Abstract:
A signal output apparatus is provided comprising an input unit configured to receive a main data and a notice of the presence of any further information related to the main data, a notifying unit configured to notify the presence of the related information in response to the notice received from the input unit, an acquiring unit configured to acquire the related information in response to the notice received from the input unit, and an output unit configured to multiplex and output the related information acquired by the acquiring unit with the main data received by the input unit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-363389, filed Dec. 15, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a signal output apparatus and a signal output method for multiplexing signals generated from, e.g., video and audio data and outputting their composite signal.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     As is well known, a personal computer (PC) or the like is designed for simultaneously displaying on its display a data stored in its built-in storage medium and a data received from the outside over a network.  
         [0006]     It is however true that each conventional PC enables merely to display different data separately on the display without integrating their contents while failing to exhibit all the data in a synchronized, multiplexed form.  
         [0007]     Disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-161664 is an attempt for, when a desired Web page is accessed by an operator clicking the Web mark on the display screen, providing a link to a corresponding server on the Internet and displaying the Web page while temporarily canceling the playback of a title data. When the display of the Web page has been finished, the playback of the title data is returned.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a signal output apparatus comprising: an input unit configured to receive a main data and a notice of the presence of any further information related to the main data; a notifying unit configured to notify the presence of the related information in response to the notice received from the input unit; an acquiring unit configured to acquire the related information in response to the notice received from the input unit; and an output unit configured to multiplex and output the related information acquired by the acquiring unit with the main data received by the input unit.  
         [0009]     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a signal output method comprising: an input step of receiving a main data and a notice of the presence of any further information related to the main data; a notifying step of notifying the presence of the related information in response to the notice received at the input step; an acquiring step of acquiring the related information in response to the notice received at the input step; and an output step of multiplexing and outputting the related information acquired at the acquiring step with the main data received at the input step. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an optical disk playback apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing some steps of the multiplexing action of the optical disk playback apparatus of the embodiment;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing the remaining steps of the multiplexing action of the optical disk playback apparatus of the embodiment;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating an example of the screen display generated by the multiplexing action of the optical disk playback apparatus of the embodiment;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating another example of the screen display generated by the multiplexing action of the optical disk playback apparatus of the embodiment; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a further example of the screen display generated by the multiplexing action of the optical disk playback apparatus of the embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail referring to the relevant drawings.  FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an optical disk playback apparatus  11  incorporating the embodiment. The optical disk playback apparatus  11  is configured to direct a drive unit  13  to read signals of audio and video data from an optical disk  12  such as a digital versatile disk (DVD). The signals read by the drive unit  13  are then transferred via an input buffer  14  to a signal processor  15 .  
         [0017]     The signal processor  15  subjects the signals to the given playback processes including error compensation and decoding where they are converted to digital playback signals of the audio and video data. The playback signals processed by the signal processor  15  are transferred via an output buffer  16  to a multiplexer  17 .  
         [0018]     Meanwhile, the optical disk playback apparatus  11  is capable of, in response to a data saved in the optical disk  12 , demanding external signals of audio and video data via a server  19  from a data supplier connected to an external network  18 . The external signals received via the server  19  are then transferred via an input port  20  and an input buffer  21  to a signal processor  22 .  
         [0019]     The signal processor  22  subjects the external signals to give playback processes including identification, error compensation, and decoding where they are converted to digital playback signals of the audio and video data. The playback signals processed by the signal processor  22  are transferred via an output buffer  23  to the multiplexer  17 .  
         [0020]     The multiplexer  17  multiplexes the signals received from both the output buffers  16  and  23  to develop a composite signal, which is then outputted through an output port  24 .  
         [0021]     All the foregoing actions of the optical disk playback apparatus  11  are totally controlled by a controller  25 . The controller  25  includes a central processing unit (CPU) and other components for, upon receiving a demand from a remote commander  26  as an entry device, controlling the relevant actions to achieve the result determined by the demand.  
         [0022]     In particular, the controller  25  includes a read only memory (ROM)  27  for storage of control programs to be executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM)  28  for providing the CPU with a working area, and a non-volatile memory  29  for storage of setting and controlling data.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are flowcharts illustrating steps of the multiplexing action described above. As the action has started (step S 1 ), the controller  25  examines in step S 2  whether or not a demand for playback on the optical disk  12  is received from a user. When it is determined that the demand for playback is present (Yes), the action goes to step S 3  for playing back the optical disk  12 .  
         [0024]     During the playback action on the optical disk  12 , the controller  25  examines in step S 4  whether or not a notice that any further information (an optional content) related to the main data being played back is saved in another external data supplying medium (for example, the external network  18 ) has been received from the optical disk  12 .  
         [0025]     When it is determined that no notice has been received (NO), the controller  25  repeats the action to step S 3 . When it is determined that the notice has been received (YES), the controller  25  notifies the user of the presence of the related information in step S 5  and of the location of the target medium in which the related information is saved in step S 6 .  
         [0026]     The notice may be given by the controller  25 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , displaying on the display screen of the main image data  30  played back from the optical disk  12  simultaneously an icon  31  indicating the presence of the related information and an address of the target medium  32  on the network  18  for downloading the related information.  
