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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a broadcasting signal receiver such as a television
signal receiver (hereinafter, TV receiver) or a radio signal receiver
(hereinafter, radio receiver). The invention concerns especially a
broadcasting signal receiver having a user interface which makes it easy
for users to operate the receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional broadcasting signal receivers, especially TV receivers, have
many features and various functions. The more features and functions a TV
receiver has, the more control knobs and dials for selecting programs or
controlling or adjusting picture and sound qualities are necessary. Most
modern TV receivers have remote controller which makes such selections,
controls and adjustments easier.
In such a conventional remote controller, for instance, there are 10 keys,
up/down keys and toggle keys. Because there is not enough space to
distribute such control keys for the exclusive use of individual
functions, each key is manually or automatically changed the function
correspondingly to the using conditions so as to be used alternatively for
a plurality of functions. For example, 10 keys are utilized for preset and
selection of programs and selection of pages of teletext. Because there
are many broadcasting stations which can be received in a same area,
however, it is difficult for a user to remember the correspondence between
broadcasting stations and program numbers so that it is troublesome to
select a desired program with 10 keys. Similarly, page selection of the
teletext with 10 key is also not so easy.
Therefore, the up/down keys can be used for sequentially selecting programs
or pages of teletext. The up/down keys are also used for sequentially
adjusting a value of each parameter of picture or sound quality and for
entering the data of such as alphabet and other characters or symbols to
add or change the names of programs. The toggle keys are also used for
selecting one to be operated from a plurality of functions and parameters.
In order to make such up/down keys and toggle keys used easier, on screen
display control has been introduced. As examples, in case of program
selection, while the program list including all receivable broadcasting
stations is indicated on the screen of the TV receiver, respective
programs are sequentially distinguished from the other by, for instance,
blinking, highlight, or a different color with the sequential operation of
the up/down keys. When the desired program is distinguished, the selection
of the desired program is made by depressing a confirmation key. In case
of parameter adjustment, a plurality of bars each representing a value of
a parameter are indicated on the screen. When a parameter to be adjusted
is selected in turn by the toggle key so that the bar of the selected
parameter is distinguished from the other not selected in a similar manner
as the program selection, the length of the bar is varied correspondingly
to the value or level of the parameter adjusted by manipulating the
up/down keys.
Such selections, adjustments or controls by the up/down keys or the toggle
keys and by a limited number of keys, however, cause the user confusion or
inconvenience. For example, when the user presses the up/down keys or the
toggle keys with the intention of selecting the desired program or
parameter or more generally the desired function, it happens frequently
for the user to presses the up/down keys or toggle keys so many times as
to pass the desired function, whereby the user has to keep pressing many
times again until the desired function is obtained and it takes rather
long time. Furthermore, when analog value of each parameter is changed in
proportion to the times of pressing the up/down keys or the time length to
keep pressing the up/down keys, there is a shortcoming that it takes also
rather long time to adjust each parameter, if the value of the parameter
should be changed greatly. Besides, there are possibly some invalid keys
for controlling some functions and such invalid keys may disturb the
operation of the functions.
Furthermore, because almost of all operations are performed by depressing
the keys in such conventional remote controllers, in case that an
operation is accompanied with an indication moving two-dimensionally on
the screen, for example, in the picture-in-picture (hereinafter, PIP) mode
whereby a so-called sub-picture is inserted into a so-called main-picture
and both pictures are displayed simultaneously and the location of the
sub-picture is changed within the mainpicture, it is inconvenient to the
user that the key operation does not always adequately match with the
movement of the indication on the screen. Moreover, because the locations
or directions where the indication can move are limited in accordance with
the key operation, it is practically impossible to design so that the
indication can be located to an arbitrary place on the screen.
In user friendly TV receivers as disclosed in "Bewegung statt vielet
Tasten" Funkschau 18/25 August 1989, Japanese laid-open patent publication
No. 1-236896 (Sep. 21, 1989), U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,843, European Patent
publication No. 0462428-A (an equivalent of Japanese laid-open patent
publication No. 4-35365), Japanese laid-open patent publication No.
4-48895 (Feb. 18, 1992) and Japanese laid-open patent publication No.
