JPH09224235A - Av controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize local control of an AV equipment located at a remote location in a general home to view its video image through the use of a conventional AV equipment with a remote commander. SOLUTION: Video and audio signals of an AV terminal equipment located at a remote location are modulated and amplified into a TV channel signal by an AV modulator 1 and an amplifier 2 in an AV controller 8 and outputted to a coaxial cable for an antenna wire via a distribution mixer 7. When a signal from a remote commander ancillary to the AV terminal equipment is sent toward a receiver 5 of the AV controller, the signal is modulated by a control signal modulator 6 and outputted to the coaxial cable via the distribution mixer 7. On the other hand, the control signal is demodulated by a demodulator 4 of the AV controller at a remote location and a transmitter 3 sends the remote commander signal to the AV terminal equipment to control the AV terminal equipment so as to view its video image at a local television receiver.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an AV controller capable of remotely controlling and viewing an image of an AV terminal device at a remote place connected by a coaxial cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In today's ordinary households, a television receiver (hereinafter referred to as a TV) and a video tape recorder (VT) are used.
R) or a plurality of AV terminal devices such as television cameras are widespread. However, these AV terminal devices are generally only connected to each other by an antenna line, and the video output from the AV terminal devices at a distant place can be remotely controlled to watch the video on the TV at hand. However, in order to view an image, AV terminal devices that can be controlled by an external device and dedicated AV controllers for the number of AV terminal devices are required.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional AV controller. Each AV controller 28 modulates a baseband video / audio signal output from an AV terminal device into a signal of a frequency band of a selected channel by an AV modulator 1, amplifies by an amplifier 2, and a distribution mixer 7, Coaxial cable 1
8 is output. The broadcast signal is sent to the AV via the distribution mixer 7.
It is output to the terminal device. Further, in response to an instruction from the operation unit 27, the control data transmission / reception unit 26 generates a control signal of the AV terminal device and an identification code of the destination AV terminal device, modulates the modulated signal, and transmits the modulated signal to the coaxial cable 18 via the distribution mixer 7. Output. In addition, the control data transmitting / receiving unit 26 uses the coaxial cable 1
When receiving the control signal transmitted via 8 and the distribution mixer 7, it demodulates into the control signal of the AV terminal equipment and the identification code of the AV controller, and when this identification code matches the identification code of the AV terminal equipment, , And outputs a control signal to the AV terminal device via the interface 25 unique to the AV terminal device.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional system.
The AV terminal devices shown in this figure are all AV terminal devices that can be controlled by external devices. The broadcast signal received by the antenna 15 is amplified by the booster 16, distributed by the distributor 17, and output to the coaxial cable 18. The distributed signal is branched by the branching unit 29 and sent to the AV terminal device through each AV controller. On the other hand, the video signal of the AV terminal equipment at a remote place is transmitted / received between the AV terminal equipment together with the control signal via the coaxial cable 18 by each AV controller, and the video can be viewed on the TV at hand.

When the video image of the VTR-S33 is viewed on the TV-S39, a control signal is output from the TVAVC 38 when an instruction to reproduce the VTR-S33 is issued from the operation unit 27 of the TV AV controller TVAVC38. When the VTR AV controller VTRAVC32 receives the control signal,
Play VTR-S33. The video signal of VTR-S33 is modulated into a signal of the frequency band of the selected channel by VTRAVC32 and sent to TV-S39 via the coaxial cable 18, and the video of VTR-S33 can be viewed on TV-S39.

When the TV camera TVCM-S31 is installed for the intercom and the video is set to be viewed on the TV-S35, when the video signal comes from the intercom, the power of the TV-S35 is turned on and the channel is turned on. Control signal to switch the selected channel to the selected channel
It is output from the controller CMAVC30. further,
The video signal of the TVCM-S31 is modulated into the signal of the frequency band of the selected channel, and the TV is transmitted via the coaxial cable 18.
-S35, and you can watch the video of TVCM-S31 on TV-S35.

