JP2011023883A - Content playback device, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A content playback apparatus is provided that can increase the affinity between two different units and operate them in cooperation with each other by operating a first unit.
A PC built-in television of the present invention includes a TV unit and a PC unit. The TV unit 10 includes a control information communication unit 18, a content reception unit 16, a content synthesis unit 14, a content acquisition unit 15 that acquires first content through at least one of a broadcast wave and a communication network, and a video The storage control unit 31 causes the storage unit 32 to store the first content when the output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 and the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 stop reproducing the content including the first content. The PC unit 20 includes a control information communication unit 25 and a content transmission unit 23.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a content playback apparatus, a program, and a recording medium configured by a plurality of units.

  In recent years, there has been an increasing demand among viewers to view another video on the same screen while watching a broadcast program. Against this background, various techniques for displaying video other than broadcast programs using a sub-screen have been proposed.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a video display device that simultaneously displays a television screen and a browser screen obtained by connecting to the Internet on a display.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a personal computer with a TV function that allows a user to watch a digital broadcast at a high resolution in a short time and to seamlessly select a user's TV / PC function.

  In Patent Document 3, a television or a recorded program can be viewed without increasing the load on the PC, and a television image by overlay display can be displayed on a small screen at an arbitrary position on the PC monitor during the PC work. Even if the work area and the overlay area of the TV overlap and the operability deteriorates, the work area can be moved to any position and changed to any size, greatly improving operability. An image processing apparatus that can be used is disclosed.

JP 2008-79077 (release date: April 3, 2008) JP 2006-310896 (release date: November 9, 2006) JP 2007-31958 (Publication date: November 29, 2007)

  However, the above-described prior art has the following problems.

  In the technique of Patent Document 1, the browser function is realized in the television apparatus. In this configuration, the software and hardware of the television device are poor compared to those of the computer, so that only limited services can be processed. In particular, since services provided through the Internet are evolving day by day, the technology of Patent Document 1 cannot cope with a large number of services that require a large processing load, such as an online game and a video reproduction service. As a result, only a few services can be provided to the user. The technique of Patent Document 2 has a similar problem.

  In the technique of Patent Document 3, a television screen and a PC screen are mixedly displayed by connecting a television and an external PC. In this technique, since two separate devices are connected to each other, wiring and the like are complicated. As a result, the installation and carrying of the apparatus becomes troublesome. Further, since the television broadcast processing and the computer processing operate independently of each other, they must be operated by separate operation devices. Moreover, it is difficult to realize the cooperation between the two.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and its purpose is to increase the affinity between two different units and to allow the two units to operate in cooperation with each other by operating the first unit. To provide a playback device, a program, and a recording medium.

In order to solve the above problems, the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention provides:
A content playback apparatus comprising: a first unit that processes first content including at least a first video; and a second unit that processes second content including at least a second video,
The first unit is
Control information transmitting means for transmitting control information for controlling the second unit to the second unit;
Content receiving means for receiving the second content transmitted from the second unit;
First content acquisition means for acquiring the first content through at least one of a broadcast wave and a communication network;
Content reproducing means for reproducing at least one of the first content and the second content;
Storage control means for storing the first content acquired by the first content acquisition means in a storage medium when the content reproduction means stops the reproduction of the content including the first content;
The second unit is
Control information receiving means for receiving the control information transmitted from the first unit;
Content transmitting means for transmitting the second content to the first unit based on the received control information is provided.

  According to the above configuration, in the content reproduction apparatus, the first unit and the second unit operate in cooperation with each other through the control information. The first unit has, for example, a television function, while the second unit has, for example, a computer function. The content reproduction apparatus combines the first content acquired by the first unit and the second content acquired by the second unit to obtain one combined content. The synthesized content obtained in this way is played back and is viewed by the user. At that time, the second unit provides the second content to the first unit based on the control information sent from the first unit. Therefore, if the user operates only the first unit, the first unit and the second unit are operated in cooperation, and as a result, two different videos can be combined and displayed on the display.

  As described above, the content reproduction apparatus has an effect of increasing the affinity between two different units and allowing them to operate in cooperation with each other by operating the first unit.

  Further, when the reproduction of the content including the first content reproduced by the content reproduction means is stopped, the storage medium stores the first content received from the broadcast wave or the communication network, so that the user can There is an effect that the first content can be viewed later.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
Instruction accepting means for accepting a resume instruction which is an instruction to resume playback of the content including the first content;
Which of the first content stored in the storage medium and the first content acquired by the first content acquisition unit should be reproduced when the instruction receiving unit receives the restart instruction A reproduction instruction request information reproducing means for prompting input of reproduction instruction request information indicating
The content reproduction means may reproduce the first content indicated by the reproduction instruction request information.

  According to the above configuration, when the user switches the content to be played back by the content playback device from the second content to the first content or content including the first content, the first content stored in the storage medium and It is possible to select which of the first contents received at that time from the broadcast wave or the communication network is to be viewed.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
When the instruction accepting unit accepts the restart instruction, the continuous storage instruction request information prompts the user to input continuous storage instruction request information indicating whether the first content acquired by the first content acquiring unit should be stored. It further comprises a reproducing means,
The instruction receiving means receives an instruction based on the continuous storage instruction request information, and the instruction indicates that the first content acquired by the first content acquisition means should be stored continuously. In the case of continuous storage instruction information, the storage control means may continue the storage of the first content in the storage medium.

  According to the above configuration, the storage medium can continuously store the first content received from the broadcast wave or the communication network. For example, even if the first content is in the middle of one broadcast program when the user switches from the reproduction of the second content to the first content or the content including the first content, the contents before and after are continuously stored. can do. That is, either when viewing the broadcast program in real time from the middle or when viewing the broadcast program received and stored in the storage medium before the playback content switching instruction. However, the user can view the program without missing the desired range of the broadcast program.

  In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, when the storage control means recognizes that the storage capacity of the storage medium has reached a preset value, the storage capacity of the storage medium is preset. It is preferable to further include warning information reproducing means for displaying warning information indicating that the value has been reached.

  According to the above configuration, the user can recognize the remaining storage capacity of the storage medium.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention,
The first unit is
It is more preferable to include content synthesizing means for generating synthesized content by synthesizing at least the first video and the second video.

  According to said structure, the user can view the content which match | combined the 1st content and the 2nd content. For example, a broadcast program can be viewed as the first content, and PC content can be supplementarily viewed as the second content.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The storage control unit stores the first content acquired by the first content acquisition unit in a storage medium when the content played back by the content playback unit is switched from the composite content to the second content. It may be allowed.

  According to the above configuration, the first content can be stored in the storage medium when the playback of the synthesized content is switched to the playback of only the second content.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The first unit is
Broadcast wave receiving means for receiving the broadcast wave through an antenna,
The first content acquisition unit preferably acquires the first content by decoding the broadcast wave received by the broadcast wave reception unit.

  According to said structure, a 1st unit can reproduce | regenerate a broadcast program. As a result, the content reproduction apparatus can be realized as a kind of television apparatus.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second unit is
Execution means for executing the software application;
A second content acquisition means for acquiring the content generated when the software application is executed as the second content;
Preferably, the content transmission unit transmits the second content acquired by the second content acquisition unit to the first unit.

