Patent Publication Number: US-2009233643-A1

Title: Communication terminal

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a communication terminal having remote control functions for televisions and video output functions. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Conventionally, there are cellular telephones with remote control functions, as devices provided with a function of a remote control for televisions and a function of a communication terminal (for example, see Patent Document 1). 
     In the cellular telephone remote control system disclosed in Patent Document 1, by pressing a set number on numeric buttons of the telephone, the remote control function for a household electrical appliance comprising a control target device, desired by an operator, stored in the remote control storage IC can be carried out, so that it is possible to use the remote control functions for a plurality of kinds of household electrical appliances using one telephone alone. 
     The above cellular telephone remote control system refers to switching the communication terminal function and the remote control function by pressing a function mode switching use switch, and the remote control function cannot be automatically activated. 
     Meanwhile, when cellular telephone terminals having the video output function that has recently become commercially practical, video-outputs moving images or static images to a television to display, a remote control apparatus dedicated to the television is used to perform operations on the television side such as power supply, ON/OFF, volume adjustment, channel selection and image quality adjustment. 
     Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-78977 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by the Invention 
     Such a conventional cellular telephone remote control system provides a configuration where the remote control function is simply added to the cellular telephone, and so when alternately performing the operation of the terminal and the operation of a remote control target device such as a television, there is a problem that it is necessary to switch between the terminal function and remote control function by pressing a switching use switch, resulting in a problem of inconvenience. 
     The present invention is provided in view of the above problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a communication terminal which enables easy operations of a video-output target device upon video-output by the communication terminal. 
     Means for Solving the Problem 
     The communication terminal according to the present invention adopts a configuration including: a remote control section that transmits a control signal for controlling a control target device; a video outputting section that outputs a video signal; a detecting section that detects whether a video output cable for connecting the video outputting section and the control target device is connected or disconnected; and a control section that starts the remote control section when the detecting section detects connection of the video output cable. 
     The present invention is a program for executing on a computer the steps of: detecting whether a video output cable for connecting a video outputting section that outputs a video signal and a control target device is connected or disconnected; and starting a remote control section that, when connection of the video output cable is detected, transmits a control signal for controlling the control target device. 
     Advantageous Effect of the Invention 
     The present invention can automatically use the remote control function by connecting and disconnecting a video output cable, and easily operate a communication terminal and television at the same time without, for example, pressing a switching use switch by the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a communication terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an appearance of the communication terminal according to the above embodiment; and 
         FIG. 3  shows appearances of the communication terminal according to the above embodiment and a television receiver. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 1 , communication terminal  100  having remote control functions and video output functions has cable connection/disconnection detecting section  101  which detects whether a video output cable is connected or disconnected, video signal outputting section  102  which converts moving images or static images inside the communication terminal to video signals and outputting the signals outsider infrared ray emitting section  103  which outputs control signals supporting remote control functions of various kinds of product manufacturers, liquid crystal display section  104  which displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface), control section  105  which controls the entire apparatus and each section, and key inputting section  106  for operating the communication terminal and the remote control function. 
     Television receiver  200  has video signal inputting section  201  and infrared ray receiving section  202 . 
     Infrared ray emitting section  103  and infrared ray receiving section  202  are I/O ports for performing optical communication according to standards for data transmission using infrared rays such as IrDA (Infrared Data Association) and ASK. In addition, instead of infrared rays, an aspect may be possible where wireless communication is performed using radio signals. 
     Control section  105  is formed with a microcomputer, and controls starting and stopping of video signal outputting section  102  based on connection or disconnection of video output cable  150  detected by cable connection/disconnection detecting section  101 . Control section  105  further includes the GUT displaying OSD (On Screen Display) function for generating a GUI for operation information of a control target device or related information of video signal output, and displays the operation information of the control target device and the related information of video signal output such as a volume on the screen of liquid crystal display section  104 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an appearance of above communication terminal  100 .  FIG. 3  shows appearances of above communication terminal  100  and television receiver  200 . These drawings show an example of applying a cellular telephone/PHS (Personal Handy-Phone System) as the communication terminal of this embodiment and a television receiver as a video-output target device. 
