Home theater system, audio/video playback device, audio output control device, and volume control method

A television device to be connected to an audio output control device via a communication medium and to be connected to a display, the television device comprising:

• an audio data acquisitor that acquires audio data;
• a transmitter/receiver that transmits the audio data acquired by said audio data acquisitor to said audio output control device, and transmits and receives a command to and from said audio output control device;
• a controller that controls said display and said transmitter/receiver, and
• a built-in speaker to output a sound,
• wherein said television device includes a first mode in which audio is output from said built-in speaker, and a second mode in which audio is output from the external speaker via said audio output control device,
• when said television device is set to the second mode, said controller transmits, to said audio output control device via said transmitter/receiver, sound volume control status data,
• when the sound volume control status data is received by said audio output control device, the sound volume control status data of said audio output control device is updated to be same as the received sound volume control status data, and the updated sound volume control status data relating to said audio output control device is transmitted to said television device,
• when the updated sound volume control status data is received by said transmitter/receiver, the updated sound volume control status data of said audio output control device is saved in the controller, such that the saved updated sound volume control status data is reflected when said television device switches back to the first mode,
• the sound volume control status data includes maximum sound volume value data representing a maximum value in a sound volume adjustable range of said audio output control device, sound volume setting value data representing a sound volume of said audio output control device, and a mute status information indicating whether said audio output control device is set to a mute status,
• said controller receives the sound volume control status data from said audio output control device via said transmitter/receiver, and controls said display to display a ratio of a current sound volume of said audio output control device to the maximum value in the sound volume adjustable range of said audio output control device based on the received sound volume control status data, and
• the maximum value indicated on a visual interface corresponding to the sound volume adjustable range of said audio output control device in the second mode is different from a maximum value indicted on a visual interface corresponding to a sound adjustable range of said built-in speaker by said television device in the first mode.

A sound volume control method for controlling, in an audio/video reproduction device connected to an audio output control device via a communication medium while being connected to a display, a sound volume of said audio output control device,

• said audio/video reproduction device includes a first mode in which audio is output from said built-in speaker, and a second mode in which audio is output from the external speaker via said audio output control device,
• the sound volume control method comprising the steps of:
• acquiring audio data;
• transmitting said acquired audio data to said audio output control device;
• and
• transmitting, to said audio output control device, sound volume control status data, when said audio/video reproduction device is set to the second mode;
• wherein when the sound volume control status data is received by said audio output control device, the sound volume control status data of said audio output control device is updated to be same as the received sound volume control status data, and the updated sound volume control status data relating to said audio control device is transmitted to said audio/video reproduction device;
• and
• the sound volume control method further comprising the steps of:
• saving, when the updated sound volume control status data is received, the updated sound volume control status data of said audio output control device, such that the saved updated sound volume control status data is reflected when said audio/video reproduction device switches back to the first mode;
• wherein the sound volume control status data including maximum sound volume value data representing a maximum value in a sound volume adjustable range of said audio output control device, sound volume setting value data representing a sound volume of said audio output control device, and a mute status information indicating whether said audio output control device is set to a mute status,
• the sound volume control method further comprising the steps of:
• receiving the sound volume control status data from said audio output control device;
• and
• controlling said display to display a ratio of a current sound volume of said audio output control device to the maximum value in the sound volume adjustable range of said audio output control device based on the received sound volume control status data,
• wherein the maximum value indicated on a visual interface corresponding to the sound volume adjustable range of said audio output control device in the second mode is different from a maximum value indicted on a visual interface corresponding to a sound adjustable range of said built-in speaker by said audio/video reproduction device in the first mode.