JPH0476075B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a program timer used for, for example, scheduled recording of a VTR.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY AND PROBLEMS A microcomputer is generally used as a program timer used for scheduled recording on a VTR. To set a timer reservation for this type of program timer, set the timer settings by sequentially sending setting items such as the day of the week, the "hour" and "minute" of the start time, and the "hour" and "minute" of the end time. The settings are stored in memory, but the setting items are generally forwarded each time the forward button is pressed.

In conventional timers of this kind, pressing the forward button causes the setting item to move to the next one, regardless of whether the settings for that setting item have been completed or not. Therefore, if the user accidentally presses the forward button twice while setting a reservation, or if the user presses the forward button without setting the relevant item, the user must press the forward button again to change the setting item position. This had the inconvenience of requiring time and effort to operate. In particular, if the feed button is used to move in one direction, if you press the feed button by mistake, you will have to press the feed button for the number of setting items in order to return to the relevant setting item, which is extremely troublesome. It was hot.

Purpose of the Invention In view of this point, the present invention aims to improve the operability of reservation setting.

Summary of the Invention This invention is designed so that even if you press the forward button for a reservation setting item, the setting item does not move to another setting item if that setting item is not set. There is no drawback that the items change.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an example of the present invention. This example is a program timer built into a VTR and uses a microcomputer.

That is, in the figure, 1 is a microcomputer. A system controller section 2, a tuner section 3, a power supply section 4, a fluorescent display tube section 5 as a display device, and a key matrix section 6 of the VTR are connected to the ports of the microcomputer 1, respectively.

The fluorescent tube section 5 displays the time, timer reservation setting, channel, etc. on the front panel of the VTR.

Further, the key matrix section 6 is made up of nine buttons 61 to 69, as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

Button 61 is for clearing program timer settings, button 62 is for switching RF output between TV and VTR, button 63 is for starting time setting, button 64 is for inputting data during program timer setting and sending setting items. , Button 65 is normally for channel up and incrementing the day of the week, hour, minute, etc. when setting the clock and program timer, button 66 is normally for channel down and for incrementing the day of the week, hour, minute, etc. when setting the clock and program timer. Button 67 is used to confirm the program timer settings, button 68 is used to start program timer settings (including modification), and button 69 is used to reserve/cancel program timer recording.

Normally, by pressing buttons 65 and 66, channels of the tuner built into the VTR are turned up or down, and a desired channel is selected. Then, the selected channel number is displayed on the fluorescent display tube section 5. In addition, in this normal state, a clock is displayed on the fluorescent display tube section 5, and by pressing the button 63, the mode is set to the time correction mode, and by using the buttons 64, 65, and 66, the time is corrected. .

Next, let's talk about timer settings.

This timer setting is done according to a program of the microcomputer 1, and flowcharts of the program are shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.
Further, FIG. 6 is a flowchart focusing on the display state of the fluorescent display tube section 5 when setting a timer reservation according to this program.

The reservation setting procedure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

In the fluorescent display section 5, normally, the day of the week, the current time, and the channel selected at that time are displayed, as shown in FIG. 6A.

In this state, the timer set button 68
When turned on, the program timer setting starts (step [101]). At this time, regardless of the input state of the RF output switching button 62, the RF output from the tuner section 3 of the VTR is supplied to the receiver.

Then, when the timer reservation setting starts,
A search is made for an empty memory address that has not yet been reserved (step [102]). This can be done by searching the contents of each address in the memory where the reservation setting items are stored. That is, for example, in each address for the maximum number of events that can be reserved in the memory, when no reservation is set, for example, all "1" is written as data. Therefore, when inputting setting items, if you make sure that the data does not all become "1", it will be determined whether the address is free or not depending on whether the data of each address in the memory is all "1" or not. .

Then, it is determined whether or not all addresses are free (step [103]), and if there are no free addresses, the pressing of the timer set button 68 is ignored (step [104]), and the timer set button is pressed. The state remains as it was before 68 was pressed.

On the other hand, if there is a free address and there are multiple addresses, then one of them, and if there is only one, that
This is the setting address for the new event (step [105]).

In this example, setting item data for each event is always stored in the memory address in the order of address number, for example, in order to facilitate searching for a free address in this memory and determining the setting address for a new event. That is, for example, if the maximum number of events that can be set is 4 and the memory addresses are A ₁ , A ₂ , A ₃ , A ₄ , these addresses A ₁ to A ₄ are sequentially output by the address counter. If specified, reserved events are written to addresses A ₁ →A ₂ →A ₃ →A ₄ in order from A ₁ . If the event is not scheduled every day, after the scheduled day of the week and time has come and recording has been performed on the VTR, the data of the setting items for the event are cleared and all data is set to "1". Then, the cleared address is A ₁ for example, and the addresses A ₂ , A ₃ ,
When another event was written to _A4 ,
The setting item data for each event written to addresses A ₂ , A ₃ , and A ₄ is address A ₂ →A ₁ ,
The address positions are sequentially closed in ascending order of address numbers, such as A ₃ →A ₂ , A ₄ →A ₃ , and so on.
Incidentally, when sorting the address positions, the addresses may be rearranged in order of the reservation time arriving earlier than the current time. Of course, this sorting in order of reserved time may be performed after the new event is written to the memory.

