Abstract:
A television screen control system which generates an instantaneous blanking video signal to reduce power consumption and have control of undesirable images is described in this document. It refers to a system which principally consists of two units, a transmitter unit ( 1 ) and a receiver control unit ( 2 ). The receiver control unit includes a processing unit ( 2   c ) and a video signal selector ( 2   d ). In an inoperative mode, the receiving unit allows the output of the input signal of the video source ( 3 ) and remains waiting for a switching instruction coming from the emitter unit, by the interface user ( 2   a ) or by the programmed automatic interruption. In an operational mode, the control receiving unit generates a blanking video signal through the processing unit and switches the video signal selector to allow the output of the generated blanking signal making the TV displays a dark image without altering the sound signal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a television (e.g., CRT, Plasma, LCD, LED, etc) video signal control system that includes a transmission transducer unit connected via wireless (e.g., Infrared, radio signals, etc) to a receiver unit that could be located inside as part of its embedded circuit or outside of any device that generates, contains or receives video signals (e.g. TV, DVD player, video game console, TV tuner box, etc.), which though a processing unit generates a blank TV video signal to be shown in the TV, reducing the TV power consumption and also give image content control to the user to avoid unwanted scenes. 
         [0003]    The user can activate this function any time all the time he wants thought a remote control or through the input button located at the receiver unit, this function is also automatically activated every certain programmed time. The receiver unit can have a on-off switch just in case the user wants to disable the control system. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    There are known internal TV sets circuits for blanking and/or blurring the video signal, leaving the audio audible or muting the sound of a received signal but they apply this to cathode ray tube TVs and/or they use a lot of components to get the objective. Samarughi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,229 is an internal TV control system that has to be embedded in the TV circuit using passive components to suppress the picture and the light emission by the CRT (cathode ray tube), using the audio signal only. The main difference with this invention is that this TV set can be located outside or inside of the TV circuit itself. Another difference is that this device uses a processing unit to generate a video signal in spite of passive components. Also the instantaneous blanking image generation goes active automatically every certain time if is activated, which can be a similar function as the hibernate function in a personal computer. 
         [0006]    Porter et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,947 B1 relates a method and apparatus for customized editing (not generating) video and/or audio signals using a plurality of editing parameters which is not an instantaneous function and must be embedded in the TV while the method described in this document is focus in an instantaneous blanking signal no matter the model or the kind of video source. 
         [0007]    There is also Peter Vogel U.S. Pat. US 2003/0011716 A1 which is an editing system with a TV commercials detector which reduces the audio and video signal (not generates) every time the system detects a commercial, not when the user wants and again this system must be part of the internal TV circuit. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Televisions are present in the vast majority of households in the world, they are ubiquitous that sometimes television in some countries can exceed the number of habitants as in the case of the United States of America, where it exceeds the number of inhabitants with an average of 2.7 TV sets per household (Nielsen, 2006 report). There are more than 320 million televisions in the United States, of which 35 million are only in California, each with an energy consumption between 101 to 361 watts. 
         [0009]    According to the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the Pacific Gas &amp; Electric Co. (PG &amp; E Co.), it is estimated that 10% of household electricity bills are due to TV usage, with more than 8 hours and 15 minutes of watching time per day in each household (Nielsen). 
         [0010]    LCD sets consume 43% more power than a cathode ray TV, while plasma screens guzzle 3.6 times more. Currently flat panels constitute 30% of the total sets, but they are expected to become the majority by 2011 (CEC, 2009 report). 
         [0011]    According to BIGresearch, LLC and The Media Center at the American Press Institute, three quarters of U.S. television viewers read the newspaper while they “watch” TV, a phenomenon known as media multi-tasking (www.americanpressinstitute.org, “Meet Generation C”, study 2004). Furthermore, 51% of TVs are on most of the time even if no one is watching, just for companionship or for listening, as revealed by a Kaiser Family Foundation report on the TV habits of young people up to the age of 18 (available at www.kff.org, study 1999-2009). 
