Video and audio recording apparatus

• US 7,831,128 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2005
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd. (Funai Electric Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNN, MISHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/195,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20060029371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/46, 386/95, 386/96, 386111-112, 386/121, 386/83, 725/28, 725/39, 725/43, 725/49, 725/52, 725/87, 725/34, 725/38, 725/46, 725/59, 725/134, 725/147
• US Class Current: 386/341
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A video and audio recording apparatus including: a plurality of tuner units each of which receives commercial broadcasting to output video and audio signals; a distributor that distributes high-frequency signals input to an input terminal from the outside of an apparatus body to the plurality of tuner units; a video and audio recording unit that simultaneously records the video and audio signals output from the plurality of tuner units; and a remote controller that is provided with tuner switching keys for switching, in a predetermined order, a tuner unit which sets receiving channels or records the video and audio signals to be output, among the plurality of tuner units, whenever the switching key is operated.

Claims

1. A video and audio recording apparatus comprising:

a plurality of tuner units each of which is configured to receive commercial broadcasting and to output video and audio signals;

a video and audio recording unit operable to simultaneously record the video and audio signals output from each of the tuner units; and

a controller operable to cause the video and audio recording unit to perform a first programmed recording while selecting a first one of the tuner units,

wherein in a case of overlapped recording where a recording time period of the first programmed recording overlaps with a recording time period of a second programmed recording which is set in advance to use the first one of the tuner units, the controller is configured to detect a second one of the tuner units having no programmed recording of which a recording time period overlaps with the recording time period of the second programmed recording,

wherein, in a case where the second one of the tuner units is detected by the controller, the controller is configured to automatically set the first programmed recording to use the second one of the tuner units, and

wherein, in a case where no tuner unit is detected by the controller, the controller is configured to stop performing the first programmed recording and to cause an indicator to display a message indicating that the first programmed recording cannot be executed.

2. The video and audio recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause an indicator to display a message indicating that the first programmed recording cannot be executed in the first one of the tuner units, in the case of the overlapped recording where the recording time period of the first programmed recording overlaps with the recording time period of the second programmed recording which is set in advance to use the first one of the tuner units.

3. The video and audio recording apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a front panel;

a remote controller;

a single tuner switching key provided on the remote controller and operable to select, in a predetermined order, one of the tuner units as a tuner unit in which at least one of a channel of the commercial broadcasting to be received and whether the video and audio signals to be output is recorded by the video and audio recording unit is set; and

a plurality of tuner selecting keys provided on the front panel, the number of which is equal to the number of the tuner units so that the tuner selecting keys are corresponded to the tuner units in one-by-one manner,

wherein each of the tuner selecting keys is operable to select an associated one of the tuner units as a tuner unit in which at least one of a channel of the commercial broadcasting to be received and whether the video and audio signals to be output is recorded by the video and audio recording unit is set.

4. The video and audio recording apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a tuner state display unit operable to indicate whether the video and audio signals output from each of the tuner units are displayed on a display device and whether the video and audio signals output from each of the tuner units are recorded by the video and audio recording unit.