here, it is assumed that the user selects the “gourmet” item. At this time, the television 1 with a built-in PC processes the link information 81 corresponding to the item. Specifically, the website (external device on the communication network) indicated by the link information (access information) 81 is accessed, the web page (second content) returned by the server is acquired, and the PC child screen is obtained. 84. At this time, the TV main screen 83 is also displayed at the same time.

  On the other hand, it is assumed that the user selects the “game 2 (size designation)” item. At this time, the television 1 with a built-in PC processes the link information 82 corresponding to the item. Specifically, the game application indicated by the link information 82 is activated, and the content (second content, second video) output by the application is displayed on the PC child screen 85. At this time, the display position and size of the PC small screen 85 are determined with reference to the display control information defined in the link information 82. The display 2 also displays the TV main screen 83 at the same time. The size of the TV main screen 83 is determined based on a value obtained by calculating (eg subtracting) the size of the PC small screen 85 from the screen size of the display 2.

(Example of flow of screen display processing)
FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of information processing when displaying the full TV screen and the PC small screen on the PC built-in television 1 of the present invention. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display 2 by the sequence process shown in FIG.

  As a precondition before the processing of FIG. 20 starts, the TV unit 10 has received and decoded a broadcast wave from a broadcast station and acquired a broadcast program in advance. In addition, various types of broadcast-related information are received as needed in accordance with the reception of broadcast waves. Examples of broadcast-related information include data broadcasting, electronic program guides, subtitles, closed captions, information from the network, information indicating the channel currently being viewed, information indicating the user's residential area, and the like.

  In the sequence of FIG. 20, first, the TV unit 10 displays the TV main screen 61 (step S1). Next, the user inputs a PC display command using the remote controller 9. Based on this input, the TV unit 10 requests menu information from the TV unit 10 (step S2). The PC unit 20 transfers the received request to the service server (external device) (step S4). The service server transmits the menu information to the PC built-in television 1 and the PC unit 20 receives it. The PC unit 20 transfers the received menu information to the TV unit 10. The TV unit 10 processes the received menu information and displays the menus 62 to 65 on the display 2 (step S7). Further, the PC small screen 66 is displayed (step S66).

  The user selects one of the menu items using the remote controller 9 (step S10). The TV unit 10 transmits selection information representing the selected menu item to the PC unit 20. The PC unit 20 executes a software application specified by the received selection information (step S11). At this time, the video generated by the application is transmitted to the TV unit 10. The PC unit 20 also transmits various PC content information such as access history, purchase history, content viewing history, access time, and access time to the TV unit 10. The TV unit 10 displays the received video on the PC small screen 75. As a result, the display of the PC small screen 75 changes (step S12).

  At this time, the TV unit 10 may use the broadcast content related information and the received PC content information to generate display information based on these two pieces of information and display it on any of the menu items 62 to 65. In the example of FIG. 21, the menu item 65 is an example. That is, the PC built-in television 1 adaptively switches the display menu using the broadcast related information and the PC content related information. Note that such an adaptive menu generation can be executed not only by the TV unit 10 but also by the PC unit 20 or the service server. In this case, the TV unit 10 acquires the generated menu from the PC unit 20 and displays it on the display 2.

  In addition to the above description, the following various ideas are possible for the television 1 with a built-in PC.

(Contrived menu display)
The PC built-in television 1 makes it easy to intuitively understand the classification and operation of categories. Thereby, even the beginner of a computer can operate the television 1 with a built-in PC easily. Menu items corresponding to categories following the portal website are displayed in a list. As a result, the user can select menu items in the same manner by the same operation as that of the computer that is normally used.

  The PC built-in television 1 displays content corresponding to the focused menu item on the PC sub-screen. Therefore, every time the user selects content, the video displayed on the PC small screen is switched. As a result, the user can select content intuitively. As an initial setting, it is preferable to prepare a website attractive to the user in advance.

  Further, the TV 1 with a built-in PC has a menu item “convenient function” as a kind of category. The user can register frequently used software applications in the convenient function. Note that the display order of menu items displayed on the TV screen may be changed according to the content provider. In addition, a business that collects the posting fee determined according to the display order from the content provider becomes possible.

