KR20020088543A - Combination system capable of transmitting operation commands between devices therein, and a method for controlling the operation of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A combination system capable of transmitting an operating command between inner devices thereof and a method for controlling operation thereof are provided to automatically perform operation control without changing the currently set operating mode, thereby reducing the frequency of operating buttons and using the combination system more conveniently. CONSTITUTION: A method for controlling operation of a combination system includes the steps of receiving an operating command inputted by a user(S10), inputting the operating command one of controlling parts, each controlling a device(S20), judging whether the operating command is related to control operation of the controlling part having received the operating command(S30), transmitting the operating command to the other controlling part if the operating command is not for the controlling part having received the operating command(S60).

Description

Combination system capable of transmitting operation commands between devices therein, and a method for controlling the operation of the same}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a combination system, and more particularly, to a combination system in which a plurality of devices performing independent functions such as DVDP and VCR are combined into one system, and an operation control method of the combination system.

Two or more different devices connected to one integrated system are referred to as a 'combination system' or 'combo-system', which is abbreviated as 'combo'. An example of a combo system is a DVDP / VCR combo system developed to perform a combination of a DVDP function and a VCR function.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating such a DVDP / VCR combo system and peripheral devices connected thereto. The DVDP / VCR combo system 10 includes a VCR unit 11 which performs a function of a general VCR such as a function of reproducing images and sounds recorded on magnetic tape and a function of recording an externally received signal on magnetic tape, And a DVDP unit 12 which performs a function of a general DVDP such as a function of reproducing an image and a sound recorded on a digital video disk (DVD).

The DVDP / VCR combo system 10 is connected with a TV 23 as a peripheral device for outputting video and sound reproduced by the DVDP unit 12 or the VCR unit 11 therein, and the DVDP 12 includes: An audio amplifier 21 is connected as a peripheral device for outputting reproduced sound. In addition, an external device 25 such as a camcorder may be connected to the DVDP / VCR combo system 10, and the DVDP / VCR combo system 10 receives an image and a sound from the external device 25 to record / reproduce. Do this.

The VCR unit 11 and the DVDP unit 12 in the DVDP / VCR combo system 10 are externally present as one system, and the user may use a separate input device such as a remote controller 15 or a DVDP / VCR combo system ( By operating an operation panel (not shown) and the like provided on the front of 10), the operation mode switching between the VCR unit 11 and the DVDP unit 12 and the individual functions of the devices 11 and 12 can be operated.

However, in the combination system 10 as described above, in order to control the operation with one remote controller 15 or one operation panel, the user needs to know the operation mode 10 of the combination system in advance. That is, when the current operation mode is the VCR mode in which the VCR unit 11 operates, the command input by the operation of the remote controller 15 is recognized as a command for controlling the operation of the VCR unit 11. Only the VCR unit 11 performs the operation. Therefore, in order to control the operation of the DVDP unit 12, the user must first perform an operation for changing the operation mode and then perform an operation for performing a desired operation. Therefore, there is a problem in that individual operations cannot be controlled by one operation.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to perform an operation corresponding to the actual operation intention of the user according to the state of each device therein without changing the currently set operation mode. It is possible to provide a combination system that does not require troublesome operation such as an operation for changing an operation mode, and an operation control method of the combination system.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a typical DVDP / VCR combination system,

2 is a block diagram of a DVDP / VCR combination system according to the present invention;

3 is a detailed view showing a specific configuration of a remote controller shown in FIG. 2;

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation control method according to the present invention performed by the combination system shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a table illustrating conditions to be considered when the operation control method illustrated in FIG. 4 is applied to each specific operation command.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: DVDP / VCR combination system 110: VCR unit

114: VCR controller 115: command storage unit

117: operation panel 118: remote control sensor

120: DVDP unit 123: DVD control unit

180: remote control

Combination system according to the present invention for achieving the above object, a plurality of control units for controlling the operation of a plurality of devices, and a receiving unit for receiving the operation command input by the user to input the operation command to one of the control unit It includes. Herein, the control unit in which the operation command is input transmits the operation command to another control unit when the operation command is not a command related to its control operation. Thus, an operation corresponding to the intention manipulated by the user can be performed.

