Television receiver

• US 7,653,548 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takagi, Toshihiro, Kaneko, Mayumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Opsasnick; Michael N
• Application Number:
  US11/443,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device

Abstract

A television receiver includes an OSD display section configured to display a desired OSD, and a voice input section to which voices are inputted. The receiver also includes a storage section having prestored therein a control code associated with a voice representing a command to change channels or an analogous command, and a call-up control code associated with a voice for causing the display section to display a character image in an OSD manner. The receiver further includes a control section configured to cause the display section to display the character image associated with the call-up control code when a voice associated with the call-up control code is inputted through the voice input section. The control section instructs components of a receiver body to perform respective operations for executing the command according to the control code only during a time period during which the display section displays the character image.

Claims

1. A television receiver comprising:

an OSD display section configured to display a desired OSD;

a voice input section to which voices are inputted;

a voice recognition section configured to recognize the voices inputted from the voice input section;

a first storage section configured to store an agent program for assisting a user in inputting a command;

a second storage section having prestored therein a control code associated with a voice representing a command to power ON/OFF, change channels or adjust a sound volume or an analogous command, and a call-up control code associated with a call-up voice for causing the OSD display section to display a character image in an OSD manner, the character image being defined in the agent program;

a recognized voice processing section configured to read the control code or the call-up control code associated with the voice recognized by the voice recognition section out of the second storage section; and

a control section configured to execute, out of the first storage section, the agent program to cause the OSD display section to display the character image when the recognized voice processing section has read the call-up control code associated with the call-up voice recognized by the voice recognition section out of the second storage section, wherein

the control section instructs components of a receiver body to perform respective operations for executing the command according to the control code read out by the recognized voice processing section only during a time period during which the OSD display section displays the character image.

2. The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein:

the first storage section stores a plurality of agent programs;

each of the plurality of agent programs defines each of a plurality of different character images;

the second storage section has prestored therein a plurality of call-up control codes each associated with a respective one of a plurality of call up voices for causing the OSD display section to display each of the plurality of character images in the OSD manner; and

when the recognized voice processing section has read the call-up control code associated with the call-up voice recognized by the voice recognition section out of the second storage section, the control section executes, out of the first storage section, the agent program associated with the call-up control code to cause the OSD display section to display the character image defined in the agent program.

3. The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein the control section terminates the agent program to cause the character image defined in the agent program to disappear from the OSD display section when the recognized voice processing section has not read the control code for a time period not shorter than a fixed time period.

5. The television receiver according to claim 2, wherein:

restrictions are imposed on watching at least one of the plurality of agent programs; and

the control section;

causes the OSD display section to display a password input prompting screen in the OSD manner when executing, out of the first storage section, the agent program associated with the call-up control code, and if restrictions are not imposed on watching the executed agent program; and

terminates the agent program if an inputted password is not correct.

4. The television receiver according to clam, 1, further comprising a remote controller,

the remote controller having the voice input section, the voice recognition section, the storage section, the recognized voice processing section, and a transmitting section configured to transmit the control code or the call-up control code read out by the recognized voice processing section.