         [0012]    Given this background, the problem and the need to lower power consumption demanded by television is latent, that is why we are seeking to solve the problem with this system that generates an instantaneous video blanking image at the time the user directed, leaving the audio signal audible and, in addition, this function is also automatically activated every certain time sending the TV to a low-power mode and can be integrated out or into any device that generates, contains or receives a video signal to be displayed on the TV screen no matter the technology or model of TV. 
         [0013]    By using this system, the TV energy consumption drops down to 45 watts which represents a saving of 67%. This means that for each 30 minutes daily usage of the TV along with this system in all household in CA, the energy savings would amount to 356 millions KWh per year. With the finality of reduce the TV power consumption implementing the video blanking image generation, I design this control system using a few components and can be implemented inside or outside of the TV, pretending to protect it through the present solicitude. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The specific embodiments and the characteristic details of the present invention TV Image Control System Via Instantaneous Generation of a Black Signal will be clearly described in the next description with reference to the drawings and the following figures in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the embodiment according to the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a flow chart of an example of programming of the processing unit  2   c;    
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an example of the embodiment of the emitter unit  1  circuit means according to the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is an example of the embodiment of the receiver control unit  2  circuit means according to the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an example of interaction diagram that shows the interconnection between the present invention and the video generator and TV modules used as external device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the TV Image Control System Via Instantaneous Generation of a Black Signal for reducing the TV power consumption and give control of unwanted content, has inside of the emitter unit  1   a  user interface  1   a  used to get the instructions of activation or deactivation of the instantaneous blanking of the TV video signal; the user interface  1   a  includes a key (not show in figure) that when is pressed generates the signal  1   a   1  to which the processing unit  1   b , the signal transducer module  1   c , the signal receiver module  2   b  and the processing unit  2   c  will be respond. When this key is pressed, the emitter processing unit  1   b  also contained inside of the emitter unit  1 , generates the signal  1   b   1  for the signal transducer module  1   c  when the signal  1   a   1  is received by the processing unit  1   b . The emitter unit  1  also contains a transducer module  1   c  that receives the signal  1   b   1  from the processing unit  1   b , as a result of the generation of the signal  1   a   1 . The signal transducer module  1   c  generates a wireless signal  1   a  for the signal receiver module  2   b  according to the signal  1   b   1  coming from the processing unit  1   b.    
         [0021]    The system also has a receiver control unit  2  which contains a user interface  2   a  used to receive commands for the activation or deactivation of the instantaneous blanking signal, this user interface  2   a  includes a key (not show in figure) that when is pressed generates the input signal  2   a   1  for the processing unit  2   c . The receiver control unit  2  also has a receiver module  2   b  that is in charge of receive the signal  1   cl  coming from the transducer module  1   c  to generate the signal  2   b   1  that is send it to the processing unit  2   c . This processing unit  2   c  is also contained inside of the receiver control unit  2  and receives from both the user interface  2   a  and the receiver module  2   b  the signals  2   a   1  and  2   b   1  respectively to generate, according to the flow chart of  FIG. 2 , the output signals  2   c   1  and  2   c   2 . These generated signals are received by a video signal selector  2   d , included inside of the receiver control unit  2 , to determine which of the two signals  2   c   2  and  2   f   1  is going to be converted to the output signal  2   d   1 . The selection of the video signal selector  2   d  is controlled by the control output signal  2   c   1 . 
         [0022]    The receiver control unit  2  also includes a video signal input  2   e , which receives a signal  3   a  from any video signal source  3  (i.e. DVD player, TV receiver, TV tuner box, video game console, etc.) to create the name signal  2   e   1 . This input signal is connected to a selector switch  2   f  which depending of the position P 0  or P 1  is going to make the output signal  2   f   1 . When selector switch  2   f  is in position P 0 , the receiver control unit  2  is off and the output signal  2   f   2  is the same as the signal  3   a , which is the same as the signal  2   e   1 . When selector switch  2   f  is in position P 1 , the receiver control unit  2  is on and the output signal  2   f   2  is going to be the same as the signal  2   d   1 , which could be the same as the signal  2   f   1  or  2   c   2  depending of the output signal  2   c   1  of the processing unit  2   c . The receiver control unit  2  also contains an output video signal module  2   g  that receives the signal  2   f   2  coming from the switch module  2   f  to form the output signal  2   g   1 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrate a flow-chart of an example of the software implementation that must be programmed on the processing unit  2   c  so that the user interface output signal  2   a   1  from the user interface  2   a , the output signal  2   b   1  of the receiver module  2   b  and the automatic interruption can activate the signals  2   c   1  and  2   c   2  that are need to get the blanking image to be displayed at the TV screen. 
