Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
'~'V PROGR~M TI~ER AP~pARATVS AND M33THOD
BACKGROUND OF THE IN'VENTION
Field ~f the Invention:
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The present invention relates to a TV Program timer
apparatus for performing scheduled recording of TV program.
Description of the Prior Ar-t:
Conventional VTR timers are programmed while users
observe a digital display, and have the following drawbacks:
(l) Since the operating procedures are complicated,
the user cannot set the timer merely after a reading of the
operating instructions thereof.
(2) ON time and OFF-time are preset by using a num-
ber of but-tons or switches, frequently resulting in erroneous
presetting.
(3~ The user cannot check whether or not the timer
is properly set and whether it functions properly as preset.
(41 Since the digital display is used, it is diffi-
cult for the user to check the preset time ~urations. In
particular, a preset time duration may overlay another preset
time duration, which i5 an erroneous condi-tion.
In order to eliminate these drawbacks, an analog clock
display timer has been proposed. However, a simple analog
timer cannot serve as a multiprogram timer which is used to
preset a plurality of events (e.g., TV programs~ for the
following few days.
SUMMA~ OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has ~een made in consideration
of the dxawbacks of conventional apparatus described above, and
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has for its object to provide a TV program timer apparatus :i .
: wherein
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timer programinq can be easily performed, the scheduled contents
can be checked at once, and the erroneous pro~raming can be
eliminated.
In order to achieve the above objects of the present
inventionr there is provided a TV program timer apparatus
employing a CRT display, comprising:
a system controller,
clock means connected to said system controller for
generating current time signals,
manually operable input means connected to said system
controller for generating program data, and
display control means connected to said system
controller for generating display signals to be supplied to a
CRT, wherein said display signals are representative of a time
table and message from said system controller to an user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a TV/VT~ apparatus to
which a TV program timer apparatus according to an embodiment is
applied;
E'ig. 2 is a plan view of a main part of the TV/VTR
shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the steps of
recording a TV picture;
Fig. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the steps of
performing DIFF. CHAN-REC (different channel recording);
Figs. 5A and 5B are a flow chart for explaining the
steps of timer programing; and
Fig. 6 is a block diagram of the TV/VT~ apparatus
having a program timer, as shown in Fig. 1.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ~ ~-'? ~
THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 1 ~ ~ 7~ ~ 9
,, ~
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be
described wlth reference to the accompanying drawingsO
ReEerring to Figs. 1 and 2, a time table 3 for timer
recording (Fig. 2) is displayed on a CRT display panel 2 of a TV
receiver 1 tFig. 1). A message or telop is superimposed at a
lower portion 4 of the CRT display panel 2 to display the
operating steps of timer programing. For e~ample, as shown in
Fig. 2, a message l'Set your REC schedule on the time table with
referring to next messages." is displayed.
A required number of TV channel buttons 5 are arranged
below the CRT display panel 2. A program timer operation console
8 is arranged on a control panel 7 (Fig. 1). As shown in FigO 2,
the program timer operation console 8 comprises time set dials 1,
2 and 3, for respectively presetting "day" and "AM/PM", "ON time"
v
and "REC duration"; a plurality of event switches (four in this
embodiment3 9a for respectively presetting the events; and a
cancel button gb~ A sover (not shown) is mounted to cover the
program timer operation console 8. The user opens the cover from
the program timer operation console 8 and enters timer programing
data.
A power switch 12 (Fig. 1?, a TV button 10 (Fiq. 12)
and a VTR button 11 (Fiq. 12) are arranqed on the control panel
7. The TV button 10 is used to select the TV mode, and the VTR
button 11 is used to select the VTR mode. Function buttons 13a
to 13d are arranged near the TV and VTR buttons 10 and 11 so as
to respectively perform "playback", "recording", "different
channel recording" and "programing" in the VTR mode.
Furthermore, VTR operation buttons 14, a tape cassette insertion
port 15, and a digital display unit 16 are arranged on the panel
7, as shown in Fig. 1.
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-- TV picture recording in the TV/VTR apparatus will be
described with reference to FigO 3.