The plurality of devices may be composed of a DVDP for reproducing a signal recorded on a DVD, a VCR for reproducing a signal for a magnetic tape, and the like. In this case, it is preferable that the receiving unit uses the VCR control unit as a main control unit by inputting the operation command to the control unit of the VCR. As an example of the receiver, a remote controller sensor for receiving the operation command input through the remote controller may be used.

If the operation mode is set such that the device other than the device controlled by the control unit to which the operation command is input is operated, the control unit to which the operation command is inputted has its own operation command. It is preferable to transmit the operation command to the control unit of the apparatus corresponding to the set operation mode regardless of whether the command is a control operation. Therefore, for a command commonly used for both devices, such as a play command or a stop command, the device according to the set operation mode can execute the input operation command.

In addition, when the same operation command is input again, the control unit to which the operation command is input may determine that the operation command inputted again is not a command related to its own operation. It is preferable to apply when the operation command is a command relating to an operation performed by a plurality of the devices in common.

According to the present invention, when the user inputs a certain operation command, an appropriate operation corresponding to the actual operation intention of the user can be performed. Therefore, there is no need to perform an unnecessary operation such as an operation for switching the operation mode or the like.

On the other hand, according to the invention, the step of receiving an operation command input by the user; Inputting the operation command to one of a plurality of controllers respectively controlling the operations of the devices; Determining whether the operation command is a command relating to a control operation of the controller itself to which the operation command is input; And if it is determined in the determination step that the operation command is not a command relating to a control operation of the input control unit, transmitting the operation command to another control unit of the plurality of control units. A method of controlling the operation of a combination system is provided.

In addition, the operation control method may be applied not only to a combination system but also to two independent devices connected to each other to transmit commands.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a combo system, in particular, a DVDP / VCR combo system 100 capable of performing the functions of a DVDP and a VCR.

The DVDP / VCR combo system 100 is output from a VCR unit 110 performing a function of a general VCR, a DVDP unit 120 performing a function of a general DVDP, a VCR unit 110 and a DVDP unit 120. From the input unit 140, the VCR unit 110 and the DVDP unit 120 for providing a signal input from an external device such as a selection unit 130, a camcorder, etc. to perform a selection operation for the signals to the selection unit 130 OSD 150 that adds an on-screen display (OSD) function to an output unit 150 for providing output signals to peripheral devices such as a TV or an amplifier, and an image signal output from the VCR unit 110 and the DVDP unit 120. Block 160 and the like.

The VCR unit 110 transmits / receives a VCR deck 111 for recording a signal on the magnetic tape or reproducing a signal recorded on the magnetic tape, and a video for transmitting and receiving video and audio signals to be recorded or reproduced on the VCR deck 111. And a block 112 and an audio block 113, a VCR deck 111 and a VCR controller 114 for controlling the overall operation of the video block 112 and the audio block 113, and the like. In addition, the VCR unit 110 may include a display 116 for externally displaying information such as an operation state and an operation mode thereof, an operation panel 117 for receiving various commands from the user, and a remote controller ( It is provided with a remote control sensor 118 for receiving various commands from the user through 180.

In addition, the VCR unit 110 includes a command storage unit 115 for storing various commands. The command storage unit 115 is preferably composed of a conventional nonvolatile memory. In the command storage unit 115, codes relating to various operation commands necessary for the operations of the VCR unit 110 and the DVDP unit 120 are stored. Also, each operation command is a command used only in the VCR unit 110 or DVDP. Information about whether the command is used only in the unit 120 or used in both the VCR unit 110 and the DVDP unit 120 is also stored. The VCR controller 114 compares the commands stored in the command storage unit 115 with the commands input through the remote control sensor 118 or the operation panel 117, so that the command inputted only in any device 110 or 120. It may be determined whether the command is used exclusively or whether the command is used in both devices 110 and 120.

