JP3864420B2 - Television receiver - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a television receiver having a remote control function.

  Conventionally, television receivers are configured to be remotely operated by a remote controller that emits a predetermined infrared signal in response to a user operation. On the other hand, even a television receiver that includes an imaging device and has a safety monitoring function is equipped with a remote controller as a standard, which is a factor that hinders cost reduction of the television receiver. In addition, since it is necessary to provide a light receiving device for receiving an infrared signal emitted from the remote controller in the television receiver, this is also a factor that hinders cost reduction and downsizing of the television receiver. . Furthermore, the remote controller is easy and convenient for remote operation, but has a problem that it cannot be used in an emergency such as loss or exhaustion of the built-in battery.

Note that Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 show an input device that can input various commands by detecting the fingertip position of a person imaged by a television camera arranged in front of the display device. ing.
JP 2000-181601 A JP 2000-187551 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a television receiver that can be operated remotely without using a remote controller at a low cost.

  To achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a tuner for receiving a television broadcast signal, and a video / audio signal processing means for processing a broadcast signal received by the tuner and separating it into a video signal and an audio signal. A video / audio output means for outputting the video signal and the video signal separated by the video / audio signal processing means; an imaging means for imaging the periphery of the video / audio output means and outputting electrical image data; and Drive means for panning and zooming the means, storage means for storing image data picked up by the image pickup means, and communication processing for uploading image data stored by the storage means to a server via the Internet A television receiver having a safety monitoring function, and a control means for controlling each part described above, The control means determines the presence or absence of a viewer based on the image data captured by the imaging means, and when the viewer is present in the image data captured by the imaging means, the viewer is identified as the imaging means. Controlling the driving means to take an image that is enlarged / reduced to a predetermined size at a substantially central portion of the visual field of the image, and based on the image data imaged by the imaging means, monitoring the operation of the viewer, Each time the viewer performs the first operation, the power of the television receiver is alternately turned on / off. When the viewer performs the second operation, a specific operation corresponding to the second operation is performed. Each time the viewer performs a third action, the video / audio output displays an operation reference screen that associates and displays information related to the second action and information related to the specific process corresponding to the second action. Displayed alternately on the means Hidden is, the user by performing a predetermined operation toward the television set, is obtained by allowing the remote operation.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tuner for receiving a television broadcast signal, a video / audio signal processing means for processing a broadcast signal received by the tuner and separating it into a video signal and an audio signal, and the video / audio signal processing means. The video signal and the video / audio output means for outputting the video signal separated by the image signal, the imaging means for imaging the periphery of the video / audio output means and outputting the electrical image data, and the image data captured by the imaging means A television receiver having a safety monitoring function, a storage means for storing the image data, a communication processing means for uploading the image data stored in the storage means to a server via the Internet, and a control means for controlling the respective sections The control means, when a viewer is present in the image data imaged by the imaging means, The operation of the viewer is monitored based on the image data picked up by the image means, and each time the viewer performs the first operation, the power of the television receiver is alternately turned on / off, When the viewer performs the second operation, a specific process corresponding to the second operation is executed, and each time the viewer performs the third operation, information about the second operation, and The operation reference screen associated with the corresponding information related to the specific processing is alternately displayed / hidden on the video / audio output means, and the user can perform a remote operation by performing a predetermined operation toward the television receiver. It is what I did.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the viewer is imaged using the imaging means for monitoring the safety of the room, and the television receiver can be remotely operated based on the operation of the viewer. Therefore, a remote controller can be eliminated without adding new parts, and the manufacturing cost of the television receiver can be greatly reduced. In a television receiver equipped with a remote controller as standard, the television receiver can be operated without using the remote controller in an emergency. In addition, the user can turn on / off the power of the television receiver by the first operation, and can display / hide the operation reference screen for the second operation by the third operation. Therefore, the user only needs to learn the first and third operations at a minimum, and the other operations can be surely executed while referring to the operation reference screen displayed by the third operation, which is convenient for beginners and the elderly. A good television receiver can be provided. Further, by driving the image pickup means by the drive means, the viewer is imaged with a predetermined size in the approximate center of the field of view of the image pickup means, so that the viewer regardless of the positional relationship between the television receiver and the viewer. Can be monitored accurately. Thereby, misrecognition of each operation can be prevented.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the viewer is imaged using the imaging means for monitoring the safety of the room, and the television receiver can be remotely operated based on the operation of the viewer. This eliminates the need for a remote controller and can greatly reduce the cost of manufacturing a television receiver. In a television receiver equipped with a remote controller as standard, the television receiver can be operated without using the remote controller in an emergency. In addition, the user can turn on / off the power of the television receiver by the first operation, and can display / hide the operation reference screen for the second operation by the third operation. Therefore, the user only needs to learn the first and third operations at a minimum, and the other operations can be surely executed while referring to the operation reference screen displayed by the third operation, which is convenient for beginners and the elderly. A good television receiver can be provided.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a television receiver. The television receiver 1 is a tuner 2 that receives a television broadcast signal, a decoder 3 that demodulates the broadcast signal received by the tuner 2, and a broadcast signal demodulated by the decoder 3 is separated into a video signal and an audio signal. A video / audio signal processing unit (video / audio signal processing unit) 4, a video / audio output unit (video / audio output unit) 5 that outputs the video signal and the video signal separated by the video / audio signal processing unit 4, and a video / audio output unit 5. A CCD camera (imaging means) 6 that images the periphery of the image, converts it into electrical image data, and outputs it; a camera drive means 10 for driving the CCD camera 6 in a pan or zoom manner; A memory (storage unit) 7 for storing the image data, a communication processing unit (communication processing unit) 8 for performing communication processing, and a CPU ( And a control means) 9.

