Electronic Apparatus and Display Control Method

• US 20110085087A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hisense Visual Technology Co., Ltd. (Qingdao Huatong State-Owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamida, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/705
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a communication module which conducts communications with a plurality of external apparatuses, a storage module which stores an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the external apparatuses, a determination module which transmits a power-on signal to the external apparatus and thereafter determines a power state of the external apparatus, and an acquisition module which performs switching of input by the communication module after the determination module determines that the external apparatus has been powered on, and acquires apparatus information including the physical address of the external apparatus.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus including a plurality of terminals for communicating with a plurality of external devices, comprising:

a storage module configured to store an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the plurality of external devices;

a transmission module configured to simultaneously transmit a power-on signal to the plurality of external devices connected to the terminals, upon turn on of the electronic apparatus;

a determination module configured to transmit power state acquisition commands to the plurality of external devices after the transmission module transmits the power-on signal, and to determine power states of the plurality of external devices one by one, based on responses from the plurality of external devices, the power states of the plurality of external devices including turned on and turned off; and

an acquisition module configured to switch video input among the terminals connected to first external devices of the plurality of external devices, the first external devices being determined to be turned on by the determination module, to acquire device information including the physical address from the first external devices determined to be turned on, and to update the address list based on the acquired device information.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of external devices and terminal numbers of the terminals connected to the plurality of external devices are displayed in association with each other, based on the device information acquired by the acquisition module.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination module is configured to retransmit the power state acquisition to a second external device of the plurality of external devices, the second external device being determined to be not turned on.

4. A display control method for use in an electronic apparatus, the apparatus including a plurality of terminals for communicating with a plurality of external devices, and a storage module which stores an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the plurality of external devices, the method comprising:

simultaneously transmitting a power-on signal to the plurality of external devices connected to the terminals, upon turn on of the electronic apparatus;

transmitting power state acquisition commands to the plurality of external devices after transmitting the power-on signal, and determining power states of the plurality of external devices one by one, based on responses from the plurality of external devices, the power states of the plurality of external devices including turned on and turned off; and

switching video input among the terminals connected to first external devices of the plurality of external devices, the first external devices being determined to be turned on by the determination module; and

acquiring device information including the physical address from the first external devices determined to be turned on, and updating the address list based on the acquired device information.

5. The display control method of claim 4, further comprising retransmitting the power state acquisition to a second external device of the plurality of external devices, the second external device being determined to be not turned on.

6. An electronic apparatus including a plurality of terminals adapted for communications with a plurality of external devices, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the plurality of external devices;

a processor configured to (i) transmit a power state acquisition command via a at least two terminals of the plurality of terminals and targeted for external devices of the plurality of external devices connected to the at least two terminals, (ii) determine power states of the external devices based on responses to the power state acquisition commands, (iii) switch data input among the at least two terminals connected to the external devices of the plurality of external devices that are determined to be turned on, (iv) acquire device information including a physical address from one of the external devices determined to be turned on, and (v) update the address list based on the acquired device information.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor to simultaneously transmit a power-on signal to the plurality of external devices connected to the terminals, upon turn on of the electronic apparatus.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to retransmit the power state acquisition to a second external device of the plurality of external devices, the second external device being determined to be not turned on.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor to determine power states of the plurality of external devices serially.