JPH05347735A - Television system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To rapidly perform a switching between a main picture and a sub picture and their rearrangement, to generate an onscreen display index and to indicate a sub image corresponding to a main image. CONSTITUTION: A pair of signal sources selected by a channel selecting circuit 82 is stored in a frame storing means 90. A video decoding/driving circuit 94 which is connected to the channel selecting circuit 82 and the frame storing means 90 generates plural wide-screen display images, selects arbitrary one in the pair of video signal sources and generating in a display device 96 as a main image, and selects all the pair of video signal sources and generating additional images in the display device 96, as three POP images for example.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to the field of multi-channel selection / image display in a wide screen television capable of displaying one main image and a plurality of sub-images as a POP (Picture Outside Picture).
In particular, the sub-image is a set of video images selected by the viewer, from which the viewer often and / or continuously selects the main image without having to recheck channel numbers etc. It also relates to an image display that can be reselected. For this reason, it is possible to quickly and easily monitor a plurality of images in which the most interesting scene among simultaneously broadcast programs such as sports, melodrama, and news appears in different programs at different times.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The advent of widescreen televisions has enabled many new features. Widescreen televisions have a screen ratio of 4x that of conventional televisions.
3 has a screen ratio of horizontal 16 × vertical 9, for example.
One feature that can be used in widescreen screen ratio is P
This is a feature of OP (Picture Outside Picture). In POP, one or more relatively small images are displayed on the unused side of a 16x9 screen with a larger 4x3 screen.

The 4 × 3 type main image from the first video source is arranged to fill the available vertical space. Four
By placing the × 3 type main image on one side of the screen, three more images are provided on the opposite side (each image has a screen ratio of 4 × 3, and is 1/3 the size of the 4 × 3 type main image). Sufficient space is obtained. Different screen ratios and screen configurations can be used, but by making the three small images one-third the size of the large image, whatever is included in the first (main) video source signal. The image may be cropped, non-uniformly compressed, or otherwise displayed on the screen either for the image or for images contained in the second to fourth video source signals used as images outside the main image. No need to distort. Currently available products display one channel as a strobe image in the "window" of the three POPs, or the POP window displays the images obtained by sequentially tuning to the channels in the search list.

International patent application PCT / US91 / 03740, filed May 29, 1991, discloses a widescreen television device with POP functionality and is specifically referred to in this application. The disclosed device comprises a one-chip video processor and two tuners. A widescreen processor uses a main picture that is decoded using one of the two tuners and one or more additional POPs (or PIPs, or picture-in-pictures) that are decoded using the other tuner. Picture) Controls the display of images. If more than one additional image is provided, the second tuner sequentially selects one of the required frequencies and the widescreen processor captures one image. The screen then displays the main image and the most recently captured additional image. This device is constantly operating to update the image, but since the second tube is shared, the additional image is necessarily updated later than the video frequency. The widescreen processor eliminates synchronization differences between the images.

This type of system for recirculating channels with several small images is disclosed in the publication "CTC140 Picture-in-Picture (CPIP) Technical Training Manual, available from Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. of Indianapolis, Indiana. ".

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The utility of multiple image display systems depends on the viewer's ability to control the display of small images.
Can be improved. In particular, it is desirable to allow the viewer to select the number of small images and the small image source. If the viewer can change the number of small images, the viewer can control the speed at which the small images are updated as well as the resolution of the displayed small images. When the number of channels to search is small, a system that continuously cycles through each channel can be used to refresh each channel. The second tuner can stay at one selected frequency if only one small image is used, or if two small images are used but one is supplied from the baseband input, The video signal source can be switched back and forth using a video switch. With this configuration, small images are very fast (for example,
(Up to 15 frames per second).

If the main image and the two small images are to be displayed instead of the three small images of the size ⅓ as is known at present, these are displayed in the available 16 × 9 type space. Some cropping or compression is required to position the image. However, the amount of cropping etc. is not large (11%), and the main image and the two additional images appear to be moving at full speed.

One of the features of the present invention is that a small image is easily selected and displayed, a viewer can quickly select a channel to be displayed as a small image, and one of the channels to be displayed as a main image. Is to be able to choose one. This can be done with a simple input such as an up / down control button on a remote control device. This may be configured, for example, using a cursor, highlighting, framing or similar indicia to visually display one of the additional channels.