If you do this, the address number will be stored in memory.
Event reservation setting information is written in order from smallest to largest, so please proceed from step [102] to
[105] can be easily executed by steps [201] to [206] in FIG.

That is, first, address _A1 is set as the memory address location (step [201]), and it is determined in the same manner as above whether an event has already been reserved (step [202]).
If it has not been set, the address _A1 is set as the new event setting address (step [206]).

If address A ₁ has been reserved, the next address A ₂ is selected (step [203]), and after it is confirmed that it is an address that can be set for an event (step [204]), address A ₁ is selected. In the same way as in step [202], it is determined whether the reservation has not been set or not.
If not set, this address _A2 is set as the new event setting address in step [206].

If address A ₂ has also been reserved, it is similarly determined whether addresses A ₃ and A ₄ have not been set, and if they have not been set, that address is set as the new event address. and the address
If A ₃ and A ₄ have all been set, this is determined in step [204], and the fact that the timer set button 68 has been pressed is ignored (step [205]).

When the set address of the new event is determined in this way, the fluorescent display tube displays the word "reservation" and the number of the set address in the left corner as shown in FIG. 6B. In the example shown in the figure, the address is _A2 , so "2" is displayed. In other words, this will display the number of events that have already been set, including events that will be newly set. At this time, the time and channel are not displayed.

The setting address for this new event is automatically selected by the microcomputer, so it is not a user setting item, so you can immediately set the start day of the event without pressing the NEXT button. (Step [106]) In this state, that is, in a state where the day of the week item is not set, the sixth
As shown in Figure B, the word "Start" is displayed, and "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday" and "Thursday, Friday, Saturday" flash alternately to notify that the day of the week has not been set. In this state, the day of the week is selected by pressing the down button 65 and up button 66. That is, when one of the buttons 65 and 66 is pressed once, all the days of the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) flash, and the reservation is made every day. If you press it one more time, only the day of the week, for example "Wednesday", will flash. From then on, each time you press the up button 66, it will change from Wednesday → Thursday... → Monday → Tuesday → Every day → Wednesday, and so on. down button 65
If you press , the day of the week will change in the opposite direction, and that day will flash. After the day of the week is set in this way, NEXT
By pressing the button 64, the data for that day of the week is written to address _A2 , and the display for that day changes from flashing to lit (FIG. 6C). In the case shown in the figure, Friday is selected. And NEXT
The button 64 serves to advance the setting items, so when the NEXT button 64 is pressed and the day of the week is set, the setting item changes to the "hour" of the start time (step [107]).

In this step [107], press the down button 6.
5 or the up button 66 once, the display position of "hour" on the display tube section 5 becomes "00" and it blinks. If you press the up button 66 below, 0 → 1
"Hour" changes cyclically like →2...→23→0, and when you press the down button 65, the "hour" changes in the opposite direction.
is changed. The hour digit will then flash to notify you that the setting is in progress.
When the NEXT button 64 is pressed after the "hour" is set, address _A2 of the "hour" data is written and the setting item changes to the "minute" of the start time (step [108]). In Part 5, “Time”
The digits will change from blinking to lit, and the minute portion will blink (Figure 6D).

Then, down button 65 or up button 6
When 6 is pressed once, the "minute" will flash "00", when the up button 66 is pressed, it will be changed cyclically from 0 → 59 → 0, and when the down button 65 is pressed, the "minute" will be changed in the opposite direction. It is changed and displayed blinking (Fig. 6E). After this “minute” is set, press the NEXT button 6.
When 4 is pressed, the "minute" data of the start time is written to the address _A2 , and the process moves to step [109] for the setting item of the "hour" of the end time, and the "end" data is displayed on the display tube 5. At the same time as the characters are displayed, the display position of "hour" becomes blinking (FIG. 6F).

Then, down button 65 or up button 6
When 6 is pressed once, the "hour" of the start time appears in the display position, and then the "hour" is changed by operating the down button 65 or up button 66, and the next button 64 is pressed. By pressing the button, the "hour" is written into the memory and the process proceeds to step 110 for setting the "minute" of the end time, and the display position of "minute" starts blinking on the display tube section 5 (Fig. 6G). .