4-72996 (Mar. 6, 1992), the advanced remote contoller has no up/down keys
to be manipulated anymore. When the remote controller is moved or rotated,
the sensor installed within the remote controller or installed in the TV
receiver side detects the position, the movement or the angle of the
remote controller, according to which the cursor indicated on the screen
is moved upward, downward, leftward or rightward. When the cursor is
located on the indication of the desired program or function on the
screen, if the confirmation key or control member arranged in the remote
controller is depressed, the selection of the desired program or function
is completed. The indication form of the menu for control on the screen
is, however, limited and the above described conventional control system
does not satisfy the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention as claimed is intended to remedy these drawbacks. A pointing
device is provided in an audio and/or video reproducing apparatus as a
remote controller and a pointer is indicated in the control picture which
is displayed on the display apparatus thereof and also includes control
areas. According to the operation of the pointing device, the pointer can
be freely moved within the control picture and according to the selection
of one of the control areas by the operation of the pointing device, the
control picture, control areas or processing circuit is controlled. The
invention provides an audio and/or video reproducing apparatus in which
the controls can be made by simple operations and at a high speed. The
invention also provides a remote control system by which it is easy for a
user to use the remote controller even in a dark room because the user can
concentrate on the display of the control picture instead of the remote
controller itself.
One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with
reference to drawings which illustrated only one specific embodiment, in
which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a TV receiver 1 as an example of an
broadcasting receiver in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a circuit construction of the
TV receiver 1 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP1 for controlling
the TV receiver 1 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP2 for controlling a
preset function of the TV receiver 1 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP3 for direct
selecting channels in the preset function shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP4 for naming the
program in the preset function shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP5 for sorting the
program list in the preset function shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP6 for adjusting
picture qualities of the TV receiver 1 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP7 for adjusting
sound qualities and for selecting sound reproduction mode the TV receiver
1 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP8 for controlling
output connections of the TV receiver 1 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP9 for controlling a
teletext picture of the TV receiver 1 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing a control picture CP10 for controlling
PIP function of the TV receiver 1 shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing steps to display the control pictures shown
in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3 to 12.
FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing steps to display the pointer P in the
control picture shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3 to 12.
FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing steps to select a program in the control
picture CP1 shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing steps to control the sound volume in the
control picture CP1 shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing steps to display the status in the control
picture CP1 shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing steps to display the control picture CP9,
as an example, shown in FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of a TV receiver 1 to which the
present invention is applied to will be explained. In FIG. 1, the TV
receiver 1 includes, similarly to conventional TV receivers, the display
apparatus 2 reproducing an input video signal, at least one wireless or
wired remote controller 3 or 3' and the reception section 4 for receiving
a remote control signal RS or RS' transmitted from the remote controller 3
or 3'.
The display apparatus 2 displays normally a video picture according to the
input video signal and additionally the control pictures CP which indicate
the functions to be selected and controlled in the TV receiver 1, the
items or parameters to be selected or adjusted in relation to the selected
function, and the status or value of the items or parameters. In this
embodiment of the invention, the control pictures CP are formed to also
include image of keys or other symbols together with words or icons
related to and representative of the functions of the TV receiver 1, which
define control areas CA or display areas DA. The control pictures CP are
generated by pixel oriented graphics so as to be able to display fine
expression. As one of the examples, the control pictures CP are generated
to have pixels of 640.times.512 according to the required resolution and
the aspect ratio of the screen of the TV receiver 1. Sixteen colors
including transparent are used for each pixel to be able to display
colorful control pictures CP.
On the other hand, in this embodiment of the invention, the remote
controller 3 or 3' is formed as a pointing device having an operating
member 3a or 3'a. As examples, mouse like used in conventional computer
terminal, touch panel, track ball, joystick, light pen as well as the
remote controllers described in above prior art can be utilized as such
the pointing device 3 or 3'. The remote controller 3 or 3' is favorably a
wireless system, not as a limitation, using infra-red or ultrasonic. The
remote control signal RS or RS' is generated in the remote controller 3 or
3' correspondingly to the manipulation thereof, modulated in case of
wireless system and transmitted to the reception section 4.
In the reception section 4 the remote control signal RS or RS' are
received, demodulated and subjected to the process in a control signal
processing circuit within the TV receiver 1, which is not shown in FIG. 1
but will be explained later.
