Television reception system, channel selection apparatus and display apparatus

• US 7,610,600 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Satoru, Yoshikawa, Munehiro, Uchiumi, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US11/516,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/80, 725/81
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A television reception system is disclosed by which a television broadcasting program can be enjoyed at any place in a home without being influenced by connection to an antenna cable or a communication circuit and which can be connected to a network such as the Internet. A channel selection apparatus and a display apparatus are formed as separate apparatus from each other. The channel selection apparatus receives broadcasting signals, selects one of the broadcasting signals, forms a transmission signal from the selected broadcasting signal and transmits the transmission signal by radio. The radio signal from the channel selection apparatus is received by the display apparatus, and an image based on an image signal of the received signal is displayed on an LCD apparatus serving as a display element.

Claims

1. A channel selection apparatus capable of receiving television signals, selecting a television signal from the received television signals and transmitting the selected television signal to a physically spaced and separated remote display apparatus, comprising:

a reception unit in communication via a network with the remote display and configured to receive a channel selection instruction from the remote display apparatus;

a channel selection unit configured to select a particular television signal from among supplied television signals in response to the channel selection instruction;

a transmission unit configured to transmit the particular television signal to the remote display apparatus through the network; and

a non-volatile memory configured to store information of the particular television signal selected before main power to the channel selection apparatus is interrupted, and to cause said channel selection unit to automatically select a supplied television signal corresponding to the stored information when said main power subsequently is restored.

2. The channel selection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a compression processing unit configured to compress the particular television signal in accordance with a predetermined compression technique for transmission through said network to said remote display apparatus.

3. The channel selection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined compression technique comprises MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) processing.

4. The channel selection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission unit modulates the particular television signal and transmits the modulated television signal to the remote display apparatus;

and wherein said network is a wireless communication channel.

5. A channel selection method capable of receiving television signals, selecting a television signal from the received television signals and transmitting the selected television signal over a network to a remote display apparatus, comprising the steps of:

receiving a channel selection instruction over said network from said remote display apparatus;

selecting a particular television signal from among the received television signals in response to the channel selection instruction;

storing information of the particular television signal in a non-volatile memory;

transmitting the particular television signal to the remote display apparatus through the network; and

automatically re-selecting a received television signal corresponding to the information stored in said non-volatile memory immediately prior to an interruption in main power at the time said main power is restored.

6. A computer-readable recording medium on which is stored computer-readable instructions to control a processor to carry out the method by which a television signal is selected from received television signals and transmitted over a network to a remote display apparatus, said method implemented by said instructions comprising the steps of:

receiving a channel selection instruction over said network from said remote display apparatus;

selecting a particular television signal from among the received television signals in response to the channel selection instruction;

storing information of the particular television signal in a non-volatile memory;

transmitting the particular television signal to the remote display apparatus through the network; and

automatically re-selecting a received television signal corresponding to the information stored in said non-volatile memory immediately prior to an interruption in main power at the time said main power is restored.