A wide-screen television device according to the inventive arrangement includes a memory for storing a set of video signal sources, a tuning circuit for tuning the video signal sources, and a video signal processing circuit. The video signal processing circuit is coupled to the memory and the tuning circuit to generate a plurality of images to be displayed on a wide screen, select one of the video signal sources to generate a main image, and all of the video signal sources. To generate additional images (eg, 3 POPs). The remote control device can be used to select the video signal source and the main image among the additional images. The multiple image display is modified to identify which additional image corresponds to the main image. An on-screen display can be generated for additional images that correspond to the main image. Alternatively, the additional image corresponding to the main image can be repositioned on the screen.
Alternatively, the additional image corresponding to the main image can have a different appearance. Viewers can monitor several programs and choose in a fast and convenient way to watch the most interesting programs primarily.

The ability to display, indicate and select additional images is a function of POP or PI in television sets.
Dramatically improves the utility of P. If the most interesting thing is that it appears on different channels at different times, for example when a sports competition is taking place on three different channels simultaneously, then if the viewer wants to monitor multiple channels, then the viewer The television can be programmed to display these channels in a small image. One of the three sub-images can always be displayed as the main image, and that sub-image confirms that it is the selected image. Using the remote control device, the viewer can easily switch the main image to be selected.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a 16 × 9 type wide screen 20 has one large image with a screen ratio of 4 × 3 and a screen ratio of 4 × 3.
Three small images of × 3 are displayed at the same time. The wide screen can be part of a direct-view or projection television device. A small image outside the large image is called a POP (Picture Outside Picture) as opposed to a PIP (Picture in Picture). If the widescreen television has two tuners (two inside, or one inside and one outside, for example in the case of a videocassette recorder), then one of the images displayed on the screen The two can display motion in real time according to the video source. The remaining images can be displayed as still images. It will be appreciated that adding more tuners and additional signal processing paths can accommodate more than one video. The positions of the one large image 22 and the other small image 24 can be switched as shown in FIG.

The screens shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are, for example,
May 29, 1991, incorporated into this application
It can be produced according to the disclosure of the international application PCT / US91 / 03740 of Japanese application. In that device, two tuners and two processing circuits are arranged in a desired display format to capture and store pixel data read by a CRT or other display device. A signal processing circuit generates first and second signals from the input video signal and a switching circuit selectively couples the video signal source as the input video signal. The signal processing circuit can manipulate the data from the input video signal by selective interpolation and clipping. A synchronization circuit synchronizes the first and second signal processing circuits with the mapping circuit, and a selection circuit controls one of the first and second processed video signals and the first and second processed video signals. Select the combination as the output video signal.

At least 2 if multiple images are displayed simultaneously and at least one of them is updated at full speed
Tuners are used. One tuner is applied to the main image and the other is tuned to the additional channels sequentially, capturing images sequentially from each of the additional channels of the viewer's choice. You can also add a tuner to update additional channels at full speed.

In FIG. 3, the main channel and the additional channel are displayed simultaneously and the main image 22 corresponds to one of the POP areas 24. The viewer uses the remote control device to enter a list of channel selections in response to on-screen menu prompts, and then decides which of the selected channels in the list should be displayed as the main channel. select. Alternatively, the menu prompt message allows, for example, the selection of channel numbers from a scrollable list that is highlighted. As yet another method, a plurality of (for example, 12) channels can be displayed as still images on the channel guide display. The viewer then operates the on-screen selection device in a manner similar to that detailed below with respect to FIGS.
The P image source can be selected and the main image derived from the POP image can be selected. The main channel selected by the viewer is visually displayed in the POP area 25 corresponding to the main channel. The viewer can also control the number of POP images displayed on the screen according to the number of selected channels.

In FIG. 3, channel number 32 is shown, and one of the channels selected from the list for use as the primary channel is identified by an additional mark 34, which in the example shown in the figure. , Indicated by the index “>”. There are several other ways to display the channel number and identify the selected channel. In this example, the television's on-screen character generator simply adds a mark to the displayed channel number. The channel number 32 of the main channel and / or the additional channel can remain on-screen, can be switched to a momentary display or a continuous mode, or can be changed or changed to a selected channel. It can also be displayed for a short time when changing or operating the remote control device for some reason.

Television channel selection and frame capture can act as a recycle loop, as shown in FIG. Before storing the next frame's information about the main channel and the additional channels, a decision branch 42 is encountered based on whether new data was received from the remote control. If the viewer inputs from the remote control, the newly selected channel is placed in the channel list at block 44, or another one of the listed channels is viewed as the primary channel. Selected at block 46. The viewer input is the number entered from the keypad on the remote control to set or select a channel. However, the display characteristic of the present invention is extremely easy to carry out, and the channel selection is embodied as a simple input performed by the viewer with one or two buttons, and is controlled by the up / down control on the remote control device. The viewer can switch from one of the additional channels in the list to the next channel in one action. Up / down control (eg +
/ −, ∧ / ∨) are attached with various symbols, and sometimes they are separate switches and sometimes rocker switches.