  The communication processing unit 8 is connected to the server 13 via the Internet 12. The communication processing unit 8 is connected to the Internet 12 at any time or as needed, and uploads the image data stored in the memory 7 to the server 13. The user can check the uploaded image, that is, the state of the room in which the television receiver 1 is installed by accessing the server 13 via the Internet 12 using a mobile phone or personal computer on hand. it can.

  In the television receiver 1, a viewer is imaged using a CCD camera 6 for monitoring the safety of the room, and the image data is analyzed by the CPU 9. It is configured so that it can be operated remotely without using a controller. The predetermined operation performed by the viewer is associated in advance with a command input by a conventional remote controller, that is, a command to be input in order to use a function of the television receiver 1. Therefore, the viewer can remotely operate the television receiver 1 by performing a predetermined operation corresponding to a desired command toward the CCD camera 6 of the television receiver. For example, when the viewer performs an operation of raising both hands toward the CCD camera 6, the operation is picked up by the CCD camera 6 and recognized by the CPU 9, and the power key of the conventional remote controller is operated. Similarly to the above, the power of the television receiver 1 can be turned on / off alternately.

  Note that power is constantly supplied to the CCD camera 6, camera drive unit 10, CPU 9, and the like in order to continue room safety monitoring even when the television receiver 1 is turned off. Therefore, the CCD camera 6 can continuously capture the viewer even when the power of the television receiver 1 is off. Further, the operation performed by the user toward the CCD camera 6 so that the CPU 9 does not mistakenly recognize the user's operation is not a small operation that moves the fingertip, for example, but a large operation that moves the entire arm. Is desirable. Hereinafter, the operation of moving the entire arm to remotely operate the television receiver 1 will be referred to as a hand-arm operation.

  FIG. 2 shows an image captured by the CCD camera 6. For example, the CCD camera 6 captures an image of several frames / second, and the CPU 9 recognizes the presence / absence of the viewer and the hand / arm operation from the change in the image captured by the CCD camera 6. Specifically, in (a), the CPU 9 analyzes the image captured by the CCD camera 6 to determine whether or not the viewer 20 exists, and when the viewer 20 exists, its direction and the television receiver 1. The distance from is calculated. Then, as shown in (b), the CPU 9 drives the camera driving unit 10 in accordance with the calculated direction and distance of the viewer 20, so that the viewer 20 is set at a predetermined central portion of the visual field of the CCD camera 6. The image is enlarged / reduced to the size of. In this state, when the viewer 20 performs an operation of swinging his / her right hand up and down as shown in (c), the CPU 9 is a television in which the operation of the viewer 20 is determined in advance from a change in image between frames. It is determined whether or not it corresponds to a hand / arm operation corresponding to various functions of the John receiver 1. If the action of the viewer 20 is such a hand-and-hand action, the CPU 9 enables the corresponding function.

  Next, the processing of the CPU 9 corresponding to the user's hand / arm operation when the television receiver 1 is in the standby state will be described with reference to FIG. In the standby state, as described above, the CCD camera 6 and the CPU 9 are constantly operating in order to monitor the safety of the room. When the first arm movement is recognized from the image data captured by the CCD camera 6 (YES in # 1), the CPU 9 turns on the power of the television receiver 1 (# 2), and the image / audio output unit 5 Display an operation reference screen (# 3). Here, the operation reference screen is a screen that displays information in which a second hand-and-hand operation described later is associated with a specific process corresponding thereto, and this operation reference screen is displayed on the CCD camera 6 as necessary. The captured image or the video of the program received by the tuner 2 is superimposed. The viewer 20 can confirm the hand / arm motion corresponding to the operation command to be input on the operation reference screen. Then, when the CPU 9 recognizes the second hand / arm motion by the viewer 20 (YES in # 4), the CPU 9 executes a command corresponding to the second hand / arm motion. For example, the CPU 9 changes the reception channel of the tuner 2 (# 5). Further, when the CPU 9 recognizes the third hand movement by the viewer 20 (YES in # 6), the operation reference screen is hidden and the video of the program received by the tuner 2 is displayed on the image / audio output unit 5. (# 7). Thereby, the viewer can view a desired program.

