Remote-controlled on-screen audio/video receiver control apparatus

• US 5,532,753 A
• Filed: 03/18/1994
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Spalink, Gerd, Buchner, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/214,569
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 348/468, 348/569, 348/563, 348/589, 348/598, 348/600, 348/553, 348/604, 348/705, 348/722
• US Class Current: 725/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

An audio and/or video reproducing apparatus receives broadcast signals from broadcasting stations and a/v signals from an external device; processes the audio and/or video input signals in accordance with multiple processing functions; selects audio and/or video input signals for reproduction; reproduces sound and/or a video picture corresponding to the selected audio and/or video input signals; and includes a pointing device and a control device for generating a control picture signal and controlling the processing of signals and a display device for displaying a control picture corresponding to the control picture signal. The control picture includes a plurality of control areas and a pointer movable within the control picture in response to operation of the pointing device, with identifications of the broadcasting stations and the external device provided within certain control areas. The control device selectively modifies the control picture or one of the control areas or controls the processing of signals in accordance with one of the control areas pointed by the pointer. Audio and/or video input signals corresponding to one of the plurality of control areas displaying one of the identifications pointed by the pointer can be reproduced.

Claims

1. Audio and/or video reproducing apparatus comprising:

input means supplied with a first plurality of audio and/or video input signals, said input means includes a first input circuit for receiving broadcast signals from broadcasting stations and a second input circuit for receiving a second plurality of audio and/or video input signals from an external device;

processing means connected to said input means for processing the first plurality of audio and/or video input signals in accordance with multiple processing functions, said processing means includes selecting means for selecting audio and/or video input signals from said first plurality for reproduction;

reproducing means connected to said processing means for reproducing a sound and/or a video picture corresponding to the selected audio and/or video input signals;

pointing means for transmitting a control signal;

control means connected to said processing means and coupled to receive the control signal from said pointing means for decoding the control signal, generating a control picture signal in response to the decoded control signal and controlling said processing means;

display means connected to said control means for displaying a control picture corresponding to the control picture signal, the control picture including a plurality of control areas and a pointer movable within the control picture in response to operation of said pointing means, and for displaying identifications of said broadcasting stations and said external device in one or more of the control areas;

wherein said control means selectively modifies the control picture or one of the control areas or controls the processing means in accordance with one of the control areas pointed by the pointer; and

wherein said selecting means selects for reproduction one of the audio and/or video input signals from said first plurality corresponding to a control area which displays one of the identifications pointed by the pointer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pointing means comprises a housing and activating keys provided on both sides of said housing for activating said pointing means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pointing means is operable to produce movement information as said pointer moves from one point to another point, said movement information indicating relative direction of said movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pointing means includes plural pointing devices, each being selectively operable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising memory means for storing identifications of the broadcasting stations and said external device and means for displaying said identifications as a table in said control areas.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing means includes data extracting means for extracting data representing identifications of the broadcasting stations from the broadcast signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the displayed identifications of the broadcasting stations are indicia and combinations of symbols which are selectively displayed.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control area which is selected by the operation of the pointing means is movable within the control picture under control of said pointing means.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control areas exhibit adjustable sizes in accordance with the number of said plurality of control areas.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing means includes a teletext processor to cause a teletext picture including at least a page number image to be displayed and to extract data of the page corresponding to the page number image and to enhance the page number image when the pointer is located at least in the vicinity of the page number image.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said teletext picture includes time information and said processing means is operable to change the shape of the pointer to a clock shape when the pointer points the location of the time information of said teletext picture.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of control areas not related to the video input signal is not displayed in the control picture in response to information in the video input signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second input circuit receives a third plurality of audio and/or video signals from a plurality of external devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of control areas includes a plurality of device control areas;

wherein said control means generates device control signals for controlling said external device in accordance with one of the device control areas pointed by the pointer; and

further comprising an output circuit, coupled to said control means, for supplying device control signals to said external device.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein transmission of said control signal is inhibited unless one of said activating keys is depressed.

16. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said plurality of control areas includes a pointer control area;

and

wherein said control means receives the control signal from one of said pointing devices but not from another of said pointing devices in accordance with the pointer control area pointed by the pointer.