Audio-visual control apparatus for determining a connection of appliances and controlling functions of appliances

• US 5,565,929 A
• Filed: 06/22/1995
• Issued: 10/15/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/493,404
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 348/705, 348/706, 348/722, 348/569, 348/564, 348/565
• US Class Current: 348/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

An audio-visual control apparatus displays in a picture-in-picture window on a CRT an image corresponding to video signals outputted from one of a plurality of VTRs, making it possible to easily confirm the connection of appliances controlled by a control section, namely appliances connected to a TV set.

Claims

1. An audio-visual control apparatus for controlling a plurality of audio-visual appliances comprising:

input means for inputting a command to control a function of one of said plurality of audio-visual appliances;

processing means connected to said input means for receiving said command and for outputting a control signal corresponding to said command;

control means connected to said processing means and to said plurality of audio-visual appliances for sending said control signal to a corresponding one of said plurality of audio-visual appliances;

selection means connected to said processing means and to said plurality of audio-visual appliances for selecting one of a plurality of output signals of said plurality of audio-visual appliances in accordance with said control signal and outputting said selected output signal;

a picture-in-picture circuit connected to said selection means;

CRT display means connected to said selection means and to said picture-in-picture circuit for displaying a video component of said selected output in a picture-in-picture section of a screen of said CRT display means; and

message means connected to said processing means and to said CRT display means for outputting names of audio-visual appliances connected to said selection means for display in a message display section of said CRT display means, wherein said picture-in-picture display section is blank when an audio-visual appliance corresponding to said selected output signal is not connected to said selection means.

2. An audio-visual control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

volume means connected to said control means and to said selection means;

and

a speaker unit connected to said volume means for outputting an audio component of said selected signal, wherein said control means outputs a volume control signal to said volume means for controlling a volume of said speaker unit.

3. An audio-visual control apparatus for controlling a plurality of audio-visual appliances comprising:

selection switch means connected to said plurality of audio-visual appliances for selectively supplying a video signal for display from one of said plurality of audio-visual appliances;

memory means for storing functions of each of said plurality of audio-visual appliances;

entering means for entering a command to control one of said functions of said plurality of audio-visual appliances;

control means connected to said selection switch means, to said entering means, and to said memory means to selectively apply said command to a corresponding function of said selected audio-visual appliance and to control said selection switch means to supply the video signal for display;

a display section connected to said control means for displaying a message related to said selected audio-visual appliance; and

CRT display means for displaying a video signal output from said selected audio-visual appliance that is connected to said CRT display means by said selection switch means.

4. An audio-visual control apparatus for controlling a plurality of audio-visual appliances comprising:

selecting means for selecting for operation one of said plurality of audio-visual appliances;

control means responsive to said selecting means being connected to each of said plurality of audio-visual appliances of a same category for controlling functions thereof and for repeatedly sending a presence check command to said selected one of said plurality of audio-visual appliances; and

means installed in each of said plurality of audio-visual appliances for responding to said presence check command transmitted from said control means by producing one of a display or a sound to a user.