In case of the remote controller 3, the location or movement of the remote
controller 3 itself is detected in the reception section 4 in the relation
between the transmitting direction of the remote control signal RS from
the remote controller 3 and the location of the reception section 4 so
that the location information or movement information are obtained. In
case of the remote controller 3', the location information or movement
information directly given to the remote controller 3' by the operating
member 3'a thereof are transmitted by the remote control signal RS' to the
reception section 4.
A pointer P is indicated in the control pictures CP according to the
location information or movement information obtained in the reception
section 4 in both cases and the position of the pointer P is controlled
according to the manipulation of the remote controller 3 or 3' so as to
indicate the location information or movement information in the control
pictures CP. Because the pointer P is also generated by pixel oriented
graphics, the pointer is arbitrarily movable in pixel-wise rather than in
step-wise in the conventional system. One of the functions, items or
parameters indicated in the control areas CA can be selected by the
manipulation of the operating member 3a or 3'a of the remote controller 3
or 3' and the control picture CP itself is also possibly controlled
according to the location relationship between the pointer P and the
control areas CA and the selected one of the functions and parameters of
the TV receiver 1 may be actually controlled possibly with a change of the
control picture CP.
Although the manipulating method of the remote controller 3 or 3' to
achieve the above controls may be different in accordance with the
construction of the remote controller 3 or 3', the remote controller 3 or
3' is required to have basic control functions such as a pointing function
and a click function. By the pointing function, the pointer P is moved
within the control picture CP in such a manner that the pointer P as
indicated by a real oblique arrow in FIG. 1 is moved, for example, as
indicated by the arrow A1 to the position indicated by a dotted arrow P'
so as to point a control area CA. By the click function, the control area
CA where the pointer P is located is selected so that a control picture CP
related to the control area CA is controlled or a function of the TV
receiver 1 related to the control area CA is executed possibly with a
change of the control picture CP. In addition to those functions, a move
function may be necessary, by which the location, shape or size of control
areas CA where the pointer P is located is moved or changed possibly with
movement of the visible pointer P in such a manner that the control area
CA where the pointer P' is located as shown in FIG. 1 is moved, for
example, as indicated by the arrow A2 to the position indicated as CA'
where the pointer P" is located, whereby the function of the TV receiver 1
related to the control area CA may be simultaneously executed possibly
with a change of the control picture CP. By a drag function as a special
case of the move function, the pointer P or control areas CA are moved
straight.
It is favorable that the appearance of pointer P is varied to indicate the
available function corresponding to the location of the pointer P in the
control picture CP. More specifically, it is understandable and convenient
to the user being used to the conventional TV receiver that the
indications of the pointer P and the control areas CA simulate
manipulations performed in relation to the operations of conventional TV
receivers. For instance, when the pointer P is located in any area where
the click function or the move function is invalid, the pointer P is
indicated as the oblique arrow P0. When the pointer P is located in the
control areas CA where the click function can be performed similarly to
pressing a key with a finger, the pointer P is indicated as the finger P1.
When the pointer P is located in the control areas CA where the drag
function can be performed similarly to adjusting a potentiometer or
attenuator, the pointer P shows the movable direction of the slider
thereof. For example, the pointer P is indicated as the lateral double
arrow P2, if the direction is limited to left and right, and as the
vertical double arrow P3, if the direction is limited to up and down. When
the pointer P is located in the control areas CA where the move function
can be performed, the pointer P is indicated as the cross arrow P4 to show
that the movable direction is not limited.
As one possible example, such remote controller 3 as shown in FIG. 1 has
the operation member 3a on the upper side thereof and the TV receiver 1 is
provided with a location detection circuit, though not illustrated. When
the user depresses the operation member 3a initially before the control
picture CP is displayed, the remote controller 3 is switched from the
power off or power save mode to operation mode so as to transmit the
remote control signal RS and to display a control picture CP. On the other
hand, if the operation member 3a is released, the control picture
disappears and the remote controller 3 is automatically switched from the
operation mode to the power off or power save mode in a predetermined time
after the operation member 3a is released.
If the remote controller 3 is further provided with one or two active keys
3b in one or both of left and right sides thereof, as shown in FIG. 1. The
active key 3b is normally always manipulated when the user grips the
remote controller 3 so as to switch the remote controller 3 from the power
off or power save mode to the operation mode instead of the operation
member 3a. If the user releases the remote controller 3 from his hand, the
active key 3b is also released so as to switch the remote controller 3
from the operation mode to the power off or power save mode.