[0007]

In order to control an AV terminal device, a system is configured only by devices that support a common AV control protocol, or if it is not, an AV device that can be controlled by an external device is used. When a terminal device is required and the control method is different for each AV terminal device, an AV controller unique to the device is also required. Also, as many AV controllers as the number of AV terminal devices are required.

In a general home, it is not practical to configure a system only with devices that support a common AV control protocol. In addition, A that can be controlled from an external device
It is actually difficult to collect V terminal equipment and an AV controller specific to the equipment, and there is a problem that the cost becomes very high.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and a system is constituted by general AV terminal equipment with a remote controller, and further, a plurality of AV terminal equipments installed in the same place are provided. On the other hand, one AV controller can be used, and the number of AV controllers can be reduced so that it can be realized at low cost even in a general home.

[0010]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve this problem, a baseband image of an AV terminal device such as a video tape recorder or a TV camera connected by a coaxial cable for an antenna wire wired indoors. In an AV controller that modulates and amplifies an audio signal and transmits the modulated signal via a distribution mixer, and transmits / receives a control signal for each AV terminal device via the distribution mixer to control each AV terminal device. A receiver that receives a signal from a remote controller that is attached to the device, a control signal modulator that modulates the received signal and outputs the signal to the coaxial cable via the distribution mixer, and the coaxial cable and the distribution mixer. A demodulator for demodulating the transmitted control signal and a transmitter for converting the demodulated signal into a signal of a remote controller attached to the AV terminal device and transmitting the signal.

Further, it is composed of a converter for converting the received signal of the receiver into digital data, a device identification code for switching between recording / reproduction and an AV terminal device to be controlled, and a code for designating the contents of control. An operation unit for inputting a control code, a memory for storing the digital data and the control code as a set of data, and a recording instruction and a control code input from the operation unit,
The digital data and the control code are stored in the memory as a set of data, and when a reproduction instruction and a control code are input from the operation unit, the control code is retrieved from the memory and the corresponding digital data is stored. And AV
A device identification code that identifies the terminal device and a code that specifies the content of control are read out, converted into a serial signal, and output to the control signal modulator, and transmitted via the coaxial cable and the distribution mixer. , A device identification code for identifying an AV terminal device included in the control signal in the control signal demodulated by the demodulator is connected to A
And a discriminator which outputs the control signal only when the discriminator coincides with the device identification code of the V terminal device.

[0012]

The AV controller of the present invention modulates and amplifies a video / audio signal of a general AV terminal device with a remote controller into a signal of a frequency band of a selected channel, and amplifies it into a coaxial cable for an antenna wire through a distribution mixer. Output. Further, various signals such as broadcast signals on the coaxial cable are distributed by the distribution mixer and output to the antenna terminal of the AV terminal device. When a signal from a remote control attached to the AV terminal equipment at a remote place is transmitted to the receiver of the present AV controller at hand, the receiver modulates the received signal with a control signal modulator to obtain the control signal as the distribution mixer. To the coaxial cable. On the other hand, the demodulator of the present AV controller at a remote place receives this and demodulates it. continue,
The transmitter converts the demodulated signal into a signal of a remote controller attached to the AV terminal device and transmits the signal to the AV terminal device.

In addition, recording is instructed from the operation unit, and a control code composed of a device identification code for identifying an AV terminal device to be controlled and a code for specifying the content of control is input,
When a signal from a remote controller attached to the AV terminal device is transmitted to the receiver, the converter converts the received signal into digital data. The control unit stores the digital data and the control code as a set of data in the memory. After this storage, when an instruction is given to reproduce from the operation unit and a control code composed of a device identification code for identifying the AV terminal device to be controlled and a code for specifying the content of control is input, the control unit
The input control code is retrieved from the memory, the corresponding digital data is read, the data is converted into a serial signal, and the serial signal is output to the control signal modulator.
On the other hand, the discriminator of the present AV controller for AV terminal equipment at a distant place indicates the AV terminal equipment included in the control signal among the control signals transmitted through the coaxial cable and demodulated by the demodulator. This AV is the device identification code to identify
The control signal is output to the transmitter only when the device identification code of the AV terminal device connected to the controller matches. The transmitter converts the signal into a signal of a remote controller attached to the AV terminal device and transmits the signal to the AV terminal device.