The DVDP unit 120 includes a DVD deck 121, a DVD servo 122, a DVD control unit 123, a DVD encoder 124, and the like. The DVD deck 121 reads data recorded on the DVD in order to perform a playback operation on the DVD, and the DVD servo 122 performs position control and speed control of the DVD deck 121. The DVD encoder 124 receives the data read by the DVD deck 121 through the DVD control unit 123 and outputs DVD image data and DVD sound data. The DVD controller 123 controls overall operations of the DVD deck 121, the DVD servo 122, and the DVD encoder 124.

The VCR controller 114 and the DVD controller 123 are connected to each other to transmit and receive commands. Therefore, as will be described in detail below, the command input to the VCR controller 114 may be transmitted to the DVD controller 123 by the VCR controller 114, and the DVD controller 123 may also be commanded to the VCR controller 114. Can be transmitted.

The selector 130 receives the output of the DVD encoder 124, the output of the video block 112 and the audio block 113, the signal from the input unit 140, and the like. The selector 130 is controlled by the VCR controller 114 and the DVD controller 123 to perform a selection operation on the input signal, and the output of the selector 130 is the OSD block 160 and the output unit 150. Is entered.

The OSD block 160 adds an OSD function to the signal input from the selector 130. Accordingly, an image to be added to an image output on the TV screen, such as a menu for controlling the operation of the DVDP unit 120 and the VCR unit 110 and a menu for setting an environment, is made by the OSD block 160.

The output unit 150 receives signals from the DVD encoder 124, the selector 130, and the OSD block 160, and outputs signals related to the DVD image, the DVD sound, the VCR image, and the VCR sound. The output unit 150 is connected to a peripheral device such as a TV or a sound device, so that the image and sound is output from the peripheral device.

The input unit 140 is connected to the selector 130 and functions to transmit a signal input from the outside to the selector 130. The signal output terminal of an external device such as a camcorder is connected to the input unit 140. Therefore, the signal recorded in the external device can be transmitted to the combo system 100 through the input unit 140, and can also be recorded on the magnetic tape using the VCR unit 110 or reproduced through the TV.

3 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the remote controller 180 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the remote controller 180 is provided with a plurality of operation buttons. These operation buttons are play / pause button 181, record button 183, stop button 185, eject button 187, fast forward. fast button 189, rewind button 188, and the like.

The play / pause button 181 is a button for inputting a command to perform a play operation between the VCR unit 110 and the DVDP unit 120. When the play / pause button 181 is pressed, the play operation is paused. The record button 183 is a button for inputting a recording operation command of the VCR unit 110, and the stop button 185 is an operation currently performed by the VCR unit 110 and the DVDP unit 120, that is, playback. This button stops recording, fast forward, and rewind. The eject button 187 is a button for inputting an eject operation execution command of the VCR deck 111 and the DVD deck 121. The fast-forward button 189 and the rewind button 188 are used as buttons for inputting a command for performing the fast forwarding operation of the magnetic tape in the VCR unit 110 in the forward and reverse directions, respectively, and the DVDP unit 120. Is used as a button for inputting a command for skipping and selecting the next title or the previous title from one of a plurality of title lists contained in one DVD.

Some or all of the various operation buttons provided in the remote controller 180 are also provided on the operation panel 117. Accordingly, the user can input various operation commands by operating the remote controller 180 or the operation panel 117. Can be.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation control method of a combination system according to the present invention. When the user manipulates the remote controller 180 to input an operation command, for example, a play command or an eject command, the operation command is received by the remote control sensor 118 (S10). The remote control sensor 118 transmits the received operation command to the VCR controller 114 (S20). Even when an operation command is input through the operation panel 117, the input command is similarly transmitted to the VCR controller 114 (S20).

