Patent ID: 6801957
Filing Date: 2004-10-05
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An information-outputting system comprising:a digital I/O terminal connecting said information-outputting system to a plurality of electronic apparatuses through a digital bus and allowing identification information each peculiar to one of said electronic apparatuses to be detected by a communication; electronic-apparatus-information-detecting means for detecting said identification information each peculiar to one of said electronic apparatuses connected to said digital I/O terminal; information-reporting means for reporting said identification information each peculiar to one of said electronic apparatuses detected by said electronic-apparatus-information-detecting means to a user; a plurality of analog input terminals for connecting said information-outputting system to said electronic apparatuses; apparatus-selecting and setting means for selecting and setting one of said electronic apparatuses connected to one of said analog input terminals for each of said identification information peculiar to said electronic apparatuses as reported by said information-reporting means; information management means for managing an association of each of said identification information peculiar to said electronic apparatuses with one of said analog input terminals connected to said electronic apparatus selected by said apparatus-selecting and setting means for said identification information; input-switching means for switching an input terminal for receiving a signal among said digital I/O terminal and said analog input terminals to select one of said digital I/O terminal and said analog input terminals; digital-signal-existence/non-existence-detecting means for detecting existence or non-existence of a digital signal destined for said information-outputting system by said digital I/O terminal; and switching control means for controlling said input-switching means in accordance with a detection signal output by said digital-signal-existence/non-existence-detecting means and information managed by said information management means, wherein the association of the identification information peculiar to the electronic apparatuses with one of the plurality of analog input terminals is established by the user to generate an analog-connection management table based on user input, wherein the plurality of electronic apparatuses includes at least one dual-output electronic apparatus that outputs to both the digital bus and to at least one analog input terminal, and wherein the switching control means causes the input-switching means to select a corresponding analog input terminal associated with the dual-output apparatus by the user when the digital-signal-existence/non-existence-detecting means no longer detects the existence of a digital signal from the dual-output apparatus.