JP2005094299A - Screen-saver for television - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a screen-saver function for TV broadcast receivers and a function for showing the summary of a selected program during booting of the screen-saver. <P>SOLUTION: The TV screen saver function comprises: a timer check means for detecting that a TV receiver remains unoperated for a specified time during displaying of a data broadcast; and a screen switching means for controlling to automatically switch the TV receiver to a display of designated screen saver contents, if unoperated for the specified time, and to return to the original data broadcast display screen when an operation input occurs to the TV receiver during displaying of the screen saver contents. It also comprises a button for acquiring summary information of original contents to show the summary information on the returned screen when returning to the original contents display screen. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of providing a screen saver function to a television broadcast receiver and data of a data broadcast program.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a personal computer or the like, an application that functions as a screen saver is activated when an operation input does not occur for a certain period of time, so that the display screen is not burned.

  However, TV receivers have never been thought to require a screen saver. In a conventional TV broadcast, the broadcast screen is mainly an image captured by a TV camera. For example, even if a CG image or the like is inserted during the broadcast, it is much shorter than a normal broadcast image, and the luminance is high. However, it was not necessary to assume a situation in which a state in which a high video is displayed and held for a certain time or more may occur. However, in a digital broadcasting service involving data broadcasting, an image with extremely high luminance is displayed in the data broadcasting display area provided in the video display screen of the TV receiver, and remains displayed for a certain period of time or more while being displayed. A situation can occur.

Therefore, a screen burn-in prevention device has been proposed as a TV receiver that provides a screen saver function (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-330362 A

  In the invention according to Patent Document 1, a TV receiver and a screen or a burn-in prevention device having a detecting means for detecting that the TV receiver has not been operated for a predetermined time and a changing means for controlling the change of the display screen are displayed on the TV receiver. It is necessary to provide a special hardware or an additional function on the TV receiver side. The present invention has been made in consideration of such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a screen saver function without providing special hardware or additional functions on the TV receiver side. In addition, when displaying data broadcasts, there is a possibility that relatively long texts may be read on the TV screen, or the TV screen may be used as an input form. It is an object of the present invention to provide a screen saver function suitable for use in a computer.

A first aspect, which is a basic aspect of the first invention for solving the problem, includes a timer monitoring means for detecting that the TV receiver during data broadcast display has not been operated for a predetermined time, and a predetermined time. When not operated, the display of the TV receiver is automatically switched to the display of the designated screen saver content, and when an operation input occurs to the TV receiver during the display of the screen saver content, the original data broadcast display screen is restored. And a screen switching means for performing control.

  As the screen saver content, any video can be used as long as it does not cause screen burning. The main line video may be used as the screen saver content. Alternatively, a program produced for advertising purposes may be used as the screen saver content. Further, the range where the screen saver content is displayed may be the range of the display area of the data broadcast program on the original content display screen, or the entire TV screen.

  A preferred second aspect of the first invention is the TV receiver according to the first aspect, wherein the screen switching means is configured to input any of the data broadcast display screens when switching to the display of the screen saver content. When there is data being input in the input field of the interface, the data is saved in a predetermined memory area, and when returning to the original content display, the saved data is input to the corresponding input on the display screen of the original content. An input data return means for operating to display the input data return interface object for returning to the input field of the interface is included.

  The input data return interface object may be an input data return button. By providing data saving means during entry, when a product saver application is made on the TV screen and the screen saver is displayed in that state, it is entered by operating a remote control by a third party. It is possible to prevent information on the way from being seen by others, and by selecting the input data return button, data in the middle of input is restored, so that it is possible to prevent losing data in the middle of input.

  A preferred third aspect of the first invention is the TV receiver according to the first aspect, wherein the screen switching means stores the time at the time of switching to display of the screen saver content, and the original content When returning to the display, the summary information of the original content about the time period from the start of the screen saver to the return is recorded in a predetermined memory area, and the recorded information is recorded on the display screen of the restored original content. Summary information display means that operates to display an interface object for displaying summary information is included.

  An interface object for displaying summary information may be a summary display button. By providing the summary information display means, the viewer can display and confirm the summary of the program while he was in the middle, and can enjoy the continuation of the program without a sense of incongruity.

  A preferred third aspect of the first invention is a TV receiver according to the first aspect, wherein the TV receiver is temporarily switched to screen saver content display by the screen switching means by a remote control operation of a viewer. It is characterized by having browsing designation setting cancellation means for making it impossible.

