Patent Abstract:
A television capable of performing a reminder function is disclosed. The television includes a reminder sound displaying unit and a processor. The processor is electrically connected to the reminder sound displaying unit. The processor is responsible for determining whether a reminder time is reached or not. After the reminder time is reached, the processor controls the reminder sound displaying unit to generate a reminder sound.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to televisions (TVs), and more particularly, to a TV capable of performing a reminder function. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A television (TV) is a kind of electronic device that can be used to display audio and video data received from various types of sources. Some conventional TVs are capable of performing a reminder function. By using the remote control of a TV of this kind, the TV user is able to select a planned chore from a chore list preset in the TV. The user can also set a reminder time corresponding to the selected planned chore. After the reminder time set by the user is reached, the TV will display a reminder text corresponding to the selected planned chore on the TV screen. 
     If, however, the user is preoccupied with other matters, such as reading, or if they need to leave their seat for a short time, they will miss the visual message displayed on the screen. Therefore, the reminder message function is ineffective. 
     Furthermore, in a conventional TV capable of performing the reminder function, the number of selectable chores preset in the TV is always limited. These chores are determined by the TV designers and stored in the TV in advance. They may not always encompass all possible chores the user requires, and the user interface of the TV is not complex enough to allow the user to personally input information for a specific chore. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the claimed invention, a TV capable of performing a reminder function is disclosed. The TV comprises a reminder sound displaying unit and a processor, where the processor is electrically connected to the reminder sound displaying unit. The processor is responsible for determining whether a reminder time corresponding to a setting value has been reached. Once the reminder time is reached, the processor controls the reminder sound displaying unit to generate a reminder sound. 
     According to the claimed invention, a TV capable of performing a reminder function is disclosed. The TV comprises a video displaying unit, an audio recording unit, and a processor. The video displaying unit displays a program video. The audio recording unit records a reminder sound to generate recorded audio data. The processor is electrically connected to the video displaying unit and the audio recording unit, and is responsible for performing voice-recognition on the recorded audio data to generate corresponding textual data. The processor further controls the video displaying unit to display reminder text corresponding to the textual data once a reminder time, corresponding to a setting value, is reached. 
     According to the claimed invention, a TV capable of performing a reminder function is disclosed. The TV comprises a video displaying unit, a processor, a receiving interface, and a remote control. The video displaying unit displays a program video. The processor is electrically connected to the video displaying unit, and is responsible for performing voice-recognition on recorded audio data to generate corresponding textual data. The processor further controls the video displaying unit to display reminder text corresponding to the textual data once a reminder time corresponding to a setting value is reached. The receiving interface is electrically connected to the processor, and is responsible for receiving the recorded audio data and the setting value from the remote control. The remote control is coupled to the receiving interface. The remote control comprises an audio recording unit for recording a reminder sound to generate the recorded audio data. In addition, the remote control further generates the setting value and sends the recorded audio data and the setting value to the receiving interface. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a TV according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a TV according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a TV according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a TV  100  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the TV  100  comprises a processor  112 , a video displaying unit  114 , an audio displaying unit  116 , a buzzer  118 , a timer  120 , a receiving interface  122 , and a remote control  160 . The processor  112 , which is electrically connected to the buzzer  118 , is a unit that controls the operations of the interior components of the TV  100 . The video displaying unit  114  is for displaying a program video. The audio displaying unit  116  is for generating a program sound. The buzzer  118  can be viewed as a reminder sound displaying unit of the TV  100 . The remote control  160  allows a user of the TV  100  to perform basic control operations, such as power on, power off, channel switching, and volume adjustment. In addition, the remote control  160  further allows the user to set a reminder time. The reminder time indicates a scheduled time when a planned chore should be performed by the user. The remote control  160  converts the reminder time inputted by the user into a setting value, and then sends the setting value to the receiving interface  122 . 
     The setting value received by the receiving interface  122  enables the processor  112  to determine the reminder time, and by utilizing the timer  120 , the processor  112  can determine when the reminder time has been reached. Before the reminder time is reached, the TV  100  performs ordinary Audio/Video displaying functions, i.e. it operates as a conventional TV. Once the reminder time is reached, the processor  112  will control the buzzer  118  (which constitutes a reminder sound displaying unit of the TV  100 ) to generate a reminder sound (such as a buzzer sound), as well as controlling the TV  100  to continue performing the ordinary Audio/Video displaying functions. Once the TV  100  user hears the buzzer sound, the goal of reminding the user has been achieved. 
       FIG. 2  shows a TV  200  according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the first embodiment, in the second embodiment the TV  200  comprises a processor  212 , a video displaying unit  214 , an audio displaying unit  216 , a timer  220 , a receiving interface  222 , and a remote control  260 . The functions of these components are respectively similar to that of the processor  112 , the video displaying unit  114 , the audio displaying unit  116 , the timer  120 , the receiving interface  122 , and the remote control  160  of the first embodiment. In addition, the TV  200  further comprises a storage unit  224 , which can be implemented by a memory, a hard disc, a re-writable disc, or other kinds of storage devices. The storage unit  224  is utilized to store at least one voice data candidate. By utilizing the remote control  260 , the user can set a reminder time of a planned chore. The remote control  260  converts the reminder time into a setting value, and sends the setting value to the receiving interface  222 . Additionally, the user can select one voice data candidate from the voice data candidates stored in the storage unit  224  as default audio data by utilizing the remote control  260 . In this embodiment, at least one speaker of the audio displaying unit  216  has dual roles. More specifically, before the reminder time is reached, the processor  212  controls at least one speaker to generate a program sound. Once the reminder time is reached, the processor  212  controls the speaker to stop generating the program sound and to start generating a reminder sound according to the default audio data. In this situation, the speaker can be viewed as a reminder sound displaying unit of the TV  200 . Once the TV  200  user hears the reminder sound, the goal of reminding the user has been achieved. 
