Signal input selector for television set and method of implementing same
AssigneesSony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
InventorRyuichi Iwamura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Management of various audiovisual signal inputs to an entertainment system that includes a television receiver can be performed by a circuit in which a selector switch cyclically monitors the incoming signal inputs with video and audio signal detectors to register which inputs receive active signals. Selector switches for connecting an incoming audio signal and video signal to the television receiver are controlled by a central processing unit in response to the output of the detectors monitoring for active signal sources. Consequently, a user operating a user interface can most efficiently monitor and select active video and audio signal sources for use by the television set.
Claims21
A system for managing a plurality of signal inputs to a television set, comprising:
- a plurality of audio and video signal inputs;
- a central processing unit;
- an active signal detection unit which periodically monitors said signal inputs and signals said central processing unit to indicate which of said signal inputs is receiving an active signal;
- a tuner;
- and
- a selector switch controlled by said central processing unit for selectively connecting either said tuner or one of said signal inputs to a cathode ray tube of said television set, wherein after skipping said inactive signal inputs, said central processing unit controls said selector switch to connect to signal inputs which are inactive when said user interface signals said central processing unit to further change a connection state of said selector switch.
A system for managing a plurality of signal inputs to a television set, comprising:
- a plurality of audio and video signal inputs;
- a central processing unit;
- an active signal detection unit which periodically monitors said signal inputs and signals said central processing unit to indicate which of said signal inputs is receiving an active signal, wherein when said active signal detection unit detects a newly-active signal from one of said signal inputs, said central processing unit alerts a user to receipt of said newly-active signal.
A system for managing a plurality of signal inputs to a television set, comprising:
- a plurality of audio and video signal inputs;
- a central processing unit;
- an active signal detection unit which periodically monitors said signal inputs and signals said central processing unit to indicate which of said signal inputs is receiving an active signal;
- a tuner;
- a selector switch controlled by said central processing unit for selectively connecting either said tuner or one of said signal inputs to a cathode ray tube of said television set;
- and
- a second selector switch controlled by said central processing unit for selectively connecting either said tuner or one of said signal inputs to a video processing circuit, wherein said video processing circuit adds a secondary input signal received through said second selector switch to a primary input signal received through said first selector switch to create a picture-in-picture display on said cathode ray tube.
A system for managing a plurality of signal inputs to a television set, comprising:
- a plurality of audio and video signal inputs;
- a central processing unit;
- an active signal detection unit which periodically monitors said signal inputs and signals said central processing unit to indicate which of said signal inputs is receiving an active signal,
- a plurality of digital audiovisual signal inputs that each provide a data transport stream and an error flag signal to a transport parser/demultiplexer;
- wherein said transport parser/demultiplexer provides said error flag signals to said central processing unit so that said central processing unit determines which of said digital audio visual signal inputs is receiving an active signal.
A method of managing a plurality of audio and video signal inputs to a television set with a central processing unit, the method comprising:
- periodically monitoring said signal inputs with an active signal detection unit that signals said central processing unit to indicate which of said signal inputs is receiving an active signal;
- controlling a selector switch with said central processing unit to selectively connect either a tuner or one of said signal inputs to a cathode ray tube of said television set;
- controlling said selector switch with said central processing unit in response to a control signal from a user interface;
- wherein after skipping said inactive signal inputs, said method further comprises controlling said selector switch with said central processing unit to connect to signal inputs which are inactive when said user interface signals said central processing unit to further change a connection state of said selector switch.
A method of managing a plurality of audio and video signal inputs to a television set with a central processing unit, the method comprising periodically monitoring said signal inputs with an active signal detection unit that signals said central processing unit to indicate which of said signal inputs is receiving an active signal, further comprising alerting a user to receipt of a newly-active signal when said active signal detection unit detects said newly-active signal from one of said signal inputs.
A method of managing a plurality of audio and video signal inputs to a television set with a central processing unit, the method comprising periodically monitoring said signal inputs with an active signal detection unit that signals said central processing unit to indicate which of said signal inputs is receiving an active signal
- receiving a plurality of digital audiovisual signal inputs that each provide a data transport stream and an error flag signal to a transport parser/demultiplexer;
- and
- providing said error flag signals to said central processing unit so that said central processing unit determines which of said digital audio visual signal inputs is receiving an active signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.