  The in-browsing setting canceling means, for example, places the remote control cursor on a certain area on the screen so that the viewer is in the in-browsing setting state so that the screen cannot be switched to the screen saver display. This feature prevents the screen saver from being activated while reading a long text display.

  The second invention that solves the problem operates as the timer monitoring means and the screen switching means by being interpreted by a CPU built in the TV receiver when it is received and selected by the TV receiver. A method of operating a TV receiver as a TV receiver according to any one of the first aspects of the invention by broadcasting data broadcast program data including a script describing a series of instructions.

  Here, the script refers to a part described in ECMAScript and included in data described in BML (Broadcast Markup Language). BML is a description language dedicated to data broadcasting applications based on XML (eXtensible Markup Language). Just as a WWW browser interprets HTML (HyperText Markup Language) data and displays it on a computer screen, a receiver compatible with data broadcasting can receive data broadcast content data described in BML (hereinafter simply “BML data”). It has a function of interpreting and displaying on the TV screen. In addition, BML can describe a processing procedure in a procedure description language called ECMAScript so that a dynamic operation can be expressed on a data broadcast screen. ECMAScript is an object-oriented scripting language. Various broadcast service extended functions are provided for recording data in the non-volatile memory of the receiver, temporarily prohibiting updating of the screen display, and recording recording of programs.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention for solving the problem, when the TV receiver receives the signal and selects a channel, the TV receiver is interpreted by the CPU built in the TV receiver. Data broadcast program data including a script describing a series of instructions that operate as the timer monitoring means that operates as the TV receiver according to the aspect and the screen switching means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention for solving the problem, the TV receiver is received by the TV receiver, and when the channel is selected, the TV receiver is interpreted by a CPU built in the TV receiver. The computer program described in the form of a script that describes the timer monitoring means that operates as the TV receiver and the series of instructions that operate as the screen switching means.

  The script portion describing a series of instructions that operate as the timer monitoring means and the screen switching means is included in the BML data for other data broadcast programs to add a screen saver function to any data broadcast program Available as a program.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention for solving the problem, the TV receiver is received by the TV receiver, and when the channel is selected, the TV receiver is interpreted by a CPU built in the TV receiver. The timer monitoring unit that operates as the TV receiver according to any one of the above, and a computer-readable recording medium that records a computer program described in a script describing a series of instructions that operate as the screen switching unit It is.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the TV screen from being burned. Further, since there is a possibility that a relatively long text is read on the TV screen or the TV screen is used as an input form, it is possible to provide a screen saver function suitable for such an unprecedented use of the TV screen. . Furthermore, since the summary of the program during the screen saver can be viewed, the viewer can enjoy the continuation of the program without feeling uncomfortable even if he / she leaves the seat during the program. Such a screen saver function can be provided on the TV receiver side without providing special hardware or additional functions.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a digital TV receiving system 100 assumed in the present invention. Reference numeral 30 denotes a receiver main body, 31 denotes a TV monitor, 32 denotes an antenna (a signal receiving unit in the case of cable TV), and 33 denotes a remote controller. When a broadcast signal is received from a satellite broadcast (BS), a communication satellite (CS), or a terrestrial broadcast station, a digital broadcast may be received through a broadcast cable. Data broadcast program data is taken into the TV receiver 30 as part of a digital broadcast signal, and is stored in a predetermined storage area in the TV receiver 30. When the data broadcast program display button (d button) is pressed, the data broadcast program data (data described in BML) of the selected station is interpreted and executed by the CPU built in the TV receiver, and the data broadcast screen is displayed. Is displayed, and control according to the interactive operation by the remote controller 33 is performed. Note that the main video can be included in the data broadcast screen display. In this case, which area on the TV display monitor the main line image is displayed is described by BML.

  The timer monitoring means and the screen switching means for realizing the screen saver function according to the present invention are realized by describing the BML script in the data broadcast program data and interpreting and executing the script by the TV receiver CPU. .