  According to said structure, a 2nd unit has a function as a general purpose computer. As a result, the content reproduction apparatus can be realized as an apparatus having a computer function. In particular, when the first unit has a broadcast program playback function, the content playback device can be realized as a television device built in a computer.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second unit is
It is preferable to further include a second content acquisition unit that acquires the second content through at least one of a communication network, an external storage device, an internal storage device, and a recording medium.

  According to the above configuration, the content reproduction apparatus can reproduce a wide variety of content.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The control information includes access information to the second content in the external storage device in the communication network,
6. The content according to claim 5, wherein the second content acquisition unit acquires the second content from the external device based on the access information. Acquisition of the second content in the second unit can be realized by operating the first unit.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The content reproduction means preferably outputs the synthesized first video and second video to a display.

  According to said structure, a user can visually recognize two different images | videos simultaneously.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second unit is
Content information transmitting means for transmitting content information related to the second content to the first unit;
The first unit is
A content information receiving means for receiving content information transmitted from the second unit;
The content synthesizing unit preferably synthesizes the first video, the second video, and the content information to generate the synthesized content.

  According to said structure, in addition to two different images | videos, the user can also be made to visually recognize the information regarding 2nd content simultaneously. As a result, the user's understanding of the content being reproduced can be further deepened.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The content information is preferably information related to the second video.

  According to said structure, in addition to two different images | videos, the user can also visually recognize the information regarding a 2nd image | video simultaneously. As a result, it is possible to deepen the user's understanding of the currently viewed video.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second unit is preferably detachable from the first unit.

  According to said structure, the expandability and maintainability of a content reproduction apparatus can be improved more.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second unit is preferably built in the housing body of the first unit.

  According to said structure, a 2nd unit can be protected from an external environment.

  The content reproduction apparatus may be realized by a computer. In this case, a program for realizing the content reproduction apparatus in the computer by causing the computer to operate as each of the above means and a computer-readable recording medium recording the program also fall within the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention has the effect of increasing the affinity between two different units and allowing them to operate in cooperation with each other by operating the first unit.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the television with a built-in PC concerning one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows the external appearance at the time of seeing the television with a built-in PC concerning one Embodiment of this invention from the display screen side, (b) shows the appearance when the television with a built-in PC is seen from the top. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the mode of the cooperation between each structure in the form which memorize | stores the content which the 1st unit received in the memory | storage part of a 2nd unit in the television with a built-in PC which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed internal structure of the television with a built-in PC concerning one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a flow chart of signal transmission when operating a TV with a built-in PC using a remote controller, and (b) is when operating a TV with a built-in PC using an input device (keyboard or mouse). It is a figure of the flow of signal transmission. It is a figure which shows an example of the flow of an image composition in a television with a built-in PC. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between the screen displayed on a display, and operation | movement. It is a figure which shows each example of the screen displayed on a display. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that the television with a built-in PC switches the display of a PC small screen according to selection of a PC function menu. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode with which a television with a built-in PC displays a PC small screen or changes the display position of a PC small screen according to the selection result of the information which shows a PC function menu. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the flow of the information processing at the time of displaying TV full screen and PC small screen in the television with a built-in PC of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on a display by the sequence process shown in a figure. (A) is a figure which shows the external appearance at the time of seeing the television with a built-in PC after the detachable PC unit is attached to the TV unit from the display screen side, and (b) is the detachable PC unit is the TV. It is a figure which shows the external appearance at the time of seeing the television with a built-in PC before mounting | wearing with a unit from the back side. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the television with a built-in PC concerning other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of an external appearance of the television with a built-in BD after the detachable BD unit is attached to the TV unit.

  An embodiment of a television 1 with a built-in PC (content reproduction apparatus) according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

(Appearance of TV unit 10)
First, the external appearance of the PC built-in television 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an appearance when the PC built-in television 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the display screen side. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an external appearance when the PC built-in television 1 is viewed from the side (the side where the PC unit 20 is installed).

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the PC built-in television 1 is an apparatus having a configuration in which a PC unit 20 (second unit) is provided in a TV unit 10 (first unit). The TV unit 10 of the present embodiment is a subunit (subsystem) having a configuration and functions as a liquid crystal television device. On the other hand, the PC unit 20 is a subunit (subsystem) having a configuration and functions as a so-called personal computer. Both are integrated to form one PC built-in television 1. Furthermore, by operating both in cooperation with each other, the user is provided with an unprecedented content playback (viewing and browsing) experience.

  The user operates the PC built-in television 1 using the remote controller 9. If there is only the remote controller 9, the TV unit 10 can be operated to view the broadcast program. Further, by using the same remote controller 9, it is possible to operate the PC unit 20 to execute various software applications, or to access a website on the Internet and browse a web page.

(Main components of TV 1 with built-in PC)
The internal configuration and functions of the PC built-in television 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of a PC built-in television 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a TV unit 10 of a television with a built-in PC 1 includes a video output unit 11 (content reproduction unit, reproduction instruction request information reproduction unit, continuous storage instruction request information reproduction unit, warning information reproduction unit), audio output unit. 12 (content reproduction unit), content processing unit 13, content synthesis unit 14 (content synthesis unit), content acquisition unit 15 (first content acquisition unit, broadcast wave reception unit), content reception unit 16 (content reception unit, content Information receiving means), user input unit 17 (instruction receiving means), control information communication unit 18 (control information transmitting means) and control unit 19, storage control unit 31 (storage control means), and storage unit 32 (storage medium). ing. On the other hand, the PC unit 20 includes a content processing unit 21, a content acquisition unit 22, a content transmission unit 23 (content transmission unit, content information transmission unit), a storage unit 24, a control information communication unit 25 (control information reception unit), a user input A unit 26, a control unit 27, and an application execution unit 28.

  The television 1 with a built-in embodiment has a video composition function. Specifically, the TV unit 10 acquires a broadcast program (first content) by receiving and decoding a broadcast wave (television broadcast). The PC unit 20 acquires PC content (second content) such as a web page and moving image content, and provides it to the TV unit 10. The TV unit 10 synthesizes at least the video in the broadcast program (first video) and the video in the PC content (second video) to generate one composite video and outputs it to the display 2. Thereby, the display 2 displays the synthesized video. The display 2 is realized as, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or an organic EL display.

(Details of TV unit 10)
The function of each block provided in the TV unit 10 will be described below.

  The video output unit 11 outputs the video signal sent from the content synthesis unit 14 to the display 2. In addition, the video output unit 11 stops the reproduction of the broadcast program, and then the broadcast program stored in the storage unit and the content acquisition unit 15 when the user input unit 17 receives an instruction to restart the broadcast program (resume instruction). Outputs a video signal of a screen prompting input of reproduction instruction request information indicating which of the broadcast programs to be reproduced to be displayed to the display 2. The video output unit 11 also displays a video signal for a screen that prompts the user to input continuous storage instruction request information indicating whether or not the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 should be stored when the user input unit 17 receives a restart instruction. Is output to the display 2. In addition, when the storage control unit 31 recognizes that the storable capacity of the storage unit 32 has reached a preset value, the video output unit 11 sets the storable capacity of the storage medium to a preset value. The video signal of the warning information screen indicating that the error has occurred is output to the display 2.

  The audio output unit 12 outputs the audio signal sent from the content synthesis unit 14 to the speaker 3.

  The content processing unit 13 processes the content input from the content acquisition unit 15. In the present embodiment, the received broadcast wave is decoded to generate a broadcast program and output to the content composition unit 14.

