PH27131A - Method for controlling video and audio of a television set - Google Patents

Description

—_— — ~ ~ - 271° \ . 27131 a _ METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VIDEO AND ’ AUDIO OF A TELEVISION SET

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for 3 controlling the driving of a television set, and more particularly to a method far cantrolling video and , audio signals of a television set by making use of a code, in which a code (secret number) is set up in a micom (microcomputer) of a television set, and the oo 10 television set 1s designed to operate normally only . | when a key signal corresponding to the code is input and releases the code, the thereby to autput video and - audio signals. In general, when a power key is - pressed, an operating power source is immediately | applied to a driving element so that a television set is driven. Therefore, in such a conventional television set, it is possible for any person other ~ than the user to watch the television by simply . pressing the power key of the television set as desired. Particularly, a disadvantage of a conventional television set is that children may press ' . the pawer key of the television set stealthily without ’ supervision of adults, and watch adult television ‘ programs as they choose, which can have a harmful effect on the education of children.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

’ | It is the object of the present invention to ! provide a television set in which a code is to be set - up and which is driven to be watched normally only by a person who knows the code. : According to the present invention, this object is achieved in that in a state that no code is set up in the television set, the television set is driven normally by pressing the power key only as in the = 10 conventional way. In a state that a code is set up in . the television set, the television set is not driven ! normally when the power key is pressed. When the power - key is pressed there is displayed a code set-up state, and then as a key signal corresponding to the code is . 15 input, the code set-up state display is released and at the same time, the video and audio signals of the television broadcast are output normally.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: l ‘ ! !

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FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a television set as applied to a method for controlling the video and audio output according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing the construction of the switching element of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 (A) to (CGC) are flow diagrams for controlling the micom by a method for controlling the video and audio output according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram for controlling the ‘ character display of the micom in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing the display . ’ process of the ON screen character display signals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the ' present invention comprises a keyboard element 1 for outputting a key signal, a remocon (remote control) 2 for outputting a remote control key signal, a remote control receiving element 3 for receiving the remote control signal of said remote control 2, a microcomputer 4 for controlling the driving of a television set according to the key signals of said keyboard 1 or remote control receiving element 3, a power supply element 5 for applying the driving power 3 ! t

Zz source to a driving element of the television set by the control signal of said microcomputer 4, and a ’ driving element 6 which is supplied the driving power . from said power supply element 5 and is subject to the . 5 control of said microcomputer 4. Further, the driving element 4 comprises a receiving element 61 for receiving the television broadcasting signals input through an antenna ANT, a detecting element 6&2 for selecting the television broadcasting signals received by said receiving element 61 according to a control signal from said microcomputer 4, a switching element - 63 far selecting the video signals output from said . detecting element 42 or an ON screen character display signal output from said microcomputer 4 under control - 15 of the microcomputer 4, an audio amplifying element 64 . for amplifying the audio signals output from said detecting element b62 under control of said microcomputer 4, a video amplifying element &5 for amplifying the video signals or the ON screen character s 20 display signals output from said switching element 63, a speaker && for outputting the audio signals output from the audio amplifying element 64, and a Braun tube 67 for displaying the video signals or the ON screen character display signals output from the video amplifying element 6&5. .

FIG 2 is a view 1llustrating the construction of the switching element 63 of FIG. 1, in which the

Zz switching element 63 comprises switches S1 -— G3. The 4 : ON screen character display signals output from the i) output terminals r.g,b of the microcomputer 4 or the video signals output from the output terminals R.G,B of . S the detecting element 62 are designed to be input to the video amplifying element 6&5 through switches S1 - } §3 of the switching signal element 63. That is, in a’ state that high potential switching signals are output to the switching signal output terminal S/W: of the 10 microcomputer 4 or high potential video erasing signals CL : are output to the video erasing signal output terminal : P/W so that high potential signals are output from the } OR gate OR1, the switches 51 - 83 of the switching element 63 are short-circuited to terminals al - a3 on

Lo 15 one side, and consequently the ON screen character ] display signals of output terminals r.g,b of the microcomputer 4 are input to the video amplifying element &5 thorugh the switches S1 - S3. While in a state that no switching signal is output to the

STN 20 switching signal output terminal S/W of the microcomputer 4 and no video erasing signal is output to the video erasing signal output terminal P/W so that low potential signals are output from the OR gate OR1, the switches 651 ~ S3 of the switching element 63 are 25 short-circuited to terminals bl - b3 on the other side, and consequently the video signals of output terminals } R.G,B of the detecting element 62 are input to the video amplifying element 65 through the switches S1-S3. |! . : | /

A method for controlling the video and audio i} signal output according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the flow diagrams of FIGS. 3 and 4. ]