  Thereafter, when the CPU 9 recognizes the hand movement by the viewer 20 (YES in # 8), the CPU 9 returns the television receiver 1 to the standby state (# 9) and ends the processing. On the other hand, before recognizing the first hand / arm movement by the viewer 20 (NO in # 8), when recognizing the second hand / arm movement (YES in # 10), the CPU 9 changes the reception channel of the tuner 2. (# 11), returning to # 8, the viewer is continuously monitored. Further, when the second hand / arm movement by the viewer 20 is not recognized (NO in # 11) and the third hand / arm movement is not recognized (YES in # 12), the process returns to # 3, and the viewer is continued. Monitor. If the third hand / arm movement is not recognized (NO in # 12), the process returns to # 8 and the viewer is continuously monitored.

  As described above, according to the television receiver 1 of the present embodiment, the viewer 20 is imaged using the CCD camera 6 for monitoring the safety of the room, and the television is based on the hand / arm operation of the viewer 20. Since the television receiver 1 is configured to be remotely operated, a remote controller can be eliminated without adding new parts, and the manufacturing cost of the television receiver 1 can be greatly reduced. . In a television receiver equipped with a remote controller as standard, the television receiver can be operated without using the remote controller in an emergency. Further, the user can turn on / off the power of the television receiver 1 by the first hand / arm operation, and display / hide the operation reference screen for the second hand / arm operation by the third hand / arm operation. be able to. Therefore, the user only needs to learn at least the first and third hand / arm movements, and the other actions can be reliably executed while referring to the operation reference screen displayed by the third hand / arm movement. The television receiver 1 that is very easy to use can be provided. In addition, by driving the CCD camera 6 by the camera driving unit 10, the viewer 20 is imaged with a predetermined size at a substantially central portion of the visual field of the CCD camera 6, so that the position of the television receiver 1 and the viewer 20 is Regardless of the relationship, the operation of the viewer 20 can be accurately monitored. Thereby, it is possible to accurately distinguish between an operation in which the viewer moves his fingertip small in the vicinity of the television receiver 1 and an operation in which the entire arm is moved largely away from the television receiver 1. It becomes possible to prevent misperception of operation.

  The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, the second hand / arm operation in FIG. 3 is not limited to the hand / arm operation for changing the channel, but the hand / arm operation for changing the volume of the television receiver 1 or the brightness of the screen of the television receiver 1. A plurality of types of motions corresponding to specific processing such as hand / arm motions for changing the height can be defined in advance. In addition, by providing a plurality of CCD cameras 6, it is possible to support a plurality of viewers 20.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a television receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows an example of the menu screen for selecting the mode which changes the control data of the brightness and volume of the screen in the receiver. The figure which shows the display screen for changing the control data of a brightness automatic control map in 1st map data change mode.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Television receiver 2 Tuner 4 Video / audio signal processing part (video / audio signal processing means)
5. Video / audio output unit (video / audio output means)
6 CCD camera (imaging means)
7 Memory (memory means)
8 Communication processing unit (communication processing means)
9 CPU (control means)

Claims (2)

A tuner for receiving a television broadcast signal, a video / audio signal processing means for processing the broadcast signal received by the tuner and separating it into a video signal and an audio signal, a video signal separated by the video / audio signal processing means, and A video / audio output means for outputting a video signal; an imaging means for imaging the periphery of the video / audio output means to output electrical image data; a driving means for driving the imaging means in a pan drive and a zoom; A storage unit that stores image data captured by the imaging unit, a communication processing unit that uploads the image data stored by the storage unit to a server via the Internet, and a control unit that controls the respective units, In a television receiver having a safety monitoring function,
The control means includes
The presence or absence of the viewer is determined based on the image data captured by the imaging means,
When a viewer is present in the image data picked up by the image pickup means, the drive means is used to pick up the viewer by enlarging / reducing the viewer to a predetermined size in the approximate center of the field of view of the image pickup means. Control
Based on the image data imaged by the imaging means, monitoring the viewer's operation,
Each time the viewer performs the first operation, the television receiver is alternately turned on / off,
When the viewer performs a second action, a specific process corresponding to the second action is executed,
Each time the viewer performs a third action, an operation reference screen that displays information relating to the second action and information relating to the specific process corresponding thereto is displayed alternately on the video / audio output unit. / Hide,
A television receiver characterized in that a user can perform a remote operation by performing a predetermined operation toward the television receiver. A tuner for receiving a television broadcast signal, a video / audio signal processing means for processing the broadcast signal received by the tuner and separating it into a video signal and an audio signal, a video signal separated by the video / audio signal processing means, and Video / audio output means for outputting a video signal; imaging means for imaging the periphery of the video / audio output means to output electrical image data; and storage means for storing image data captured by the imaging means; In a television receiver having a safety monitoring function, comprising a communication processing means for uploading image data stored in the storage means to a server via the Internet, and a control means for controlling each of the above-mentioned units.
The control means includes
When a viewer is present in the image data picked up by the image pickup means, based on the image data picked up by the image pickup means, the operation of the viewer is monitored,
Each time the viewer performs the first operation, the television receiver is alternately turned on / off,
When the viewer performs a second action, a specific process corresponding to the second action is executed,
Each time the viewer performs a third action, an operation reference screen that associates information related to the second action and information related to the specific process corresponding thereto is alternately displayed / not displayed on the video / audio output unit. Display
A television receiver characterized in that a user can perform a remote operation by performing a predetermined operation toward the television receiver.

Images