  The content synthesizing unit 14 synthesizes the broadcast program input from the content processing unit 13 and the PC content received by the content receiving unit 16 from the PC unit 20 to generate one synthesized content.

  The content acquisition unit 15 receives the broadcast wave through the antenna 4 and outputs it to the content processing unit 13. Note that the broadcast wave receiving method is not limited to that through the antenna 4. The content acquisition unit 15 can also receive broadcast waves through a cable television broadcast network. In addition, IP broadcast data (IP broadcast wave) can be received through the Internet 8.

  The content receiving unit 16 receives the PC content transmitted from the PC unit 20 and outputs it to the content composition unit 14.

  The user input unit 17 accepts an input operation performed on the PC built-in television 1 by the user. Specifically, for example, a signal generated by the remote controller 9 in response to an input operation by the user is received and output to the control unit 19. In addition, a signal generated by a user's direct operation on the TV unit 10 main body can be received.

  The control information communication unit 18 exchanges control information with the PC unit 20. Specifically, the control information is transmitted to the control information communication unit 25 of the PC unit 20 or the control information transmitted from the control information communication unit 25 is received. Here, the control information includes, for example, operation information for operating the PC unit 20a or the TV unit 10a. In addition, information specifying that the acquired content should be provided to the other unit is included. Furthermore, access information (link information) for acquiring content is included.

  The control unit 19 performs overall control of each block constituting the TV unit 10.

  The storage control unit 31 determines whether the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 are playing back the content (first content) acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 or the content (second) received from the PC unit 20. Or the content synthesized by the content synthesis unit 14 (synthesized content) can be recognized. When the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 reproduce content, the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 output video and audio to the display 2 and the speaker 3, respectively. The PC content received from the PC unit 20 from the state in which the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 are playing the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 or the synthesized content synthesized by the content synthesis unit 14. When it is recognized that the program has been switched to the state where only the broadcast program is being played back, that is, when the playback of the broadcast program is stopped, the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 is stored in the storage unit 32. Can be made. Further, the user input unit 17 switches the content reproduced by the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 from the PC content received from the PC unit 20 to the broadcast program or the synthesized content acquired by the content acquisition unit 15. When receiving an instruction, that is, an instruction to resume reproduction of content including a broadcast program (resume instruction), the storage control unit 31 selects either the broadcast program stored in the storage unit 32 or the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15. The video output unit 11 reproduces reproduction instruction request information that prompts the user to input an instruction as to whether or not to reproduce the content. When the storage control unit 31 receives continuous storage instruction information indicating whether or not the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 should be stored when the user input unit 17 receives the restart instruction, the storage unit 32 Then, the storage of the broadcast program is continued. Further, when it is recognized that the storable capacity of the storage unit 32 has reached a preset value, the video output unit 11 is caused to reproduce the warning information.

  The storage unit 32 stores content acquired by the content acquisition unit 15. The storage control unit 31 controls the start of content storage. The memory | storage part 32 is not limited to the form with which TV unit 10 is provided like this Embodiment. The storage medium in the present invention may be realized by a storage unit included in the second unit, or may be realized by an external storage unit not included in either the first unit or the second unit. . This will be described with reference to FIG. 3 by taking as an example the case where the content (for example, a broadcast program) acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 is stored in the storage unit 24 of the PC unit 20. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing how the components are linked in the form in which the content received by the TV unit 10 is stored in the storage unit 24 of the PC unit 20 in the PC built-in television 1.

  From the state in which the content synthesizing unit 14 transmits the synthesized content or the broadcast program to the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 and the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 reproduce the content, the content receiving unit 16 When the user switches to reproduce only the content received from the content transmission unit 23, the storage control unit 31 recognizes this and cooperates between the control information communication unit 18 and the control information communication unit 25. Specifically, control is performed so that PC content is transmitted from the content transmission unit 23 to the content reception unit 16 and output to the display and the speaker from the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 via the content synthesis unit 14. To do. On the other hand, the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 are controlled to transmit the broadcast program to the storage unit 24 without reproducing them. Then, the storage unit 24 stores the broadcast program. By performing such control, not only the TV unit 10 is provided with a storage medium for recording a broadcast program when switching from the reproduction of a broadcast program or composite content to the reproduction of PC content, the PC unit It can also be realized by the storage unit 24 built in the storage unit 20 or an external storage medium (hard disk, BluRay, etc.).

(Details of PC unit 20)
The function of each block constituting the PC unit 20 will be described below.

  The content processing unit 21 processes the PC content acquired by the content acquisition unit 22.

  The content acquisition unit 22 acquires PC content from the outside. For example, PC content is acquired from the recording disk 7 or the Internet (communication network) 8. PC content is content that can be processed and played back by a computer. For example, content such as text, video, audio, and moving image corresponds to this, and multimedia content including a combination of these also corresponds. In addition, a web page is also included in the PC content. These PC contents can be obtained from various places. The acquisition destination is, for example, a website on the Internet 8, an external device connected to the PC built-in television 1, and the recording disk 7.

  The content transmission unit 23 transmits the content processed by the content processing unit 21 to the content reception unit 16.

  The storage unit 24 stores various PC contents. For example, it is realized as a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk or a flash memory. The storage unit 24 stores various software applications executed by the application execution unit 28 in addition to the PC content.

  The control information communication unit 25 exchanges control information with the control information communication unit 18. Specifically, the control information is transmitted to the control information communication unit 18 of the TV unit 10 or the control information transmitted from the control information communication unit 18 is received.

  The user input unit 26 receives an input operation to the PC built-in television 1 by the user. Specifically, a signal issued by the operation device (in this embodiment, the mouse 5 and the keyboard 6) in response to an input operation by the user is received and output to the control unit 27. Other examples of the operation device include a pointing device such as a trackball and a trackpad, and a joystick.

  The control unit 27 controls various operations in the PC unit 20.

  The application execution unit 28 reads and executes the software application stored in the storage unit 24.

(Detailed internal configuration of TV 1 with built-in PC)
Next, a detailed internal configuration of the PC built-in television 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a detailed internal configuration of the PC built-in television 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Each functional block shown in FIG. 1 is realized by any one of the blocks shown in FIG. 4 or a combination thereof.

  An RF (Radio Frequency) receiving unit 101 receives a signal transmitted from the outside. That is, the RF receiving unit 101 is a video signal input unit that receives a digital broadcast signal such as a video signal transmitted wirelessly as terrestrial digital broadcast. Note that the signal received by the RF receiving unit 101 is not limited to a signal transmitted as terrestrial digital broadcast, and is transmitted as, for example, general analog broadcast, satellite broadcast, or cable television broadcast. It may be a signal.

  Examples of these signals include video signals digitized as a system such as MPG2 or MPEG4 in the case of digital broadcasting. The signal input to the RF receiving unit 101 is not limited to the video signal. For example, a digital broadcast signal (broadcast) such as a digitized audio signal, data broadcast, electronic program guide information, or network information can be used. Wave).

  The demodulator 102 demodulates the digital broadcast signal input to the RF receiver 101 and sends it to the decoder 103.

  The decoder 103 decomposes a demodulated signal such as MPEG2TS into a video component (signal) and an audio component (signal). The decoder 103 decodes the video signal among the decomposed signals and sends the audio signal to the audio processor 104. At this time, the data accompanying the audio signal is sent to the CPU 109 and processed there.