When the VCR controller 114 receives an operation command from the remote control sensor 118, the VCR controller 114 determines whether the received operation command is a dedicated operation command used only in one of the devices 110 and 120 (S30). That is, the VCR controller 114 determines whether the input operation command is an operation command dedicated to the VCR unit 110, such as a recording command (S31), and if it is determined that the operation command is used only in the VCR unit 110, the operation command is performed. The VCR unit 110 is controlled according to the command (S70). In addition, the VCR controller 114 determines whether the input operation command is an operation command dedicated to the DVDP unit 120, such as a cartridge insertion command (S32), and if it is determined that the operation command is used only in the DVDP unit 120. The DVDP unit 120 is controlled according to the operation command (S80).

Whether the command to be input is a command used exclusively in any device 110 or 120 or a command used in both devices 110 and 120 is, as described above, the command inputted by the VCR controller 114. And can be easily determined by comparing the commands stored in the command storage unit 115.

When the operation command is not a dedicated operation command of the VCR unit 110 or the DVDP unit 120, the input operation command is a command commonly used for the VCR unit 110 and the DVDP unit 120. Determining the operation mode of the current combination system 100 (S40), that is, determining whether the VCR mode 110 is operating (S41) or whether the DVDP unit 120 is operating DVDP mode (S42) Perform the steps. The operation mode can be easily determined by which device is currently operating according to the operation command input by the user, that is, whether the currently operating device is the DVDP unit 120 or the VCR unit 110. Can be. In addition, an operation mode preset by a user may be stored in a memory (not shown) provided separately, and the operation mode may be determined based on the data stored in the memory.

If the determination result in step S41 is the VCR mode, it is determined whether the operation command is the same command as the operation command input immediately before, that is, whether the same command is input again (S51). Whether or not to re-enter the same command can be easily determined by providing a separate memory (not shown) that temporarily stores the input operation command and comparing the operation command stored in the memory with the operation command currently input. Alternatively, it may be determined that the same command is input again even when an operation corresponding to the input operation command is currently being performed or has already been completed. Which of these methods is selected to determine whether to re-enter the same command may be applied differently according to the type of each operation command as described below.

If the same operation command is not re-input, it is determined that the input operation command is a command for the operation of the VCR unit 110, and each device of the VCR unit 110 is controlled to perform the input operation command (S70). ). If it is determined that the same operation command is input again, the VCR controller 114 transmits the input operation command to the DVD control unit 123 (S52). The DVD controller 120 controls the DVDP unit 120 to perform an operation corresponding to the received operation command (S80).

If it is determined in step S40 that the DVD mode, the VCR controller 114 transmits the operation command received from the remote control sensor 118 or the operation panel 117 to the DVD controller 123 (S60), the DVD controller ( 123 repeats a process similar to the control process (S51 and S52) by the above-described VCR controller 114 (S61 and S62).

That is, when it is determined that the received operation command is not a re-input operation command (S61), the DVDP unit 120 is controlled according to the operation command (S80), and when it is determined that the received operation command is a re-input operation command. (S61) The operation command is transmitted back to the VCR controller 110 (S62). The VCR controller 114 controls the VCR unit 110 according to the operation command when the operation command that the user has transmitted to the DVDP unit 120 is retransmitted from the DVDP unit 120 as in step S62 (S70). ).

In this way, the control unit determined according to three conditions such as an operation mode of the combination system 100, whether the operation command is input again, and whether the operation command is common to the VCR unit 110 and the DVDP unit 120. By the user, the operation command input by the user is executed, and therefore, the device that executes the input operation command depends on three conditions. The above three conditions are exemplary, and specifically, among the three conditions, it is preferable that the conditions to be considered are set differently as described below according to the type of operation command.

Hereinafter, an example in which the above conditions are applied to individual operation commands for the devices 110 and 120 will be described with reference to the table shown in FIG. 5.

