JP2007251482A - Digital television broadcast receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital television broadcast receiver which enables a desired selection item to be finally be selected in a small number of operation times when a menu comprising a plurality of layers is displayed and an objective operation is executed. <P>SOLUTION: The digital television broadcast receiver includes a nonvolatile memory that stores a selected item number selected newest on each menu as a last-time selected item number and a means that reads the last-time selected item number corresponding to the menu from the nonvolatile memory when the menu is displayed and brings the last-time selected item to a default tentative selecting state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital television broadcast receiver.

  In the digital television broadcast receiver, video and audio are transmitted in the same manner as in conventional analog broadcasting, and e-mails and messages from the broadcasting station, channel information, program information, and the like are also transmitted.

  Also, as a multi-function receiver, compared to analog broadcast television receivers, such as program information and caption / text super information display settings, reservation settings, connection settings with external devices, built-in modem and network settings, etc. A lot of settings are required.

  When displaying such information or setting the receiver, generally, the menu key of the remote control transmitter is first depressed. Thereby, the main menu is displayed. Next, looking at the displayed main menu, use the up / down / left / right arrow keys of the remote control transmitter to temporarily set a desired item, and press the OK button on the remote control transmitter. As a result, an item in the temporarily selected state is selected, and a submenu corresponding to the selected item is displayed. If it is necessary to select an item in the submenu, the desired item is temporarily selected with the up / down / left / right arrow keys, and the enter button is pressed. As a result, an item in the temporarily selected state is selected, and a submenu corresponding to the selected item is displayed.

  In general, when the total number of selection items is the same, the number of menu levels is reduced when many items are displayed in one menu, but the up, down, left, and right arrow keys are used to move between items in one menu. The number of operations increases. If the number of items in one menu is reduced, the number of menu levels increases and the number of operations for switching menus increases.

  Therefore, in any case, when the total number of selection items increases, the number of operations of the remote control transmitter until the desired item is selected increases. This seems to be one of the reasons why the multi-function digital broadcast receiver cannot be fully used or a setting error of the receiver occurs.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a digital television broadcast receiver that can finally select a desired selection item with a small number of operations when a target operation is performed by displaying a menu having a plurality of layers. And

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a digital television broadcast receiver that allows a user to confirm a selection item selected last time when a menu is displayed.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the digital television broadcast receiver having a function of displaying a menu having a plurality of hierarchies, for each menu, the selection item number selected most recently on the menu is changed to the previous selection item number. Means for displaying a previously selected item number corresponding to the menu from the non-volatile memory and displaying the previously selected item in a default temporary selection state When a selection item on the selected menu is selected, a determination unit that determines whether or not the item selected last time in the menu is the same as the item selected this time, If the item selected last time is the same as the item selected this time, the previous selection corresponding to the menu in the nonvolatile memory is performed. When it is determined by the means for displaying the menu corresponding to the selected item without updating the item number and the determining means that the previously selected item in the menu is different from the currently selected item. And a means for displaying a menu corresponding to the selected item after updating the previous selection item number corresponding to the menu in the nonvolatile memory to the selection item number selected this time.

  According to the present invention, when a target operation is performed by displaying a menu having a plurality of hierarchies, a desired selection item can be finally selected with a small number of operations.

  In addition, according to the present invention, when the menu is displayed, the user can confirm the selection item selected last time.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a digital television broadcast receiver.

  The tuner unit 1 receives and demodulates digital broadcast data, and sends the demodulated signal to the demultiplexer unit 2. The demultiplexer 2 separates the demodulated signal into audio data, video data, mails and messages from broadcast stations, broadcast station and program information, and the like. Then, the audio data is output to the audio processing unit 3, the video data is output to the video processing unit 4, and mails and messages from the broadcasting station, broadcasting station and program information, etc. are output to the memory unit 5. The on-screen generation unit 7 generates display data such as a program guide (EPG) and a menu (main menu and submenu) and sends it to the video composition unit 8.

  The audio signal obtained by the audio processing unit 3 is sent to the audio output terminal 10. The video signal obtained by the video processing unit 4 is sent to the video synthesis unit 8. The video composition unit 8 synthesizes the display data sent from the on-screen generation unit 7 with the video signal sent from the video processing unit 4. The video signal output from the video synthesis unit 8 is sent to the video output terminal 11 via the NTSC conversion unit 9.

  The CPU unit 12 controls each unit of the receiver. A remote control signal from the remote control transmitter 20 is input to the CPU 12 via the remote control receiver 13. The remote control transmitter 20 is provided with menu keys, up / down / left / right arrow keys, an enter key, and the like. In the nonvolatile memory unit 6, for each menu ID representing each menu (main menu and sub menu), the item selected most recently on the menu is the number of the item selected last time (previous selection item number). Remembered.

  When the user depresses the menu key of the remote control transmitter 20, a remote control signal corresponding to the menu key is input to the CPU 12 via the remote control receiver 13. When receiving the remote control signal, the CPU 12 generates a main menu by the on-screen generation unit 7 and combines it with the video signal by the video synthesis unit 8. As a result, a main menu as shown in FIG. 2, for example, is displayed on the TV monitor. At this time, the CPU 12 reads the previous selection item number corresponding to the main menu stored in the nonvolatile memory unit 6 and focuses the item (highlights the item). That is, the item selected last time is set as the default temporary selection item at this time. Items that are temporarily selected items are highlighted. In the example of FIG. 2, the selection item of “receiver setting (2)” is the item selected last time, and is therefore highlighted.