In order to prevent the TV receiver 1 from being turned on from the
stand-by mode thereof by unnecessary mismanipulation of the remote
controller 3, it is possible to turn on the TV receiver only when both of
the operation member 3a and the active key 3b are simultaneously
depresssed or preferably only when the active key 3b is firstly depressed
and the operation member 3a is secondary depressed.
As the pointing function, when the remote controller 3 itself is moved up,
down, left or right, for example, as shown by the arrow A2 or A3, or
changed its angle to the reception section 4, while, for instance, a
continuous signal as the remote control signal RS is transmitted from the
remote controller 3, the location detection circuit detects the location
or movement of the remote controller 3 according to the variation of the
receiving condition of the remote control signal RS at the reception
section 4 so that the pointer P is moved within the control pictures CP
according to the detected location or movement of the remote controller 3.
As the click function, when the pointer P is located by the pointing
function in a control area CA indicating a desired function in a control
picture CP, an operation signal as the remote control signal RS is
transmitted by pressing the operation member 3a and received at the
reception section 4 so that the control area CA pointed by the pointer P
is determined by the control signal processing circuit as a selected
control area CA and then the control picture CP or the function of the TV
receiver 1 related to the control area CA is controlled. As another
example, it is possible to make the click function effective when
releasing the operating member 3a after once depressed, instead of when
depressing it. This prevents the click function from being effective when
the pointer P gets out of the desired control area CA due to a shake by
pressing the operating member 3a.
As the move function or the drag function, after the pointer P is located
by the pointing function in a control area CA indicating a desired
function in a control picture CP and the control area CA pointed by the
pointer P is selected by the click function, when the remote controller 3
itself is moved similarly to the pointing function during pressing the
operating member 3a, while, for instance, an operation signal as the
remote control signal RS is transmitted from the remote controller 3, the
location detection circuit detects the location or movement of the remote
controller 3 according to the variation of the receiving condition of the
operation signal as the remote control signal RS at the reception section
4 so that the control area CA possibly with the pointer P is moved or
changed in the shape or size according to the nature of the selected
control area CA and the movement of the remote controller 3, or the
function of the TV receiver 1 is controlled possibly with a move of the
control area CA.
As another possible example, such remote controller 3' as shown in FIG. 1
is provided with an operation member 3'a such as a touch panel, joy stick
or track ball and with a location detection circuit, though not
illustrated in FIG. 1, and the location information or movement
information is given to the operation member 3'a without moving the remote
controller 3' in itself in relation to the reception section 4.
In case that the touch panel as the operation member 3'a is provided on the
upper side of the remote controller 3', under which a two dimensional
matrix of the pressure sensitive elements are arranged, the location or
movement information is given by contacting a contacting member like a
finger of the user or any operation pen with the surface of the panel 3'a
or by moving the contacting point of the contacting member on the surface
of the panel 3'a from one to another, for example, as shown by the point
TP, the point TP' and the arrow A4 in FIG. 1. The location detection
circuit provided within the remote controller 3' detects the location or
movement of the contacting member and derives a code signal as the remote
control signal RS'. Some examples of such touch panel are disclosed in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,739,299, 4,810,992, 4,963,702 and 5,053,585 and European
patent publication EP 0 489 344 A1.
When the user depresses any effective part of the touch panel 3'a at the
initial stage, this depress is sensed by the pressure sensitive elements
corresponding to the position pressed and the remote controller 3' is
switched from the power off or power save mode to the operation mode to
transmit the remote control signal RS'. This condition is kept for a
predetermined period after the last operation and then the remote
controller 3' is automatically switched from the operation mode to the
power off mode or power save mode.
As the pointing function, when the user presses the panel 3'a and moves the
depressed position during the panel 3'a lightly depressed, the code signal
representing each location or movement of the finger obtained by the
location detection circuit is transmitted as remote control signal RS'.
The remote control signal RS' being received at the reception section 4 is
subjected to the process in the control signal processing circuit so that
the pointer P is moved within the control pictures CP correspondingly to
the movement of the depressed position on the panel 3'a.