As described above, the play command and the pause command are operated by one operation button 181. When the play / pause button 181 is first pressed, it is recognized as a play command and when it is pressed again, it is recognized as a pause command. The play command and the pause command are alternated each time the play / pause button 181 is pressed. Therefore, for the play / pause button 181, the determination steps (S51, S61) of re-entry and the determination step (S30) of whether the commands are common to both devices (110, 120) are not applied. Only the determination step S40 may be considered. At this time, it is preferable that the operation mode is considered for the playback command, and it is preferable that the operation mode is not considered for the pause command.

That is, the VCR control unit 114 controls the VCR deck 11 to play the signal recorded on the magnetic tape when the current operation mode is the VCR mode when the play command is input, and if the current operation mode is the DVD mode, the VCR control unit 114 reproduces the play command. Transfer to the control unit 123. The DVD controller 123 controls the DVD deck 121 to reproduce the signal recorded on the DVD as the play command is transmitted. On the other hand, when the play / pause button 181 is pressed during the play operation of the VCR unit 110 or the DVD unit 120, the play operation of the device 110 or 120 currently in play operation is stopped. Accordingly, the VCR controller 114 stops the playback operation of the VCR deck 121 when the VCR unit 110 is playing. The VCR controller 114 controls the DVD control unit when the DVDP 120 is playing. The pause command is sent to 123, and the DVD controller 123 stops the playback operation of the DVD deck 121.

Forward fast commands, rewind commands, stop commands, and eject commands are operation commands common to both devices 110 and 120, and both operation modes and re-entry are considered. . Therefore, when the fast-forward button 189, the rewind button 188, the stop button 185, or the eject button 187 is pressed and such a command is input, the device 110 or 120 corresponding to the set operation mode is first released. Perform the input operation command. That is, when the current operation mode is the VCR mode, the operation input by the VCR unit 110 is performed. When the current operation mode is the DVDP mode, the operation input by the DVDP unit 120 is performed. Then, when the same operation command is input again, the operation command inputted again is transmitted to the other device 120 or 110, and the operation command input by the received device 120 or 110 is performed.

However, the stop command is not only when the same operation command is actually re-entered, but also when the operation of the device 110 or 120 corresponding to the set operation mode is already stopped or the device corresponding to the operation mode is not operated. Even if it is not present, it is preferable to determine that the same operation command is input again. For example, if the DVDP unit 120 is performing the fast-forward operation, the operation of the VCR unit 110 is stopped, and the stop command is input while the operation mode is set to the VCR mode, the VCR unit 110 corresponding to the set operation mode is input. ) Is already stopped, so a stop command is transmitted to the DVDP unit 120 which is another device. Therefore, the fast forward operation of the DVDP unit 120 is stopped. Therefore, the user can stop the operation of the device corresponding to the setting mode while both devices 110 and 120 perform a certain operation, and only one of the devices 110 and 120 performs the certain operation. While in operation, the device 110 or 120 currently operating can be stopped regardless of the setting mode.

Since the record command is executed only in the VCR unit 110, the operation mode and re-input are not considered. Accordingly, when the recording button 183 is pressed and the recording command is input, the VCR controller 114 controls the VCR deck 111 to record the input signal on the magnetic tape.

As described above, various determination conditions as shown in FIG. 4 according to the type of each operation command, that is, whether the operation command is common to each device 110 and 120, the set operation mode, whether to re-enter the operation command, etc. By varying the conditions that are applied, it is possible to perform a proper operation according to the user's actual operation intention when the user presses any operation button.

2 to 4 illustrate an example in which an operation control method according to the present invention is applied to a combo system 100 in which two devices 110 and 120 are combined into one system. Even when two independent devices are connected to each other, the operation control method according to the present invention may be applied. For example, if a separately manufactured device such as a general DVD player and a general VCR are connected to mutually transmit a command, the operation control method according to the present invention may be applied to control the operation between both devices.

According to the present invention, appropriate operation control according to the user's operation intention is automatically performed without the user changing the currently set operation mode. Therefore, the number of operation buttons of the user is reduced, and the use of the combination system is more convenient.

