Patent Publication Number: US-2011078748-A1

Title: Television and control method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0090934, filed on Sep. 25, 2009 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     Apparatuses and methods consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to a television and a control method thereof, and more particularly to an interactive television and a control method thereof. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A plurality of televisions may be used in a definite place. For example, a hotel, a hospital, a school, or the like place has televisions in respective rooms. Further, one home may have a plurality of televisions as digital technologies have recently been developed and the standard of living has become more prosperous. 
     Televisions typically have parameters that may be set by a user. In a system including a plurality of televisions, it takes much effort and time for a user to control the respective setting items of the televisions one by one. Moreover, a user is more prone to make errors in setting items on the televisions one by one. 
     SUMMARY 
     One or more exemplary embodiments provide a television and a control method thereof, in which a plurality of televisions can be controlled simultaneously. 
     One or more exemplary embodiments provide a television and a control method thereof, in which a user setting item can be changed not manually but automatically. 
     According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a television including a communication unit which can communicate with external televisions; and a controller which detects, through the communication unit, data about a user setting item set in a television communicatable through the communication unit, and changes a user setting item based on the detected data. 
     The controller may change the user setting item if a batch change function to change the user setting item of the communicatable televisions in a lump is set up. 
     The controller may receive information about a time at which the user setting item is set up through the communication unit, and change the user setting item based on the latest setup data among the detected data. 
     An order of priority may be given among the communicatable televisions, so that the controller changes the user setting item based on data set up in the television having a highest priority. 
     The television may further include a user input unit to receive input of a user, wherein the controller searches the televisions communicatable through the communication unit and sets up the television selected through the user input unit among the searched televisions as a target television in which the batch change function is performed. 
     The user setting item may include at least one of power on/off, a channel map, a channel change, a video setting item, and an audio setting item. 
     The television may further include a user input unit to select the user setting item to which the batch change function is applied. 
     If the user setting item is changed, the controller may transmit changed data about the user setting item to the communicatable television. 
     If the user setting item is changed, the controller may store data about the changed user setting item and a time at which the data is changed, so that it is possible to easily detect that the user setting item of another television is changed. 
     The television may further include a user interface to inform of the changed user setting item. 
     According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a control method of a television including a communication unit, the control method including: detecting data about a user setting item set in a television communicatable through the communication unit; and changing a user setting item based on the detected data. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a television system according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a control block diagram of a television of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  show examples of user setting items according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a television system according to another exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a control block diagram of a television of  FIGS. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is a control flowchart for explaining an example of a control method of the television of  FIG. 4  according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Below, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings so as to be easily realized by a person having ordinary knowledge in the art. The inventive concept may be embodied in various forms without being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Descriptions of well-known parts are omitted for clarity, and like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a television system according to an exemplary embodiment, and  FIG. 2  is a control block diagram of a television of  FIG. 1 . In this exemplary embodiment, a television is described among electronic apparatuses, but not limited thereto. Any electronic apparatus can be used herein as long as a user setting item to be set by a user is shared and the electronic apparatus is one of a plurality of interactive electronic apparatuses which is able to bidirectional communicate. For example, the inventive concept may be applied to computer systems, set-top boxes, printers or scanners connected via a network, wired or wireless phones, and various home appliances. 
     As shown therein, a plurality of televisions A, B, C, D, and E are connected via a network for communication. Each television A, B, C, D, and E communicates with another external television, and receives data about the user setting item. Here, the user setting item denotes various setting items controllable by a user. For example, the user setting item may include a power on/off, a channel map, a channel change, a video setting item, or an audio setting item, or some combination thereof. However, the user setting item is not limited to these, and the user setting item may include any item that is changeable by a user. Additionally, the user setting item may vary according to the type of electronic apparatus, and may include specific changeable items that the electronic apparatus supports. Here, it is not necessary to provide the same kinds of plural televisions A, B, C, D and E, but the plurality of televisions A, B, C, D, and E are each capable of receiving data on the basis of protocol via a network and of sharing the changeable user setting items. For example, there may be used the plurality of televisions A, B, C, D, and E produced by one manufacturer. Such a television system may be installed in a hotel, a hospital, a school or a similar location, or be on display in a large shop or the like. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , each television A, B, C, D, and E includes a broadcast receiver  10 , a signal processor  20 , a display unit  30 , a communication unit  40 , and a controller  50  controlling the broadcast receiver  10 , the signal processor  20 , and the communication unit  40 . The controller  50  may alternatively control the display unit  30 . 