         [0027]     The controller  25  then examines in step S 7  whether or not (the downloading of) the related information is demanded by the user. When it is determined not (NO), the action returns back to step S 3 .  
         [0028]     When it is determined that the related information has been demanded by the user (YES), the action of the controller  25  advances to step S 8  for examining the setting of priority. More particularly, the optical disk playback apparatus  11  permits the user to predetermine which is given priority when the notice of the presence of related information has been received during the playback action on the optical disk  12 , the playback of the main data on the optical disk  12  or the downloading of the related information. The setting of priority is stored in the non-volatile memory  29 .  
         [0029]     For examining the setting of priority, the controller  25  determines in step S 9  whether or not the downloading of the related information is given priority. When it is determined that the downloading of the related information is given priority (YES), the controller  25  cancels the playback of the main data on the optical disk  12  and commands the server  19  to retrieve the related information.  
         [0030]     Upon the server  19  being commanded to retrieve the related information, the multiplexer  17  stops outputting the main image data  30  and the display screen displays a still image of the main image data  30  at the moment.  
         [0031]     Further, the controller  25  displays the action of retrieving the related information in step S 11 . More specifically, the display of the action of retrieving the related information may be implemented, as shown in  FIG. 5 , by a visual indication  33  illustrating the downloading status of 0% to 100% of the related information together with the main data image  30  (still image) from the optical disk  12 , the icon  31  indicating the presence of the related information, and the address  32  of the target medium where the related information is saved.  
         [0032]     This is followed by the controller  25  examining in step S 12  whether or not the downloading of the related information is completed. When it is determined that the downloading is not completed (NO), the action returns back to step S 10 . When it is determined that the downloading has been completed (YES), the controller  25  restarts the playback of the main data on the optical disk  12  in step S 13  and after displaying the related information multiplexed with the main image data  30 , terminates the multiplexing process (step S 17 ).  
         [0033]     At the time, the display screen displays, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the related information  34  overlapping the main image data  30  from the optical disk  12 . When the playback of the main data on the optical disk  12  is restarted and the image data  30  multiplexed with its related information  34  are produced and outputted, the existing images including the icon  31 , the location of the related information  32 , and the downloading of the related information  33  are removed from the display screen.  
         [0034]     On the other hand, when it is determined that the downloading is not given priority (NO), the controller  25  commands the server  19  to retrieve the related information while continuing the playback of the main data in step S 14 .  
         [0035]     In step S 15 , the action of retrieving the related information is displayed on the display screen by the controller  25 . The display of the action of retrieving the related information may be implemented, as shown in  FIG. 5 , by a visual indication  33  illustrating the downloading of 0% to 100% of the related information together with the main data from the optical disk  12 , the icon  31  indicating the presence of the related information, and the address  32  of the target medium where the related information is saved.  
         [0036]     This is followed by the controller  25  examining in step S 16  whether or not the downloading of the related information is completed. When it is determined that the downloading is not completed (NO), the action returns back to step S 14 . When it is determined that the downloading has been completed (YES), the controller  25  displays the related information multiplexed with the main data read out from the optical disk  12  in step S 13  before terminating the multiplexing action (step S 17 ).  
         [0037]     At the time, the display screen displays, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the related information  34  overlapping the main image data  30  from the optical disk  12 . When the main image data  30  read out from the optical disk  12  and multiplexed with its related information  34  are produced and outputted, the existing images including the icon  31 , the location of the related information  32 , and the downloading of the related information  33  are removed from the display screen.  
         [0038]     As set forth above, the embodiment of the present invention when receiving a notice of the presence of the related information during the playback of the main data on the optical disk  12  displays the icon  31  indicating the notice and the address of a target medium  32  where the related information is saved on the display screen. This allows each user to be informed of the presence of the related information while viewing the main data read out from the optical disk  12  and then start an action for retrieving the related information, thus giving the user a higher convenience in its operation.  
         [0039]     Also, the embodiment favorably allows the user to predetermine the setting of priority for selecting between the downloading of the related information and the playback of the main data from an optical disk when the related information is present. Moreover, the action of downloading the related information is favorably displayed as a visual indication  33  on the display screen for convenience of the user.  
         [0040]     Although the notice of the presence of the related information is informed with its icon  31  which can then be viewed by the user in the embodiment, it may be given also in the form of sounds. The related information is not limited to a visual image to be displayed on the display screen but may be an audio signal. The location of the target medium  32  where the related information is saved may also be displayed constantly regardless of the main data multiplexed with the related information being displayed on the display screen.  
         [0041]     The main data may also be received from not only the optical disk  12  but also from any applicable recording medium or transfer medium. Similarly, the related information may be received from not only the network  18  but also from any applicable recording medium or transfer medium. In brief, the present invention is applicable to any system which is capable of, when receiving a notice of the presence of any further information related to the main data as well as a data of the location where the related information is saved, retrieving the related information from the location and then multiplexing the main data with the related information.  
         [0042]     It would be understood that the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment but its variations or modifications may be made in practice without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, the present invention may cover any combination of the components disclosed in the above description. For example, one or more of the components assembled in the foregoing embodiment may be omitted if necessary. Moreover, a combination of the components of different embodiments may suitably be allowed.