When the user turns on the power switch 12, a message
"For VTR mode, press VTR butto~." is displayed together with time
display "1:30" at the lower portion 4 of the CRT display panel
2. If the user presses the TV button 10, ~he displayed contents
then disappear from the CTR display panel 2, and a TV picture
appears thereon. Unless the user presses the TV button 10, the
message and the time display disappear in 3 seconds.
When the user presses the VTR hutton 11 instead, a
message "Select one of modes: PLAY/REC/DIFF. CHAN-
REC/PROGRAMING." appears on the CRT display panel 2. When the
user presses the REC mode button 13b and the corresponding LED is
turned on, a message "Select TV channel button." is displaYed,
and at the same time a TV picture appears on the CRT dis~lay
panel 2. When the user selects a desired one of the TV channel
buttons 5, a message "Insert cassette." appears on the CRT
display panel 2. When the cassette is inserted and a REC safety
tab sensor switch is turned on, a message "Press REC button."
appears on the CRT display panel 2. When the user then presses
the REC button among the VTR operation buttons 14, a message "Now
recording." is displayed at the lower portion 4 of the CRT
display panel 2. However, when the REC safety tab sensor switch
is not turned on, a message "Change cassette." appears on the CRT
displa~ panel 2. When the user ejects the currently mounted
cassette and inserts a blank cassette, recording is started. The
message '~Now recording." disappears in about three seconds.
Different channel recording in theTV/VTR apparatus will
~e described with reference to the flow chart in Fig. 4.
If the user wishes to record a different program while
he watches a TV progam on the 3rd channel (channel 3), the
message "Select one of modes: PLAY/REC/~IFF. CHAN-
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REC/PROGRAMIN~." appears on the CRT display panel 2 upondepression of the VTR ~utton ll. When the user presses the
different channel recording but~on 13c, the message "Insert
cassette." appears on the CRT display panel 2. When the user
inserts the cassette and the REC safety tab sensor is turned on,
the message i'Select TV channel ~utton." ap~ears on the CRT
display panel 2. When the user selects the 6th channel, the 6th
channel LED is turned on at an intensity lower than that of the
3rd channel LED. When the REC button of the VTR is pressed, the
message "Now recording on 6th channel.l appears on the CRT
display panel 2.
When the REC sa~ety tab is detected as being cut off,
the same operation as in the flow chart of Fig. 3 is performed.
Timer programming will be described with reference to
the flow chart in Figs. SA and 5B.
When the user turns on the VTR button ll, the message
"Select one of modes: PLA~/REC/DIFF. CHA~J-REC/PROG~AMING."
appears at the lower portion 4 of the CRT display panel 2. The
user then ~resses the "PROGRAMING" button 13d. A message "Open
the cover of program timer operation console. Il appears at the
lower portion 4 of the C~T display panel 2. When the cover of
the program timer operation console 8 is opened, the time ta~le
is displayed on the CRT display panel ~, as shown in Fig. 2. At
the same time, the message "Turn dial l for designating day of
week and AM/PMo" appears on the CRT display panel 2.
Referring to Fig. 2, the user then turns the dial l in
the program timer operation console 8 to set the dial l in a
desired day (AM/PM) position. For example, the user turns the
dial l to set it in the Wednesday position. During this
operation, a cursor 3a moves from the Monday (0:00) position to
the Wednesday (0:00) positionO A message "Turn dial 2 for
designating ON-time." appearS on the lower portion 4 of the CRT
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display panel 2. The user then turns the dial 2 (Fig. 2) to set
the ON-time to be 6:00. The cursor 3a moves downward from the
n:oo position and stops a~ the 6:00 position. A message "Turn
dial 3 for designating REC duration." then appears on the lower
portion 4 of the CRT display panel 2. The user then sets the
dial 3 (Fig. 2~ to set the REC duration to be two hours. Another
cursor 3a moves from the 6:00 position to the 8:00 position as
indicated in the ~ime range between 6:00 and 8:00 on Monday. A
message "Select TV channel button." appears at the lower portion
4 of the CRT display panel ?. When the user presses the 6th
channel (i.e., channel "6") of the TV channel buttons 5, a
numeric value "6" is displayed in an area corresponding to the
time range between 6:00 and 8:00~ A message "Press event SW-l."
