Method for controlling a power saving mode of a video display device with respect to a predetermined one of a plurality of applied signal sources

• US 6,593,975 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, In-Heung
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/671,349
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.563, 348/730, 348/565, 348/553, 348/554, 348/555, 348/558, 348/552, 348/563, 348/705, 348/706, 345/211-213, 713/300-340
• US Class Current: 348/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/22 Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

A method for controlling a video display device having multiple signal sources, which comprises the steps of: detecting whether a synchronous signal is input to a microcomputer; detecting a signal source selection state if the synchronous signal is not input; converting a present mode to a power-saving mode if the signal source selection state indicates the computer as the selected signal source; and maintaining the present mode if the signal source selection state indicates a signal source other than the computer to be the selected signal source. Alternatively, the method may comprise the steps of: detecting a signal source selection state; detecting whether a power-saving command is input from a computer in the signal source selection state is the computer; executing a power-saving mode if the power-saving mode is input from the computer; detecting a picture-in-picture (PIP) enable state if the power-saving command is not input from the computer; displaying a video signal input from the computer on a screen if the PIP enable state is not enabled; detecting the PIP selection state if the PIP enable state is enabled; displaying the video signal input from the computer on a main screen and displaying a video signal input from a corresponding signal source, according to the PIP selection state, on a subscreen; and displaying a video signal of a selected signal source on a screen if the signal source selection state is a signal source other than the computer.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a video display device having multiple signal sources, comprising steps of:

detecting whether a synchronous signal is input to a microcomputer;

detecting a signal source selection state if the synchronous signal is not input;

converting a present mode to a power-saving mode if the signal source selection state indicates a computer is the selected signal source; and

maintaining the present mode if the signal source selection state indicates a signal source other than the computer to be the selected signal source.

2. A method for controlling a video display device having multiple signal sources, comprising steps of:

checking a signal source selection state to determine whether a computer or another signal source is selected for providing a video signal to be displayed;

determining whether a synchronous signal is input when the signal source selection state corresponds to selection of the computer;

executing a power-saving mode when it is determined that the synchronous signal is not input;

checking a picture-in-picture enable state when it is determined that the synchronous signal is input;

displaying a video signal input from the computer on a screen if the PIP enable state is not enabled;

judging the PIP selection state if the PIP enable state is enabled;

displaying the video signal input from said computer or said another signal source on a main screen and displaying on a subscreen the video signal not displayed on said main according to the judged PIP selection state; and

displaying a video signal of said another signal source on the screen when the signal source selection state corresponds to selection of said another source.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said step of displaying a video signal input from the computer on a screen if the PIP enable state is not enabled, comprises steps of:

controlling a display controller to receive a digital video signal and a digital synchronous signal input from a digital converter connected to receive the video signal from said computer such that said display controller outputs the digital video signal to a display unit for display.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said step of displaying a video signal of said another signal source on the screen when the signal source selection state corresponds to selection of said another source, comprises steps of:

controlling a display controller to receive a digital video signal from a digital converter connected to a switching unit to receive the video signal from said another signal source such that said display controller separates and a digital synchronous signal input from said digital video signal and outputs the digital video signal to a display unit for display.

5. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said step of displaying the video signal input from said computer or said another signal source on a main screen and displaying on a subscreen the video signal not displayed on said main according to the judged PIP selection state, comprises steps of:

determining whether the video signal input from said computer or the video signal input from said another signal source is to be displayed on said main screen;

controlling a display controller to receive a first digital video signal from a first digital converter connected to a switching unit to receive the video signal from said another signal source such that said display controller separates a first digital synchronous signal from said first digital video signal and outputs the digital video signal to a display unit for display on said subscreen, when it is determined that said video signal from said computer is to be displayed on said main screen; and

controlling said display controller to receive a second digital video signal and a second digital synchronous signal input from a second digital converter connected to receive the video signal from said computer such that said display controller outputs the second digital video signal to a display unit for display on said main screen.

6. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said step of checking a signal source selection state comprises steps of:

detecting an input to a microcomputer from a user selected key of a key input unit to set said signal source selection state to indicate whether one of said computer, a video cassette recorder and a television antenna is selected for providing a video signal to be displayed; and

controlling a switching unit to select one of said video cassette recorder and said television antenna as the source of said video signal from said another signal source, when said signal source selection state indicative of said one of said video cassette recorder and said television antenna.