JP3807577B2 - Man-machine interface system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a man-machine interface system used for controlling audio visual (AV) equipment, and more particularly to program selection of a television receiver.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, AV devices are controlled by various methods. For example, in a remote control device for selecting a channel of an AV device having a tuner such as a television receiver, a user selects a desired channel. Provided a channel selection key on the remote control device, and the user selected a desired channel by operating the channel selection key.
[0003]
By the way, in addition to normal terrestrial broadcasting, current television broadcasting includes satellite broadcasting and cable TV, and the number of channels is increasing.
[0004]
As described above, an increase in the number of channels that can be viewed by the user is preferable in the sense that the range of program selection is widened. However, as the number of channels increases, which channel is broadcasting the desired program It is difficult to remember whether or not a control system for channel selection is expected.
[0005]
Therefore, it has been proposed to display a list of programs called a program guide on a television receiver and select a channel by performing a condition search using keywords (headwords) indicating program categories and the like.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the channel selection system described above, a program guide is displayed in advance on a television receiver, a headword is input and a condition search is performed, and the corresponding channel is further displayed. At this stage, it is sufficient if the user can select the desired channel. However, if the desired channel is not obtained with the entered headword, it is necessary to review the headword and start the condition search again from the beginning. There was a problem of becoming.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, a man-machine interface system according to the present invention includes a receiving unit 5 that receives a television signal supplied from the outside, and an image of the television signal received by the receiving unit 5. A video section 6 to be reproduced, a display processor 8 for controlling the video section 6 to operate a display screen, an operation section 10 for inputting a designation signal for channel selection and an operation signal for the display screen, Headword information setting section 9A for supplying headword information supplied to receiving section 5 to display processor 8 for display on the display screen, and headword information specified by voice or key input from operation section 10 A channel that recognizes and detects a channel corresponding to the headword information by comparing it with the headword information of the headword information setting section 9A. A channel detection unit 9B and a channel detection unit 9B that sequentially displays a list of channels detected on the screen or one screen, and inputs a designation signal for confirming channel selection from the operation unit 10 via the channel detection unit 9B. Channel selection means 9C for selecting and displaying the corresponding channel, and entry word database 9D storing data for searching for a channel corresponding to the entry word from entry word information of the entry word information setting section 9A. And a control means 9 comprising: a headword information when new headword information is input within a predetermined time after the headword information is input. And the new headword information and the channel detection means 9C Man and detecting the channel Te - is to provide a machine interface system.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A man-machine interface system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a man-machine interface system according to the present invention. In the figure, a television signal is supplied from a terminal 1 of a cable TV installed indoors to a branching section 3 via a cable 2. The television signal is input to the receiving unit 5, the video is reproduced by the video unit 6, and the audio is reproduced by the audio unit 7. The control means 9 controls the channel, audio level, surround mode, etc. of the receiving unit 5. The operation unit 10 is, for example, a remote control device, and operation buttons for controlling the channel, sound level, surround mode, and the like of the reception unit 5 are arranged, and the user can select a desired channel, sound level, and surround by using these operation buttons. The mode can be set. In addition, the operation unit 10 is provided with a microphone for voice input and a speaker for voice output, and further, a voice recognition unit for recognizing the input voice, when not using voice input or when used in combination with voice input. A key input unit is provided for use.
[0009]
In the display processor 8, the video signal from the video unit 6 and the character information are displayed by the control means 9.
[0010]
The control means 9 of the system configured as described above includes an entry word information setting unit 9A, a channel detection means 9B, a channel selection means 9C, and an entry word database 9D. The entry word information setting unit 9A includes a receiving unit. A fixed headword such as channel information from 5 and a flow headword obtained from a broadcast signal are supplied. The flow headword is a genre, a title, a keyword, or the like associated with the program, and for example, one recorded in the subheader of the program according to the EIA (Electronic Industries Association) -608-A standard is used. These change from moment to moment depending on the content of the program, and are called flow. Then, an image (menu) is set and displayed using these headwords (program guide). These headword information is supplied to the headword database 9D.
[0011]
Here, for example, when the user shouts “Relax” toward the microphone provided in the operation unit 10 while looking at the image set by the headword information setting unit 9A, the operation unit 10 recognizes the voice, and detects the channel. 9B inputs the recognition voice of “Relax”, searches the headword database 9D for a channel corresponding to this “Relax”, and displays the corresponding channel in the divided screen by the display processor 8. Here, the user searches the screen using a search button provided on the operation unit 10, selects a desired channel, and presses an OK button provided on the operation unit 10. Then, the controller 9 selects the corresponding channel.
[0012]
At this time, a channel that most closely matches the headword may be displayed without displaying the list on the divided screen, and the confirmation by the user may be waited for. In this confirmation waiting state, a cancel button provided on the operation unit 10 is pressed within a predetermined time, or the user speaks a negative word to display the next channel that matches the headword. On the other hand, if there is no input within the predetermined time in the confirmation standby state, the process is continued and the process is terminated while the currently displayed channel is the channel desired by the user.
[0013]