The channel selection list is used to determine the frequencies at which the tuner should be fixed. Typically, the tuner includes a phase locked loop that is locked to a frequency defined by a digital signal from a control processing circuit (eg, a one-chip processor). The frequency of the main channel is set by one of the two tuners, the frequency of the additional channels is set sequentially by the second tuner, and the second tuner is set to the additional channel by one.
One channel is fixed each time. As a result, the refresh rate of the auxiliary channel is lower than the frame rate. The main channel comes from one tuner, while the second tuner only cycles through the remaining channels in the channel list.

The main channel frame is stored in block 48 of FIG. 4 and the remaining two channels in the list are stored in blocks 52 and 54. FIG. 4 shows the frame accumulation blocks as a sequential operation. However, the timing allows the main channel to be processed somewhat in parallel with the remaining channels in the list.

Once the stored frames of the three channels are obtained, an image is generated at block 56 and the cycle continues. When generating an image, the pixel data is read from the RAM, and the pixel data is RGB at the horizontal scanning frequency.
Alternatively, it is converted into a YUV analog signal. The main signal is read in full size in the main window and the main channel and the additional channels are read in 1/3 size in the side window, whereas the data of the channels not selected as main channels are Stored at a lower pixel resolution than the data. It can also be stored at the same pixel resolution, but data for channels other than the main channel (and the smaller main channels that appear in the side windows) can be sampled, interpolated, cropped or compressed to a suitable size on the screen. It is displayed at an appropriate position.

The selected main channel is in the list 1
It would be desirable to visually indicate which of the small images was selected as the main image, with a simple up / down control switch to change from one channel to the next. These two features allow the viewer to effectively monitor all three channels at the same time and switch between channels whenever the most interesting scene appears on any channel other than the main channel. Two
This feature is particularly useful to lovers of, for example, sports, soap opera and news programs, as more than one sporting event is often televised simultaneously. In FIG. 4, the selected channel 25 is clearly distinguished from other channels by the boundary line 62 added in the small image.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate another method of visually displaying the selected channel 25. In FIG. 5, the main screen 22
An on-screen indicator 32 is generated to identify the channel number of the sub-screen and the channel number of each small screen 24. In order to distinguish the selected small screen 25 from other screens, the image 66 displayed on the selected small screen may have, for example, brightness, saturation and / or hue for easy identification. be changed. For example, the selected channel should be darker than the corresponding image on the main screen, or
You can leave it blank if you wish.

In FIG. 3, the on-screen character 32 for identifying the channel is marked with a mark 34 to indicate that it is the selected channel. This mark can be used alone (ie, without a channel number), or the channel number remaining on the selected small screen can be different from the other channel numbers. As shown in FIG. 6, if only selected screens have on-screen channel numbers, the selected channels are clearly identified. As also shown in FIG. 6, the format of the on-screen channel number can identify the selected channel. For example, the on-screen characters 68 can be larger or have a different typeface or shape,
Also, the hue and brightness of on-screen characters can be different from those of other channels. In FIG. 6, the channel numbers of unselected channels can be displayed, for example, for several seconds after the channel selection list is changed or the main channel selected from the list is changed.

In FIG. 7, the selected channel 25 is identified by a distinct boundary 72. For example, the border can be darkened or lightened, colored or thickened to distinguish the selected channel from other channels.
Another possibility is to arrange additional channels so that the selected channel is known. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the selected main channel is always displayed in a small block in the middle, and another main channel is selected (eg, using an up / down signal from the remote control device). Rearranges the positions of the additional channels so that the newly selected channel appears in the middle and the previously selected channel is moved to the top or bottom.

It will be appreciated that there are many other ways to visually identify the selected channel. The above-mentioned examples do not limit the invention to any particular configuration in order to visually distinguish the selected channel from other channels.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing one possible configuration for the signal flow between the functional elements of the invention. Although each function is divided into specific blocks, the possibility that these functions may be included in the same circuit or processor is not excluded. In FIG. 8, the channel selection circuit 8
2 is coupled to multiple video signal sources (eg, frequency division multiplexed signals received from the air at antenna 84). Under the control of the channel selection circuit 82, the one or more tuners 86 extract one or more channel signals. The available channels are also available from various other sources. For example, the baseband signal is VCR
88, etc., and a channel selection circuit 82
It can also be used at. In any case, at least 2
One signal (three desired) is obtained from the available inputs and the channel selection circuit 82 is operable to select at least one main channel and at least one additional channel from a plurality of video signal sources.

