JPH11146296A - Information output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically switch television broadcasting and display from an interment in the commercial broadcasting of television broadcasting. SOLUTION: A receiver 2 receives a television broadcasting, discriminates the period for a commercial based on the difference in monoral and stereo sounds and outputs a discriminating signal to an information processing part 4. The information processing part 4 is connected through a network line 7 by the internet, and only during the period for a commercial, the information processing part 4 is connected with a display 5 by a switch 3 so as to automatically switch the television broadcasting and the display from the internet or the like in the commercial broadcasting of television broadcasting.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information output device capable of selectively displaying information from another information source such as the Internet together with a received television broadcast signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of information communication devices and systems such as the Internet, attempts have been made to transmit information at home by placing information at home in the Internet world where business data has been mainly transmitted. For example, an electronic mall that performs shopping on a homepage using the Internet is a typical example.

However, conventionally, dedicated devices such as personal computers have been required to enjoy these services.
However, considering the use of dedicated devices such as personal computers as indispensable devices when considering the spread to homes, it is difficult to operate information devices such as housewives and children in terms of operability, in addition to the problem of price obstacles. It was a problem for users.

[0004] Therefore, it has been considered to connect to the Internet using a television receiver widely used in ordinary households. This device is called by a name such as Internet television, and is configured to be able to switch between television broadcast display and browser display on the Internet, or to perform superimposed display.

[0005]

However, some services using a device capable of displaying television broadcasts and displaying on the Internet do not necessarily require a user to actively operate a browser to perform interactive operations. In addition to the service that retrieves information, there is also a service that uses push technology, such as a type of broadcasting that unilaterally sends information to subscribers.

When using such a service, it is troublesome to switch the screen to the Internet side while watching a television broadcast, and even in a system capable of superimposed display, While watching John Broadcast, there were cases where it was in the way.

In such an information output device,
In the operation of the information screen, it takes a certain amount of time to acquire data from the external network, so that the user has to wait during that time. If the user watches the television broadcast during this time, the irritability can be suppressed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an information apparatus capable of automatically switching display from a television broadcast and another information source such as the Internet at the time of a commercial broadcast of a television broadcast.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an information apparatus which can display from a television broadcast and another information source such as the Internet, and which can reduce the irritability from the display instruction to the display enabled state. The purpose is to:

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, an information output apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a receiving section for receiving a television broadcast and reproducing a television video signal and a television audio signal; Information processing means for generating video information different from the broadcast, a television video signal from the receiving unit, switching means for switching and outputting the video information from the information processing means, and a video signal output from the switching means. Display means for displaying an image, and a period detecting means for detecting an information display period from the television broadcast signal being received by the receiving unit, and according to an output from the period detecting means, from the information processing means. The switching means is controlled so as to display the video information.

Therefore, if the television viewer gives an information extraction instruction to information processing means having an information source different from that of the television broadcast during the commercial broadcast, the information from the information source is not transmitted until the next commercial broadcast. Since the desired information has been extracted, you can display and view the information you have instructed during the commercial broadcast period.

The period detecting means may be configured to detect an information display period, for example, a commercial broadcast period, depending on whether or not the television audio signal reproduced by the receiving unit is a stereo broadcast. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which an identification signal transmitted by being multiplexed with a television signal is extracted and an information display period is detected.

[0013] The information processing means may be an information source,
Although information can be taken out from an internal information source such as a CD-ROM, the information is connected to another information source by an information line such as a telephone line, and is selected by an input unit connected to the information processing unit. By providing storage means for extracting and storing information from the information source during at least a period other than the information display period, information can be obtained from more information sources.

The information line may be a telephone line or a LAN.
It may be a line.

If the information processing means includes image processing means for converting HTML data transmitted from the information source into a display image, information transmitted on the Internet can be easily displayed.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information output device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an information device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This device includes a receiver 2, a switch 3, an information processing unit 4, a display device 5, a sound reproducing device 6, and an information processing unit 4 connected to an antenna line 1.
And an input device 8.

The receiver 2 is connected to the antenna line 1, receives a television broadcast, and outputs a video signal and an audio signal which are reception contents of a selected channel. Since the specific configuration is the same as that of a tuner section of a general television receiver, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, when roughly expressed, a detection section 2a and an audio signal reproduction section 2 for reproducing an audio signal are roughly described.
b, a video signal reproducing unit 2c, and a commercial detecting unit 2d as an information display period detecting unit. The audio signal reproduction unit 2b of the receiver 2 can reproduce an audio multiplex signal. The commercial detection unit 2d outputs an audio control signal indicating whether the audio state of the television broadcast being received by the audio signal reproduction unit 2b is monaural, stereo, or bilingual.
Output to the information processing unit 4 via the I2C bus 4. Note that the voice state detection method and the I2C bus are existing technologies, and a detailed description of their operations will be omitted.