     In  FIGS. 2 and 3 , cellular telephone (communication terminal)  300  has LCD display section  301 , key inputting section  302 , built-in speaker  303  for terminal for receiving a call, infrared ray emitting section  304 , and video signal output terminal  305 . 
     LCD display section  301  is formed with an LCD display having a dot-matrix configuration, PDP as backlight, EL and various drivers. LCD display section  301  displays various menus for telephone functions, and icons showing operation states of the telephone functions In the remote control function mode and video output function mode, LCD display section  301  displays various operation information and volume adjusting GUI. 
     Key inputting section  302  includes telephone function key  311  for receiving a call, sending a call, switching between telephone functions and determining the operation, mode key  312  for switching various functions, cursor key  313  for moving a selection target up, down, left and/or right, and dial keys  314  for dialing telephone numbers. Cursor key  313  includes up key  313   a  and down key  313   b.    
     In  FIG. 3 , television receiver  400  has display section  401 , built-in speaker  402  for television and video signal input terminal  403 . Video signal output terminal  305  of cellular telephone  300  and video signal input terminal  403  of television receiver  400  are connected using video output cable  350 , and cellular telephone  300  outputs a video signal to television receiver  400  upon video-output. Television receiver  400  has a control microcomputer, and displays information of channels, time and volume on a television screen by OSD generation function section (not shown). Generally, an imaging apparatus such as a television and electronic devices for the video conference system display information of a channel, time and volume on a television screen. The data of OS is not an image and is stored in the format called “bit map.” This bit map is converted into pixel values in YUV format represented by Y, Cb and Cr, and the converted pixels are overlaid upon a source image of television broadcast. 
     The operation of communication terminal  100  configured as described above will be described below. 
     In  FIG. 1 , when key inputting section  106  receives an input for playing back moving images or static images, control section  105  displays the image stored inside communication terminal  100 , on liquid crystal display section  104 . At this point, liquid crystal display section  104  displays the image together with the GUT showing operation methods of, for example, playing back, stopping, and forwarding the image. A specific example of displaying the GUT will be described later with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     Next, the operation upon connection of video output cable  105  will be described. 
     When video output cable  150  is connected to video signal outputting section  102 , cable connection/disconnection detecting  101  detects and reports that video output cable  150  is connected, to control section  105 . Upon receiving the report of cable connection from cable connection/disconnection detecting section  101 , control section  105  outputs a video output image from video signal outputting section  102  to video signal inputting section  201  of television receiver  200  through video output cable  150 . 
     Further, by receiving the report of cable connection from cable connection/disconnection detecting section  101 , control section  105  starts infrared ray emitting section  103 , and displays the GUT showing the operation method of a television remote control on liquid crystal display section  104 . At this point, control section  105  displays both the GUT showing the operation methods of the terminal such as playing back, stopping and forwarding the image, and the GUI showing the operation method of the television remote control. The user can operate both communication terminal  100  and remote control functions by operating key inputting section  106  according to the GUI. 
     Next, the operation upon disconnection of video output cable  150  will be described. 
     When video output cable  150  is disconnected from video signal outputting section  102 , cable connection/disconnection detecting section  101  detects and reports that video output cable  150  is disconnected, to control section  105 . Upon receiving the report of cable disconnection from cable connection/disconnection detecting section  101 , control section  105  suspends image transfer to video signal outputting section  102  and stops video signal output. 
     Further, by receiving the report of cable disconnection from cable connection/disconnection detecting section  101 , control section  105  deletes the GUI showing the operation method of the television remote control displayed on liquid crystal display section  104 , and stops the operation of infrared ray emitting section  103 . Consequently, the user can operate communication terminal  100  alone by operating key inputting section  106  according to the GUI. 
     Next, an operation will be described when video output cable  150  is connected in advance and key inputting section  106  receives an input for playing back moving images or static images. 
     After the cable connection is reported from cable connection/disconnection detecting section  101 , control section  105  outputs the image to video signal inputting section  201  of television receiver  200  through video signal outputting section  102 , starts infrared ray emitting section  103  and displays the GUT showing the operation method of the television remote control on liquid crystal display section  104 . At this time, the operations of receiving the GUT display and key input are the same as for the operation as described above. Subsequently, when video output cable  150  is connected and the video signal output is stopped, control section  105  stops the operation of infrared ray emitting section  103 . 
