Patent ID: 8159618

Claim:
A method for searching a signal source in a multimedia apparatus having a plurality of signal terminals, the method comprising the steps of: providing an ordered search list of the signal terminals in which search sequence of the signal terminals is saved; sequentially detecting the signal terminals according to the ordered search list of the signal terminals to decide whether an input signal is available thereat, wherein the step, of sequentially detecting the signal terminals according to the ordered search list of the signal terminals to decide whether an input signal is available thereat comprises: eliminating a lock signal terminal in the ordered search list of the signal terminals when the lock signal terminal in the signal terminals is closed; setting a specific signal terminal as the first specific signal terminal and setting a sequence position of the first specific signal terminal as the first sequence position in the ordered search list of the signal terminals when the first specific signal terminal among the signal terminals is found to have an input signal, wherein the step of setting a sequence position of the first specific signal terminal as the first sequence position in the ordered search list of the signal terminals comprises: sequentially moving all the signal terminals prior to the first specific signal terminal in the ordered search list of the signal terminals after the first specific signal terminal, while keeping the sequence of all the signal terminals behind the first specific signal terminal in the ordered search list of the signal terminals unchanged.