S First, as the power key of the keyboard element 1 or remote control 2 is pressed and the power key signal is input to the microcomputer 4, the microcomputer 4 controls the power supply element 5 so that the driving } power is applied to the driving element. The microcomputer 4 determines at the came time whether or . not a code Nl is set up as in the flow diagram of FIG. . 3 (A) and if no code N1 is set up, the microcomputer 4 directs normal operation of the system as in a - conventional television set. In other words, the : 15 microcomputer 4 controls the detecting element 62 by the remote control key signal of the keyboard element 1 or remote control 2 to select the television & broadcasting signals, and the video signals of the ° selected broadcasting signals are displayed on the

Braun tube 67 through the switching element 63 and the video amplifying element &5, and the audio signals are output to the speaker 66 through the audio amplifying element 64. :

Meanwhile, if a code Nl is set up in a case as described above, the microcomputer 4 outputs an audio erasing signal so that no audio signal is output from the audio amplifying element 64 and also outputs the video erasing and switching signals so that the switches S1 — S83 of the switching element 63 are short - | circuited to terminals al —- a3 on one side and at the ! same time the ON screen character display signals are ] 5 output. Accordingly, the video signals output from the detecting element 62 do not pass the switching element 63, and the ON screen character display signals output from the microcomputer 4 are displayed on the Braun tube &7 through the switching element 463 and the video amplifying element 4&5. Consequently, the user may perceive that the code is set up. As the user operates : the keyboard element 1 aor remote control 2 and a code key signal is thereby input to the microcomputer 4, the - output of the said video and audio erasing signals is cut off when such code key signal corresponds with the code (N1) signal, and concurrently the output of the switching signal is cut off as shown in FIG. 3 (B). . Accordingly, as described previously, the television

So broadcasting signals are selected in the detecting element 62 by the control of the microcomputer 4, and : the selected video and audio signals are output to the

Braun tube 67 and the speaker 66.

Meanwhile, after releasing the already set code N1 by pressing the code reinput key of the keyboard 1 or the remote control 2, it is possible to set up a new code as shown in the flow diagram of FIG. 3 (C). That is, when a code reinput key signal is input to the 1 7 } j

Z7121 microcomputer 4, the already set code Nl is released, : and thereafter when all the code (N22) key signals are input, the code N2 is set up as a new code.

Consequently, as described above, the video and . S audio erasing signals are, thereafter, output and at the same time the switching signals are output, and then the ON screen character display signals are output to be displayed on the Braun tube 67.

Under this state, in the event that a code key signal is input to the microcomputer 4 as described . previously, the input code key signal cuts off the output of the video and audio erasing signal when it

Co corresponds to the already set code N2, and it intercepts concurrently the switching signals so that the television set is operated normally in the same manner of a conventional television. '

The process to display said ON screen character

Bh display signal will now be described with reference to the flow diagram of FIG. 4. First, in a state that a code N1 is set up, the high potential video erasing signals are output to the video erasing signal output terminal P/W, and after decoding the date of the code

N1, the character display signals for informing the user that the code is set up, are output to the output terminals r, gs b. Thus output character display signals are applied to the Braun tube 65 through the =]

27\2\, switching element 63 and the video amplifying element } \ 65 and they are displayed as in the part f shown on the } upper edges of FIG. S. so that it is perceivable that . the code N1 is sel up. ’ 5 Thereafter, the key input number G is reset, the value of the counter G is stored in the register H, and the frequency counter 1 is reset. In the event that . the value stored in the register H is under "ar, the figure character signals of color 1 are output and the displayed as in the part g shown on the lower edges of . FIG. 5 (A). Subsequently the process following the step for determining if the value of the register H is

CL under "0" is carried out repeatedly until the value of the frequency counter I reaches "4", after substracting - 15 "1" from the valued stored in the register H and adding "1" to the frequency counter I. | When the frequency counter 1 reaches "4" in this manner, the key signal is input, and the process following the step storing the \ value of the key input number counter G in the register ’ 20 H is carried out repeatedly until the value of the counter BG reaches "4" after doing "I" to the key input humber counter G. In the above-mentioned case, if the value of the register H is not under "0", that is, it is over "1", the figure character signals ot color 2 : are output and displayed as in the part g shown on the lower edges of FIG. 5S (B) (abliquely lined part). 9

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As such process is carried out repeatedly until the value of the key input number counter 6G reaches . : "qn, the figure character display of color 1 is! . ’ decreased one by one in regular sequences as shown in : . S FIG. 5 (A) to (E), and the figure character display of color 2 is incieased one by one in regular sequence sO ! that the user may perceive the responding state of the kay signal. Here, the values of the counter G, I are increased up to "4", for the case where the cose is set up by a number of four ciphers, is described as an , } | example. -