In addition, in a state where channels matching the headword are displayed in a list or displayed on a single screen, if the next headword is uttered by the user such as “music” within a predetermined time, the headword is A search is made from the entry word database 9D for “relax” and for “music”. A list of relaxing music programs is then displayed or displayed on a single screen.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the control means 9. The operation of the control means 9 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, headword information is input by voice input and / or key input from the operation unit 10, or a channel is directly selected by key input (step S1). Next, it is determined whether or not the channel is selected directly by key input (step S2). When a channel is selected by key input, a channel corresponding to the key input is determined, and the determined channel is displayed (step S3). On the other hand, when it is determined that the headword is input, the channel corresponding to the input headword information is searched from the database 9D in the headword information setting unit 9A, the corresponding channel candidate is determined and sent to the channel detecting means. (Step S4).
[0015]
In this state, the system waits for the next input within a predetermined time. If there is no next input (step S5), a list of a plurality of corresponding channel candidates is displayed on a television receiver or the like, or Those with higher priority are displayed on one screen (step S6). As a method for selecting a channel candidate having a high priority from the corresponding channel candidates, the channel detection means 9B may refer to past selection results stored in the entry word database 9D.
[0016]
If there is no next input during this display (step S7), the channel selection means is driven to display a list of channel candidates or one displayed on one screen according to the priority order. The user arbitrarily selects from among them (step S8). The selected channel is stored in the entry word database 9D as a selection result.
[0017]
If there is no next input in this state (step S9), the process is terminated, and if there is an input, the process returns to step S2.
[0018]
When there is a next input while waiting for the next input as in steps S5 and S7, it is determined whether the input is a key input for directly selecting a channel (return to step S2), and the key If it is an input, the channel corresponding to the key is displayed on the screen (step S3). When it is determined that the entry is not a key input but an entry word, the channel corresponding to the entered entry word information is searched from the entry word database 9D, and the corresponding channel is determined (step S4).
[0019]
In this way, the display of the channels corresponding to the headword information is repeated, but the channels selected to select the channels satisfying the conditions of all the headwords input unless the resetting is performed in the middle by the operation unit 10 gradually. The number will decrease.
[0020]
In the embodiment described above, it is considered that the next operation after the candidate channel is displayed (step S6) is performed as shown in FIG.
[0021]
In the figure, for example, when the channel candidates are displayed in a continuous single screen display according to the priority order, words indicating affirmation such as “Yes”, “OK”, “Yes”, etc. when the candidate channels are displayed. Is input from the operation unit 10 or an OK button provided on the operation unit 10 is pressed (step S41), the channel displayed immediately is determined as the channel desired by the user ( If a negative word such as “No”, “NO”, “No”, or the like is input from the operation unit 10 or the NO button provided on the operation unit 10 is pressed (step S43), The candidate channels with the priorities are displayed (step S44). If the candidate channels are listed on the divided screen, the channel number or channel name is directly input (step S45), and this is determined as the channel desired by the user (step S46). Further, when a new headword is inputted (step S47), it is determined that candidate channels are narrowed down from the logical product with the headword inputted last time (step S48).
[0022]
As described above, according to the man-machine interface system of the present invention, when the user selects a desired channel, the channel candidates to be selected are narrowed down by repeating the input of headword information by voice or key. And the user can easily select a desired channel.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
According to the man-machine interface system according to the present invention, it is possible to select a desired program from a large number of channels by using headwords, and a comfortable selection operation is possible. Also, channel search conditions can be narrowed down by repeating the entry of headwords. In addition, it is possible to easily select one desired channel from the candidate channels by making a predetermined utterance or pressing a predetermined key during processing. Furthermore, by storing the search results in the database, it is possible to cover the user's selection tendency, and to make the subsequent search closer to the result desired by the user.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a man-machine interface system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the man-machine interface system according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation in a state where candidate channels are displayed in the man-machine interface system according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Terminal 2, 4 Cable 3 Branch part 5 Reception part 6 Video part 7 Audio part 8 Display processor 9 Control means 9A Headword information setting part 9B Channel detection means 9C Channel selection means 9D Headword database 10 Operation part

Claims (1)

A receiving unit for receiving a television signal supplied from the outside;
A video unit for reproducing the video of the television signal received by the receiving unit;
A display processor for operating the display screen by controlling the video unit;
An operation unit for inputting a designation signal for channel selection and an operation signal for the display screen, and headword information for supplying headword information supplied to the receiving unit to the display processor for display on the display screen Channel detection for recognizing headword information specified by voice input or key input from the setting unit and the operation unit, and detecting a channel corresponding to the headword information by collating with headword information of the headword information setting unit And the channel detected by the channel detection means are displayed in a list or sequentially on one screen, a designation signal for confirming channel selection from the operation unit is input via the channel detection means, and the corresponding channel is selected. Channel selection means for selecting and displaying the headword from the headword information of the headword information setting section A man-machine interface system comprising control means comprising a database for headwords storing data for searching for corresponding channels,
When new headword information is input within a predetermined time after the headword information is input, a channel is detected by the channel detection means by taking a logical product of the headword information and the new headword information. A man-machine interface system characterized by that.

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