  The TV 1 with a built-in PC easily displays links to websites frequently used by the user, for example, on the display 2 as categories by category. As a result, the PC function menu can be used as an entrance when accessing a website on the Internet 8. The user can directly access the Internet by selecting an item from this entrance (PC function menu) while watching a broadcast program through the TV main screen 61 without setting to switch to the PC main screen 69. With these ideas, the present invention can increase the willingness to purchase the television 1 with a built-in PC from beginners to advanced computers.

  Specific examples of menu items include a search website, web log, SNS (Social Networking Service), general information (for example, news, weather, traffic information or route guidance), living information (for example, illness, regional information or child care) , Food (eg, restaurant or recipe collection), learning (eg, dictionary or children's education), hobbies (eg, stocks, travel, shopping or fashion), or entertainment (eg, games, video websites or music download webs) Site).

  The user can connect to the website for each category described above by the following procedure. First, a menu item related to a desired category is selected from the category-specific PC function menu displayed on the screen. Next, since a URL list of websites belonging to the category of the selected item is displayed, a desired website is selected from the URL list. Specifically, when a TV main screen, a plurality of menu items, and a PC small screen are displayed on the screen, the user selects a menu item of a desired category by a remote control operation. Thereafter, for example, if the PC main screen is selected to be displayed, the PC screen is enlarged on the screen and switched to the Internet viewing.

(Diversity of services used)
The user of the PC built-in television 1 can also use all the Internet services that can be used by the conventional general-purpose computer in the PC built-in television 1. This is because the PC built-in television 1 includes the PC unit 20 that functions as a complete computer and operates in cooperation with the TV unit 10. Accordingly, the TV built-in television 1 has a much wider range of use than a conventional Internet television that can use only limited Internet services.

(Advantages of large screen)
When the PC full screen is displayed on the display 2, the user can operate the PC unit 20 using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6. In the television 1 with a built-in PC having the display 2 as a large screen, the user can enjoy the PC content through the display 2 with a large screen and high image quality. In the conventional computer, it is necessary to prepare a large screen display in addition to the PC main body for such a use. However, the single TV 1 with a built-in PC can satisfy the demands of power users who make extensive use of computers. In particular, since the PC unit 20 is a computer, it is possible to add functions flexibly in cooperation with various peripheral devices, and to realize the advantages obtained by adding such functions to the user through a large screen and high-quality display. be able to.

(Power supply interlock)
The user does not have to perform a complicated operation for activating the PC unit 20. This is because in the PC built-in television 1, the power supply of the TV unit 10 and the power supply of the PC unit 20 are interlocked. That is, the PC unit is turned on at the same time as the TV unit 10a is turned on. After the start of the TV unit 10 is completed, the user can view the broadcast program immediately. On the other hand, the startup process of the PC unit 20 continues thereafter. This is because the PC unit 20 requires a longer time to complete startup than the TV unit 10. The user can enjoy the broadcast program without unnecessarily waiting until the PC unit 20 is activated. In addition, after the PC unit 20 has been activated, the PC unit 20 can be operated at any time by a simple operation using the remote controller 9.

(Ease of installation)
Since the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 are integrated, the user can easily install the TV 1 with a built-in PC. An LED backlight may be employed for the display 2 of the TV unit 10. Thereby, since the TV unit 10a can be reduced in weight and thickness, the installation direction of the TV 1 with a built-in PC can be freely set in any of vertical and horizontal directions.

(Sales of TV with built-in PC 1)
The external appearance of the PC built-in television 1 is very similar to that of a normal television device. Therefore, the store places the TV 1 with a built-in PC in the TV department instead of the computer department. The salesperson can appeal that the computer can be used with a simple operation when selling the TV 1 with a built-in PC to a prospective customer. As a result, it is possible to increase the willingness to purchase the PC built-in television 1 for customers who do not go to the computer department but go to the television department, that is, general users who are not good at computers but can use the television. The PC built-in television 1 has the added value that a computer can also be used, so that the unit price can be set higher and the profit rate is higher. Therefore, the manufacturer of the PC built-in television 1 and the dealer can obtain higher profits with the PC built-in television 1.