  The reason for this is as follows. In order to select a desired selection item from the selection items on the menu, it is first necessary to temporarily select the desired item with the up / down / left / right arrow keys of the remote control transmitter and then press the determination button of the remote control transmitter. However, when a certain menu is displayed, it is considered that the item selected last time is likely to be selected this time. Therefore, by setting the previously selected item as the default temporary selection item (temporary selection state) at this time, it is possible to select the previously selected item by simply pressing the enter key without operating the up / down / left / right arrow keys. Allow the same item to be selected.

  Even when the user selects the same item as the item selected last time, the previous selection item number corresponding to the main menu stored in the non-volatile memory unit 6 is saved without being updated. When the user selects an item that is different from the item selected last time, the previous selection item number corresponding to the main menu stored in the nonvolatile memory unit 6 corresponds to the item selected this time. Update to selection item number.

  When a selection item on the main menu is selected, for example, the CPU 12 generates a submenu corresponding to the selected item by the on-screen generation unit 7 and combines it with the video signal by the video synthesis unit 8. Thereby, the submenu corresponding to the item selected on the television monitor is displayed on the screen. FIG. 3 shows an example of a submenu displayed when the selection item “receiver setting (2)” on the main menu is selected. At this time, the CPU 12 reads the previous selection item number corresponding to the submenu stored in the nonvolatile memory unit 6 and focuses the item (highlights the item). That is, the item selected last time is set as the default temporary selection item at this time. In the example of FIG. 3, since the selection item of “telephone line setting” is the item selected last time, it is highlighted.

  Even when the user selects the same item as the item selected last time, the previous selection item number corresponding to the submenu stored in the nonvolatile memory unit 6 is not updated, but is saved as it is. . If the user selects an item that is different from the item selected last time, the previous selection item number corresponding to the submenu stored in the nonvolatile memory unit 6 corresponds to the item selected this time. Update to the selected item number.

  When a selection item on the submenu is selected, the submenu corresponding to the item selected on the television monitor is displayed on the screen by the same operation. At this time, the CPU 12 reads the previous selection item number corresponding to the submenu stored in the nonvolatile memory unit 6 and focuses the item (highlights the item). That is, the item selected last time is set as the default temporary selection item at this time.

  FIG. 4 shows a menu display processing procedure.

  First, when the menu key is pressed (step S1), the ID corresponding to the main menu is set as the next display menu ID (step S2).

  A menu corresponding to the next display menu ID is displayed (step S3). Further, the previous selection item number corresponding to the menu ID is read from the nonvolatile memory unit 6 (step S4), and the previous selection item is temporarily selected (step S5). In order to indicate that the previous selection item is in the temporary selection state, the previous selection item is highlighted.

  The user temporarily selects a desired selection item from the selection items displayed by the arrow key operation, and selects the item by pressing the enter key. When an item is selected by a user operation (step S6), it is determined whether or not the item selected this time is the same as the previously selected item (step S7). When the item selected this time is different from the item selected last time, after updating the previous selection item number corresponding to the menu ID stored in the nonvolatile memory unit 6 to the selection item number selected this time (Step S8), the process proceeds to Step S9.

  In step S7, if the item selected this time is the same as the item selected last time, without updating the previous selection item number corresponding to the menu ID stored in the nonvolatile memory unit 6, The process proceeds to step S9.

  In step S9, the ID of the menu to be displayed corresponding to the currently selected item is set as the next display menu ID. Then, the process returns to step S3.

  If a menu erasure command is input, the menu display process ends.

  According to the above-described embodiment, when a menu is displayed from a plurality of layers to display channel information or program information, or when setting a receiver, a desired selection item can be finally selected with a small number of operations. become. Further, when the menu is displayed, the user can confirm the selection item selected last time.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a digital television broadcast receiver. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a main menu. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a sub menu displayed when a selection item of “receiver setting (2)” on the main menu of FIG. 2 is selected. It is a flowchart which shows the display processing procedure of a menu.

Explanation of symbols

5 Memory unit 6 Non-volatile memory unit 7 On-screen generation unit 12 CPU unit

Claims (1)

In a digital television broadcast receiver with a function of displaying a menu consisting of multiple layers,
For each menu, a non-volatile memory for storing the latest selected item number on the menu as the previous item number,
When displaying the menu, means for reading the previous selection item number corresponding to the menu from the non-volatile memory and setting the previously selected item to the default provisional selection state,
When a selection item on the displayed menu is selected, a determination unit that determines whether the item selected last time in the menu is the same as the item selected this time,
When the item selected last time in the menu is the same as the item selected this time by the discriminating means, the selected item is selected without updating the previous selection item number corresponding to the menu in the nonvolatile memory. If the means for displaying the menu corresponding to the item and the discrimination means determine that the previously selected item is different from the currently selected item in the menu, the menu corresponding to the item in the nonvolatile memory is handled. Means for displaying a menu corresponding to the selected item after updating the previously selected item number to the currently selected item number;
A digital television broadcast receiver comprising:

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