As the value of the key input number counter G or reaches "4" with the key signal put in four times as , . described above, it is determined whether or not the input key signal of four ciphers corresponds to the already set code Nl. In the case where the former corresponds to the later, the output of the ON screen a oo character display signals is released as described previously, and at the same time the output of the video and audio erasing signals is intercepted and the output of the switching signals is intercepted so that the television set is operated normally in the manner of. a conventional television. . In the case where the key signal does not correspond to the already set code

Ni, it is again determined if it is a reinput of code, and if so, the television set is operated normally as described above, and if not, the process following the 10 v | ' !

step for putting out the video and audio erasing ) : signals is carried out repeatedly.

As, described above in detail, the present invention has the effect that when an optional code : 5 being is set up in the television set, the television set is driven normally only in a state that the code is released by input of a key signal corresponding to the code, and it is possible to see and listen the : television broadcast. Consequently, any person who , 10 does not know the code, is unable to drive the! : television set and it is therefore possible to prevent children from watching television broadcast stealthily - without supervision of adults. Furthermore, the responding state of the kay signal input is indicated . 15 at the time of input of the key signal which allows the } users more convenience. !

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Claims (1)

1. What is claimed is: bo

   ’ 1. A method of preventing unauthorized use of a television set through the use of an authorization code’ . comprising the steps of: applying a driving power to a . =) driving element of the television set; determining if ) an authorization code is programmed into a memory unit of the television set; driving the driving element with video and audio signals for normal television broadcast if an "authorization code is not programmed into the memory unit; and outputting video and audio erasing signals and switching signals for a control element of the television set, if an authorization code is programmed into the memory unit, to prevent the video Co "and audio signals from driving the driving element for oo 15 normal television broadcast and displaying an on-screen character display signal indicative of an operation block of the television set until it is determined that an access code entered into the control element by a ~ user via a data input means matches the authorization code to thereby prevent unauthorized use of the television set. Said on-screen character display \ | comprises displaying square images, equal in number to the digits of said authorization code, of a first color, said square images changing sequentially in order to a second color as the digits of said access code are entered into the control unit by the user.

   2. The methad of preventing unauthorized use of ] a television set according to claim 1 comprising the further step of driving the driving element with video and audio signals for normal television broadcast once it is determined that said access code and said - authorization code match.

   3. The method of preventing unauthorized use of a television set according to claim 1 wherein the entry of a code reinput signal into the control element when the on-screen character display signal is displayed ‘ i erases the programmed authorization code whereby a new . authorization cede may be programmed into the memory unit by the user.

   4. A television set comprising: receiving means, . : - . . 195 for receiving television broadcast signals; detecting means, coupled to said receiving means, for selecting said television broadcast signals received by said receiving means, in accordance with a selection control STN signal, to output selected television broadcast signals; control means, coupled to said detecting means, for outputting said selection control signal and for controlling the television set; data means, coupled to said control means, for entering user data pertaining to operation of the television set; switching means, coupled to said detecting means and ’ said control means, for receiving therefrom said selected television broadcast signals and on-screen

   271 3 character display signals, respectively, and for } selectively outputting one of said selected television broadcast signals or said on-screen character display

   : signals in accordance with a switching signal, of a first and second state, from said control means; and display means, coupled to said switching means, for displaying a selected television broadcast or an on- screen character display in accordance with the output of said switching means, said control means aperative to determine if an authorization code has been programmed into a memory means by a user via said data input means to .output said switching signal’ of the first state if said authorization code is not : programmed into said memory unit to direct output of a 15 said selected television broadcast signals from said switching means, and output said switching signal of the second state 1f said authorization code is programmed into said memory unit to direct output of said on-screen character display signals from said switching means unit it is determined by said control means that an access code entered by the user matches sald authorization code to thereby prevent unauthorized use of the television set.

   Said on-screen character display comprises square images, equal in number to the digits of said authorization code, which are of a first color, said square images changing sequentially in order to a second color as the digits of said access

   ! code are entered into the control means by the user. 211 ’ 5S. The television set according to claim 4 A wherein said control means is further operative to - output said switching signal of the first state once said control means determines that said access code matches said authorization code.

   6b. The television set according to claim 4 wherein said data input means comprises: keyboard means, coupled to said control means; remote control pe 10 transmitter means for transmitting remote ' control receiver means, coupled to said control means, for oo receiving and outputting said remote control user data

   . to said control means. . 7. The television set according to claim 4

   15 . wherein said on-screen character display comprises an 1 operation block of said television set. to cae Won PEW Se [Nem