(Display of power consumption)
The TV 1 with a built-in PC may acquire information about its own power consumption, convert it into information for display, and display it on the display 2.

[Embodiment 2]
A second embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 22 and FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to each member which is common in 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

(External example of PC built-in television 1a)
FIG. 22A is a diagram showing an appearance when the PC built-in television 1a after the detachable PC unit 20a is mounted on the TV unit 10a is viewed from the display screen side. FIG. 22B is a diagram showing an external appearance when the PC built-in television 1a before the detachable PC unit 20a is mounted on the TV unit 10a is viewed from the back side.

  As shown in this figure, the TV built-in television 1a of the present embodiment is composed of a TV unit 10a and a PC unit 20a. In this respect, there is no difference from the PC built-in television 1 according to the first embodiment. However, in the PC built-in television 1a of the present embodiment, the PC unit 20a is detachable from the PC built-in television 1a. Accordingly, the expandability and maintainability of the PC built-in television 1 can be improved. It should be noted that both the TV unit 10a and the PC unit 20a can be used independently after the attachment is released.

  The PC unit 20a is provided with a plurality of external terminals 150 to 152 as shown in FIG. Specifically, they are an Ethernet (registered trademark) terminal 150, a USB terminal 151, and a video / audio input / output terminal 152. As shown in FIG. 22B, the PC unit 20a is also provided with external terminals 153 to 155 for exchanging signals with the TV unit 10a. Specifically, a video signal (SDVO including HDMI signal: Serial Digital Video OutPut) terminal 153, a control signal terminal 154, and a power supply terminal 155. By having these terminals, video signals, control signals, and power supply signals can be transmitted and received between the PC unit 20a and the TV unit 10a. In addition to these, it is naturally possible to provide an audio signal terminal and transmit / receive audio signals to / from each other.

  The PC unit 20a can operate as a single unit and is a product. The circuits and wiring are all housed inside the PC unit 20a and are not exposed at all. The same applies to the TV unit 10a. Therefore, there is no need for wiring when connecting the two. As a result, the user can attach the PC unit 20a to the TV unit 10a by a simple procedure. That is, it is only necessary to insert the PC unit 20a into the mounting position.

  The PC unit 20 removed from the PC built-in television 1 can be used for various purposes by being connected to peripheral devices. For example, the removed PC unit 20 is mounted on a cradle that can be connected to a monitor. In this way, the PC unit 20 can be used as a desktop computer. In addition, as a terminal for connecting the PC unit 20a and the cradle, an Ethernet (registered trademark) terminal and a serial port terminal can be used.

(Principal configuration of PC built-in television 1a)
FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the PC built-in television 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the content acquisition unit 15 of the TV unit 10a is not only through the antenna 4, but also from the recording disk 7, the Internet 8, and the external device (external storage device external reproduction device) 160 The content to be played can be acquired. That is, the content that is processed by the TV unit 10a of the present embodiment is not limited to a broadcast program, but also includes content such as text, video, audio, and moving images, and multimedia content that is a combination of these. Other web pages are also included.

  As described above, the PC unit 20a has expandability utilizing peripheral devices, and has a wider range of utilization than conventional general-purpose computers. Even when the PC unit 20a is detached from the TV unit 10a or when the PC unit 20a breaks down, the TV program 10a alone can acquire a broadcast program and various contents from the outside.

[Embodiment 3]
A third embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to each member which is common in the 1st and 2nd embodiment mentioned above, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the present invention is realized as the BD built-in television 1b. Here, “BD” refers to a Blu-ray (registered trademark) recording / playback device. The BD built-in television 1b is a device capable of reproducing a broadcast program, recording it on a recording disk 7, and reproducing Blu-ray content.

(External appearance of TV with built-in BD)
FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an external appearance example of the television 1b with a built-in BD after the detachable BD unit 20b (unit) is mounted on the TV unit 10a. The BD unit 20b has a configuration and a function as a Blu-ray recording / playback apparatus, and is a unit that operates alone. In the present embodiment, one BD built-in television 1b is configured by attaching the BD unit 20b to the TV unit 10a to which the PC unit 20a can be attached. That is, both the PC unit 20a and the BD unit 20b can be detachably mounted in the mounting slot of the TV unit 10a. In addition to these units, for example, a DVD unit having a configuration and function as a DVD recorder can be mounted on the TV unit 10a.