         [0024]    Upon activation of the signal  1   a   1 , occurring in step S 1 , the flow proceeds to step S 2  to evaluate the received signal  2   b   1 ; the flow proceeds to a decision-step S 3  wherein it is checked if the received signal  2   b   1  is the correct one or not. In case it is not, the signal  2   b   1  has not effect in the process; otherwise, the flow proceeds to a decision-step S 5 , wherein it is checked whether the output  2   c   2  is been already generated or not. In case it is not, the flow branches to a step S 6  wherein the automatic activation interruption that generates the output signal  2   c   2  is turned off; then the flow goes to step S 7 , wherein the blanking video signal  2   c   2  is generated and the control signal  2   c   1  is activated. 
         [0025]    If in step S 5 , the blanking signal  2   c   2  has been already generated, the flow proceeds to a step S 8  wherein the automatic activation interrupt of the blank TV video signal is turned on and the flow branches to a step S 9  wherein the output blanking signal  2   c   2  is not generated and the signal  2   c   1  is turned off. Upon activation of the signal  2   a   1  occurring in step S 4 , the flow proceeds to step S 5  to do exactly the same proceeding just described. The parallel step S 10  is activated automatically when the time of its internal decreasing counter is over and the flow proceeds to step S 6  to do the tasks already described. 
       EXAMPLES 
       [0026]    In order to give a reference of the TV Image Control System Via Instantaneous Generation of a Black Signal for reducing the TV power consumption and give control of unwanted content, the following figures represent an example and they do not intended to limit the scope of the technology presented in this document. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows by way of example the circuit of the emitter unit  1  used to activate the instantaneous blanking function of the video signal, already briefly described with reference to preceding  FIG. 1 . In particular, the circuit includes current-limiting resistors R 1 , R 2  and R 3 , a key SW 1 , a capacitor C 1 , a microcontroller unit U 1 , a switching npn transistor Q 1  and an infrared light emitter diode D 1 . The user interface  1   a  includes the key SW 1  for the activation of instantaneous video blanking signal, the short-circuiting of this crossing produces the signal  1   a   1  that will be received by the processing unit  1   b . The first end of the resistor R 1  is connected to the DC power supply while the second end is commonly connected to 3 points; one to the short-circuiting of the terminals  3  and  4  of the key SW 1  where the short-circuiting of the terminals  1  and  2  are grounded; two, to the first terminal of the capacitor C 1  which second end is being grounded and, three, is connected in shape of the signal  1   a   1  to the first input of the processing unit  1   b  contained inside of the microcontroller unit U 1 , which is responsible to generate the signal through its output number eight to be connected to the signal transducer module  1   c . The signal transducer module  1   c  includes a resistor R 3  which its first end is connected to the DC power supply and its second end is connected to the anode of the infrared light emitter diode D 1  which cathode is connected to the collector of the transistor Q 1  where the emitted signals from the D 1  generate the output signal  1   a  of the emitter unit  1 . This module also includes a resistor R 2  which first end is connected to the generated signal  1   b   1  and second end is connected to the base of the transistor Q 1  which the emitter is grounded. 
         [0028]    During operation of the emitter unit  1 , the short-circuiting of the key SW 1  will set the signal  1   a   1  to logic low (0 V, for example). The microcontroller unit U 1  will then start to transmit a square coding signal  1   b   1  where the values oscillates between logic low and logic high (0.2 V and 2.5 V respectively, for example). When the signal  1   b   1  is logic high, the transistor Q 1  will then start to conduct and the infrared light emitter diode D 1  will turned on producing the output signal  1   a  of the signal transducer module  1   c . Otherwise, when the signal  1   b   1  is a logic low, the transistor Q 1  will open the circuit and the infrared light emitter diode D 1  will turned off and the output signal  1   a  will be zero; this will happen at the speed and as many times as directed by the microcontroller U 1  through its coded signal  1   b   1 . An appropriate choice of values of the resistors, infrared light emitter diode as well as an appropriate switching transistor, will allow the desired distance to control the processing unit  2   c  (not shown in this figure). 