The display device 5 has the same configuration as a video signal processing circuit and a display tube of a general television receiver, and is based on RGB video signals (or a luminance signal and a color difference signal) input via the switch 3. Reproduce the image on the display tube.
As the display tube, a CRT display tube, a liquid crystal display device, or the like is used.

The audio reproducing device 6 comprises an audio amplifier circuit and a speaker, and amplifies and reproduces an audio signal input via the switch 3.

The information processing section 4 is connected to an external network line 7 via a telephone line or the like, and is controlled by an input device 8.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the information processing section 4. The configuration of the information processing unit 4 is the same as that of a general personal computer, and includes an input / output interface unit 41, a CPU 42, a main storage device 43, an auxiliary storage device 44, and a display processing unit 45.

The main storage device 43 stores software for controlling the present device. The auxiliary storage device 44 stores the address of a specific URL described later.

The RGB video signal and the audio signal from the receiver 2 are supplied to one signal input terminal 3 a of the switch 3, and the other signal input terminal 3 b of the switch 3 is connected to the signal line 11 of the information processing unit 4 via the signal line 11. Connected to the output terminal of the display processing unit 41. The switch 3 is controlled by a control signal supplied to a control signal input terminal 3 c via an input / output interface unit 41 of the information processing unit 4, and outputs a video / audio signal from the receiver 2 and an input / output of the information processing unit 4. The video and audio signals supplied via the interface unit 41 are switched and output to the display device 5 and the audio reproduction device 6.

The receiver 1 and the information processing section 4 are connected by an I2C bus 9. The input / output interface unit 41 of the information processing unit 4 is a control signal input terminal 3c of the switch 3.
Are connected by a signal line 10.

The switching of the switch 3 causes the display device 5
, The output from the receiver 1 or the information processing unit 3 is selectively displayed. Further, the information processing unit 4 can detect which of the signal input terminal 3a and the signal input terminal 3b is selected by the switch 2 by reading the current state of the I2C bus 9.

The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG.

When the signal input terminal 3b is selected by the switch 3, what is displayed on the display device 5 is an output from the display processing section 41 of the information processing section 4. When the signal input terminal 3 a is selected by the switch 2, the display output is an output from the receiver 1.

First, the switch 3 selects the signal input terminal 3a (step A1). Next, the information processing unit 4
Is the data from the data supplied via the I2C bus 9
The voice state of is checked (step A2).

If the audio state is not stereo, it is determined that a normal program is being broadcast, and it is confirmed in step A3 whether the switch 3 has selected the signal input terminal 3b. If the signal input terminal 3b has been selected by the switch 3, the switch 3 is switched to the signal input terminal 3a (step A4).

In step A5, the display output on the display device 5 is the output of the receiver 1 by the above processing. In step A5, HTML data at a URL address stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 14 is acquired from an external network line, and stored in the auxiliary storage device 44. The method of acquiring HTML data is the same as that of commonly used WWW browser software, and a description thereof will be omitted.

After completion of step A5, step A is executed again.
The process returns to 2. Thus, when the audio state is not stereo, the display output remains the output of the receiver 1 and the acquisition of data from the external network line is repeated.

If the audio state is stereo in step A2, it is determined that a commercial broadcast is in progress. In step A6, it is confirmed whether the switch 3 has selected the signal input terminal 3a. Switch 3 for signal input terminal 3
a is selected, switch 3 is connected to signal input terminal 3
b (step A7).

At the stage of step A8, the display output is the output of the information processing section 4 by the above processing. In step A8, the HT stored in the auxiliary storage device 14
Reads ML data and displays the data in the same manner as commonly used WWW browser software.
Output to 1. The output of the display processing unit 41 is supplied to the display device 5 via the switch 3, and the display is performed.

After the completion of step A8, step A is executed again.
The process returns to 2. Thus, when the audio state is stereo, the display output remains the output of the information processing unit 4, and the data stored in the auxiliary storage device 44 is displayed.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to display the saved data by switching the display during the commercial broadcast without any special operation of the user.

In displaying the information screen, since the data in the storage device is used, the user does not have to wait while acquiring the data from the network.

Furthermore, since it does not increase the irritability even if data is not acquired from the network at high speed, it is not necessary to increase the speed of network connection equipment such as a modem, and the apparatus is provided at low cost. Can do things. This is an important issue for household use and dissemination.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As described above, the software used in the information processing unit 4 is a WWW browser, but in other embodiments, (1) an electronic mail application is used as software. (2) Documents, image data, and the like are stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 44 without acquiring information from an external network, and software that sequentially displays them during commercial broadcasting is used. Other forms are also conceivable.