  The TV unit 10a operates in cooperation with the attached BD built-in television 1b. Therefore, the user can operate both the TV unit 10 a and the BD unit 20 b using the remote controller 9. That is, the viewing of the broadcast program, the recording of the broadcast program on the recording disk 7, and the reproduction of the content recorded on the recording disk 7 can be performed by one remote controller 9.

  Note that the BD unit 20b can also be mounted in a form supported by the TV unit 10 according to the first embodiment. In this case, for example, connection between terminals according to the USB 2.0 standard is possible. In this embodiment, the PC unit 20 is used as the unit. However, the PC unit 20 may be any electrical appliance in which an OS (operating system) is mounted. Thereby, the present invention can be realized in various devices.

(Additional notes)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the present invention within the scope of the claims. That is, a new embodiment can be obtained by combining appropriately changed technical means within the scope of the claims.

  The content reproduction apparatus of the present invention may be composed of a TV unit and a plurality of units. The unit can be realized as any of a general-purpose computer, a Blu-ray playback (recording) device, a DVD playback (recording) device, and a hard disk recorder. Any one of these units and a TV unit are combined to constitute one content reproduction apparatus. As a result, for example, a configuration in which one content playback device includes two PC units 20 and a configuration in which one content playback device includes one PC unit 20a and one BD unit 20b are all included in the present invention. Included in the category. Any unit can be detachable from the TV unit, or can be built in the housing of the TV unit.

  The PC built-in television 1 having a configuration in which the PC unit 20a is built in the casing body of the TV unit 10a can also be realized. In this case, the PC unit 20a is completely hidden inside the TV unit 10a. Therefore, the PC unit 20a can be protected from the external environment. Note that the user can take out the PC unit 20a from the TV unit 10a and replace it with another PC unit 20a.

(Program and recording medium)
Finally, each block included in the PC built-in television 1 may be configured by hardware logic. Alternatively, it may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as follows.

  That is, the PC built-in television 1 includes a CPU that executes instructions of a program that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program into an executable format, and And a storage device (recording medium) such as a memory for storing the program and various data. With this configuration, the object of the present invention can be achieved by a predetermined recording medium.

  The recording medium only needs to record the program code (execution format program, intermediate code program, source program) of the program of the television 1 with a built-in PC, which is software that realizes the above-described functions, so that the computer can read it. This recording medium is supplied to the PC built-in television 1. Thus, the PC built-in television 1 (or CPU or MPU) as a computer may read and execute the program code recorded on the supplied recording medium.

  The recording medium for supplying the program code to the television 1 with a built-in PC is not limited to a specific structure or type. That is, the recording medium includes, for example, a tape system such as a magnetic tape and a cassette tape, a magnetic disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk / hard disk, and an optical disk such as a CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. System, a card system such as an IC card (including a memory card) / optical card, or a semiconductor memory system such as a mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM.

  Moreover, even if the PC built-in television 1 is configured to be connectable to a communication network, the object of the present invention can be achieved. In this case, the above program code is supplied to the PC built-in television 1 via the communication network. This communication network is not limited to a specific type or form as long as it can supply the program code to the PC built-in television 1. For example, it may be the Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, ISDN, VAN, CATV communication network, virtual private network, telephone line network, mobile communication network, satellite communication network, and the like.

  The transmission medium constituting the communication network may be any medium that can transmit the program code, and is not limited to a specific configuration or type. For example, wired communication such as IEEE 1394, USB (Universal Serial Bus), power line carrier, cable TV line, telephone line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line, infrared rays such as IrDA and remote control, Bluetooth (registered trademark), 802.11 It can also be used by radio such as radio, HDR, mobile phone network, satellite line, terrestrial digital network. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a computer data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program code is embodied by electronic transmission.

  The present invention can be widely used as a television apparatus incorporating a computer.