       FIG. 3  shows a TV  300  according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the second embodiment, in the third embodiment the TV  300  comprises a processor  312 , a video displaying unit  314 , an audio displaying unit  316 , a timer  320 , a receiving interface  322 , a storage unit  324 , and a remote control  360 . The functions of these components are respectively similar to that of the processor  212 , the video displaying unit  214 , the audio displaying unit  216 , the timer  220 , the receiving interface  222 , the storage unit  224 , and the remote control  260  of the second embodiment. In addition, the TV  300  further comprises an audio recording unit  326 , which may consist of an analog-to-digital converter built inside the TV  300  and an externally connected microphone. The audio recording unit  326  is responsible for recording a reminder sound and generating corresponding recorded audio data. The recorded audio data is then stored in the storage unit  324 . In this embodiment, at least one speaker of the audio displaying unit  316  has dual roles. More specifically, before the reminder time is reached, the processor  312  controls at least one speaker to generate a program sound. Once the reminder time is reached, the processor  312  controls the speaker to stop generating the program sound and to start generating the reminder sound according to the recorded audio data stored in the storage unit  324 . In this situation the speaker can be viewed as a reminder sound displaying unit of the TV  300 . Once the TV  300  user hears the reminder sound, the goal of reminding the user has been achieved. 
     Please note that “using a reminder sound to remind a user” constitutes a characteristic of the third embodiment. In addition, in this embodiment the user is allowed to use the audio recording unit  326  to record the reminder sound. Therefore the reminder sound may specifically detail what kind of chore the user has already planned to do at the reminder time. Furthermore, even when the planned chore is not included in a pre-set list of chores, the user can still record the planned chore by using the audio recording unit  326  of the TV  300 . 
     The third embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  can be slightly altered to become a fourth embodiment of the present invention. For example, the audio recording unit  326  can be built-inside the remote control  360  rather than be directly connected to the processor  312 . A user of the TV  300  can use the audio recording unit  326  built-inside the remote control  360  to record a reminder sound. Recorded audio data corresponding to the reminder sound is generated by the audio recording unit  326  built-inside the remote control  360 . Aside from converting the reminder time set by the user into the setting value and then sending the setting value to the receiving interface  322 , the remote control  360  can further transmit the recorded audio data generated by the audio recording unit  326  to the receiving interface  322 . A more comfortable operational environment is therefore provided to the users of the TV  300 . Please note that to transmit the recorded audio data to the receiving interface  322 , wireless communication technologies such as Blue Tooth can be adopted by the remote control  360  and the receiving interface  322 . 
     Each of the TVs disclosed in the above mentioned four embodiments differs from prior art TVs in that each disclosed TV reminds its user to perform a certain task by generating a reminder sound. Once the reminder time is reached, even if the user&#39;s visual concentration is not focused on the image displayed by the TV, as long as the user can hear the reminder sound generated by the TV, the goal of reminding the user can still be achieved. 
     Please note that once the reminder time is reached, the processor in each of the above mentioned embodiments can control the reminder sound displaying unit to keep on generating the reminder sound until an arbitrary key or a specific key, which may be located on the remote control, is pressed by the user. This mechanism ensures that the user will certainly hear the reminder sound once the reminder time is reached. 
     Furthermore, the TV  300  shown in  FIG. 3  can have an alternative operation manner. Hence, the TV  300  shown in  FIG. 3  can be used to introduce a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the fifth embodiment, each component has functions similar to that of the corresponding component of the third embodiment. The different between the third and fifth embodiments is that in the fifth embodiment, the processor  312  is capable of performing a voice recognition process. Through the voice recognition process, the processor  312  can recognize the information contained in the recorded audio data. The processor  312  then stores the text data, which corresponds to the information contained in the recorded audio data, into the storage unit  320 . Before the reminder time is reached, the processor  312  controls the TV  300  to perform the ordinary Audio/Video displaying processes. Once the reminder time is reached, the processor  312  will control the video displaying unit  314  to display a reminder text according to the textual data stored in the storage unit  320 , as well as controlling the TV  300  to perform the ordinary Audio/Video displaying processes. Even if the number of selectable chores preset in the TV  300  is limited, through using the voice recognition function provided by the TV  300 , the user can still input their specific planned chore into the TV  300 . Once the reminder time is reached, the reminder text will be displayed by the video displaying unit  314 , where the reminder text corresponds to what is spoken by the user. Once the TV  300  user sees the reminder text, the goal of reminding the user has been achieved. 
     The fifth embodiment described above can further be altered to become a sixth embodiment of the present invention. For example, the audio recording unit  326  can be built-inside the remote control  360  rather than be directly connected to the processor  312 . The audio recording unit  326  built-inside the remote control  360  records a reminder sound and generates a recorded audio data accordingly. Aside from converting the reminder time set by the user into the setting value and sending the setting value to the receiving interface  322 , the remote control  360  can further transmit the recorded audio data generated by the built-in audio recording unit  326  to the receiving interface  322 . To transmit the recorded audio data to the receiving interface  322 , wireless communication technology such as Blue Tooth can be adopted by the remote control  360  and the receiving interface  322 . The processor  312  then voice-recognizes the information contained in the recorded audio data to generate the corresponding text data, and stores the text data into the storage unit  320 . Once the reminder time is reached, the processor  312  controls the video displaying unit  314  to additionally display the reminder text according to the textual data stored in the storage unit  320 , as well as controlling the TV  300  to perform ordinary Audio/Video displaying processes. Once the TV  300  user sees the reminder text, the goal of reminding the user has been achieved. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6