     The broadcast receiver  10  is tuned to a channel frequency under control of the controller  50 , and receives a broadcasting signal of a corresponding channel. The broadcast receiver  10  includes a channel detection module (not shown) and a radio frequency (RF) demodulation module (not shown). 
     The signal processor  20  processes the received broadcasting signal and displays the processed broadcasting signal on the display unit  30 . When the user setting item is changed under the control of the controller  50 , the signal processor  20  processes the broadcasting signal on the basis of the changed user setting items. The signal processor  20  may include, for example, a demultiplexer, a video decoder, an audio decoder, etc., but these components are not shown. 
     The display unit  30  includes a display panel (not shown) on which an image is displayed, and a panel driver (not shown) for driving the display panel. The display panel may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel, a plasma display panel (PDP), or the like. 
     Further, each television A, B, C, D, and E may have a speaker (not shown). 
     The communication unit  40  communicates with another external television under the control of the controller  50 . The communication unit  40  may be achieved by various wired and/or wireless communication modules, operating at various frequencies, such as local area network (LAN), Bluetooth, radio frequency (RF), serial communication, or Ethernet, or some combination thereof. 
     The controller  50  detects data of one or more user setting items set in the televisions communicatable through the communication unit  40  and changes the user setting items on the basis of the detected data if a batch change function to change the user setting items of the communicatable televisions in a lump is selected. Here, the batch change function refers to that when one or more user setting items is set up or changed in one television, the user setting items of the other televisions are also changed in a lump. If a user changes one or more user setting items of a television among the plurality of televisions, the user setting items of the other televisions are also changed, so that there is no need of performing a changing operation for the plurality of televisions one by one. 
     In the related art, the televisions provided in a hotel, a school, a shop, or a similar place are individually used by many users, but all have to be managed and controlled by a specific main agent. In this case, a user setting item that is changed in a certain television is stored in a storage medium and then backed up to the other televisions one by one, so that it is very cumbersome and inconvenient. 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the user setting item for televisions A, B, C, D and E is automatically changed, that is, undergoes a batch change function to be automatically undated. There is no master and no slave among the plurality of communicatable televisions. Each television can communicate with another television one to one. The controller  50  receives data about the user setting item that is set in another television in real time through the communication unit  40 , and determines whether a present user setting item is different from that of the other television, on the basis of the detected data. In result, if the user setting item of the other television was changed, the controller  50  changes its own present user setting item correspondingly. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  show examples of user setting items according to an exemplary embodiment, in which  FIG. 3A  shows a channel map of tunable channels, and  FIG. 3B  shows a channel map of favorite channels. The user setting items shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  may be user setting items of the television of  FIG. 2 . For example, referring to  FIG. 3A , if the present channel map includes a channel No. 5 but the channel No. 5 is deleted from another channel map detected from another television, the controller  50  deletes the channel No. 5 from its own channel map. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , information received from another television may include not only data about the user setting items but also time information (for example, PM 09:40) at which the user setting item is changed. Using the time information, the controller  50  may change the user setting item on the basis of the latest setup data among the detected data. 
     In order to provide information about a user setting item that is changed in the present television to another television, the controller  50  controls the changed data with regard to the user setting item and the change time of the data to be stored if the user setting item is changed by a user or changed corresponding to the change of another television. 
       FIG. 3B  relates to a favorite channel map in which favorite channels are stored. If a channel No. 100 is added to the favorite channel map through a certain television, the favorite channel maps of the other televisions among the communicatable televisions may be changed correspondingly. 
     Thus, in the television system including the plurality of televisions, the user setting items can be automatically changed by the batch change function, thereby relieving the burden on a user, decreasing the possibility of an error generated when user setting items are individually changed, and reducing time and effort above all. 
     According to another exemplary embodiment, an order of priority may be given to the communicatable televisions on which the batch change function acts. In this case, the controller  50  detects the data about the user setting item changed in the television for a certain period of time, and then changes the user setting item according to the order of priority. For example, if, within a period of, for example, one minute, the user setting items are changed in three separate televisions, the controller  50  may perform a batch change to change the three televisions to the user setting items of the television having the highest priority. 