While the above has been shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, it is usually in the art to which the invention belongs without departing from the spirit of the invention claimed in the claims. Anyone skilled in the art can make various modifications, as well as such modifications are within the scope of the claims.

Claims (18)

In a combination system in which a plurality of devices performing independent functions are combined, A plurality of controllers for controlling the operation of each of the devices; And And a receiving unit receiving an operation command input by a user and inputting the operation command to one of the controllers. And the control unit inputting the operation command transmits the operation command to another control unit when the operation command is not a command related to its control operation. The method of claim 1, And the plurality of apparatuses include a DVDP for reproducing a signal recorded on a DVD, and a VCR for recording / reproducing a signal with respect to a magnetic tape. The method of claim 2, And the receiving unit inputs the operation command to the control unit of the VCR. The method of claim 3, wherein The receiving unit is a combination system, characterized in that the remote control sensor for receiving the operation command input through the remote control. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, If the operation mode is set to operate the device other than the device controlled by the controller to which the operation command is input, the controller to which the operation command is input is controlled by the controller. And the operation command is transmitted to the controller of the apparatus corresponding to the set operation mode regardless of whether the operation command is related to the operation. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, And the control unit to which the operation command is input determines that the re-input operation command is not a command related to its operation when the same operation command is input again. The method of claim 6, The control unit may determine that the re-entered operation command is not a command regarding its own operation when the re-input operation command is a command about an operation commonly performed by a plurality of devices. system. In the operation control method of a combination system in which a plurality of devices performing independent functions are combined, Receiving an operation command input by a user; Inputting the operation command to one of a plurality of controllers respectively controlling the operations of the devices; Determining whether the operation command is a command relating to a control operation of the controller itself to which the operation command is input; And And if it is determined in the determining step that the operation command is not a command relating to a control operation of the control unit to which the operation command is input, transmitting the operation command to another control unit of the plurality of control units. System operation control method. The method of claim 8, The plurality of apparatuses include a DVDP for reproducing a signal recorded on a DVD, and a VCR for recording / reproducing a signal with respect to a magnetic tape. The method of claim 9, In the input step, the operation command is input to the control unit of the VCR, the operation control method of the combination system. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, In the determination step, If the operation mode is set to operate the device other than the device controlled by the controller to which the operation command is input, the operation command is controlled by the controller itself to which the operation command is input. Operation control method of a combination system characterized in that it is determined that the operation is not a command. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, In the determination step, When the same operation command is input again to the control unit in which the operation command is input, it is determined that the operation command inputted again is not a command regarding a control operation of the control unit in which the operation command is input. Operation control method of combination system. The method of claim 12, In the determination step, When the re-input operation command is a command about an operation commonly performed by a plurality of the devices, determining that the re-input operation command is not a command about an operation of the controller itself in which the operation command is input. Operation control method of the combination system, characterized in that. In the operation control method of a plurality of devices each having a control unit capable of transmitting and receiving mutual commands, Receiving an operation command input by a user using one of the controllers; Determining whether the operation command is a command relating to a control operation of the controller to which the operation command is input; And And in the determining step, transmitting the operation command to another control unit when it is determined that the operation command is not a command related to a control operation of the input control unit. Control method. The method of claim 14, And the plurality of devices includes a DVDP for reproducing a signal recorded on a DVD, and a VCR for performing signal recording / reproducing for magnetic tape. The method of claim 15, And in the receiving step, the control unit of the VCR receives the operation command. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, In the determining step, When the same operation command is input again to the control unit in which the operation command is input, it is determined that the operation command inputted again is not a command regarding a control operation of the control unit in which the operation command is input. Operation control method of a plurality of devices. The method of claim 17, In the determination step, When the re-input operation command is a command about an operation commonly performed by a plurality of the devices, determining that the re-input operation command is not a command about an operation of the controller itself in which the operation command is input. Operation control method of a plurality of devices, characterized in that.