The video data obtained from the signal is stored in the frame storage means 90. The channel selection circuit 82 is also coupled to the viewer input device 92 to change which of the plurality of video signal sources is the main channel and which is displayed only in a small POP window. The viewer input device 92 is a remote control device having an up / down switch 93, and uses the viewer's input device to display the channels in the list in which the channels to be captured by the channel selection circuit 82 are stored. You can add, remove, or change the numbers.

The stored video frame data is transferred to the video decoding / driving circuit 94. Circuit 94 is coupled to channel selection circuit 82 and widescreen display 96. The video decoding / driving circuit 94 is operable to display the selected main channel and the additional channels in different regions, and typically the main channel 22 in a substantially complete and full size display at substantially the same time. The additional channels 24 are displayed in a small screen and are updated less frequently than the video frequencies available from their respective sources.

The index generator 98 includes a channel selection circuit 8
2 and a video decoding / driving circuit 94. The index generator 98 operates to generate a visual index 34, 62 to identify at least one of the selected main channel and the additional channel from the plurality of channels obtained from the channel selection circuit 82. it can. In the embodiment described above, the channels from the list of three channels are all displayed on the small POP screen and the main channel is displayed on the larger main screen.

The index generator 98 operates to identify each image 24 or its channel number 32 explicitly on the screen to identify the selected one of the additional channels for display as the primary channel. Channel numbers can also be distinguished by persistent or instantaneous indications, shapes, sizes, glyphs, additional cursor symbols, etc. To distinguish the main channel among the additional channels in the small POP window 24, for example, by using a distinguishable frame structure, or by varying one or more of luminance, saturation, hue. , The image itself can be displayed clearly.

The present invention is particularly applicable to widescreen screens having at least three POP images displayed side by side on one edge of the main image. For example, the screen ratio is 16x
In the 9-inch type, the main channel and the additional channels are configured as a 4 × 3 type image. The main channel fills the screen vertically and is 1/3 the size of the additional channel
One POP image is displayed on the side of the screen.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a POP (Picture Outside Picture) display on a 16 × 9 type screen having a main image and three small images.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a POP (Picture Outside Picture) display on a 16 × 9 type screen having a main image and three small images.

FIG. 3 shows a POP display arrangement according to the present invention in which a main image is selected from one of three POP images and displayed in the corresponding POP image.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the processing steps for selecting and displaying a channel.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary POP display format according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary POP display format according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary POP display format according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing functional elements of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 16 × 9 wide screen display screen 22 Large image 24 Small image (POP window) 25 Selected channel 32 On-screen index (channel number) 34 Mark 42 Judgment crossroads 62 Additional boundary line 66 Displayed on the selected small screen Captured image 68 On-screen character 72 Clear boundary 82 Channel selection circuit 84 Antenna 86 Tuner 88 VCR 90 Frame storage means (memory) 92 Viewer input device 93 Up / down switch 94 Video decoding / drive circuit 96 Display device 98 Index Generator

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor, David The Ada Field, Indianapolis, USA Indianapolis, North Pennsylvania Street 4601 (72) Inventor, Jean Harlow, Jean-Jonsson, Indianapolis, Indiana, Edward Dian Circle 4682 Number 2B

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A storage means for storing a set of video signal sources, a tuning means for tuning the set of video signal sources, and a plurality of display images generated by the storage means and the tuning means. , Any one of the set of video signal sources
Video signal processing means for selecting one to generate a main image on a display device and selecting all of the set of video signal sources to generate an additional image on the display device that is smaller than the main image; Control means for selecting the set of video signal sources and selecting the main image among the additional images in response to activation by a viewer. 2. A storage means for storing a set of video signal sources, a tuning means for tuning the set of video signal sources, and a wide type screen ratio coupled to the storage means and the tuning means. Generate multiple display images on the video display means,
Select any one of the set of video sources to generate a main image on a display device and select all of the set of video sources to generate additional images that are smaller than the main image. Video signal processing means generated in the display device; control means for selecting the set of video signal sources in response to activation by a viewer and for selecting the main image from the additional images; Means for changing the multi-image display device so that the image corresponding to the main image can be identified from among the images.