     Further, in a case in which the user setting items are changed in the plurality of televisions at the same time, the changed data about the user setting items may be different from one another. For instance, if the television A is changed to increase a volume and at the same time the television B is changed to delete a volume, the data comes into conflict with each other. In this case, the controller  50  may change the user setting items on the basis of the data set in the television having the higher priority according to the order of priority set between the television A and the television B. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a television system according to another exemplary embodiment, and  FIG. 5  is a control block diagram of a television in  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the television in this exemplary embodiment further includes a user input unit  60  and a user interface  70 . 
     The user input unit  60  receives a user&#39;s input for setting up the batch change function. The user input unit  60  includes an interface module (not shown) to be manipulated by a user, and a receiving module (not shown) to output a control signal corresponding to a user&#39;s manipulation to the controller  50 . The user input unit  60  may be achieved by various buttons, a remote controller having various buttons, a touch panel capable of receiving a user&#39;s selection through a pointing device, or the like. 
     Using the user input unit  60 , the communication unit  40  and the controller  50 , a user sets up target televisions in which the batch change function can be performed, and selects one or more user setting items to which the batch change function is applied. Referring to  FIG. 1 , four televisions B, C, D and E are communicatable with a present television A. However, as shown in  FIG. 4 , a user may select the televisions D and E among televisions A, B, C, D, and E (refer to  FIG. 4 ) to enable the batch change function. That is, only the televisions A, D and E are set up as target televisions, so that the batch change function can be performed in only the three televisions. A user may also change the target televisions to a different set, or may release a television from being included in the batch change function. 
     Also, a user may change, for example, add and delete one or more user setting items, to which the batch change function is applied, as desired. For example, a function of turning on/off the target televisions in a lump may be advantageous for a television system being on shown in a shop, and a function of intercepting a certain channel or limiting a maximum volume of sound may be advantageous for a television system installed in a hospital. 
     Further, a user may set up, release and change the order of priority among the televisions in which the batch change function is performed. 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the television further includes the user interface  70  for informing a user that the user setting item is changed. The user interface  70  may be achieved by a graphic user interface (GUI) generator that generates a graphic user interface, a sound unit that gives a beep, a lamp that produces light, or the like. Also, the user interface  70  may inform a user that a certain user setting item is deleted or changed, or that a certain user setting item may not be set up by the user, that is, a permission. 
     Also, a user may set up a specific time at which the batch time function is implemented. For example, the batch change function may be released from PM 10:00 to AM 06:00, but activated for other times. Alternatively, the controller  50  may transmit the user setting item changed by a user to a different television along with or independently of detecting the user setting item of the different television. That is, if a certain user setting item is changed by a user, other televisions are informed of the changed user setting item, thereby enhancing efficiency of the batch change function and reducing an error. This is advantageous in light of reconfirming the changed user setting item. 
       FIG. 6  is a control flowchart for explaining a control method of the television in  FIG. 4 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , a control method of the television in this exemplary embodiment is as follows. 
     Through the user input unit  60 , the communication unit  40 , and the controller  50 , a user first sets up the batch change function to change the user setting items of the communicatable televisions in a lump. An operation of setting up the batch change function includes searching for communicable televisions (S 10 ); and setting up target televisions (S 20 ), in which the batch change function is performed, among the searched televisions. A user may select all the searched televisions as the target televisions, and the user input unit  60  may have a function key for selecting the target televisions. Alternatively, the user may select a portion of the searched televisions as the target televisions. 
     At operation S 30 , one or more user setting items to which the batch change function is to be applied is set up, thereby setting up the batch change function. 
     At operation S 40 , the controller  50  detects the data about the one or more user setting items set in the target televisions and the information about time at which the user setting item is set up, in real time, that is, in very short cycles. 
     At operation S 50 , the controller  50  changes the user setting items on the basis of the latest setup data among the detected data. Depending on the type of user setting item that is changed, video and audio signals may be changed by the signal processor  20  on the basis of the user setting items changed. 
     At operation S 60 , the controller  50  controls the user interface  70  to inform a user of any changed user setting items. 
     As described above, according to exemplary embodiments, there are provided a television and a control method thereof, in which a plurality of televisions can be controlled simultaneously. 
     Also, according to exemplary embodiments, there are provided a television and a control method thereof, in which a user setting item can be changed not manually but automatically. 
     Further, according to exemplary embodiments, there are provided a television and a control method thereof, in which time and effort to be taken in changing the user setting item can be reduced. 
     Meanwhile, according to exemplary embodiments, there are provided a television and a control method thereof, in which an error in changing the user setting item can be decreased. 
     Although a few exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.