Broadcasting signal receiving system

• US 20060188234A1
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takeshita, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums

Abstract

When a face image can not detected by an individual authentication unit from an image photographed by a camera unit for a predetermined time or more, a control unit records a recording position of a corresponding time, and makes a receiving program continuously recorded by a recording reproducing unit in a common recording state in which a time shift function becomes invalid such that the face image is detected again by the individual authentication unit from the image photographed from the camera unit. When it is determined that a detected person is the same person as a first person based on a recognition result on the basis of features of the face image, the control unit makes a recorded program return to the recorded position so as to be reproduced while maintaining the common recording state.

Claims

1. A broadcasting signal receiving system comprising:

a broadcasting signal receiving unit that receives a program broadcasting signal so as to obtain a video signal and an audio signal;

an image pickup unit that photographs a viewer;

a face image detecting unit that detects a face image from a photographed image of the viewer photographed by the image pickup unit;

an authentication unit that compares the face image of the viewer detected by the face image detecting unit with a face image of each individual person registered in advance so as to authenticate the corresponding viewer;

a recording reproducing unit that records a received program broadcasting signal so as to store the received broadcasting signal;

a recording reproducing control unit that has a simple recording function for recording a program, which the viewer is viewing, in the recording reproducing unit, and sequentially deletes recorded data of the program in a recorded order whenever a predetermined time lapses,

wherein when the face image is not detected by the face image detecting unit for a predetermined time or more, the recording reproducing control unit changes an operation mode of the broadcasting signal receiving system from a common mode to a power saving mode at a corresponding time, records a recording position of the corresponding time, and makes the received program continuously recorded by the recording reproducing unit in a state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid such that the face image is detected again by the face image detecting unit,

when it is determined that the detected person is the same person as a first person based on the recognition result by the recognition unit, the recording reproducing control unit makes the operation mode of the system return to the common mode from the power saving mode at a corresponding time, and makes the recorded program return to the recording position so as to be reproduced while maintaining the common recording state,

in the common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid, when the face image is detected again by the face image detecting unit and it is recognized that the detected person is different from the first person based on the recognition result by the recognition unit, the recording reproducing control unit notifies the viewer that automatic recording is being performed, makes the operation input by a different person invalid, and displays a warning message indicating that the input is invalid on a screen while maintaining the common recording state.

2. A broadcasting signal receiving system comprising:

a broadcasting signal receiving unit that receives a program broadcasting signal so as to obtain a video signal and an audio signal;

an image pickup unit that photographs a viewer;

a face image detecting unit that detects a face image from a photographed image of the viewer photographed by the image pickup unit;

an authentication unit that compares the face image of the viewer detected by the face image detecting unit with a face image of each individual person registered in advance so as to authenticate the corresponding viewer;

a recording reproducing unit that records a received broadcasting signal so as to store the received broadcasting signal;

a recording reproducing control unit that has a simple recording function for recording a program, which the viewer is viewing, in the recording reproducing unit, and sequentially deletes recorded data in a recorded order whenever a predetermined time lapses,

wherein when the face image is not detected by the face image detecting unit for a predetermined time or more, the recording reproducing control unit records a recording position of a corresponding time, makes the receiving program continuously recorded by the recording reproducing unit in a common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid such that the face image is detected again by the face image detecting unit, and

when it is determined that the detected person is the same person as a first person based on the recognition result by the recognition unit, the recording reproducing control unit makes the recorded program return to the recording position so as to be reproduced while maintaining the common recording state.

3. The broadcasting signal receiving system according to claim 2,

wherein when the face image is not detected by the face image detecting unit for a predetermined time or more, the recording reproducing control unit changes an operation mode of the broadcasting signal receiving system from a common mode to a power saving mode at a corresponding time, and

when the face image is detected by the face image detecting unit, the recording reproducing control unit makes the operation mode of the broadcasting signal receiving system return to the common mode from the power saving mode at a corresponding time.

4. The broadcasting signal receiving system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a notification unit that notifies the viewer that automatic recording is being performed, when the face image is detected again by the face image detecting unit and it is recognized that the detected person is the same person as the first person based on the recognition result by the recognition result in the common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid.

5. The broadcasting signal receiving system according to claim 2,

wherein in a common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid, when the face image is detected again by the face image detecting unit and it is recognized that the detected person is different from the first person based on the recognition result by the recognition unit, the recording reproducing control unit makes operation input by the different person invalid and displays a warning message indicating that the input is invalid on a screen while maintaining the common recording state.

6. The broadcasting signal receiving system according to claim 2,

wherein a plurality of the broadcasting signal receiving units are provided,

in a common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid, when the face image is detected again by the face image detecting unit and it is recognized that the detected person is different from the first person based on the recognition result by the recognition unit, the recording reproducing control unit makes a broadcasting signal of a program selected by a different person received by another broadcasting signal receiving unit while maintaining the common recording state so as to be watched by the viewer.

