Abstract:
According to one embodiment, an image reproduction apparatus includes: a display device configured to display an image represented by a video signal; and a reproduction module including an insertion port into which an optical disc is inserted, and configured to reproduce a video signal, wherein the display device and the reproduction module are provided in a same casing; and the display device is caused to display an image representing each of a position of the insertion port and the optical disc to be inserted into the insertion port based on an operation instruction to the reproduction module.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    The application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-237407 filed on Oct. 22, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to an image reproduction apparatus configured by providing to a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) device) an optical disc reproducing function of reproducing an optical disc such as a digital versatile disc (DVD) or a blu-ray disk (BD). 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    An apparatus has been known, which has an external connection terminal (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) port) at a place close to a display screen and displays an arrow on the display screen as an image visually indicating a relative position of the external connection terminal. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    A general configuration that implements the various features of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments and not to limit the scope of the embodiments. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an appearance of an image reproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the image reproduction apparatus according to the embodiment, whose disc insertion screen is displayed; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating the image reproduction apparatus according to the embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a first process of displaying the disc insertion screen in the image reproduction apparatus according to the embodiment; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5A  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a part of the image reproduction apparatus, and  FIG. 5B  is a diagram illustrating an example of the disk insertion screen display according to the embodiment; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating a second process of displaying the disc insertion screen in the image reproduction apparatus according to the embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the drawings. 
         [0014]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are schematic diagrams illustrating the appearance of an image reproduction apparatus  1000  described in the present embodiment. 
         [0015]    The image reproduction apparatus is assumed to be, e.g., an apparatus configured by providing, to a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, an optical disc reproducing function of reproducing an optical disc such as a DVD disc or a BD disc. However, the image reproduction apparatus according to the invention is not limited thereto. 
         [0016]    The LCD combo  1000  includes a screen  100 , and a stand  900  provided under the screen  100  to support the entire LCD combo  1000  including the screen  100 . 
         [0017]    The LCD combo  1000  incorporates an optical disc drive  520  and has a disc insertion port  510  for allowing a user to insert an optical disc such as a DVD disc and a BD disc into an optical disk drive  520 . According to an example illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the disc insertion port  510  is formed in a right side of the LCD combo  1000 . 
         [0018]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the difference between a conventional LCD combo and the LCD combo  1000  is that a disc insertion screen  150  of the LCD combo  1000  is provided in a part of the screen  100 . The disc insertion screen  150  is assumed so that the display of a part of the screen  100  is changed at a predetermined timing. However, the disc insertion screen  150  can always be displayed, independent of the screen  100 . Although the disc insertion screen  150  is displayed by changing a part of the display of the screen  100  in the present embodiment, the apparatus can be configured such that the transparent display of the disc insertion screen  150  is performed so that the image of the screen  100  under the disc insertion screen  150  is viewable by a user. Apparently, the apparatus can be configured such that the transparency of the disc insertion screen  150  is settable by a user. 
         [0019]    Generally, the LCD combo  1000  is such that the disc insertion port  510  is formed in a side surface thereof, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Thus, a user cannot view the disc insertion port  510  directly from the front of the screen  100 . Every time an optical disc  500  is inserted thereinto, the user needs moving round to the side of the LCD combo  1000  and then checking the disc insertion port  510 . In the case of the LCD combo  1000  shown in  FIG. 2 , it is unnecessary that a user moves round to the side of the LCD combo and checks the disc insertion port  510 , as described above. Accordingly, the convenience of the LCD combo is enhanced. 
         [0020]    Because a user cannot directly see the disc insertion port  510 , as described above, the user frequently insert the optical disc  500  into the disc insertion port  510  by relying on experience and intuition. This is unnecessary in the case of employing the LCD combo  1000  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the LCD combo  1000  to be described in this embodiment. The LCD combo  1000  receives a broadcast signal (video signal) from an antenna  800  at a tuner  810 , and displays an image represented by the received video signal on the screen  100 , based on an instruction from a control central-processing-unit (CPU)  850 . 
