Consumer electronics equipment combination consisting of a television receiver and of a video recording and/or reproducing apparatus

• US 4,621,259 A
• Filed: 03/18/1983
• Issued: 11/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Standard Electric Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schepers, Charles, Schroder, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Curtis, Marshall M.
• Application Number:
  US06/476,694
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 340/707, 340/708, 340/703, 340/706, 358/183, 358/198, 358/254
• US Class Current: 345/180
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0682 Tape device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

In order to be able to use the combination of a commercially available type of television receiver (1) with a commercially available type of video tape recorder (3) or video disk recorder, additionally also as a home computer, a data and address bus (32) is provided for additionally in the television receiver, to which there are connected a processor module 30, a computer module (33), a data storage (34), and a character generator (35). A computer control circuit (41) switches the equipment combination into a computer operational state in which the deflection circuit (40) and the video signal amplifier circuit (6) for the picture tube (7), are connected to the output of the character generator, and the recording and reproducing lines (21) of the video tape or video disk recorder are connected via a code converter (42) to the data and address bus (32). The user program (44) as selected by the user with the aid of a keyboard (10) or a light pen (26), is stored from the video tape (43) or the video disk into the data storage. The conversational operation (dialogue) with the user is effected during the execution of the selected user program, via the screen (36) of the television receiver and the keyboard (10) or the light pen (26). With the aid of an additional circuit arrangement in the television receiver, which is substantially smaller than an additional home computer would be, the much used consumer electronics equipment combination is given a full or adequate and highly flexible home computer function.

Claims

1. An improved consumer electronics equipment combination including a television receiver containing a control bus for control instructions and selecting information, an input device with a keyboard, a television control circuit connected to the control bus for adjusting the operating states of the television receiver selected by means of the input device, a data and address bus with a data storage connected thereto, and a character generator capable of being optionally connected to the input of a video signal amplifier circuit for the picture tube, and with a video recording and reproducing apparatus containing an interchangeable video information storage medium capable of being scanned, which is connected to a record-reproduce connector of the television receiver, whose control circuit for adjusting its operating state is connected via the record-reproduce connector to the control bus of the television receiver and whose video information input and output is connected to the video signal path of the television receiver via the record-reproduce connector, said improvement comprising:

the video signal path (21) of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus (3), extending via the record-reproduce connector (2) of the television receiver (1), includes a signal path changeover switch (22) having a first switch position which connects the signal path to the video signal path (20) of the television receiver and a second switch position which connects the video signal path of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, via a code converter (42), to the data and address bus (32), the control bus (16) is connected to a computer control circuit (41) including means in response to a computer instruction appearing at the output of the input device (8) or of the television control circuit (13) for switching the television receiver into a computer operational state, the storage medium (43) of the video recording and/or reproducing apparatus (3) includes at least one selectable user program (44), and the computer operational state of the television receiver connects the input (38) of the video signal amplifier circuit (6) to the output of the character generator (35), connects a processor module (30) and a computer module (33) to the control bus (16) and the data and address bus (32), switches the signal path changeover switch (22) to its second switch position, and connects the data outputs of the input device to the data and address bus (32) via a coupling circuit (46).

2. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 1, characterized by an input device (27) provided with a light pen (26) for optically scanning a bar code (29).

3. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the light pen (26) forms part of a storage arrangement (25) of the television receiver (1) for storing transmitting station program data scanned with the aid of the light pen, and that between the light pen and the storage arrangement there is arranged a changeover switch (28), and that the light pen, in the computer operational state of the television receiver is connected, via the changeover switch, to the input of a coupling circuit (47) whose outputs are connected to the bus system (16, 32).

4. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the processor module (30) comprises a write-in type processor program storage (31), and that the associated processor program (45) for the processor module is selectably stored on the storage medium (43) of the video recording and/or reproducing apparatus (3), containing at least one user program (44).

5. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a printer (49) is connected to the data and address bus (32) via a coupling-out circuit (54).

6. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the processor module (30) comprises a write-in type processor program storage (31), and that the associated processor program (45) for the processor module is selectably stored on the storage medium (43) of the video recording and/or reproducing apparatus (3), containing at least one user program (44).

7. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the processor module (30) comprises a write-in type processor program storage (31), and that the associated processor program (45) for the processor module is selectably stored on the storage medium (43) of the video recording and/or reproducing apparatus (3), containing at least one user program (44).

8. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that a printer (49) is connected to the data and address bus (32) via a coupling-out circuit (54).

9. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that a printer (49) is connected to the data and address bus (32) via a coupling-out circuit (54).

10. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that a printer (49) is connected to the data and address bus (32) via a coupling-out circuit (54).

11. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that a printer (49) is connected to the data and address bus (32) via a coupling-out circuit (54).

12. An equipment combination as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that a printer (49) is connected to the data and address bus (32) via a coupling-out circuit (54).