Channel selecting system

• US 6,094,237 A
• Filed: 05/01/1997
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/848,914
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 348/553, 348/563, 348/564, 348/565, 348/566, 348/567, 348/568, 348/569, 348/570, 348/580, 348/581, 348/582, 348/583, 348/734, 348/906, 348/731, 348/732, 348/733, 348/584 , 348/588, 345/327, 345/328, 345/348, 345/349, 345/350, 345/351, 345/355, 345/976
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/00 Discontinuous tuning; Selecting predetermined frequencies; Selecting frequency bands with or without continuous tuning in one or more of the bands, e.g. push-button tuning, turret tuner H03J7/00, H03J9/00 take precedence; for bandspreading H03J3/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42653 for processing graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A first channel selection signal generating circuit successively indicates selection of channels which can be received by the electronic tuner. A second channel selection signal generating circuit indicates selection of a particular channel. A channel selection signal switching circuit effects switching between these two outputs so as to output one of them to an electronic tuner. A digitizing circuit converts the output from the electronic tuner into its digital signal. A scan line converting circuit outputs a signal which has been formed from the digital signal by reducing the number of horizontal scan lines so that the output is stored into a texture memory, as one sub-frame image for each channel. A graphics engine subjects the image data loaded from the texture memory to a 3D image process and stores it into a video image memory. A video signal selecting circuit switches the output between the video signal from the electronic tuner and the video signal loaded from the video image memory so as to output the selected one on a display unit.

Claims

1. A channel selecting system comprising:

a tuner circuit which selectively receives one channel in accordance with an indication signal indicating a channel to be selected and demodulates a video signal of the one received channel;

a first channel selection indicating circuit for outputting to the tuner circuit indication signals which indicate a sequence of channels to be selected;

a sub-frame image generating means which samples the video signals of each channel outputted from the tuner circuit in response to the indication signals from the first channel selection indicating circuit, said sub-frame image generating means taking one frame for each channel at intervals of a predetermined period and reducing the number of horizontal line scans in the frames, thereby producing a sub-frame image for each channel to be outputted as video information;

a sub-frame image memory for storing the video information of each sub-frame image outputted from the sub-frame image generating means, at an address associated with the corresponding channel number;

an image processing means which forms a polyhedral icon having faces each being constituted from a sub-frame image for a respective channel stored in correspondence to a respective address in the sub-frame image memory, and subjects the polyhedral icon to a three-dimensional image processing;

a video image memory for storing the output from the image processing means; and

a rotation instructing means for instructing a rotation of the polyhedral icon to the image processing means.

2. A channel selecting system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a channel selecting means for outputting a channel selection signal which determines the channel corresponding to a front-positioned sub-frame image of the polyhedral icon to be a specified channel;

a second channel selection indicating circuit which receives the channel selection signal and outputs an indication signal to instruct the tuner circuit to select the specified channel;

a video signal selecting circuit which selects either the video signal outputted from the tuner circuit or the video signal outputted from the video image memory and outputs the selected signal;

a display selecting means for designating the selection of either the video output from the tuner circuit or the video output from the video image memory to the video signal selecting circuit; and

a channel selection switching circuit which selects either the output from the first channel selection indicating circuit or the output from the second channel selection indicating circuit in accordance with the instructions from the display selecting means, and outputs the selected output to the tuner circuit.

5. A channel selecting system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a remote control transmitter; and

a receiver circuit for receiving the transmission signal from the remote control transmitter,

wherein the remote control transmitter comprises the rotation instructing means, the channel selecting means and the display selecting means, and the rotation instructing means instructs the image processing means for three-dimensional image processing to make a rotation of the polyhedral icon in an up/down or left/right direction.

11. A channel selecting system according to claim 1, wherein the first broadcasting source is a ground TV broadcasting source and the second broadcasting source is a satellite TV broadcasting source.

14. A channel selecting system according to claim 1, wherein the rotation instructing means instructs an up, down, left or right rotation to the image processing means.

16. A channel selecting system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a shape memory for storing three-dimensional shape data represented by three dimensional coordinates; and

a view field transforming circuit,

wherein said three dimensional shape data read out from said shape memory is subject to rotation by multiplying with a view-field transformation matrix.

3. A channel selecting system comprising:

a first tuner circuit which selectively receives one channel from a first broadcasting source in accordance with an indication signal indicating a channel to be selected and demodulates a video signal of the one received channel;

a second tuner circuit which selectively receives one channel from a second broadcasting source in accordance with an indication signal indicating a channel to be selected and demodulates a video signal of the one received channel;

a tuner selecting circuit for switching between the output from the first tuner circuit and the output from the second tuner circuit;

a first channel selection indicating circuit for outputting to the first tuner circuit or the second tuner circuit indication signals which indicate a sequence of channels to be selected;

a sub-frame image generating means which samples the video signals of each channel outputted from the first tuner circuit or the second tuner circuit in response to the indication signals from the first channel selection indicating circuit, said sub-frame image generating means taking one frame for each channel at intervals of a predetermined period and reducing the number of the horizontal scan lines in the frames, thereby producing a sub-frame image for each channel to be outputted as video information;

