Interactive video distribution systems – Operator interface – To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
Reexamination Certificate
1996-08-14
2001-11-27
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Operator interface
To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
C725S047000, C348S564000, C348S588000, C348S678000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324695
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image mode selection for television receivers. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for selecting an image mode which can display a plurality of images on a plurality of divided portions of a display screen, respectively, whereby an optimum image among the displayed images can be selected by a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a television receiver, as shown in
FIG. 1
, is provided with a tuner section
101
for selecting a desired channel signal from radio frequency (RF) broadcasting signals received through an antenna ANT and converting the selected channel signal to video and audio intermediate frequency (IF) signals, an audio IF section
102
for processing the audio IF signal provided from the tuner section
101
to provide an audio signal to a loudspeaker
103
, a video IF section
104
for processing the video IF signal provided from the tuner section
101
to provide a video signal, a color picture tube (CPT) processing section
105
for processing the video signal provided from the video IF section
104
so that the video signal is suitable for being displayed on a color picture tube (CPT)
106
, a remote controller
107
for selecting a desired function or channel, a remote controller receiving section
108
for receiving an output signal of the remote controller
107
, and a microcomputer
109
for receiving an output signal of the remote controller receiving section
108
and controlling the overall operation of the television receiver, the microcomputer
109
discriminating an input of an image mode selection key through the remote controller
107
and providing image data corresponding to the selected image mode to the video IF section
104
.
The image mode selecting operation performed by the conventional television receiver as constructed above will now be explained.
The tuner section
101
selects a channel broadcasting signal among the broadcasting signals received through the antenna ANT, and converts the selected channel broadcasting signal to video and audio IF signals. The audio IF section
102
processes the audio IF signal outputted from the tuner section
101
to provide an audio signal to the loudspeaker
103
. The video IF section
104
processes the video IF signal outputted from the tuner section
101
to provide a video signal. This video signal is inputted to the CPT processing section
105
and is converted to a format suitable for display on the CPT
106
.
At this time, if a user is not satisfied with the present display state of the image being displayed on the CPT
106
screen, and thus enters the image mode selection key in the remote controller
107
to select an optimum image mode, the microcomputer
109
receives the image mode selection key signal through the remote controller receiving section
108
, and determines the present mode as an image selection mode.
If the image selection mode is determined as above, the microcomputer
109
outputs to the video IF section
104
a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal corresponding to the present image mode, so that the present image and an on-screen display (OSD) for identifying that the present mode is the image selection mode are displayed on the CPT
106
screen.
Thereafter, if the user enters the image mode selection key in the remote controller
107
again, the microcomputer
109
outputs a PWM signal corresponding to another image mode to the video IF section
104
. As a result, every time when the image selection key is entered, the selected image mode is displayed on the CPT
106
screen in the order of “image
1
→image
2
→image
3
→ . . . image n”. Accordingly, only one image is displayed on the CPT
106
screen in accordance with the input of the image selection key.
The user may select an optimum image among the images which are sequentially displayed on the CPT
106
screen in accordance with the input of the image selection key in the remote controller
107
.
However, the conventional image mode selecting method for a television receiver has drawbacks in that since only one image is displayed on the screen by each input of the image selection key, the user may have difficulty in accurately comparing a plurality of images with one another, and thus the user's selection of the optimum image among them will become difficult. Especially, in the event that the image data is precisely changed for each image mode, it becomes more difficult for the user to recognize such an image change for each image mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems involved in the prior art, and to provide a method and apparatus for selecting an image mode for a television receiver which can display n images on n divided picture-in-picture (PIP) regions of a display screen, respectively, by entering an image selection key, whereby a user can easily select an optimum image by comparing the n images with one another which are simultaneously displayed on the display screen.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention can be implemented by providing hardware capable of performing an n-PIP-scene process, and software capable of controlling an n-image display and selection.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image mode selecting method for a television receiver comprising the steps of:
determining whether or not an image selection key is inputted;
displaying in order n images on corresponding picture-in-picture (PIP) regions of a display screen if it is determined that the image selection key is inputted;
determining whether or not the present on-screen display (OSD) is for an image selection mode if it is determined that the image selection key is not inputted;
determining whether or not a numeral key corresponding to an image to be selected is inputted if it is determined that the present OSD is for the image selection mode; and
setting the image mode corresponding to the inputted numeral key if it is determined that the numeral key is inputted, turning off the PIP-scene process, and clearing the OSD displayed on the display screen.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image mode selecting apparatus for a television receiver comprising:
a tuner for selecting a channel broadcasting signal from channel broadcasting signals received through an antenna by tuning, and converting said selected channel broadcasting signal to video and audio intermediate frequency (IF) signals;
audio IF processing means for processing said audio IF signal provided from said tuner to provide an audio signal;
video IF processing means for processing said video IF signal provided from said tuner to provide main color signals;
video encoding means for converting said color signals to a composite video signal by compression of said color signals provided from said video IF processing means;
picture-in-picture (PIP) processing means for converting said composite video signal provided from said video encoding means to sub-color signals in accordance with position data;
color picture tube (CPT) processing means for synthesizing said main color signals from said video IF processing means and said sub-color signals from said PIP processing means, and converting said synthesized color signals into a format suitable for displaying on a CPT;
key input means for entering an image selection key and numeral keys corresponding to n image modes, respectively; and
control means for controlling said video IF processing means and said PIP processing means so that n image modes are displayed on corresponding PIP regions of a screen of said CPT when said image selection key is inputted, and for controlling said video IF processing means and said PIP processing means so that an image mode selected among said n image modes is displayed on said CPT screen when one of said numeral keys corresponding to said selected image mode is inputted.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4257066 (1981-03-01),
Baek Kwan Seung
Lee Jae Kyung
Brown Reuben M.
Faile Andrew
LG Electronics Inc.
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