  The audio processor 104 decodes the audio signal received from the decoder 103. Since audio signals have many formats, the audio processor 104 normally performs audio signal decoding processing. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the audio signal may be decoded by the decoder 103 or the CPU 109. The processed audio signal is sent to the speaker 105.

  The speaker 105 outputs the audio signal decoded by the audio processor 104. In addition, although this embodiment shows a form of a television including the display unit 112 and the speaker 105, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a BD (BluRay) recorder or STB (Set Top Box), Instead of the speaker 105, an audio signal may be output to an external device.

  Remote control communication unit 106 receives a control signal from a remote control (not shown). Examples of the remote controller 9 that transmits a control signal include an infrared remote controller that transmits a signal in one direction or a wireless remote controller that transmits a signal in both directions. The control signal received by the remote control communication unit 106 is sent to the CPU 109.

  The external input unit 107 receives a signal output from the video output unit 208 of the PC unit 20. Examples of the external input unit 107 include an HDMI interface or a DVI / D terminal. The signal received by the external input unit 107 includes decoded data or compressed data (for example, MPEG4).

  The audio signal received by the external input unit 107 is output to the audio processor 104. On the other hand, the video signal received by the external input unit 107 is output to the graphic memory 110 and developed. For example, when the video signal received by the external input unit 107 is a compressed image, the received video signal is sent to the graphic memory 110 once via the decoder 103. Note that there is no essential difference in the video signal output to the graphic memory 110 depending on whether or not it passes through the decoder 103.

  The memory 108 is a memory that stores a program or data. Further, it also functions as the storage unit 32 described above.

  The CPU 109 is a CPU that controls the entire TV unit 10.

  The graphic memory 110 holds two or more videos and display data. Examples of the display data include data broadcasting, OSD (on-screen display) data, and data such as a setting menu. The graphic memory 110 includes a plurality of planes, and each plane can be superimposed or alpha blended.

  The graphic controller 111 combines video and display data held in the graphic memory 110 to create one screen. That is, the graphic controller 111 performs, for example, enlargement / reduction or position setting of a plurality of planes in accordance with the control from the CPU 109, and creates a final screen by combining them. This final screen is sent to the display unit 112.

  The display unit 112 displays the video received from the graphic controller 111. For example, video may be displayed on a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, or video data may be output to an external device.

  A LAN (Local Area Network) controller 113 is connected to an external device through a network. The LAN controller 113 may be connected to another device according to a home network standard such as DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) or may be connected to a video service through the Internet. The connection with the external device may be either wired or wireless. The video signal acquired from the LAN controller 113 is not particularly limited, but is preferably handled in the same manner as the video signal acquired through the RF receiving unit 101.

  The I / F unit 114 is an interface unit that controls LAN, USB, serial, or the like. The I / F unit 114 exchanges control information including a still image with the PC unit 20. Note that the transmission / reception method of control information in the I / F unit 114 is not particularly limited.

  The power supply unit 115 is a power supply circuit in the TV unit 10. The power supply unit 204 is a power supply circuit in the PC unit 20. These power supply units 115 and 204 are supplied with power from a common power supply 300. At this time, it is desirable to receive power from one AC plug.

  The input unit 201 receives input from the outside. Thus, the PC unit 20 may have its own input unit. For example, a Bluetooth wireless keyboard or a wireless mouse can be used as the input unit 201.

  The IO processor 202 controls various external interfaces.

  The LAN controller 203 is connected to the IP network. Note that the LAN controller 113 and the LAN controller 203 preferably share one IP address with each other. Further, when the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 are provided with individual LAN controllers 113 and 203, respectively, it is preferable to have a bridge function inside the television 1 with a built-in PC. Thereby, for example, when connecting a wired LAN, the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 can be simultaneously connected to the network by inserting only one LAN cable.

  A memory 205 is a memory of the CPU 206 that performs various controls.

  The CPU 206 comprehensively controls each block included in the PC unit 20. For example, the compressed PC content is decoded by software and converted to the original PC content. In the present embodiment, the PC unit 20 does not include hardware such as the decoder 103 in the TV unit 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the PC unit 20 may include hardware such as the decoder 103.

  The graphic controller 207 speeds up graphic processing during video rendering.

  The video output unit 208 outputs the video signal processed by the graphic controller 207 in a format such as HDMI. The audio signal is also transmitted to the TV unit 10 in the same manner as the video signal.

  The storage unit 209 permanently stores PC content acquired through the Internet 8 or the recording disk 7. Examples of the storage unit 209 include a hard disk, a BD (Blu-ray Disc), a DVD (Digital Video Disc), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The CPU 206 reproduces the video acquired via the network or the video stored in the storage unit 209 and transmits it to the TV unit 10.

  Here, the image is not limited to a moving image, and includes a screen created by an application such as music, a book, a photo, a slide show, a word processing document, or a game.

(How to operate PC built-in TV 1)
FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a signal transmission flow when the remote controller 9 is used to operate the PC built-in television 1. FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a signal transmission flow when the PC built-in television 1 is operated using the input device (keyboard 6 or mouse 5).

  As described above, the user can operate both the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 using the remote controller 9. A signal (operation signal) transmitted from the remote controller 9 in response to a user input is input to the control unit 19 via the user input unit 17. The control unit 19 determines whether the signal is a signal for operating the TV unit 10 or a signal for operating the PC unit 20 by analyzing the operation signal. If it is determined to be the former, each block in the TV unit 10 is controlled according to the content of the operation signal. As a result of these processes, the user can operate the TV unit 10 using the remote controller 9.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 19 determines that the operation signal is a signal for operating the PC unit 20, the control unit 19 generates control information for controlling the PC unit 20, and transmits the PC unit 20 through the control information communication unit 18. Send to. The control information is input to the control unit 27 of the PC unit 20 via the control information communication unit 25. The PC unit 20 controls each block in the PC unit 20 based on the input control information. As a result of these processes, the user can operate the PC unit 20 using the remote controller 9.

  As described above, the user can operate both the PC unit 20 and the TV unit 10 using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 (hereinafter, generically referred to as an operation device). A signal (operation signal) transmitted from the controller device in response to a user input is input to the control unit 27 via the user input unit 26. The control unit 27 analyzes the operation signal to determine whether it is a signal for operating the PC unit 20 or a signal for operating the TV unit 10. If it is determined to be the former, each block in the PC unit 20 is controlled according to the contents of the operation signal. As a result of these processes, the user can operate the PC unit 20 using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 27 determines that the operation signal is a signal for operating the TV unit 10, the control unit 27 generates control information for controlling the TV unit 10, and the TV unit 10 through the control information communication unit 25. Send to. The control information is input to the control unit 19 of the TV unit 10 via the control information communication unit 18. The control unit 19 controls each block in the TV unit 10 based on the input control information. As a result of these processes, the user can operate the TV unit 10 using the operation device (mouse 5 or keyboard 6).

  As described above, the television with built-in PC 1 of the present embodiment can operate two units (TV unit 10 and PC unit 20) having completely different functions by using one operating device. In particular, the point that the operation of the PC unit 20 can be performed by the remote controller 9 has a great merit for the user. This is because the operation of the remote controller 9 is refined compared to the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6 and is intuitive and easy to understand. Therefore, the user who uses the television with built-in PC 1 of the present embodiment can experience various services (execution of applications, browsing of web pages) provided by the PC unit 20 more easily than using a general-purpose personal computer. it can.

(Example of the flow of video composition)
A flow of the composition and display processing of a plurality of videos in the PC built-in television 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of video composition and display in the television 1 with a built-in PC.