a sub-frame image memory for storing the video information of each sub-frame image outputted from the sub-frame image generating means, at an address associated with the corresponding channel number received by the first tuner circuit or the second tuner circuit;

an image processing means which forms for each of the first tuner circuit and the second tuner circuit, a polyhedral icon having faces each being constituted from a sub-frame image for a respective channel stored in correspondence to a respective address in the sub-frame image memory, and subjects the polyhedral icon to a three-dimensional image processing;

a video image memory for storing the output from the image processing means;

a rotation instructing means for instructing a rotation of the polyhedral icon corresponding to the first tuner circuit or the second tuner circuit to the image processing means; and

a reception selecting means for selecting one of the polyhedral icons corresponding to the first or second tuner circuit and outputting instructions for switching to the tuner selection circuit.

4. A channel selecting system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a channel selecting means for outputting a channel selection signal which determines the channel corresponding to a front-positioned sub-frame image of the polyhedral icon to be a specified channel;

a second channel selection indicating circuit which receives the channel selection signal and outputs an indication signal to instruct the first or second tuner circuit to select the specified channel;

a video signal selecting circuit which selects either the video signal outputted from the first or second tuner circuit or the video signal outputted from the video image memory and outputs the selected signal;

a display selecting means for designating the selection of either the video output from the first or second tuner circuit or the video output from the video image memory; and

a channel selection switching circuit which selects either the output from the first channel selection indicating circuit or the output from the second channel selection indicating circuit in accordance with the instructions from the display selecting means, and outputs the selected output to the first or second tuner circuit.

6. A channel selecting system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a remote control transmitter; and

a receiver circuit for receiving the transmission signal from the remote control transmitter,

wherein the remote control transmitter comprises the rotation instructing means, the channel selecting means and the display selecting means, and the rotation instructing means instructs the image processing means for three-dimensional image processing to make a rotation of the polyhedral icon corresponding to the first or second tuner circuit, in an up/down or left/right direction.

7. A channel selecting system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a remote control transmitter; and

a receiver circuit for receiving the transmission signal from the remote control transmitter,

wherein the remote control transmitter comprises the rotation instructing means, the channel selecting means, the display selecting means and the reception selecting means, and the rotation instructing means instructs the image processing means for subjecting a polyhedral icon to a three-dimensional image process to make a rotation of the polyhedral icon corresponding to the first or second tuner circuit, in an up/down or left/right direction, and the reception selecting means selects either the polyhedral icon corresponding to the first tuner circuit or the polyhedral icon corresponding to the second tuner circuit and outputs switching instructions to the tuner selecting circuit.

8. A channel selecting system according to claim 3, wherein the first broadcasting source is a ground TV broadcasting source and the second broadcasting source is a cable TV broadcasting source.

9. A channel selecting system according to claim 4, wherein the first broadcasting source is a ground TV broadcasting source and the second broadcasting source is a cable TV broadcasting source.

10. A channel selecting system according to claim 7, wherein the first broadcasting source is a ground TV broadcasting source and the second broadcasting source is a cable TV broadcasting source.

12. A channel selecting system according to claim 4, wherein the first broadcasting source is a ground TV broadcasting source and the second broadcasting source is a satellite TV broadcasting source.

13. A channel selecting system according to claim 7, wherein the first broadcasting source is a ground TV broadcasting source and the second broadcasting source is a satellite TV broadcasting source.

15. A channel selecting system according to claim 3, wherein the rotation instructing means instructs an up, down, left or right rotation to the image processing means.

17. A channel selecting system comprising:

a tuning circuit configured to tune a particular channel and demodulate a video signal of the tuned channel;

a first channel selection signal generating circuit configured to output to the tuner circuit indication signals for causing the tuner circuit to successively tune to each channel of a sequence of channels;

channel image generating circuitry configured to generate respective images from the video signals of each channel of the sequence of channels tuned by the tuning circuit;

icon image generating circuitry configured to generate a three-dimensional polyhedral icon for display on a display unit, the three-dimensional polyhedral icon having faces each of which is constituted by the image generated by the channel image generating circuitry for one particular channel of the sequence of channels; and

a second channel selection signal generating circuit configured to be responsive to user inputs to select one of the channels whose image constitutes a face of the three-dimensional polyhedral icon.

18. A channel selecting system according to claim 17, wherein the icon image generating circuitry rotates the three-dimensional polyhedral icon in response to rotation instructions.

19. A channel selecting method, comprising:

successively tuning to each of a plurality of channels;

generating respective images from video signals of each channel of the successively tuned channels;

generating a three-dimensional polyhedral icon, the three-dimensional polyhedral icon having faces each of which is constituted by the image generated for one particular channel of the successively tuned channels;

displaying the three-dimensional polyhedral icon on a display unit; and

selecting one of the channels whose image constitutes a face of the three-dimensional polyhedral icon.

20. A channel selecting method according to claim 19, further comprising:

rotating the displayed three-dimensional polyhedral icon in response to rotation instructions.