Television set capable of controlling external device and image storage controlled by television set

• US 7,016,595 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Nikon Technologies Inc. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohmura, Akira, Tanaka, Masahide, Nomoto, Tetsushi, Ishino, Yukinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/575,824
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/38, 386/46, 386/83, 386/117, 386/120, 386/121, 348553-555, 348705-706, 348/207.1, 348/207.2, 348/372, 348/552, 348/333.01, 348/333.05
• US Class Current: 386/230
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00901 Using different supplies or connection to an external supply H04N1/00893, H04N1/00896 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• 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 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0044 Connecting to a plurality of different apparatus; Using a plurality of different connectors connection via a network H04N2201/0039
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 : the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

An image storage for storing digital still image data is connected to a television set for selectively watching a broadcast program in a first mode or a still image transmitted from the image storage in a second mode. The image storage has an input circuit for receiving a control signal form the television set and an output circuit for transmitting a still image signal to the television set on the basis of the digital still image data, the output circuit being responsive to the control signal. The television set, on the other hand, has an output circuit for transmitting the control signal to the image storage. By means of the control signal, the image storage is automatically turned on or off when the television set is turned on or off, respectively. The control signal makes image storage operative or inoperative when the television set is in the second mode or in the first mode, respectively, to save power consumption with the television set in the first mode. The image storage may be further connected to a printer, wherein the image storage further has an output circuit for transmitting an output signal to the printer in response to the control signal from the television set, the output signal being an image signal to be printed or a control signal for the printer function.

Claims

1. An image storage to be separately connected to a television set comprising:

a main memory for storing a plurality of digital still image data;

a digital circuit for retrieving desired one of the plurality of digital still image data from the main memory;

an input circuit for receiving a control signal from the television set;

an output circuit for transmitting a still image signal on the basis of the digital still image data retrieved by the digital circuit;

a memory controller for changing the main memory between the rested condition and the active condition,

wherein the memory controller is designed to change the main memory from the active condition to the rested condition in response to the input circuit which receives the control signal with the main memory in the active condition, the change being postponed till a completion of the retrieval of the digital still image data if the control signal is received with the digital circuit in the course of retrieving the digital still image data from the main memory.

2. An image storage to be separately connected to a television set comprising:

a main memory for storing a plurality of digital still image data;

a digital circuit for retrieving desired one of the plurality of digital still image data from the main memory;

an input circuit for receiving a control signal from the television set;

an output circuit for transmitting a still image signal on the basis of the digital still image data retrieved by the digital circuit;

a memory controller for changing the main memory between the rested condition and the active condition,

wherein the memory controller is designed to change the main memory from the active condition to the rested condition in response to the input circuit which receives the control signal with the main memory in the active condition, the change being postponed for a predetermined time period after the control signal is received by the input circuit.

3. A television set to be connected to an image storage comprising:

a television circuit including a tuner for receiving a broadcast program;

an input circuit for receiving a still image signal transmitted from the image storage;

a monitor for selectively displaying one of the broadcast program from the television circuit and the still image on the basis of the still image signal received by the input circuit;

an output circuit for transmitting a control signal to the image storage; and

a mode selector for selecting between a first mode for the monitor to display the broadcast program and a second mode for the monitor to display the still image, and a manually operable member for controlling the television circuit in the first mode and for controlling the output circuit in the second mode; and

wherein the mode selector is designed to automatically change from the second mode to the first mode when the image storage is turned off with the television set in the second mode.

4. A television set to be connected to an external device comprising:

a television circuit including a tuner for receiving a broadcast program;

an input circuit for receiving an image transmitted from the external device;

a monitor for selectively displaying one of the broadcast program from the television circuit and the image on the basis of the image signal received by the input circuit; and

a mode selector for selecting between a first mode for the monitor to display the broadcast program and a second mode for the monitor to display the image from the external device, the mode selector being designed to automatically change from the second mode to the first mode when the external device is turned off with the television set in the second mode.

5. A television set to be connected to an external device comprising:

a television circuit including a tuner for receiving a broadcast program;

an input circuit for receiving an image transmitted from the external device;

a monitor for selectively displaying one of the broadcast program from the television circuit and the image on the basis of the image signal received by the input circuit;

a mode selector for selecting between a first mode for the monitor to display the broadcast program and a second mode for the monitor to display the image from the external device, and

an output circuit for transmitting a control signal to make the external device operative when the mode selector selects the second mode;

wherein the output circuit is designed to further transmit a control signal to make the external device inoperative when the mode selector selects the first mode with the television set in the second mode.

6. A television set to be connected to an external device comprising:

a television circuit including a tuner for receiving a broadcast program;

an input circuit for receiving an image transmitted from the external device;

a monitor for selectively displaying one of the broadcast program from the television circuit and the image on the basis of the image signal received by the input circuit;

a mode selector for selecting between a first mode for the monitor to display the broadcast program and a second mode for the monitor to display the image from the external device, and

an output circuit for transmitting a control signal to make the external device operative when the mode selector selects the second mode;

wherein an actual mode change from the first to second mode is postponed until the external device is actually made operative after the mode selector selects the second mode.

7. A television set to be connected to an external device comprising:

a television circuit including a tuner for receiving a broadcast program;

an input circuit for receiving an image transmitted from the external device;

a monitor for selectively displaying one of the broadcast program from the television circuit and the image on the basis of the image signal received by the input circuit;

a mode selector for selecting between a first mode for the monitor to display the broadcast program and a second mode for the monitor to display the image from the external device, and

an output circuit for transmitting a control signal to make the external device inoperative when the mode selector selects the first mode with the television set in the second mode.