As the click function, when the pointer P is located by the pointing
function in a control area CA indicating a desired function in a control
picture CP, an operation signal as the remote control signal RS' is
transmitted by strongly pressing the panel 3'a at the position and
received at the reception section 4 so that the control area CA pointed by
the pointer P is determined by the control signal processing circuit as a
selected control area CA and then the control picture CP or the function
of the TV receiver 1 related to the control area CA is controlled. A
hysteresis characteristic is possibly provided in order to prevent a
chattering phenomenon.
As the move function or the drag function, after the pointer P is located
by the pointing function in a control area CA indicating a desired
function in a control picture CP and the control area CA pointed by the
pointer P is selected by the click function, when the finger is moved
similarly to the pointing function but during strongly pressing the panel
3'a, the location detection circuit detects the location or movement of
the finger so that the control area CA possibly with the pointer P is
moved or changed in the shape or size according to the nature of the
selected control area CA and the movement of the finger, or the function
of the TV receiver 1 is controlled possibly with a move of the control
area CA.
If it, however, my be relatively difficult to move the finger during
strongly depressing, the pointing function and the move or drag function
can be switched over by the click function and the same pressure can be
used for both of the pointing function and move or drag function. Same
principles as the above each function can be also applied to joy stick or
track ball.
It is selectable to make the location of the pointer P in the screen of the
display apparatus 2 correspond to the location information given to the
remote controller 3' either absolutely or relatively. The relative
correspondence is more favourable in consideration that the user will
operate the remote controller 3' during watching the TV receiver 1. A
combination of the absolute mode and the relative mode is also possible.
For example, when the panel 3'a is initially depressed, an absolute
location of the depressed point TP reflects on the location where the
pointer P is indicated in the absolute mode. This makes it easy for the
user to find the initial location of the pointer P. Followingly the mode
is automatically changed to the relative mode so that even if the finger
once departs from the panel surface and contacts again at the different
point TP', the location of the pointer P does not change unless the finger
is not moved on the surface of the panel 3'a during depressing the panel
3'a. The remote controller 3 or 3' described above has a symmetrical shape
in left and right to provide right handed person as well as left-handed
person with a convenience. Other than the above examples of the remote
controller 3 or 3', the remote controller may be provided with 4 scroll
keys, a shift key and a confirmation key within the scope of the
invention.
Referring to FIG. 2, the circuit construction of the TV receiver 1 is now
explained. The TV receiver 1 has an antenna input 5, one or more audio and
video signal input (hereinafter, AV input) 6 and one or more audio and
video output (hereinafter, AV output) 7. For example, the AV input 6 has
terminals for first, second and third composite video inputs, a RGB input
and preferably first and second Y/C video inputs, respectively being
accompanied with stereo audio inputs, and the AV output 7 has terminals
for first and second composited video outputs respectively being
accompanied with stereo audio outputs.
The antenna input 5 is connected to two tuners 8 and 9 each including the
video IF signal demodulator and stereo/dual-sound audio signal demodulator
so that composite video signals and audio signals are obtained. By the way
dual-sound means such as bilingual sound. The AV input 6 except the RGB
video input and two tuners 8 and 9 are connected to the audio and video
switcher (hereinafter AV switcher) 10 which supplies the following
circuits with desired composite video signals and audio signals under the
the controls described below.
One or more audio and composited video input signals except the RGB input
signal selected by the AV switcher 10 are directly supplied to one or more
terminals of the AV output 7 without any processing, which can be
connected to external audio-video equipments such as a video tape recorder
or high-fi equipments. One or more audio signals selected by the AV
switcher 10 are supplied to the sound signal processor 11 in which the
audio signals are subjected to desired volume, tone and balance controls
and so on and selectively delivered to built-in speakers or headphones
through power amplifiers, though not illustrated.
Meanwhile, among one or more composite video signals selected by the AV
switcher 10, the composite video signal which is selected to be displayed
as the sub-picture in the PIP mode is supplied to the PIP processor 12 in
which the video signal is compressed in the size to form the sub-picture
and the picture quality of the sub-picture is adjusted, and from which the
compressed video signal in the RGB form is derived. The composite video
signal which is selected to be displayed as the main-picture in the normal
mode or in the PIP mode are converted into the RGB form in a color
decoder, though not illustrated. This video signal and the compressed
video signal as the sub-picture in the RGB form in the PIP mode are
selectively supplied through the RGB fast switches S1 and S2 to the
picture signal processor 13, in which those video signals are subjected to
desired adjustments of picture quality such as sharpness, picture
contrast, brightness, color intensity and hue in case of NTSC system and
from which the video picture signal in the RGB form is selectively
supplied through the RGB fast switches S3 and S4 to the display apparatus
2.