In this way, the control signal can be transmitted to the AV terminal equipment at a remote place, the video signal can be received, and the video can be viewed by the AV terminal equipment at hand.

[0015]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. Since infrared rays are used as a remote control method for general AV terminal devices, the remote control here is an infrared remote control. The video / audio signal output from the AV terminal device is modulated by the AV modulator 1 into a signal in the frequency band of the selected channel, amplified by the amplifier 2, and then distributed via the distributor / mixer 7 to the coaxial cable 18 for the antenna wire. Is output. Various signals on the coaxial cable 18, such as broadcast signals received by the antenna, are also output from the distribution mixer 7 to the AV terminal equipment. When the remote control signal R attached to the AV terminal device is transmitted to the receiver 5, the received signal is
The control signal is modulated by the control signal modulator 6 and output to the coaxial cable 18 via the distributor / mixer 7. On the other hand, the control signal transmitted via the coaxial cable 18 and the distribution mixer 7 by the demodulator 4 of the present AV controller for the AV terminal equipment at a remote place is demodulated. The demodulated signal is converted into a signal of the remote controller of the AV terminal equipment by the transmitter 3, and the remote controller signal T is transmitted.

FIG. 2 shows an AV according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram showing a controller 14. FIG. The same parts as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. Recording is instructed from the operation unit 13, a control code composed of a device identification code for identifying the AV terminal device to be controlled and a code for specifying the content of control is input, and the remote control signal R attached to the AV terminal device is received. When transmitting to the device 5, the converter 10
The received signal is converted into digital data, and the control unit 11
The digital data and the control code input from the operation unit 13 are stored in the memory 12 as a set of data.
In this way, the control data is stored in advance.
After this storage, when a reproduction instruction is given from the operation unit 13 and a control code composed of a device identification code for identifying the AV terminal device to be controlled and a code for specifying the content of control is input, the control unit 11 causes the memory 12 to operate. The control code input from is retrieved, the corresponding digital data and the control code are read, the data are converted into a serial signal, and the serial signal is output to the control signal modulator 6. On the other hand, the discriminator 9 of the AV controller 14 for the AV terminal equipment located at a remote place is the control signal among the control signals transmitted through the coaxial cable 18 and the distribution mixer 7 and demodulated by the demodulator 4. The control signal is output to the transmitter 3 only when the device identification code for identifying the AV terminal device included in the above item matches the device identification code of the AV terminal device connected to the AV controller 14. The transmitter 3 converts the signal into a signal of a remote controller of the AV terminal equipment, and transmits a remote controller signal T. The operation unit 13 can also be operated by a remote control such as inputting a code.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system using the present AV controller. The same parts as those in FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. Unlike the conventional example, the AV terminal device used here does not need to be a general remote control AV terminal device that can be controlled by an external device. Further, all the AV controllers of the conventional example are AV controllers unique to the AV terminal device and are different from each other, but all the AV controllers here are of the same model and the number thereof is small.

The antenna input terminals of the VTR 21 and VTR 23 are connected to the distribution mixer 7 of the AVC 19b and AVC 19d, respectively, and the antenna output terminals of the VTR 21 and VTR 23 are connected to the antenna input terminals of the TV 22 and TV 24, respectively, to receive a video signal. It has become so. Here, unlike the conventional example, the AV unique to the AV terminal device
TV22 and TV2 because they do not have to be controllers
4 AV controllers can be reduced. The VTR baseband video / audio signal is connected to each AV controller 8 or 14. Reference numerals 19c and 19e are infrared ray transmitters for the remote controller of the transmitter 3 of the AV controller 8 or 14, and emit infrared rays to both the VTR and the TV to control them.