         [0022]    Whether the image represented by the video signal is displayed on the LCD combo  1000  is controlled by the control CPU  850  which receives at a remote control signal receiving unit  870  a control signal according to a user&#39;s operation of a remote control  860  and which controls the entire LCD combo  1000 . 
         [0023]    When the user inserts the optical disc  500  into the disk insertion port  510 , the optical disc drive  520  is activated. In addition, an image represented by video signals output from the optical disc drive  520  is displayed on the screen  100 . When detecting the insertion of the optical disc  500 , the control CPU  850  controls the LCD combo  1000  to automatically stop the supply of video signals from the tuner  810 , and to display on the screen  100  an image represented by the video signals output from the optical disc drive  520 . However, the control CPU  850  can control the LCD combo  1000  such that an image represented by the video signals supplied from the tuner  810  is displayed on the screen  100  as it is until receiving a switch signal from the remote control  860 . 
         [0024]    In addition, a camera lens  891  and a sensor  895  are provided in the vicinity of the disc insertion port  510 . Video signals output from the above components and signals output from the sensor  895  are sent to the control CPU  850 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a process performed when the optical disc  500  is inserted into the LCD combo  1000 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , in step S 401 , a user views and listens contents represented by broadcast waves after the contents represented by the video signals (corresponding to the broadcast waves) sent from the tuner  810  are displayed on the screen  100 . During that, the user pushes down a DVD button (not shown) or a BD button (not shown) of the LCD combo  1000  or the remote control  860 . Consequently, in step S 402 , the control CPU  850  detects a signal output from the remote control  860 , which corresponds to the DVD button or the BD button, via the remote control signal receiving unit  870 . At that time, the control CPU  850  changes contents displayed on the entire screen  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , which are represented by the broadcast waves, to those displayed on the screen  100 , which are illustrated in  FIG. 2 . That is, in step S 403 , (the illustration of) the disc insertion screen  150  is displayed on a part of the screen  100 . The disc insertion port  510  provided in the right-side surface of the LCD combo  1000 , as viewed in  FIG. 2 , and a part of the optical disc  500  are displayed on the disc insertion screen  150  with illustrations thereof including an illustration  505  of the optical disc such that the subsequent operation can easily be understood by the user. In order to facilitate the user to smoothly insert the optical disc  500  into the disc insertion port  510  of the LCD combo  1000 , the illustration of the disc insertion port  510  displayed on the disk insertion screen  150  is shown such that the disk insertion screen  150  is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the screen  100  and that the illustration  505  of the optical disc is substantially equal to the optical disc  500  in size. 
         [0026]    In step S 404 , the control CPU  850  checks information sent from the optical disc drive  520 , which represents whether the optical disc  500  is inserted into the optical disc drive  520 . If the optical disc  500  is inserted thereinto (Yes in step S 404 ), the optical disc drive  520  is caused to operate. Then, in step S 405 , the determination of the type of the optical disc, i.e., which of a DVD disc and a BD disc the optical disc is, the reproduction of the video signals recorded on the optical disc  500 , and the like are performed. In step S 406 , the supply or output of a video signal from the tuner  810  is stopped to prevent an image represented by the video signal from being displayed on the screen  100 . 
         [0027]    Because the control CPU  850  confirms that the optical disc  500  is inserted into the optical disc drive  520 , the user has been able to properly insert the optical disc  500  into the disc insertion port  510 . Consequently, the video signals read from the optical disc  500  can be reproduced. Then, the supporting of the user&#39;s insertion of the optical disc  500  by displaying the disc insertion screen  150  is completed. Thus, in step S 407 , the display (see  FIG. 2 ) of the disk insertion screen  150  is erased. Then, contents displayed on the screen  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  are returned to original contents displayed thereon. 