When selecting this "minute", if you press button 65 or 66 once, the "minute" of the start time will be displayed.
From that point on, you can change the selection of the "minute" display using button 6.
5 and 66.

After that, when the NEXT button 64 is pressed, the "minute"
As the data is written to the memory, the process moves to step [111] for channel setting items, and the channel display position blinks on the display tube section 5 (6th
Figure H) A reservation channel is selected by operating the button 65 or 66. Then, when the NEXT button 64 is pressed, it is written into the memory and, for example, it is determined whether all setting items have been set, and if they have been set, the process advances to step [112] for confirming reservation settings. That is,
When the NEXT button 64 is pressed, the display section 5 displays the start day of the week, time, and channel (Fig. 6 I), and after 2.5 seconds, automatically changes to display the end time and channel (Fig. 6 J). , plus 2.5
After seconds have passed, the display will automatically change to the clock display (6th
Figure K).

Then, load the video tape cassette into the VTR and press the timer select button 69.
is on standby for scheduled recording, and the display section 5 shows the following:
The words "Reserved" are displayed (Fig. 6L).

In this invention, when each setting item is not set in steps [106] to [111], the NEXT button is pressed.
Even if 4 is pressed, the setting item is not moved to the next item.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a microcomputer program for this purpose, which is executed in exactly the same way in each of steps [106] to [111].

In other words, in each setting item step,
First, it is determined whether or not the up button 66 has been pressed (step [301]), and when it has been pressed, the respective setting items "day of the week", "hour",
The "minutes" and "channel" are changed (step [302]). When the up button 66 is not pressed or after the change setting is made using the up button 66, it is determined whether or not the down button 65 has been pressed (step [303]), and when it has been pressed, the setting items are changed as described above. It can be changed in the opposite direction from when the up button 66 was pressed (step [304]). When the down button 65 is not pressed and after the corresponding item change setting is made with this down button, NEXT
It is determined whether the button 64 has been pressed (step [305]), and if it has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step [301].
~ [304] continues the mode for changing the setting item, and when the NEXT button 64 is pressed,
It is determined whether the item has been set (step [306]). This determination is made by detecting that the data of that item becomes significant data when the up button 66 or the down button 65 is pressed. If the data has not become significant, the pressing of the NEXT button 64 is ignored and the process returns to step [301]. On the other hand, if the data is significant, pressing the NEXT button 64 causes the data for that item to be written into the memory and to proceed to the next setting item.

Therefore, the up button 66 and the down button 65
is operated in each step [106] to [111], and unless the data of that item is changed and set as significant data, it will be ignored and will not move to another setting item no matter how many times the NEXT button 64 is pressed. .

In this way, if you want to prevent moving to the next item when a setting item is not set, in order to move to the reservation confirmation mode described above, you must press the NEXT button at the step of the channel setting item. What is necessary is to determine whether or not the channel setting data has become significant, and to perform the transition when it is significant. Therefore, it is not necessary to determine whether all setting items have been set.

The reservation can be confirmed by pressing the timer check button 67 while waiting for a reservation or during normal times. That is, each time the check button 67 is pressed, the start time and channel and end time and channel of each event are lit up in sequence, and when the check button 67 is pressed again while the end time and channel of the last event is being displayed, the confirmation mode is activated. ends.

In the case of this reservation confirmation, if the events are not written in the memory in order from the smallest address number to the earliest reservation time, the events may be rearranged and displayed in order from the earliest reservation time. In confirmation mode, NEXT button 64, down and up buttons 65 and 6
By operating 6, the reservation details can be modified.

Although the above example is a case of a program timer built into a VTR, the present invention can also be used as an audio program timer or as an independent timer device.

Further, although the explanation has been made for the case where the NEXT button is a one-way forwarding operation, the present invention is applicable even if the NEXT button is a one-way forwarding operation.

Effects of the Invention According to this invention, when each setting item is not set, the input of the NEXT button is ignored and does not move to another item, so even if the NEXT button is pressed by mistake, the reservation setting operation procedure will be deteriorated. There is no such thing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of this invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of its key matrix section, FIGS. 3 to 5 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of this invention, and FIG. This is a flowchart explaining the operation focusing on the display section. 1 is a microcomputer, 5 is a display tube section, 6
is a key matrix section, and 64 is a NEXT button.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Reservation settings are made while sequentially advancing multiple reservation setting items such as the day of the week, the "hours" and "minutes" of the start time, and the "hours" and "minutes" of the end time by pressing the advance button. In the program timer, a detection means detects that the reservation setting item is not set when the forward button is pressed, and when the detection means detects that the reservation setting item is not set, another reservation is made. A program timer comprising a control means for prohibiting transition to a setting item.