  As shown in this figure, the content acquisition unit 22 of the PC unit 20 acquires a video 50 (second video included in the second content) and related information 52. The acquisition destination is, for example, the Internet 8 or the recording disk 7. The video 50 and the related information 52 are transmitted to the TV unit 10 via the content acquisition unit 22, the content processing unit 21, and the content transmission unit 23. In the TV unit 10, the content is provided to the content composition unit 14 via the content reception unit 16.

  On the other hand, the content acquisition unit 15 of the TV unit 10 acquires the video 54 (the first video included in the first content) and the related information 56. The acquisition destination is, for example, a broadcasting station. The video 54 and the related information 52 are provided to the content composition unit 14 via the content acquisition unit 15 and the content processing unit 13. Control information that defines that the video 50 and related information 52 should be provided to the TV unit 10a is transmitted in advance from the TV unit 10a to the PC unit 20a. The PC unit 20a provides the video unit 50 and the related information 52 to the TV unit 10a in response to the reception of the control information.

  The content synthesizing unit 14 synthesizes the input video 50, related information 52, video 54, and related information 56 to generate one synthesized video (synthesized content). In this embodiment, the graphic memory 110 is used to write data to each of the three planes. Specifically, video 50 is written in the first plane, video 54 is written in the second plane, and related information 52 and related information 56 are written in the third plane. The three planes thus obtained are overlapped to generate one composite image shown in FIG. The synthesized video is input to the display 2 via the video output unit 11. As a result of these processes, the user visually recognizes the synthesized video through the display 2. As a result, it is possible to enjoy movie content on a sub-screen while watching a broadcast program.

(Operation example of PC built-in TV 1)
Next, from the state in which the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 reproduce the content (for example, a broadcast program) acquired by the content acquisition unit 15, the content reception unit 16 passes through the content transmission unit 23 of the PC unit 20. Switching to the state where the received content or the above-described composite video (synthesized content) is being played back, and the user issues a content playback switching instruction so that the content acquisition unit 15 can play back the content again. The operation of the PC built-in television 1 when instructed to the television 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the screen displayed on the display 2 and the operation in this example.

  In this example, a case will be described where the first content is a broadcast program (shown as “TV” in the figure) and the second content is PC content (shown as “PC” in the figure).

  First, the display 2 displays content as shown in FIG. 7A or 7B. That is, FIG. 7A shows a case where the display 2 displays a broadcast program. FIG. 7B shows a case where the display 2 displays a composite content obtained by combining a broadcast program and a PC content. More specifically, the broadcast program is displayed as a main screen and is displayed as a sub screen. The case where the PC content is displayed is shown. In the state of FIG. 7B, the user can view PC content as an auxiliary while viewing a broadcast program. An example of the screen of the display 2 that displays the composite content will be described in detail later in “(Example of screen displayed on the display 2)”.

  When the user presses the “PC button” provided on the remote controller 9, the display 2 is switched to a screen that displays only the PC content as shown in FIG. At this time, the storage control unit 31 recognizes that the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 stop the reproduction of the broadcast program or the synthesized content of the broadcast program and the PC content, and switch to the reproduction of the PC content. After recognizing the stop of the reproduction of the broadcast program, the storage control unit 31 instructs the storage unit 32 to start storing the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15. Thereby, the memory | storage part 32 starts recording of a broadcast program. While the storage unit 32 is recording a broadcast program, the video output unit 11 reproduces only the PC content, and also reproduces the content C1 indicating that the recording is being performed on the OSD. That is, when switching from the reproduction of content including a broadcast program to the reproduction of only PC content, the storage control unit 31 transmits the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 to the storage unit 32 and the content reception unit 16 acquires the broadcast program. The PC content to be transmitted is transmitted to the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12.

  Note that the method for recognizing the content to be played back by the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 by the storage control unit 31 is not particularly limited. Alternatively, the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 may be accessed from the storage control unit 31 and recognized from the type of content reproduced by the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12.

  Next, in the case where the user gives an instruction to switch to the full screen display of the broadcast program by pressing the “TV button” provided on the remote controller 9, the content including the broadcast program is changed from the content not including the broadcast program. A case where switching to reproduction, that is, a case where an instruction to resume reproduction of a broadcast program is given will be described. When the storage control unit 31 accepts the instruction, the display 2 becomes a screen shown in FIG. That is, when the storage control unit 31 receives the instruction, the storage control unit 31 should reproduce any of the broadcast program recorded by the storage unit 32 until the instruction is received and the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15. Information (reproduction instruction request information) that prompts input of a kana instruction (reproduction instruction) is reproduced by the video output unit 11. Content C2 shown in FIG. 7D is the reproduction instruction request information.

  When the user selects “Yes” for the content C2 via the remote controller 9, the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 reproduce the broadcast program stored in the storage unit 32 until a reproduction instruction is received. To do. When the user selects “No” for the content C2 via the remote controller 9, the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 reproduce the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15.

  In addition, regardless of whether the user selects “Yes” or “No” for the content C2, the storage control unit 31 instructs to store the broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 continuously. Information (continuous storage instruction request information) for prompting the input to the video output unit 11 is reproduced. The content C3 shown in FIG. 7E is the information. When the user selects “Yes” for the content C3 via the remote controller 9, the user input unit has received an instruction to continue storing (continuous storage instruction), and the storage unit 32 The broadcast program acquired by the content acquisition unit 15 is continuously stored. When “No” is selected, the storage of the broadcast program is stopped.

  Next, the display 2 reproduces the broadcast program. FIG. 7F shows a screen for reproducing only the broadcast program.

  At this time, if the storage unit 32 continues to store the broadcast program and the storage control unit 31 recognizes that the storable capacity of the storage unit 32 has reached a preset value, the storage unit 32. The warning information indicating that the storable capacity has reached the preset value is displayed as shown in FIG. The preset value may be preset by the user and stored in the storage unit 32, or may be preset by the manufacturer of the PC built-in television 1 and stored in the storage unit 32. Also good. Content C4 is warning information, and shows a case where the remaining storage capacity of the storage unit 32 is 1.0 gigabytes as a specific example. Thereby, the user can grasp the storable capacity of the storage unit 32.

(Example of screen displayed on display 2)
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating examples of screens displayed on the display 2.

  In FIG. 8A, only the TV full screen 60 is displayed on the entire surface of the display 2. At this time, when the user presses the “PC button” provided on the remote controller 9, the screen in FIG. 8A is switched to that in FIG. 8B. In FIG. 8B, a TV main screen 61, PC function menus 62 to 65, and a PC small screen 66 are displayed on the display 2. The user uses the TV 1 with a built-in PC mainly for viewing TV content (broadcast program) reproduced by the TV unit 10. On the other hand, PC content is viewed as an auxiliary.

  When the screen of FIG. 8B is displayed, when the user presses the “PC button” provided on the remote controller 9, the screen of FIG. 8B is switched to that of FIG. 8C. In FIG. 8C, the display position of the TV screen and the display position of the PC screen are switched. Specifically, the PC main screen 69 is displayed at the display position of the TV main screen 61, while the TV sub screen 68 is displayed at the display position of the PC sub screen 66. Through these processes, the user uses the PC built-in television 1 mainly for the operation of the PC unit 20 and the viewing of the PC content reproduced by the operation. On the other hand, broadcast programs are watched supplementarily.