1 PC built-in TV (content playback device)
1a TV with built-in PC (content playback device)
1b TV with built-in BD (content playback device)
2 Display 3 Speaker 4 Antenna 5 Mouse (second operating device)
6 Keyboard (second operating device)
7 Recording disc (recording media)
8 Internet (communication network)
9 Remote control (first operating device)
10 TV unit 10a TV unit 11 Video output unit (display means)
12 audio output unit 13 content processing unit 14 content synthesis unit (synthesis unit)
15 Content acquisition unit (first video acquisition means, broadcast wave reception means, electronic program guide acquisition means
)
16 content receiving unit 17 user input unit 18 control information communication unit (first control information transmitting unit, second control information receiving unit)
19 Control unit (first input receiving means, first determination means, first control means)
20 PC unit (unit)
20a PC unit (unit)
20b BD unit (unit)
21 content processing unit 22 content acquisition unit (second video acquisition unit)
23 Content transmission unit (video transmission means)
24 Storage unit (internal storage device)
25 Control information communication unit (second control information transmitting means, first control information receiving means)
26 user input unit 27 control unit (second input receiving means, second determination means, second control means)
28 Application execution unit (execution means)
29 Operation mode management unit 30 Operation mode management unit

Claims (22)

Broadcast wave receiving means for receiving a broadcast wave, and first video acquisition means for decoding the received broadcast wave to acquire a first video, and operated by a first operating device, A content playback device comprising a TV unit for displaying a first video and a unit for providing at least a second video to the TV unit,
The TV unit is
First input receiving means for receiving a first operation signal issued by the first operating device;
First determination means for determining which of the TV unit and the unit should be controlled based on the first operation signal and information predetermined in the TV unit;
First control means for controlling the TV unit when the first determination means determines that the TV unit should be controlled;
A first control information transmission unit configured to transmit to the unit first control information for controlling the unit when the first determination unit determines that the unit should be controlled;
The above unit is
First control information receiving means for receiving the first control information transmitted from the TV unit;
A content reproduction apparatus comprising: second control means for controlling the unit based on the received first control information. The above unit is
A second input receiving means for receiving a second operation signal issued by the second operating device;
Second determination means for determining which of the TV unit and the unit should be controlled based on the second operation signal and information predetermined in the unit;
Second control information transmitting means for transmitting, to the TV unit, second control information for controlling the TV unit when the second determining means determines that the TV unit should be controlled. And
The second control means controls the unit when it is determined by the second determination means that the unit should be controlled,
The TV unit is
A second control information receiving means for receiving the second control information transmitted from the unit;
The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit controls the TV unit based on the received second control information.   The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first video acquisition unit acquires the first video through a communication network, an external storage device, an internal storage device, and a recording medium.   4. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first control unit controls reservation for acquisition of the first video based on the second control information. The TV unit is
An electronic program guide acquisition means for acquiring the electronic program guide;
5. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first control unit controls information selection in the electronic program guide based on the second control information. 6. The above unit is
An execution means for executing the software application;
6. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit controls activation or termination of the software application. The above unit is
Second video acquisition means for acquiring a video generated when the software application is executed as the second video;
7. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a video transmission unit that transmits the second video acquired by the second video acquisition unit to the TV unit.   8. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second control unit controls the behavior of the pointing device on the second video based on the first control information.   9. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second control unit switches a window size on the second video based on the first control information.   10. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second control unit controls a moving image on the second video based on the first control information. 10.   The content according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the second control means switches a task of the software application on the second video based on the first control information. Playback device.   The content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the second control means inputs characters on the second video based on the first control information.   The content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the second control unit starts or stops the power supply of the unit based on the first control information.   The content playback apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the second control unit starts or stops the browser of the unit based on the first control information.   The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first operation apparatus is a remote controller.   The content reproduction device according to any one of claims 2 to 15, wherein the second operation device is a mouse or a keyboard. The TV unit is
17. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying on the screen at least one of the first video and the second video provided from the unit. The content reproduction apparatus described in 1. The TV unit is
And further comprising combining means for combining the first and second images to generate a combined image,
18. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the display unit displays the synthesized video on the screen.   The content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the unit is detachable from the TV unit.   The content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the unit is built in a housing body of the TV unit.   A program for operating the content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the program causes a computer to function as each of the above means.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 21 is recorded.

Images