appears on the lower 4 of the CRT disp]ay panel 2. When the user
presses the event SW-l of the event switches 9a, the time range
between 6:00 and 8:00 on Wednesda~ is highlighted in green. A
telop "insert cassette, if programing is over." appears at the
lower portion 4 of the CRT displa~ panel 2. The user then
inserts a blank cassette in position. When the cassette-IN
sensor is turned on, a message "Close console cover." appears on
the lower portion 4 of the CRT display panel 2. When the user
closes the console cover, the console cover switch is turned
off. As a result, a message "Your REC schedule is reserve~ at
6:00 for 2-HRS on 6th channel." appears on the lower portion 4 of
the CRT display panel 2. Thus the schedule data is stored in a
R~M. The time table and the scheduled contents disappear in a
few seconds. The user can visually check his/her REC schedule
and need not be anxious about TV programing.
In the above operation, if the cassette is not inserted
when the user presses the event SW-l, a message "You can reserve
another REC schedule." appears at the lower portion 4 of the CRT
display panel 2. If the user wishes to reserve another REC
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schedule, he uses the clial 1, the dial 2, the ~ial 3 and an event
SW-2 of the event switches 9a. In this embodiment, the four
event sw;tches 9a are arranged, so that the user can reserve a
maximum o$ four different types of REC schedules.
The TV/VTR apparatus shown in Flg. 1 has a
microprocessor for executing processing shown in Figs. 3 to 5.
The microprocessor executes the steps shown in Fig. 3 to 5, upon
operation at the control panel 7. In particular, the user can
perform timer programing while observing the messages appearing
on the CRT display panel 2. In this manner, the user can follow
the instructions appearing on the CRT display panel. When timer
programing is completed, the program contents and ON times are
displayed on the CRT display panel. The microcomputer signals
the completion of timer ~rograming to a user ~operator). In
other words, the user can perform timer programing in a
conversational manner. If the user operates erroneously despite
the messages given by the microcomputer, the microcomputer
signals such an erroneous operation to the user~ The user can
then operate correctly.
Timer programing can be repeated by a number of times
corresponding to the number of event switches 9a (four in this
embodiment). The weekly time table (Fig. 2) is displayed on the
CRT display panel 2, so that the user can reserve TV programs of
the following several days. The cursor 3a is moved in accordance
with the messages of the flow chart in Fig. 5, and the
programming contents such as day, AM~PM, ON-time, REC durationt
and channel number can be displayed i the analog form as shown in
Fig. 2. When the user presses event SW-l (to set the first
scheduled time) of the event switches 9a, the designated time
range is highlighted in green. The user can check timer
programming as he writes a note of the schedule in his
notebook. In particular, misprogramming which reserves
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overlapping time ranges can be ;.~rerented. Since the preset
ti~e can b.e diyItally d;.splayed ~t the digital dlspla~ unlt
16, th.e start point (ON time~ and the end point (O~F time) of
each bar in the time table 3 displayed ~n the CRT d~splay
panel 2 need not be displayed with great precision sinc~ the
time schedule can also be checked precisely with the digital
display unit 16.
When timer programming is completed, programmed data
can be read out as needed, so that the time table and the
reserved time ranges (.bars) can be displayed as shown in
Fig. 2.
A data processing section of the TV/VTR apparatus
having the timer proyramming ~unction shown in Fig. 1 is shown
in Fig. 6.
The data processing section has a microprocessor which
comprises a CPU 18, a ROM 19 and a RAM 20. The programs which
perform the data processing steps as described above are
stored in the ROM 19 and the ~AM 20. The TV channel buttons
5, the event switches 9a, th.e TV button 10, the VTR button 11,
the power switch 12, the function buttons 13a to 13d, the time
set dial 1, the time set dial 2, the time set dial 3, and the
VTR operation buttons 14 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are all coupled
to the CPU 18 and the R~M 20 through an interface circuit 21,
a buffer 22 and a data bus 23. Address signals for accessing
the buttons and switches are generated by the CPU 18 and are
supplied to the interface 21 through an address bus 24 and an
address decoder 25. The operation data of TV, VTR and the
7~g
timer are Setched in the CPU 18 and are s;o,:ed ir. the RAM 20.
The ON/QFF operation of the TV channel la~ps and other monitor
lamps is controlled by ~he address data which is supplied
from the CPU 18 to an interface 26 through the address bus 24
and the address decoder 25.