  If the user selects another menu in the PC function menus 62 to 65 when the screen of FIG. 8C is displayed, the PC small screen 66 is maximized as shown in FIG. You can also. That is, the PC full screen 67 is displayed on the display 2. In addition, when the user presses the “PC button”, the display is similarly switched to the display of FIG.

(Example of PC sub-screen switching)
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state where the PC built-in television 1 switches the display of the PC small screen in accordance with the selection of the PC function menu.

  In FIG. 9A, a TV main screen 61, menu items 71 to 74, and a PC small screen 75 are displayed on the display 2. The PC small screen 75 is displayed when the menu item 71 is selected. Here, when the user selects the menu item 72, as shown in FIG. 9B, a PC small screen 76 related to the menu item 72 is immediately displayed.

(Example of processing according to PC function menu selection)
The television with built-in PC 1 of the present embodiment displays the PC function menu on the display 2 by processing data in HTML format representing the menu of the PC function. Therefore, a process corresponding to the link information corresponding to the selected item is executed. A specific example will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the PC built-in television 1 displays the PC small screen or changes the display position of the PC small screen in accordance with the selection result of the information indicating the PC function menu.

  In the example of FIG. 10A, the TV 1 with a built-in PC processes the menu data 80 and displays a PC function menu. The menu data 80 includes four pieces of link information including link information 81 and link information 82. Each link information individually corresponds to an item name (gourmet, search, game, etc.).

  Here, it is assumed that the user selects the “gourmet” item. At this time, the television 1 with a built-in PC processes the link information 81 corresponding to the item. Specifically, the website (external device on the communication network) indicated by the link information (access information) 81 is accessed, the web page (second content) returned by the server is acquired, and the PC child screen is obtained. 84. At this time, the TV main screen 83 is also displayed at the same time.

  On the other hand, it is assumed that the user selects the “game 2 (size designation)” item. At this time, the television 1 with a built-in PC processes the link information 82 corresponding to the item. Specifically, the game application indicated by the link information 82 is activated, and the content (second content, second video) output by the application is displayed on the PC child screen 85. At this time, the display position and size of the PC small screen 85 are determined with reference to the display control information defined in the link information 82. The display 2 also displays the TV main screen 83 at the same time. The size of the TV main screen 83 is determined based on a value obtained by calculating (eg subtracting) the size of the PC small screen 85 from the screen size of the display 2.

(Example of flow of screen display processing)
FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a flow of information processing when displaying the TV full screen and the PC small screen on the PC built-in television 1 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display 2 by the sequence process shown in FIG.

  As a premise before the processing of FIG. 11 starts, the TV unit 10 has received and decoded a broadcast wave from a broadcast station and acquired a broadcast program in advance. In addition, various types of broadcast-related information are received as needed in accordance with the reception of broadcast waves. Examples of broadcast-related information include data broadcasting, electronic program guides, subtitles, closed captions, information from the network, information indicating the channel currently being viewed, information indicating the user's residential area, and the like.

  In the sequence of FIG. 11, the TV unit 10 first displays the TV main screen 61 (step S1). Next, the user inputs a PC display command using the remote controller 9. Based on this input, the TV unit 10 requests menu information from the TV unit 10 (step S2). The PC unit 20 transfers the received request to the service server (external device) (step S4). The service server transmits the menu information to the PC built-in television 1 and the PC unit 20 receives it. The PC unit 20 transfers the received menu information to the TV unit 10. The TV unit 10 processes the received menu information and displays the menus 62 to 65 on the display 2 (step S7). Further, the PC small screen 66 is displayed (step S8).

  The user selects one of the menu items using the remote controller 9 (step S9). The TV unit 10 transmits selection information representing the selected menu item to the PC unit 20 (step S10). The PC unit 20 executes a software application specified by the received selection information (step S11). At this time, the video generated by the application is transmitted to the TV unit 10. The PC unit 20 also transmits various PC content information such as access history, purchase history, content viewing history, access time, and access time to the TV unit 10. The TV unit 10 displays the received video on the PC small screen 75. As a result, the display of the PC small screen 75 changes (step S12).

  At this time, the TV unit 10 may use the broadcast content related information and the received PC content information to generate display information based on these two pieces of information and display it on any of the menu items 62 to 65. In the example of FIG. 12, the menu item 65 is an example. That is, the PC built-in television 1 adaptively switches the display menu using the broadcast related information and the PC content related information. Note that such an adaptive menu generation can be executed not only by the TV unit 10 but also by the PC unit 20 or the service server. In this case, the TV unit 10 acquires the generated menu from the PC unit 20 and displays it on the display 2.

  In addition to the above description, the following various ideas are possible for the television 1 with a built-in PC.

(Contrived menu display)
The PC built-in television 1 makes it easy to intuitively understand the classification and operation of categories. Thereby, even the beginner of a computer can operate the television 1 with a built-in PC easily. Menu items corresponding to categories following the portal website are displayed in a list. As a result, the user can select menu items in the same manner by the same operation as that of the computer that is normally used.

  The PC built-in television 1 displays content corresponding to the focused menu item on the PC sub-screen. Therefore, every time the user selects content, the video displayed on the PC small screen is switched. As a result, the user can select content intuitively. As an initial setting, it is preferable to prepare a website attractive to the user in advance.

  Further, the TV 1 with a built-in PC has a menu item “convenient function” as a kind of category. The user can register frequently used software applications in the convenient function. Note that the display order of menu items displayed on the TV screen may be changed according to the content provider. In addition, a business that collects the posting fee determined according to the display order from the content provider becomes possible.

  The TV 1 with a built-in PC easily displays links to websites frequently used by the user, for example, on the display 2 as categories by category. As a result, the PC function menu can be used as an entrance when accessing a website on the Internet 8. The user can directly access the Internet by selecting an item from this entrance (PC function menu) while watching a broadcast program through the TV main screen 61 without setting to switch to the PC main screen 69. With these ideas, the present invention can increase the willingness to purchase the television 1 with a built-in PC from beginners to advanced computers.

  Specific examples of menu items include a search website, web log, SNS (Social Networking Service), general information (for example, news, weather, traffic information or route guidance), living information (for example, illness, regional information or child care) , Food (eg, restaurant or recipe collection), learning (eg, dictionary or children's education), hobbies (eg, stocks, travel, shopping or fashion), or entertainment (eg, games, video websites or music download webs) Site).

  The user can connect to the website for each category described above by the following procedure. First, a menu item related to a desired category is selected from the category-specific PC function menu displayed on the screen. Next, since a URL list of websites belonging to the category of the selected item is displayed, a desired website is selected from the URL list. Specifically, when a TV main screen, a plurality of menu items, and a PC small screen are displayed on the screen, the user selects a menu item of a desired category by a remote control operation. Thereafter, for example, if the PC main screen is selected to be displayed, the PC screen is enlarged on the screen and switched to the Internet viewing.

(Diversity of services used)
The user of the PC built-in television 1 can also use all the Internet services that can be used by the conventional general-purpose computer in the PC built-in television 1. This is because the PC built-in television 1 includes the PC unit 20 that functions as a complete computer and operates in cooperation with the TV unit 10. Accordingly, the TV built-in television 1 has a much wider range of use than a conventional Internet television that can use only limited Internet services.

