Television system

• US 5,808,702 A
• Filed: 12/27/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshinobu, Hitoshi, Saito, Junya, Akaike, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Application Number:
  US08/774,894
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 348/725, 348/731, 348/732, 348/734, 348/705, 348/706, 348/722, 348/721, 348/571, 348/553-557
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

There is provided a television system wherein a plurality of VTRs are connected to a television set so that they are capable of the recording, display and the like of a channel which is not incorporated in a given VTR using one of tuners in the other VTRs and a or the television set. A table listing the tuners and channels incorporated in the television set and VTRs connected thereto is created, and the switching, recording and display of a channel of the television set is performed based on the table. By mapping channels which can be actually used, the usable channels can be quickly selected and picked up.

Claims

1. A television system comprising at least one video apparatus and a television set, wherein the at least one video apparatus is connected to the television set via video cable over which picture and audio signals are transmitted and a control cable over which a control signal is transmitted, the at least one video apparatus operates according to the control signal transmitted by a television set connected thereto and wherein the television set includes:

an internal tuner;

a picture signal processing portion;

a storage means for storing receivable channel information of the internal tuner and receivable channel information of the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus;

a channel selection means allowing a user to select a desired channel from a channel list displayed on a screen of the television set, the channel list including only receivable channels stored in the storage means;

a selection means for selecting a tuner, which is capable of receiving a selected channel, among the internal tuner and the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus; and

a supply means for supplying the control signal to the at least one video apparatus to tune the selected channel if the internal tuner is unable to receive the selected channel.

2. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the television set includes a means for determining receivable channels of the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus and a means for registering the receivable channels of the internal tuner and the receivable channels of the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus in the storage means.

3. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the channel selection is performed through remote control.

4. The television system according to claim 1 wherein the selection means gives priority to the internal tuner in selecting a tuner.

5. The television system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one video apparatus is a VTR which records the selected channel.

6. The television system according to claim 5, wherein the recording is performed at a time preset using a timer.

12. The television system according to claim 1, wherein the television system includes a plurality of video apparatuses.

13. The television system to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of video apparatuses is directly connected to the television set.

14. The television system according to claim 12, wherein:

at least one of plurality of video apparatuses connected is a VTR which records the selected channel; and

if the VTR does not have a tuner capable of receiving said selected channel, said supply means connects the output of one of the plurality of video apparatuses which has a tuner capable of receiving said selected channel to the input of the VTR.

7. A television set which can be connected to at least one video apparatus via video cable over which picture and audio signals are transmitted and a control cable over which a control signal is transmitted, the at least one video apparatus operates according to the control signal transmitted by a television set connected thereto, the television set comprising:

an internal tuner;

a picture signal processing portion;

a storage means for storing receivable channel information of the internal tuner and receivable channel information of the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus;

a channel selection means for allowing a user to select a desired channel from a channel list displayed on a screen of the television set, the channel list including only receivable channels stored in the storage means;

a selection means for selecting a tuner, which is capable of receiving a selected channel, among the internal tuner and the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus; and

a supply means for supplying the control signal to the at least one video apparatus to tune the selected channel if the internal tuner is unable to receive the selected channel.

8. The television set according to claim 7 further comprising a means for determining the receivable channels of the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus and a means for registering the receivable channels of the internal tuner and the receivable channels of the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus in the storage means.

9. The television set according to claim 7, wherein the channel selection is performed through remote control.

10. The television set according to claim 7, wherein the selection means gives priority to the internal tuner in selecting a tuner.

11. The television set according to claim 7 wherein if the internal tuner is unable to receive the selected channel, the television set activates any one of the at least one video apparatus which has a tuner capable of receiving the selected channel to receive the selected channel through the activated video apparatus.

15. A method of selecting channels in a television system comprising at least one video apparatus and a television set, wherein the at least one video apparatus is connected to the television set via video cable over which picture and audio signals are transmitted and a control cable over which a control signal is transmitted, the at least one video apparatus operates according to the control signal transmitted by a television set connected thereto and wherein the television set includes an internal tuner, a picture signal processing portion, a storage means, a channel selection means, a tuner selection means, and a supply means, the method comprising the steps of:

storing, in the storage means, receivable channel information of the internal tuner and receivable channel information of the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus;

allowing a user to select a desired channel, by the channel selection means, from a channel list displayed on a screen of the television set, the channel list including only receivable channels stored in the storage means;

selecting a tuner, by the tuner selection means, which is capable of receiving a selected channel, among the internal tuner and the tuners incorporated in the at least one video apparatus; and

supplying, by the supply means, the control signal to the at least one video apparatus to tune the selected channel if the internal tuner is unable to receive the selected channel.