  FIG. 2 is a screen transition diagram for explaining the outline of the screen saver function of the TV receiver according to the present invention. In FIG. 2, (A) is a TV screen 100 at the time of main line video display. (B) shows a TV screen displaying a data broadcast program. In (B), a TV screen 110 that is often used when data broadcasting is linked with a main program, etc., and that can display a main video while performing data broadcasting display, and a TV screen 111 that displays only the data broadcasting program. There are two cases. The transition from (A) to (B) is made explicitly when the viewer presses the “d” button on the remote controller 33. (C) shows a TV screen when the screen saver operates. The screen during the screen saver operation is prepared in advance when the main line video is used as the screen saver (TV screen 120 in FIG. 2), or when the moving image content functioning as the screen saver is displayed in the data broadcast area (TV screen 121 in FIG. 2). There is a case in which the advertisement-advertised content functions as a screen saver (TV screen 122 in FIG. 2). The transition from (B) to (C) occurs when the screen saver is activated when the viewer has not operated the remote controller 33 for a certain period of time. When the screen saver is released, the process returns to (B).

  3 to 6 are flowcharts for explaining in detail the operation of the screen saver function according to the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation of the timer monitoring means and the screen switching means for realizing the screen saver function according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

  When the viewer selects a TV broadcast channel using the remote control 33 of the TV receiver 30, if there is no main line video or no main line video, the data broadcast screen is directly displayed on the TV monitor 31. When the main video is displayed, the “d” button on the remote control must be pressed to watch the data broadcast. In this way, when a data broadcast program without a main line video is selected by channel selection of the remote control, or when the viewer presses the “d” button on the remote control to display the data broadcast content, the TV receiver is built-in. The CPU reads the BML data of the data broadcast program of the channel that is taken in from the broadcast radio wave and temporarily recorded in a predetermined storage area in the TV receiver (S10). As a result, the data broadcast program is displayed on the TV monitor 31 in accordance with the display format described in BML (S12). Next, since the setting information regarding the screen saver function of this content is described in the description of the BML, description of the time until the screen saver is activated and instruction information (screen saver setting information) about what content is moved as the screen saver Is checked (S14). If screen saver setting information is not described, it is recognized that there is no screen saver function, and the screen saver timer function is not used for this program until another program is selected. It never happens (S18).

  If there is a description related to the screen saver function in step S14, an input event timer monitoring process is performed.

  First, the time counter is initialized (S22), and time counting is started. The time counter can be realized by using a BML timer function. When the user takes some action by operating the remote controller or the like, the TV receiver recognizes that an input event has occurred (S24). While the event does not occur, the time counter is incremented at regular time intervals (S28). When the value of the time counter is checked (S30) and exceeds the predetermined value, the input event has not occurred for a certain time and the TV screen has not changed. Is activated (S26). If the predetermined time has not been exceeded, the process returns to step S24, and the loop of S24 → S28 → S30 → S24 is repeated until some event occurs. If an event has occurred, the process returns to step S22 to reset the time counter to the initial value. (At the same time, the TV receiver body 30 performs a processing operation for the input operation.) While the data broadcast screen is displayed, an input event from the viewer is constantly generated within a predetermined time interval due to an operation input of the remote controller 33 or the like. In this case, the loop of steps S22 → S24 (→ S28 → S30 → S24) → S22 is repeated, and as a result, the screen saver is not activated.

  The browsing designation is a function that prevents a screen saver screen from being switched during text reading when a relatively large amount of text such as a news program is displayed and it takes time to read it. For example, a browsing designation button is displayed at a position on the display screen, and when the cursor is focused on this button, the browsing designation state is set so that the screen saver is not activated. To cancel the browsing specification, you can remove the focus on the button.

  The time counter value is inspected (S30). Since the predetermined value has been exceeded, it is determined that the input event has not occurred for a certain time and the TV screen has not changed, and the screen saver is started. Continue to. First, the currently displayed BML name and the current time (hereinafter referred to as screen saver activation time) are stored in a predetermined memory area (S34), and whether there is any data currently being input, a temporary memory area for holding input data Is checked (S36). If there is data being input, it is saved in a predetermined memory area (S38). Next, the BML data of the screen saver content confirmed in step S14 is read and displayed on the TV monitor (S40). Thereafter, this state is maintained until a new action from the viewer occurs. If the viewer takes an action such as a remote control operation, the action is detected (S42), and the screen returns to the data broadcast screen.