When watching the video of the VTR 21 on the TV 24,
When the operation unit 13 of the AVC 19d is instructed to reproduce the VTR 21, the ATR 19d outputs a VTR 21 device identification code and a control signal instructing the reproduction. When the AVC 19b receives the control signal, the device identification code matches the device code of the VTR 21, so that the remote control infrared transmitter 19c transmits the reproduction remote control signal to reproduce the VTR 21. The video signal of the VTR 21 is modulated by the AVC 19b into a signal in the frequency band of the selected channel, sent to the AVC 19d via the coaxial cable 18, sent to the TV 24 via the VTR 23, and the video of the VTR 21 can be viewed.

When the TV camera TVCM20 is installed for the intercom and the image thereof is set to be viewed on the TV22, the intercom outputs an instruction to turn on the power of the TV22 to the operation unit 13 of the AVC 19a and switch the channel to the selected channel. Then, the control signal is AV
It is output from C19a. When the AVC 19b receives the control signal, the power source of the TV 22 is turned on, the remote control infrared transmitter 19c transmits a remote control signal for switching the channel to the selected channel, the power of the TV 22 is turned on, and the channel is switched to the selected channel. TVCM20
The video signal of is modulated into a signal in the frequency band of the selected channel by the AVC 19a and sent to the AVC 19b via the coaxial cable 18, and is transmitted to the TV 22 via the VTR 21.
The video of the TV CM 20 can be viewed.

[0021]

As described above, the present invention is a general AV terminal device with a remote controller, which enables the construction of an AV device network system, and which is provided in a remote place connected by a coaxial cable. , It is possible to control it at hand and see the image. In addition, the number of AV controllers can be reduced, and the price can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system using the AV controller of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional AV controller.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a system using a conventional AV controller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 AV modulator 2 Amplifier 3 Transmitter 4 Demodulator 5 Receiver 6 Control signal modulator 7 Distributor mixer 8 Claim 1 AV controller 9 Discriminator 10 Converter 11 Controller 12 Memory 13 Operation part 14 Claim 2 AV controller 15 Antenna 16 Booster 17 Distributor 18 Coaxial cable 19a, 19b, 19d AV controller 19c, 19e of the present invention Infrared transmitter for remote control 20, 31 Camera 21, 23, 33, 37 VTR 22, 24, 35, 39 TV 25 interface 26 control data transmitter / receiver unit 27 operation unit 29 branch device 30, 32, 36 conventional AV controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A baseband video / audio signal of an AV terminal device such as a video tape recorder or a television camera, which is connected by a coaxial cable for an antenna wire wired indoors, is modulated, amplified, and then distributed via a distribution mixer. A receiver for transmitting and receiving a signal from a remote controller attached to the AV terminal equipment in an AV controller for controlling the respective AV terminal equipment by transmitting and receiving the control signal of each AV terminal equipment through the distribution mixer. A control signal modulator that modulates a received signal and outputs the modulated signal to the coaxial cable through the distribution mixer, and a demodulator that demodulates a control signal transmitted through the coaxial cable and the distribution mixer. And an transmitter for converting a demodulated signal into a signal of a remote controller attached to the AV terminal device and transmitting the signal. 2. A converter for converting a received signal of the receiver into digital data, a device identification code for switching between recording / reproduction and an AV terminal device to be controlled, and a code for designating control contents. An operation section for inputting a control code, a memory for storing the digital data and the control code as a set of data, and a digital data when a recording instruction and a control code are input from the operation section. When the control code is stored in the memory as a set of data, and a reproduction instruction and a control code are input from the operation unit, the control code is retrieved from the memory, and corresponding digital data and AV terminal equipment are retrieved. A device identification code that identifies the device and a code that specifies the content of control are read, converted into a serial signal, and output to the control signal modulator. A control unit, a device identification code for identifying an AV terminal device included in the control signal included in the control signal, which is transmitted through the coaxial cable and the distribution mixer and demodulated by the demodulator, is connected. The AV controller according to claim 1, further comprising: a discriminator that outputs the control signal only when the discriminating device ID code of the AV terminal device matches.