(Advantages of large screen)
When the PC full screen is displayed on the display 2, the user can operate the PC unit 20 using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6. In the television 1 with a built-in PC having the display 2 as a large screen, the user can enjoy the PC content through the display 2 with a large screen and high image quality. In the conventional computer, it is necessary to prepare a large screen display in addition to the PC main body for such a use. However, the single TV 1 with a built-in PC can satisfy the demands of power users who make extensive use of computers. In particular, since the PC unit 20 is a computer, it is possible to add functions flexibly in cooperation with various peripheral devices, and to realize the advantages obtained by adding such functions to the user through a large screen and high-quality display. be able to.

(Power supply interlock)
The user does not have to perform a complicated operation for activating the PC unit 20. This is because in the PC built-in television 1, the power supply of the TV unit 10 and the power supply of the PC unit 20 are interlocked. That is, the PC unit is turned on at the same time as the TV unit 10a is turned on. After the start of the TV unit 10 is completed, the user can view the broadcast program immediately. On the other hand, the startup process of the PC unit 20 continues thereafter. This is because the PC unit 20 requires a longer time to complete startup than the TV unit 10. The user can enjoy the broadcast program without unnecessarily waiting until the PC unit 20 is activated. In addition, after the PC unit 20 has been activated, the PC unit 20 can be operated at any time by a simple operation using the remote controller 9.

(Ease of installation)
Since the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 are integrated, the user can easily install the TV 1 with a built-in PC. An LED backlight may be employed for the display 2 of the TV unit 10. Thereby, since the TV unit 10a can be reduced in weight and thickness, the installation direction of the TV 1 with a built-in PC can be freely set in any of vertical and horizontal directions.

(Sales of TV with built-in PC 1)
The external appearance of the PC built-in television 1 is very similar to that of a normal television device. Therefore, the store places the TV 1 with a built-in PC in the TV department instead of the computer department. The salesperson can appeal that the computer can be used with a simple operation when selling the TV 1 with a built-in PC to a prospective customer. As a result, it is possible to increase the willingness to purchase the PC built-in television 1 for customers who do not go to the computer department but go to the television department, that is, general users who are not good at computers but can use the television. The PC built-in television 1 has the added value that a computer can also be used, so that the unit price can be set higher and the profit rate is higher. Therefore, the manufacturer of the PC built-in television 1 and the dealer can obtain higher profits with the PC built-in television 1.

(Display of power consumption)
The TV 1 with a built-in PC may acquire information about its own power consumption, convert it into information for display, and display it on the display 2.

[Embodiment 2]
A second embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to each member which is common in 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

(External example of PC built-in television 1a)
FIG. 13A is a diagram showing an external appearance when the PC built-in television 1a after the detachable PC unit 20a is mounted on the TV unit 10a is viewed from the display screen side. FIG. 13B is a diagram showing an external appearance when the PC built-in television 1a before the detachable PC unit 20a is attached to the TV unit 10a is viewed from the back side.

  As shown in this figure, the TV built-in television 1a of the present embodiment is composed of a TV unit 10a and a PC unit 20a. In this respect, there is no difference from the PC built-in television 1 according to the first embodiment. However, in the PC built-in television 1a of the present embodiment, the PC unit 20a is detachable from the PC built-in television 1a. Accordingly, the expandability and maintainability of the PC built-in television 1 can be improved. It should be noted that both the TV unit 10a and the PC unit 20a can be used independently after the attachment is released.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, the PC unit 20 a is provided with a plurality of external terminals 150 to 152. Specifically, they are an Ethernet (registered trademark) terminal 150, a USB terminal 151, and a video / audio input / output terminal 152. As shown in FIG. 13B, the PC unit 20a is also provided with external terminals 153 to 155 for exchanging signals with the TV unit 10a. Specifically, a video signal (SDVO including HDMI signal: Serial Digital Video OutPut) terminal 153, a control signal terminal 154, and a power supply terminal 155. By having these terminals, video signals, control signals, and power supply signals can be transmitted and received between the PC unit 20a and the TV unit 10a. In addition to these, it is naturally possible to provide an audio signal terminal and transmit / receive audio signals to / from each other.

  The PC unit 20a can operate as a single unit and is a product. The circuits and wiring are all housed inside the PC unit 20a and are not exposed at all. The same applies to the TV unit 10a. Therefore, there is no need for wiring when connecting the two. As a result, the user can attach the PC unit 20a to the TV unit 10a by a simple procedure. That is, it is only necessary to insert the PC unit 20a into the mounting position.

  The PC unit 20 removed from the PC built-in television 1 can be used for various purposes by being connected to peripheral devices. For example, the removed PC unit 20 is mounted on a cradle that can be connected to a monitor. In this way, the PC unit 20 can be used as a desktop computer. In addition, as a terminal for connecting the PC unit 20a and the cradle, an Ethernet (registered trademark) terminal and a serial port terminal can be used.

(Principal configuration of PC built-in television 1a)
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the PC built-in television 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the content acquisition unit 15 of the TV unit 10a is to be reproduced from the recording disk 7, the Internet 8, and the external device (external storage device) 160 in addition to the antenna 4. Content can be acquired. That is, the content that is processed by the TV unit 10a of the present embodiment is not limited to a broadcast program, but also includes content such as text, video, audio, and moving images, and multimedia content that is a combination of these. Other web pages are also included.

  As described above, the PC unit 20a has expandability utilizing peripheral devices, and has a wider range of utilization than conventional general-purpose computers. Even when the PC unit 20a is detached from the TV unit 10a or when the PC unit 20a breaks down, the TV program 10a alone can acquire a broadcast program and various contents from the outside.

[Embodiment 3]
A third embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to each member which is common in the 1st and 2nd embodiment mentioned above, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the present invention is realized as the BD built-in television 1b. Here, “BD” refers to a Blu-ray (Blu-ray, registered trademark) recording / playback device. The BD built-in television 1b is a device capable of reproducing a broadcast program, recording it on a recording disk 7, and reproducing Blu-ray content.

(External appearance of TV with built-in BD)
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an external appearance example of the television 1b with a built-in BD after the removable BD unit 20b (second unit) is attached to the TV unit 10a. The BD unit 20b has a configuration and a function as a Blu-ray recording / playback apparatus, and is a unit that operates alone. In the present embodiment, one BD built-in television 1b is configured by attaching the BD unit 20b to the TV unit 10a to which the PC unit 20a can be attached. That is, both the PC unit 20a and the BD unit 20b can be detachably mounted in the mounting slot of the TV unit 10a. In addition to these units, for example, a DVD unit having a configuration and function as a DVD recorder can be mounted on the TV unit 10a.

  The TV unit 10a operates in cooperation with the attached BD built-in television 1b. Therefore, the user can operate both the TV unit 10 a and the BD unit 20 b using the remote controller 9. That is, the viewing of the broadcast program, the recording of the broadcast program on the recording disk 7, and the reproduction of the content recorded on the recording disk 7 can be performed by one remote controller 9.

  Note that the BD unit 20b can also be mounted in a form supported by the TV unit 10 according to the first embodiment. In this case, for example, connection between terminals according to the USB 2.0 standard is possible.

(Additional notes)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the present invention within the scope of the claims. That is, a new embodiment can be obtained by combining appropriately changed technical means within the scope of the claims.

