Picture-in-picture television receiver
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsKunio Hakamada, Hideo Wakabayashi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to the invention, there is provided a so-called picture-in-picture type television receiver in which a sub-picture screen is displayed within a main picture screen in a picture-in-picture fashion. When a picture based on a base band video signal from an external source such as a VTR, for example, is displayed on the sub-picture screen, if the sub-picture channel selecting means is then operated, the picture of a broadcast television channel is then automatically displayed on the sub-picture screen. This feature allows the omission of a video signal source switching means for the sub-picture, thus protecting the viewer from being confused when using the controls of the television receiver.
Claims7
A television receiver comprising:
- (a) a cathode ray tube having a picture screen which is divisible into a main picture screen and one or more sub-picture screens inset into the main picture screen;
- (b) a main picture circuit for selecting a first video signal from a plurality of video signals and supplying it as the main picture screen video signal;
- (c) a sub-picture circuit for selecting a second video signal from a plurality of video signals, including high frequency signals and base band video signals from at least one external source, and supplying the selected second video signal as a sub-picture video signal for one or more of said sub-picture screens inset into the main picture screen of said cathode ray tube, said sub-picture circuit including viewer controllable sub-picture channel selection means for selecting said second video signal from among said high frequency signals;
- (d) a composing circuit for composing the selected video signal for the main picture screen and the selected video signal for the sub-picture screen into a composite signal which is supplied to the cathode ray tube;
- (e) a system control circuit for controlling said main picture circuit, said sub-picture circuit and said composing circuit such that when said sub-picture screen is displaying the second video signal selected from the external source and the viewer activates the sub-picture channel selection means, the system control circuit automatically causes the sub-picture circuit to change the selection of the second video signal and select the second video signal from among the high frequency signals.
A picture-in-picture type television receiver having a main picture screen and a sub-picture screen displayed within the main picture screen in a picture-in-picture fashion, comprising:
- (a) a sub-picture circuit for selectively reproducing on said sub-picture screen a picture from either a broadcast channel or a picture from an external input video signal, said sub-picture circuit including viewer operable channel selection means for choosing a particular broadcast channel for reproduction on the sub-picture screen;
- and
- (b) means for causing the sub-picture circuit to reproduce a picture from a broadcast channel on said sub-picture screen if said channel selection means is operated at a time when the picture being reproduced on said sub-picture screen is an external input video signal.
A picture-in-picture television receiver of the type in which a sub-picture screen is inset within a main picture screen in a picture-in-picture fashion, which is able to selectively display a television channel or an external base band video signal on the sub-picture screen, and which allows a viewer to select the channel displayed on the sub-picture screen comprising:
- (a) means for determining whether or not a picture on said sub-picture screen is a television channel;
- and
- (b) means, when said picture is not a television channel, for changing said picture on said sub-picture screen to a television channel in response to a sub-picture channel selection operation.
A picture-in-picture type television receiver in which a sub-picture is displayed within a main picture screen comprising:
- (a) means for selecting for reproduction on the main picture screen a picture of either a broadcast channel or a picture from an external input video signal source;
- (b) means for reproducing a picture of a broadcast channel on said sub-picture;
- (c) main and sub-exchanging means for exchanging pictures reproduced on said main picture screen and said sub-picture;
- (d) first channel selection means for said main picture screen;
- (e) second channel selection means for said sub-picture;
- and
- (f) TV and external video change over means for said main picture screen;
- characterized in that operation of said second channel selection means changes the sub-picture from an external video mode to a TV mode if a picture from an external video source is being reproduced on said sub-picture when said second channel selection means is operated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.