7. A broadcasting signal receiving system comprising:

a broadcasting signal receiving unit that receives a program broadcasting signal so as to obtain a video signal and an audio signal;

an image pickup unit that photographs a viewer;

a face image detecting unit that detects a face image from a photographed image of the viewer photographed by the image pickup unit;

an authentication unit that compares the face image of the viewer detected by the face image detecting unit with a face image of each individual person registered in advance so as to authenticate the corresponding viewer;

a recording reproducing unit that records a received broadcasting signal so as to store the received broadcasting signal;

a recording reproducing control unit that has a simple recording function for recording a program, which the viewer is viewing, in the recording reproducing unit, and sequentially deletes recorded data in a recorded order whenever a predetermined time lapses, and

a dynamic subject determining unit that determines whether a dynamic subject exists from the photographed image of the viewer photographed by the image pickup unit,

wherein when it is determined by the dynamic subject determining unit that the dynamic subject exists and it is determined by the face image detecting unit that the face image cannot be detected, the recording reproducing control unit makes a receiving program continuously recorded by the recording reproducing unit in the common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid, and notifies the viewer that the recording is being performed in the common recording state.

8. A broadcasting signal receiving system comprising:

a broadcasting signal receiving unit that receives a program broadcasting signal so as to obtain a video signal and an audio signal;

an image pickup unit that photographs a viewer;

a face image detecting unit that detects a face image from a photographed image of the viewer photographed by the image pickup unit;

an authentication unit that compares the face image of the viewer detected by the face image detecting unit with a face image of each individual person registered in advance so as to authenticate the corresponding viewer;

a recording reproducing unit that records a received broadcasting signal so as to store the received broadcasting signal;

a recording reproducing control unit that has a simple recording function for recording a program, which the viewer is viewing, in the recording reproducing unit, and sequentially deletes recorded data in a recorded order whenever a predetermined time lapses, and

an opened/closed state determining unit that determines whether eyes are opened or closed from the face image detected by the face image detecting unit,

wherein when it is determined by the opened/closed state determining unit that the eyes are closed for a predetermined time or more, the recording reproducing control unit records a recording position of a corresponding time, makes a receiving program continuously recorded by the recording reproducing unit in the common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid, and

when it is determined by the opened/closed state determining unit that the eyes are opened again, and it is determined that the detected person is the same person as the first person from the recognized result by the recognition unit, the recording reproducing control unit makes the recorded program return to the recording position so as to be reproduced while maintaining the common recording state.

9. The broadcasting signal receiving system according to claim 8,

wherein when it is determined by the opened/closed state determining unit that the eyes are closed for a predetermined time or more, the recording reproducing control unit changes an operation mode of the broadcasting signal receiving system from a common mode to a power saving mode at a corresponding time, and

when it is determined by the opened/closed state determining unit that the eyes are opened again, the recording reproducing control unit makes an operation mode of the broadcasting signal receiving system return to the common mode from the power saving mode at a corresponding time.

10. The broadcasting signal receiving system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a notification unit that notifies the viewer that the program is automatically recording, when it is determined that the eyes are opened again by the opened/closed state determining unit and it is recognized that the detected person is different from the first person based on the recognition result by the recognition unit in a common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid.

11. The broadcasting signal receiving system according to claim 8,

wherein in a common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid, when it is determined by the opened/closed state determining unit that the eyes are opened again and it is determined that the detected person is different from the first person based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the recording reproducing control unit makes operation input by the different person invalid and displays a warning message indicating that the input is invalid on a screen while maintaining the common recording state.

12. The broadcasting signal receiving system according to claim 8,

wherein a plurality of the broadcasting signal receiving units are provided,

in a common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid, when it is determined by the opened/closed state determining unit that the eyes are opened again and it is recognized that the detected person is different from the first person based on the recognition result by the recognition unit, the recording reproducing control unit makes a broadcasting signal of a program selected by a different person received by another broadcasting signal receiving unit while maintaining the common recording state so as to be watched by the viewer.

13. A broadcasting signal receiving system comprising:

a broadcasting signal receiving unit that receives a program broadcasting signal so as to obtain a video signal and an audio signal;

an image pickup unit that photographs a viewer;

a face image detecting unit that detects a face image from a photographed image of the viewer photographed by the image pickup unit;

an authentication unit that compares the face image of the viewer detected by the face image detecting unit with a face image of each individual person registered in advance so as to authenticate the corresponding viewer;

a recording reproducing unit that records a received broadcasting signal so as to store the received broadcasting signal;

a recording reproducing control unit that has a simple recording function for recording a program, which the viewer is viewing, in the recording reproducing unit, and sequentially deletes recorded data in a recorded order whenever a predetermined time lapses, and

an opened/closed state determining unit that determines whether eyes are opened or closed from the face image detected by the face image detecting unit,

wherein when it is determined that the face image is detected by the face image detecting unit and it cannot be determined by the opened/closed state detecting unit whether the eyes are opened or closed, the recording reproducing control unit makes a receiving program continuously recorded by the recording reproducing unit in the common recording state in which the simple recording function becomes invalid, and notifies the viewer that the recording is being performed in the common recording state.