  The content reproduction apparatus of the present invention may be configured by a first unit and a plurality of second units. The second unit can be realized as any one of a general-purpose computer, a Blu-ray playback (recording) device, a DVD playback (recording) device, and a hard disk recorder. Of these, a plurality of arbitrary second units and the first unit are combined to constitute one content reproduction apparatus. As a result, for example, a configuration in which one content playback device includes two PC units 20 and a configuration in which one content playback device includes one PC unit 20a and one BD unit 20b are all included in the present invention. Included in the category. Any second unit can be detachable from the first unit, or can be built into the housing body of the first unit.

  The PC built-in television 1 having a configuration in which the PC unit 20a is built in the casing body of the TV unit 10a can also be realized. In this case, the PC unit 20a is completely hidden inside the TV unit 10a. Therefore, the PC unit 20a can be protected from the external environment. Note that the user can take out the PC unit 20a from the TV unit 10a and replace it with another PC unit 20a.

(Program and recording medium)
Finally, each block included in the PC built-in television 1 may be configured by hardware logic. Alternatively, it may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as follows.

  That is, the PC built-in television 1 includes a CPU that executes instructions of a program that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program into an executable format, and And a storage device (recording medium) such as a memory for storing the program and various data. With this configuration, the object of the present invention can be achieved by a predetermined recording medium.

  The recording medium only needs to record the program code (execution format program, intermediate code program, source program) of the program of the television 1 with a built-in PC, which is software that realizes the above-described functions, so that the computer can read it. This recording medium is supplied to the PC built-in television 1. Thus, the PC built-in television 1 (or CPU or MPU) as a computer may read and execute the program code recorded on the supplied recording medium.

  The recording medium for supplying the program code to the television 1 with a built-in PC is not limited to a specific structure or type. That is, the recording medium includes, for example, a tape system such as a magnetic tape and a cassette tape, a magnetic disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk / hard disk, and an optical disk such as a CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. System, a card system such as an IC card (including a memory card) / optical card, or a semiconductor memory system such as a mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM.

  Moreover, even if the PC built-in television 1 is configured to be connectable to a communication network, the object of the present invention can be achieved. In this case, the above program code is supplied to the PC built-in television 1 via the communication network. This communication network is not limited to a specific type or form as long as it can supply the program code to the PC built-in television 1. For example, it may be the Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, ISDN, VAN, CATV communication network, virtual private network, telephone line network, mobile communication network, satellite communication network, and the like.

  The transmission medium constituting the communication network may be any medium that can transmit the program code, and is not limited to a specific configuration or type. For example, wired communication such as IEEE 1394, USB (Universal Serial Bus), power line carrier, cable TV line, telephone line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line, infrared rays such as IrDA and remote control, Bluetooth (registered trademark), 802.11 It can also be used by radio such as radio, HDR, mobile phone network, satellite line, terrestrial digital network. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a computer data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program code is embodied by electronic transmission.

  The present invention can be widely used as a television apparatus incorporating a computer.

1 PC built-in TV (content playback device)
1a TV with built-in PC (content playback device)
1b TV with built-in BD (content playback device)
2 Display 3 Speaker 4 Antenna 5 Mouse 6 Keyboard 7 Recording disc (recording medium)
8 Internet (communication network)
9 Remote control 10 TV unit (first unit)
10a TV unit (first unit)
11 Video output unit (content reproduction means, reproduction instruction request information reproduction means, continuous storage instruction request information reproduction means, warning information reproduction means)
12 Audio output unit (content playback means)
13 Content processing unit (content playback means)
14 Content composition section (content composition means)
15 Content acquisition unit (first content acquisition means, broadcast wave reception means)
16 Content receiver (content receiver, content information receiver)
17 User input section (instruction receiving means)
18 Control information communication unit (control information transmission means)
19 control unit 31 storage control unit (storage control means)
32 Storage unit (storage medium)
20 PC unit (second unit)
20a PC unit (second unit)
20b BD unit (second unit)
21 content processing unit 22 content acquisition unit (second content acquisition unit)
23 Content transmission unit (content transmission unit, content information transmission unit)
24 Storage unit (internal storage device)
25 Control information communication unit (control information receiving means)
26 user input unit 27 control unit 28 application execution unit (execution means)

Claims (17)

A content playback apparatus comprising: a first unit that processes first content including at least a first video; and a second unit that processes second content including at least a second video,
The first unit has control information transmitting means for transmitting control information for controlling the second unit to the second unit;
Content receiving means for receiving the second content transmitted from the second unit;
First content acquisition means for acquiring the first content through at least one of a broadcast wave and a communication network;
Content reproducing means for reproducing at least one of the first content and the second content;
Storage control means for storing the first content acquired by the first content acquisition means in a storage medium when the content reproduction means stops the reproduction of the content including the first content;
The second unit is
Control information receiving means for receiving the control information transmitted from the first unit;
A content reproduction apparatus comprising: content transmission means for transmitting the second content to the first unit based on the received control information. Instruction accepting means for accepting a resume instruction which is an instruction to resume playback of the content including the first content;
Which of the first content stored in the storage medium and the first content acquired by the first content acquisition unit should be reproduced when the instruction receiving unit receives the restart instruction A reproduction instruction request information reproducing means for prompting input of reproduction instruction request information indicating
The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content reproduction means reproduces the first content indicated by the reproduction instruction request information. When the instruction accepting unit accepts the restart instruction, the continuous storage instruction request information prompts the user to input continuous storage instruction request information indicating whether the first content acquired by the first content acquiring unit should be stored. It further comprises a reproducing means,
The instruction receiving means receives an instruction based on the continuous storage instruction request information, and the instruction indicates that the first content acquired by the first content acquisition means should be stored continuously. 3. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the storage control means continues the storage of the first content in the storage medium when it is continuous storage instruction information.   Warning information indicating that the storage capacity of the storage medium has reached a preset value when the storage control means recognizes that the storage capacity of the storage medium has reached a preset value The content playback apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising warning information playback means for playing back the content. The first unit is
5. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a content synthesizing unit that generates synthesized content by synthesizing at least the first video and the second video. 6. .   The storage control unit stores the first content acquired by the first content acquisition unit in a storage medium when the content reproduced by the content reproduction unit is switched from the composite content to the second content. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The first unit is
Broadcast wave receiving means for receiving the broadcast wave,
The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first content acquisition unit acquires the first content by decoding the broadcast wave received by the broadcast wave reception unit. The second unit is
Execution means for executing the software application;
A second content acquisition means for acquiring content generated when the software application is executed as second content;
8. The content according to claim 1, wherein the content transmission unit transmits the second content acquired by the second content acquisition unit to the first unit. 9. Playback device. The second unit is
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising second content acquisition means for acquiring the second content through at least one of a communication network, an external storage device, an internal storage device, and a recording medium. The content reproduction device according to any one of the preceding claims. The control information includes access information to the second content in the external storage device in the communication network,
10. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second content acquisition unit acquires the second content from the external storage device based on the access information.   The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content reproduction unit outputs the synthesized first video and second video to a display. The second unit is
Content information transmitting means for transmitting content information related to the second content to the first unit;
The first unit is
Content information receiving means for receiving content information transmitted from the second unit is further provided. The content synthesizing means combines the first video, the second video, and the content information to obtain the synthesized content. The content reproduction device according to claim 5, wherein the content reproduction device is generated.   The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the content information is information related to the second video.   The content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the second unit is detachable from the first unit.   The content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the second unit is built in a housing body of the first unit.   A program for operating the content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the program causes a computer to function as each of the above means.   A computer-readable recording medium in which the program according to claim 16 is recorded.

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