The composite video signal selected for the main picture by the AV switcher
10 is also supplied to the teletext processor 14 in which the teletext
signal transmitted during every vertical period of the television signal
is extracted and the teletext picture is formed according to the extracted
teletext signal and from which the teletext picture in the RGB form is
selectively supplied through the RGB fast switches S3 and S4 to the
display apparatus 2.
The TV receiver 1 has the graphics generator 15 which generates a control
picture signal including data representing respective colors of pixels
forming the control pictures CP for displaying and used for controlling
the functions of the TV receiver 1 and which is controlled by the
manipulation of the remote controller 3 or 3' as described above and in
detail below. The control picture signal generated by the graphics
generator 15 is supplied through the graphics controller 16 to the video
memory 17. The stored control picture signal is read out again from the
video memory 17 and converted into the RGB form in the graphics controller
16 and selectively supplied through the RGB fast switch S4 to the display
apparatus 2.
The RGB input signal accompanied with a blanking signal from the AV input 6
is separated from the other video signals from the AV input 6 and
selectively supplied through the RGB fast switches S1 and S2 to the
picture signal processor 13. Those picture signals in the RGB form are
also accompanied with own blanking signals generated in the processors 12,
13, 14 and the graphics controller 16 according to the contents of the
pictures, respectively. Therefore, the RGB fast switches S1, S2, S3 and S4
are switched by the blanking signal from the PIP processor 12 or from the
external RGB input, the blanking signal from the RGB input or the PIP
processor 12, the blanking signal from the teletext processor 15 and the
blanking signal from the graphics controller 16, respectively. According
to the above described construction, the main video picture is displayed
as the background and the external RGB input signal, the sub-picture in
the PIP mode, the teletext picture and the control picture are in A1 this
order overlayed, in general.
The reception section 4 of the TV receiver 1 is provided with the remote
control signal receiving circuit 18 for receiving the control signal RS or
RS' from the remote controller 3 or 3' and the control signal decoder 19
for decoding the remote control signal RS or RS' from the receiving
circuit 18 and the position calculator 20 and the controller 21 for
controlling those function blocks 15, 19 and 20 and for executing the
other functions. If the remote control signal RS from the remote
controller 3 is received, the control signal decoder 19 detects the
function of the remote controller 3 such as the pointing, click, move or
drag function. If the remote controller 3 is in the pointing, move or drag
function, the location calculator 20 obtains the location or movement
information regarding the remote controller 3 according to the receiving
condition of the remote control signal RS.
On the contrary, the position calculator 20' is provided in the remote
controller 3' as described above. If the remote control signal RS' from
the remote controller 3' is received, the location information or movement
information which is already included in the remote control signal RS' are
obtained by decoding the remote control signal RS' in the control signal
decoder 19. According to the location or movement information, the pointer
P is generated by tie graphics generator 15 together with the control
areas CA as the control pictures CP and the object to be controlled and
its controlling method is determined in relation to the pointer P and the
control area CA.
The graphics generator 15, control signal decoder 19 position calculator 20
and controller 21 can be practically constructed as a micro processor 22.
The information obtained in the micro processor 22 is provided to the
controller 23. The controller 23 can be also constructed within the micro
processor 22 together with the graphics controller 16. The controller 23
is connected to the D2B (Digital Domestic Bus) input and output 24 as
described later.
The controller 23 supplies the display apparatus 2 and the function blocks
8 to 14 with control signals for controlling the display apparatus 2 and
the function blocks 8 to 14 and maintains the status information of each
block and feeds back the status information to the micro processor 23
which is connected to the controller 23 in a handshake manner. A program
memory is provided in the controller 23, though not illustrated, for
storing the information regarding the programs. Each program is defined to
consist of a position in the program list, a symbol or text label to
identify the program and additional data that define which signal source
is to be selected from the antenna input 5 and AV input 6 and which
channel frequency the tuner 8 or 9 has to be tuned to in case th | | |