The messages, the time ta~le 3 and the cursor 3a are
displayed in accordance with the contents stored in a charac-
ter RAM 27 and a graphic RAM 28, each of which has a memory
area
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corresponding to the rv displaY panel. The input data associated
with timer programing are su~plied from the interface 21 to the
CPIJ 18 and the RAM 20. The input data are then processed under
the control of the CPU 18 and are stored, such that ~he character
data is stored in a character RAM 27 and the graphic data is
stored in a graphic RAM 28. The write address data is supplied
from the CPU 18 to the RAMs 27 and 28 through the addres~ bus 24
and a selector 29. However, when the input data are not supplied
to the RAMs, address data are supplied from a CRT controller 30
to the RAMs 27 and 28 through the selector 29, so that the
contents are continuously read out from ~he RAMs 27 and 28 to
display the stored contents on the CRT display panel.
A5CII coded data read out from the character RAM 27 is
supplied to a character ROM 31 and is coverted to a character dot
pattern. The outputs from the character ROM 31 and the graphic
RAM 28 are mixed by an OR gate 32. A 8-bit parallel signal is
then supplied from the OR gate 32 to a parallel/serial !P/S)
converter 33. The parallel/serial converter 33 receives the
parallel data supplied thereto in response to a clock pulse which
has a predetermined period and which is generated from a clock
generator 3a. The parallel/serial converter 33 then converts the
parallel data to a serial video signal. The serial video signal
is then supplied from the parallel/serial converter 33 to a
monitor TV through a mixer/changeover circuit (MIX/C~GOV) 35. As
a result~ the display state shown in Fig. 2 is obtained.
On the other hand, a TV turner 37 is set in response to
the operation data supplied from one of the TV channel buttons 5
through the data bus 23. The output video signal is supplied
from the TV turner 37 to the mixer/changeover circuit 35 through
a demodulator 38. The video output from the demodulator 38 is
supplied to a VTR 39. The VTR 39 is connected to the data bus ~3
and is controlled in accordance with the operation of the VTR
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operation buttons 14 and the timer output data read out from the
CPU 18 and the RA~ 20. A reproduction output from the VTR 3g is
supplied to the monitor TV through the mixer/changeover circuit
35.
Outputs from the REC safety tab sensor, the cassette-IN
sensor, the dew sensor and the tape~end sensor are supplied onto
the data bus 23 through an interface 40. At the same time, an
interrupt request signal is supplied from an interrupt controller
41 to the CPU 18, so that the individual outputs from the sensors
can be processed as needed. The time signal as the reference of
timer counting is generated by a clock IC 42 and is supplied onto
the data bus 23. The clock set inputs from the time set keys are
supplied to the clock IC 42 through the interfce 40.
In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, in order to perform
timer programing at the time table 3 displayed on the CRT display
pannel 2, the three dials or rotary knobs 1-3 are used to
vertically and horizontally move the cursors 3a. However, the
cursor shift mechanism is not limited to this arrangementt but
may instead employ Pushbuttons (key switches), a joystick, or a
write (light) pen. The -timer preset apparatu~ of the present
inventlon can be huilt into a VTR. Alternatively, the timer
preset apparatus can he manufactured as an independent unit. In
these cases, the time table 3 and the bar graph indicating the
reserved time ranges (Fig. 2) can be displayed on a TV receiver
connected to the VTR or timer.
According to the present invention, the cursors
displayed in the time table on the CRT display panel can be moved
by the time set means of the TV program timer apparatus so as to
perform timer programming. Furthermore, the reserved time ranges
can be displayed in the form of the bar graph in the time table,
so that the user can visually check the programing state. In
addition to these advantages, the operation can be simplified,
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thereby reducing misoperatlon. Furthermore, since the user need
only follow the messages dlsplayed on the ~RT display panel, the
chance for misoperation is further minimized. The reserved
contents are displayed in the form of the bar graph, and timer
programing can be simplified. At the same time, the reserved
contents are numerically displayed, so that the bar-graph display
is combined with the numeric display to provide better
readability. As a result, the user can readily confirm timer
programing preventing erroneous setting operation.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art how to make and use the present invention.
Various additions and modifications may be made without departing
from the essential features of novelty ~hereof, which are
intended to be defined and secured by the appended claims.