         [0028]    If the optical disc  500  is not inserted thereinto (No in step S 404 ), the control CPU  850  determines that although the user pushes down the DVD button (not shown) or the BD button (not shown) attached to the LCD combo  1000  or the remote control  860 , the user stops inserting thereinto the optical disc (the DVD disc or the BD disc)  500 . Then, the screen  100  including the disc insertion screen  150  illustrated in  FIG. 2  is returned to those displayed on the original screen  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  (i.e., the contents represented by the broadcast waves, which are displayed on the entire screen  100 ). Thus, in step S 410 , the illustration of the disk insertion screen  150  illustrated in  FIG. 2  is erased. The process returns to step S 401 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 5A  is a diagram illustrating positional relationship among a camera lens  891 , a sensor  895  illustrated in  FIG. 3  and the disc insertion port  510  of the LCD combo  1000 . This example is provided with the camera lens  891  and the sensor  895  in the vicinity of the disc insertion portion  510 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5A . 
         [0030]    Consequently, the sensor  895  can detect whether the optical disc  500  approaches the disk insertion port  510 . In addition, it can be displayed using the camera lens  891  at what position the optical disc  500  is located with respect to the disk insertion port  510 .  FIG. 5B  illustrates an example in which the disc insertion port  510  and the optical disc  500  are displayed on the disc insertion screen  150 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating a process in the case of inserting the optical disc  500  into the LC combo  1000  utilizing the camera lens  891  and the sensor  895 . 
         [0032]    Each operation in the process illustrated in  FIG. 6 , which is the same as that in the process illustrated in  FIG. 4 , is designated with the same reference numeral as that used to designate an associated operation in the process illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Thus, the description of such an operation is omitted. Referring to  FIG. 6 , in step S 401 , a user views and listens contents represented by the broadcast waves. During that, in step S 602 , the control CPU  850  appropriately checks signals output from the sensor  895 . The sensor  895  is configured such that when an object (in this case, the optical disc  500  to be inserted into the disc insertion port  510  of the LCD combo  1000  is assumed to be the object) comes closer thereto, the sensor  895  outputs signals. 
         [0033]    When receiving a signal from the sensor  895  (Yes in step S 602 ), the control CPU  850  activates the camera lens  891  and causes the camera lens  891  to take an image of the vicinity of the disc insertion port  510 . In addition, the screen  100  (contents represented by the broadcast waves are displayed in the entire screen  100 ) illustrated in  FIG. 1  is changed to the screen  100  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In step S 603 , an image (see, e.g.,  FIG. 5B ) sent from the camera lens  891  on the disc insertion screen  150  is displayed in step S 603 . 
         [0034]    If No in step S 404 , the control CPU  850  determines that the user stops inserting the optical disc  500  into the LCD component  1000 . Thus, the control CPU  850  changes the screen  100  including the disc insertion screen  150  illustrated in  FIG. 2  to the screen  100  (the contents represented by the broadcast waves are displayed on the entire screen  100 ) illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Thus, in step S 610 , the disc insertion screen  150  (on which an image sent from the camera is displayed) is erased illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Consequently, the process returns to step S 401 . When the optical disc  500  is inserted into the optical disc drive  520 , in step S 607 , the disc insertion screen  150  (on which the image sent from the camera is displayed) is erased. 
         [0035]    If No in step S 602 , in step S 402 , the control CPU  850  checks a signal sent from the remote control  860  corresponding to the DVD button or the BD button through the remote control signal receiving unit  870 , similarly to step S 402  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . If the DVD button or the BD button (not shown) attached to the LCD combo  1000  or the remote control  860  is pushed down (Yes in step S 402 ), in step S 603 , the control CPU  850  can cause the image sent from the camera lens  891  to be displayed. 
         [0036]    Accordingly, an image sent from the camera lens  891  is prevented from being displayed due to false recognition by the sensor  895  (e.g., when the user applies his hand over his body in order to touch the back surface of the LCD combo  1000 ) the vicinity of the disc insertion port  510 . 
         [0037]    While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.