阅读说明：本技术 通过多个连接电视的多媒体装置通知电视用户的方法 (Method for informing television subscribers via a plurality of television-connected multimedia devices ) 是由 嘎亚那·诺杰·山那帕第 于 2018-09-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提出了一种通过多个连接电视的多媒体装置通知电视用户的方法。当所述电视基于由所述多媒体装置中的一者提供的信号呈现所欲多媒体内容时,所述电视检测其他多媒体装置是否同时提供多媒体内容的信号。在检测到其他多媒体装置中的任何一者正在提供多媒体内容的信号时,所述电视相应地输出用户能感知的通知,以便用户关闭未使用的多媒体装置或使其处于待机状态,实现省电的目的。(The invention provides a method for notifying a television user through a plurality of multimedia devices connected with a television. When the television presents desired multimedia content based on a signal provided by one of the multimedia devices, the television detects whether other multimedia devices simultaneously provide signals for multimedia content. When detecting that any one of the other multimedia devices is providing the signal of the multimedia content, the television correspondingly outputs the notice which can be sensed by the user, so that the user turns off the unused multimedia device or puts the unused multimedia device in a standby state, and the aim of saving power is fulfilled.)

1. A method for notifying a user of a television via a plurality of multimedia devices connected to said television, said multimedia devices being connected to said television and comprising at least a first multimedia device and a second multimedia device, said first multimedia device being connected to said television via a first interface connector, said second multimedia device being connected to said television via a second interface connector, said method comprising the steps of:

presenting, by the television, desired multimedia content to a user based on a signal provided by the first multimedia device through the first interface connector;

detecting, by the television, whether the second multimedia device is providing signals of multimedia content through the second interface connector during presentation of the desired multimedia content; and

outputting, by the television, a notification perceptible to a user and related to the signal of multimedia content provided by the second multimedia device upon detecting that the second multimedia device is providing the signal of multimedia content through the second interface connector during presentation of the desired multimedia content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises the steps of: the television periodically performs the detection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises the steps of: each of the desired multimedia content and the multimedia content to be provided by the second multimedia device is video content, and outputting the notification includes displaying a text message indicating that the second multimedia device is in the on state.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

after outputting the notification, the television issues a command to the second multimedia device through the second interface connector to place the second multimedia device in a standby mode.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to television functions, and more particularly, to a television function for improving power saving.

Background

Nowadays, HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) technology is commonly used for televisions. The television may include a plurality of HDMI interface connectors for connecting a plurality of multimedia devices (e.g., STB (set top box) devices, blu-ray or DVD players, video game consoles, etc.) to the television. In use, a user may select only one or at most two multimedia devices (e.g., in the case of using PIP/PAP (picture in picture) or picture and picture) functionality) to provide multimedia content for one view. However, when a user changes a content source providing multimedia content from one multimedia device to another multimedia device, he or she may forget to turn off or stand by the multimedia device originally serving as the content source, resulting in unnecessary and unwanted power consumption.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a method for informing a television user through a plurality of multimedia devices connected with the television.

According to the present invention, the multimedia device comprises at least a first multimedia device and a second multimedia device, wherein the first multimedia device is connected to the television through a first interface connector, and the second multimedia device is connected to the television through a second interface connector. The method comprises the following steps: presenting, by the television, desired multimedia content to a user based on a signal provided by the first multimedia device through the first interface connector; detecting, by the television, whether the second multimedia device is providing signals of multimedia content through the second interface connector during presentation of the desired multimedia content; and outputting, by the television, a notification perceptible to a user and related to the signal of multimedia content provided by the second multimedia device upon detecting that the second multimedia device is providing the signal of multimedia content through the second interface connector during presentation of the desired multimedia content.

The method of the present invention for notifying a television user through a plurality of multimedia devices connected to a television periodically performs the detection.

In the method of the present invention for notifying a television user via a plurality of multimedia devices connected to a television, each of a desired multimedia content and a multimedia content to be provided by the second multimedia device is a video content, and outputting a notification includes displaying a text message indicating that the second multimedia device is in an on state.

The method for notifying the television user through a plurality of multimedia devices connected with the television of the invention also comprises the following steps:

after outputting the notification, issuing, by the television, a command to the second multimedia device through the second interface connector to place the second multimedia device in a standby mode.