         [0029]    Another example is illustrated in  FIG. 4  which shows an internal embodiment of the receiver control unit circuit  2  to generate the blanking video signal already briefly described in  FIG. 1 . In particular it has an infrared receiver module IRM 1 , current-limiting resistors R 4 , R 5 , R 6  and R 7 , capacitors C 2  and C 3 , a microcontroller unit U 2 , a key SW 2 , female RCA connectors J 1  and J 2 , a slide switch SW 3  and a video switch U 3 . The signal  1   a  coming from the emitter unit  1  is received by the infrared receiver module IRM 1  which is located inside of the receiver module  2   b  and decodes this signal to generate the output signal  2   b   1  by the first end of the module. The second end is grounded while the third end is connected to both the first end of the capacitor C 2  and to the first end of the resistor R 5 , the second end of the capacitor C 2  is grounded and the second end of the resistor R 5  is connected to the DC power supply. The processing unit  2   c  contains a microcontroller unit U 2  which receives the signal  2   b   1  in both the first and eighth ends. The fifth end of the microcontroller unit U 2  is connected to the first end of the resistor R 6  where the second end is connected to both the first end of the resistor R 7 , which connects to ground in its second end, and to the third end of the video switch U 3 , contained inside of the video signal selector  2   d  through the instantaneous video blanking signal  2   c   2 . The sixth end of the microcontroller unit U 2  is connected to the video signal selector  2   d  in the first end of the video switch U 3  through the output signal  2   c   1 . The user interface  2   a  has the key SW 2  as optional way to activate the instantaneous video blanking signal. The short-circuiting of this crossing causes the processing unit  2   c  to receive signal  2   a   1 . The common connection between the first and second ends of the key SW 2  are connected to the DC power supply while the third and fourth ends of the key SW 2  are common connected to 3 points; one to the first end of the resistor R 4 , which its second end is grounded; two, to the first end of the capacitor C 3 , which its second end is also grounded and three, to the seventh end of the microcontroller unit U 2  forming the signal  2   a   1  generated by the user interface  2   a.    
         [0030]    The video signal input module  2   e  contains a RCA female connector J 1  that is in charge of receive the signal  3   a  coming from the video source  3  through the short-circuiting first and third ends while the second end is grounded. The signal  3   a  received from the RCA female connector J 1  is the same as the output signal  2   e   1  that goes to the third end of the slide switch SW 3  located inside of the selector switch  2   f . The first end of the slide switch SW 3  is connected to the video signal selector  2   d  in the second end of the video switch U 3  through the output signal  2   f   1 . The fourth and fifth ends of the slide switch SW 3  are short-circuiting while the sixth end of the slide switch SW 3  is the output signal  2   f   2  and the eighth end receives the output signal  2   d   1  from the fourth end of the video switch U 3 . The output signal  2   f   2  of the slide switch SW 3  is connected to the first and third ends of the RCA female connector J 2  contained inside of the video signal module output  2   g  forming the output signal  2   g   1 , while the second end of the RCA female connector J 2  is grounded. 
         [0031]    The generated TV video blanking signal  2   c   2  consist in a pulse weight modulation with a fixed period of approximately 64 us and a duty cycle of approximately 4 us. A typical color video signal has a voltage value between 0.3V and 1V approximately where a value of 0.3V corresponds to a black color and 1V corresponds to white color, then the generated signal  2   c   2  of the microcontroller unit U 2  may have a voltage amplitude inside of this rank. This voltage can be fixed with any voltage regulator, i.e., low dropout voltage regulator or diode regulator. In particular, the amplitude of the generated blanking signal  2   c   2  is fixed to a value of 0.3V with an arrangement of resistor R 6  and resistor R 7  used as voltage divider. A 75Ω value for resistor R 7  is recommended to use for impedance coupling of the receiver control unit  2  with the standard value of the input resistor of the TV video input. An appropriate choice of the resistors values, will allow the desired blank video signal  2   c   2  to be obtained. 