In the case of using an electronic mail application as the software of (1), if the switch 3 is not a complete switching type but a switch capable of superimposing, an electronic mail addressed to the user is received. In this case, during reception of the television broadcast, the incoming message is displayed in a superimposed manner in one corner of the television broadcast screen, or the incoming call is notified with a specific sound, and automatically switched to the e-mail screen during the commercial broadcast period. If it is, the usability will be further improved.

The case (2) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an improved configuration of the information processing unit 4 in FIG. The information processing unit 4 'shown in FIG. 4 is the same as a general personal computer, and includes an input / output interface unit 41, a CPU 42, a main storage device 43, an auxiliary storage device 44, a display processing unit 45, and a large-capacity storage medium driving device 4.
6. As shown in FIG. 4, a large-capacity storage medium driving device 46 using an optical system such as a CD-ROM or a DVD together with the auxiliary storage device 44 as compared with the first embodiment.
Are connected. In this large-capacity storage medium, various data are stored in a database and stored in the main storage device 13 so as to perform a database search and display in accordance with an instruction from the input device 8.

If the viewer of the television wants to know more about the ancient city cited in a program broadcast on television, for example, he or she can input the city via the input device 8 during the commercial period. An instruction is given to the information processing unit 4 to search for information stored in the large-capacity storage medium using the name as a key, and the process returns to the viewing of the television broadcast program.
During the period until the next commercial period, the information processing unit 4 prepares to search for data related to the city name from the large-capacity storage medium and display it in accordance with the program.

When information indicating the next commercial period is transmitted from the I2C bus 9, the switch 3 is switched, and the retrieved data is displayed from the information processing section 4 '.
This search / display program is similar to a normal database program, and will not be described in detail.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the search and the like are performed during the television program display period between the commercials, it is not necessary to use the high-capacity storage medium drive 46 as a high-speed type. At present, a low-speed CD-ROM drive such as double speed or quadruple speed is sufficient. Also, the CPU 42 does not need to use a high-speed clock type, and can reduce the price.

In the above embodiment, the receiver 1 has I2C
Although a device having a bus function is used, a receiver having a function of outputting an audio state as a signal that can be logically handled by the information processing unit 3 may be used as another embodiment.

In the present embodiment, a change in the sound state is used in discriminating between a commercial broadcast and a normal program broadcast. However, in another embodiment, a specific signal is transmitted from a broadcast station before and after a commercial broadcast. And receiver 1
There is a method in which the determination is performed by using a signal detection function provided with the function described above. However, the use of this signal enables more accurate commercial determination.

In the above description, the information display period is a commercial broadcast period. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0049]

As described above, according to the present invention,
During the commercial broadcast, the display can be switched and the stored data can be displayed without requiring any special operation by the user.

In displaying the information screen, since the data in the storage device is used, the user does not have to wait while acquiring the data from the network.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall functional block diagram of an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an information processing unit 4 in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an information processing unit 4 in the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Antenna wire 2: Receiver 3: Switch 4, 4 ': Information processing unit 5: Display device 6: Audio playback device 7: Network line 8: Input device 41: Input / output interface unit 42: CPU 43: Main storage device 44: auxiliary storage device 45: display processing unit 46: large-capacity storage medium drive device

Claims (8)

[Claims] A receiving unit for receiving a television broadcast signal and reproducing a television video signal and a television audio signal; information processing means for generating video information different from the television broadcast; Switching means for switching and outputting the video signal for television from the receiving unit and the video information from the information processing means; and display means for displaying an image based on the video signal output from the switching means. And a period detecting unit that detects an information display period based on a television broadcast signal being received by the receiving unit and outputs the switching signal so that the video information from the information processing unit is selected. An information output device, comprising: 2. The information output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the period detecting unit detects the information display period based on whether or not the television audio signal reproduced by the receiving unit is a stereo broadcast. apparatus. 3. The information output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said period detecting means detects an information display period by extracting an identification signal multiplexed with a television signal and transmitted from a broadcasting station. apparatus. 4. The information processing means is connected to another information source by an information line, and outputs information selected by an input means connected to the information processing means at least during a period other than the information display period. 4. The information output device according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for extracting and storing the information from the information source. 5. The information output device according to claim 4, wherein said information line is a telephone line. 6. The information output device according to claim 4, wherein said information line is a LAN line. 7. The information output apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said information processing means has an image processing means for converting HTML data transmitted from said information source into a display image. 8. The information processing means includes a storage medium driving device for reading a storage medium storing various information, and converts information selected by an input means connected to the information processing means into at least information display periods other than the information display period. 2. The information output apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for taking out from the storage medium during a period and storing the display medium in a displayable state.