The invention has the beneficial effects that: because the television scans unused multimedia devices during the presentation of the multimedia content, the television can notify the user to turn off or put in a standby state the unused multimedia devices for power saving purposes.

Drawings

Other features and effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for implementing an embodiment of a method for notifying a television user through a plurality of television-connected multimedia devices to conserve power consumption in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of example steps.

Detailed Description

Before describing the present invention in more detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal connector designations have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a system for implementing an embodiment of a method for notifying a user of a television 1 via a plurality of multimedia devices 2, 3, 4, 5 connected to said television 1. In the embodiment, the tv 1 illustratively has four HDMI connectors (interface connectors) "HDMI _ 1", "HDMI _ 2", "HDMI _ 3", "HDMI _ 4", and two HDMI receivers 12, 14, to which the multimedia devices 2, 3, 4, 5 are respectively connected, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Each of the multimedia devices 2, 3, 4, 5 may be a STB device, a blu-ray and DVD player, a video game console, a computer or any other device capable of providing multimedia content to the television 1 over HDMI.

With further reference to fig. 2, the embodiment exemplarily comprises steps 21, 22, 23. In step 21, the television 1 operates to present desired multimedia content to a user based on a signal provided by one of the multimedia devices 2, 3, 4, 5 (hereinafter illustrated as the multimedia device 2) through a corresponding HDMI connector (e.g., "HDMI _ 1"). In detail, the television 1 connects one of the HDMI receivers 12, 14 (e.g., HDMI receiver 12) to an HDMI connector "HDMI _ 1" for receiving signals from the multimedia device 2 to render desired multimedia content.

During the presentation of the desired multimedia content, the television 1 detects, using another HDMI receiver (e.g. HDMI receiver 14), in a detection-by-detection manner, whether each of the other multimedia devices 3, 4, 5 is providing a signal of multimedia content (e.g. video content) through the corresponding HDMI connector for Background (Background) (step 22). The HDMI receiver 14 can detect information such as SYNC signal, clock signal, field frequency, vertical lines, horizontal lines, etc., which can be included in the HDMI signal to determine whether the detected multimedia device is providing a signal of multimedia content. In practice, Background Detection (Background Detection) may be performed periodically. For example, the television 1 may connect the HDMI receiver 14 to HDMI connectors 3, 4, 5 that are not used for rendering multimedia content on a per-background-detection-by-per-two-minute basis, although the invention is not limited thereto. In one implementation, the frequency of background detection is user programmable.

In one embodiment, the television may contain only one HDMI receiver, so when a user is viewing multimedia content provided by one of the multimedia devices connected to the television via an HDMI connector, background detection cannot be performed because the HDMI receiver is being engaged by the HDMI connector to render the multimedia content. However, in the case where the user is watching multimedia content provided by a tuner or another device connected to the television via a non-HDMI interface, the HDMI receiver is not occupied, and thus background detection of the multimedia device can still be performed.

Upon detecting that one of the other multimedia devices is providing a signal of multimedia content through the corresponding HDMI connector during presentation of the desired multimedia content, the television 1 outputs a notification that is perceptible to the user (e.g., in the form of a text message, an audio message) and that is related to the signal provided by the multimedia device, in step 23. For example, upon detecting that the multimedia device 3 is providing signals of multimedia content during presentation of desired multimedia content by the multimedia device 2, the television 1 may display "HDMI _2 connected device is ON but not being used for viewing, device may be placed in a standby state to save power" informing the user to turn off the unused device or place the unused device in a standby mode to save power. In one embodiment, the tv 1 may also issue a command conforming to the HDMI-CEC (HDMI-consumer electronic control) specification to the multimedia device 3 through the HDMI connector "HDMI _ 2" to place the multimedia device 3 in a standby mode, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The present invention implements the embodiment using HDMI because the HDMI-CEC specification supports the above-described operation, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Any interface that supports these operations can be used to implement the embodiments. For example, the background detection may also be implemented using DVI (digital video interface) and VGA (video graphics array).

Thus, because the television scans for unused multimedia devices during the presentation of multimedia content, the television can notify the user to turn off or put in a standby state unused multimedia devices for power saving purposes.

The above description is only an example of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention should not be limited thereby, and the invention is still within the scope of the present invention by simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims and the contents of the specification.