         [0032]    During operation of the receiver control unit  2 , the system can respond to three types of activation. First, the activation of the signal  1   a   1  will set the signal  2   b   1  to oscillate in a logic low or a logic high according to the signal  1   c   1  sent by the emitter unit  1  (not shown in this figure); second, the short-circuiting of the key SW 2  will set the signal  2   a   1  to a logic high value (2.5 V, for example); and finally, an automatic interruption with an internal timer, will release the processing unit  2   c  to accomplish an instruction. The processing unit  2   c  will stay in low power mode until the activation of any of this three actions occurs, turning the processing unit  2   c  to active mode and performs to follow the software implementation of flow-chart described with reference to the preceding  FIG. 2  and once it finished their tasks it will be back in low power mode to be waiting for a new event. When the processing unit  2   c  receives the signal  2   b   1  must check if corresponds to the signal  1   a  sent it by the emitter unit  1  taking it as a correct signal or if is a different signal it will be read it as an incorrect signal. In the reception of a correct signal  2   b   1  or in a logic high of the signal  2   a   1 , the processing unit  2   c  will generate, if has not been already generated, the blanking signal  2   c   2  and will set the signal  2   c   1  to a logic high (turn on) or deactivate both signals  2   c   1  and  2   c   2  to a logic low (turn off) if the signal  2   c   1  was already generated. When the control signal  2   c   1  has a logic low level, the output signal  2   d   1  of the switch selector  2   d  will be the same as the signal  2   f   1 , which is the same as the input signal  2   e   1  coming from the video signal source  3 ; If the signal  2   c   1  has a logic high value, the selector switch  2   d  will select the TV video blanking signal  2   c   2  as output signal  2   d   1 . When the selector switch SW 3  is in position P 0  the DC power supply is 0 V and the output signal  2   g   1  is the same as the input video signal  2   e   1 ; In the other hand, when the slide switch SW 3  is in position P 1  the DC power supply is equal to +3V and the output signal  2   g   1  is equal to the output signal  2   d   1  of the video signal selector  2   d.    
         [0033]      FIG. 5  illustrates an interaction diagram of the receiver control unit  2  to be connected from the video signal input  2   e  to the output of a video signal source  3  i.e., DVD player or TV tuner box, and from the output video signal output  2   g  to the input of a TV video input set  4 . The emitter unit  1  is used to select via wireless if the TV video input set  4  is going to receive the signal coming from the video signal source  3  or the blanking video signal generated by the receiver control unit  2 ; alternatively, this can also be selected by the user interface key  2   a  located in the receiver control unit  2 . The TV video input set  4  is going to receive the signal in function of the position of the selector switch  2   f  already described with reference to the preceding  FIG. 4 . 
         [0034]    The receiver control unit  2  can also be implemented within any device that works as a video signal source  3  as part of its internal circuitry such as a television, DVD player, a video game console, a TV tuner box, etc. To achieve this we eliminate the female RCA connectors J 1  and J 2  together with the slide switch SW 3  including their interconnections and the assembly is done as follows. The receiver control unit  2  is going to be connected in a bypass fashion opening the output video signal terminal circuit of the device where will be implement this system and connect this first point in serial with the signal  211  of the receiving control unit  2  and close the circuit connecting the signal  2   d   1  coming from the video switch U 3  in the second point. The output signal  2   d   1  depends only of the logic level of the control signal  2   c   1  coming from the processing unit  2   c ; if the control signal  2   c   1  has a logic low level, the output signal  2   d   1  is the same as the input signal  2   f   1  coming from the video signal source  3 ; if the control signal  2   c   1  has a logic high level, the output signal  2   d   1  is the same as the blanking signal  2   c   2  generated by the processing unit  2   c . The circuit of the receiving control unit  2  must be powered by any DC power source of +3V available in the device that will have implemented this system control.