     Specific examples of the GUT will be described with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an example of the volume adjusting GUI when video output is not carried out. When the mode switches to the video output function mode by, for example, operating mode key  312 , cellular telephone  300  switches from the normal telephone communication function and displays volume adjusting GUI  320  for terminal shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , LCD display section  301  of cellular telephone  300  displays video output image  321 , volume adjusting GUI  320  for terminal, showing the volume operation method and software keys  322  and  323  for commanding a stop and execution of video output. 
     The user can adjust the volume outputted from built-in speaker  303  for terminal by pressing up key  313   a  or down key  313   b  of cursor key  313  of key inputting section  302  according to volume adjusting GUI  320  for terminal, showing the volume operation method displayed on LCD display section  301 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an example of a case where cellular telephone  300  and television receiver  400  are connected using video output cable  350 . As described above, when video output cable  350  is connected to video signal output terminal  305  of cellular telephone  300 , a video output image is outputted to television receiver  400  through video output cable  350 . 
     When video-output is carried out, GUI  330  for adjusting the volume is displayed on LCD display section  301  of cellular telephone  300 . Upon starting video-output, this volume adjusting GUI  330  for television is automatically switched from volume adjusting GUI  320  for terminal shown in  FIG. 2  and is displayed. The example of the volume adjusting GUI in  FIG. 3  shows that the volume outputted from built-in speaker  303  for terminal can be adjusted by up key  313   a  or increasing the volume and down key  313   b  for decreasing the volume. Here, volume adjusting GUI  320  for television shown in  FIG. 2  and volume adjusting GUI  330  for terminal shown in  FIG. 3  use the same key operations of increasing the volume using up key  313   a  and decreasing the volume using down key  313   b , and so the user can adjust the volume according to circumstances using the same key operations without depending on whether or not the adjustment is carried out in the middle of video-output. The user&#39;s key operation using up key  313   a  or down key  313   b  is converted into a remote control signal, and this signal is transmitted from infrared ray emitting section  304  to an infrared ray receiving section (not shown) of television receiver  400  to adjust the volume of television receiver  400 . 
     As described above, according to this embodiment, when, upon video-output from communication terminal  100  to television receiver  200 , video output cable  150  is connected to the communication terminal, infrared ray emitting section  103  is automatically started inside the communication terminal, power supply control of television receiver  200 , video-input switching and volume adjustment are enabled by operating communication terminal  100 , so that the user can easily operate the communication terminal and the television at the same time without, for example, pressing a switching use switch. 
     The above descriptions only illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the invention is not limited to this. For example, although a case has been described as an example where the cellular telephone is applied as the communication terminal and the television receiver is applied as the control target device, a communication terminal is not limited to the cellular telephone, and is applicable to portable information terminals such as PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) with the information communication function, personal computers, and computer-integrated apparatuses. Further, in addition to the above television receiver, the control target device may be applied to CS, 110 degree digital broadcast receiving apparatuses, further, electronic apparatuses other than the television receivers, for example, personal computers enabling built-in/connection of a digital broadcast tuner, and digital broadcast receiving apparatuses of cellular telephones. Furthermore, this communication apparatus may transmit data received and stored in, for example, a video record and play back apparatus (control target apparatus) other than the television receiver. 
     Further, the examples of displaying the GUT in  FIGS. 2 and 3  are one example, and any display formats may be possible. 
     Furthermore, although the communication terminal is used in this embodiment for ease of explanation, the communication terminal may be read as a cellular telephone, cellular telephone remote control apparatus and video output apparatus. 
     Still furthermore, the type, number and connection method of circuit sections such as the video signal outputting section forming the above communication terminal are not limited to the above embodiment. 
     Moreover, the communication terminal described above is also realized by a program for functioning the communication terminal. This program is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. 
     The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-193688, filed on Jul. 1, 2005, entire content of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The communication terminal according to the present invention is useful as a communication terminal having remote control functions for various types of household electrical appliances and the video output function.