  To return to the original data broadcasting screen, follow the procedure below. First, it is checked whether there is a program summary table in the content before starting the screen saver (S44, the BML file name before starting the screen saver is saved in step S34). If there is, a summary from the screen saver activation time to the current time is acquired from the program summary table and stored in a predetermined memory area (S46). Then, the summary reading flag is set to 1 (S47), and the process proceeds to step S48. On the other hand, if the program summary table is not included in the content before the screen saver is activated, the summary read flag is set to 0 (S45), and the process proceeds to step S48. FIG. 7 is a table showing an example of the summary table. The key time is compared with the current time from the screen saver activation time, and the corresponding summary information is recorded in the memory area.

  Next, the BML file before starting the screen saver is read (S48), and the data broadcast content is displayed (S50). Next, the summary reading flag set previously is checked (S51). If the flag is 1, a summary display button for displaying the summary held in the memory in step S46 is displayed on the screen (S52). Then, when the screen saver is activated, a return button for the input data saved in step S38 is displayed on the screen (S53). Next, the screen saver setting information is read from the BML data (S54). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S22 to return to the timer monitoring process for the input event.

  The screen saver activation and switching operations of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. These activation and switching operations are performed in the TV receiver by interpreting and executing the BML script described in the BML data broadcast from the broadcast station as data broadcast program data by the CPU of the TV receiver. The function as described above is realized.

  The script portion describing the screen saver activation and switching operations can be considered as a computer source program. Therefore, if only this part is recorded and saved as a text file of a computer, a data broadcast program that can provide a screen saver activation switching function can be efficiently obtained by copying this text file to a BML file of the data broadcast program. Can be produced well.

The screen saver content may be the main line video itself, or may be video data produced for advertisement. In other words, the broadcasting station can also provide the advertiser with the screen display screen as an advertisement space.

It is a figure explaining the structure of TV receiver which concerns on this invention. It is a screen transition diagram explaining the outline | summary of the function of the screen saver of the TV receiver which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the function of the screen saver of the TV receiver which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement (timer monitoring process part) of the function of the screen saver of the TV receiver which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement (screen saver screen switching process part) of the function of the screen saver of the TV receiver which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement (data broadcasting screen return process part) of the function of the screen saver of the TV receiver which concerns on this invention. It is a table | surface explaining a program summary table.

Explanation of symbols

30 TV receiver body 31 TV monitor 32 Antenna (signal receiver)
33 Remote control 100 Digital TV reception system

Claims (8)

  Timer monitoring means for detecting that the TV receiver during data broadcasting display has not been operated for a predetermined period of time, and if the TV receiver is not operated for a predetermined period of time, the display of the TV receiver is automatically displayed to display the designated screen saver content. And a screen switching means for performing control to return to the original data broadcast display screen when an operation input is generated to the TV receiver during display of the screen saver content.   2. The TV receiver according to claim 1, wherein when the screen switching unit switches to display of screen saver content, there is data being input in an input field of one of the input interfaces in the data broadcast display screen. Is an input data recovery interface for saving the saved data in a predetermined memory area and returning the saved data to the input field of the corresponding input interface in the display screen of the original content. A TV receiver comprising an input halfway data saving unit that operates to display an object.   2. The TV receiver according to claim 1, wherein the screen switching unit stores the time at the time of switching to display of the screen saver content, and activates the screen saver when returning to the original content display. The summary information of the original content for the time period until the return is recorded in a predetermined memory area, and an interface object for displaying the recorded summary information is displayed on the display screen of the restored original content. A TV receiver comprising summary information display means that operates as described above.   The TV receiver according to claim 1, wherein the browsing designation setting release means for temporarily disabling the TV receiver from being switched to the screen saver content display by the screen switching means by a remote control operation of a viewer. A TV receiver comprising:   When it is received by the TV receiver and selected, it is interpreted by a CPU built in the TV receiver, thereby including a script describing a series of instructions that operate as the timer monitoring means and the screen switching means. 5. A method for operating a TV receiver as a TV receiver according to claim 1 by broadcasting data broadcast program data.   The TV receiver is operated as the TV receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 4 by being interpreted by a CPU built in the TV receiver when received and selected by the TV receiver. Data broadcast program data including a script describing a series of instructions that operate as the timer monitoring means and the screen switching means. The TV receiver is operated as the TV receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 4 by being interpreted by a CPU built in the TV receiver when received and selected by the TV receiver. A computer program described in the form of a script describing a series of instructions that operate as the timer monitoring means and the screen switching means. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program described as the script according to claim 7 is recorded.

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