Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a TV set and method for managing gain value for each channel. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Traditionally, different audio signals extracted from different broadcasting signals with a TV set have different voltage levels. Thereby when an amplifier of the TV set remains a same gain value, actual audio energy output of each channel differs from each other. The shortcoming of the traditional TV set is that the audio energy output changes when a current channel is changed. Thereby a user needs to manually adjust gain value of the amplifier frequently. 
     In order to solve the problems mentioned, there is an apparatus and method for automatically compensating a gain value of a TV set available in the market. The apparatus and method automatically compensates gain value of the TV set, whereby decreases manual operations for adjusting the gain value of the TV set. The method includes steps of: receiving a command signal for selecting a channel; dividing audio signals of the channel to a sound part and a soundless part; determining if the audio signals relates to music or voice; calculating an audio energy of the audio signals in a predetermined period; comparing an audio energy in a preceding predetermined period with an audio energy in a former predetermined period to calculate a compensation value; and adjusting gain value of the TV set. 
     However, the system and method is rigid and not user friendly. In addition, the apparatus and method mentioned are more complex and need more elements to accomplish, thereby increasing the cost of the TV set. 
     Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to solve said problems, the present invention provides a TV set and method for managing gain value for each channel. 
     The method for managing gain value for each channel of a TV set, includes steps of: receiving a channel selection command for selecting a channel; signaling a tuner to receive broadcasting signals of a corresponding channel in response to the channel selection command; reading a predetermined gain value of the channel from a setting table; updating a default gain value using the predetermined gain value; amplifying and outputting audio signals extracted from the broadcasting signals of the channel according to the default gain value; receiving a gain adjustment command for adjusting a gain value; adjusting the default gain value to an adjusted gain value according to the gain adjustment command; updating the default gain value using the adjusted gain value; signaling a gain control unit to amplify the audio signals of the channel according to the default gain value; calculating an integrated gain value according to the predetermined gain value and the default gain value; and updating the predetermined gain value of the channel using the integrated gain value. 
     The TV set for automatically managing gain value for each channel includes a gain control unit, a command input unit, a tuner, a storage unit, a gain management unit and a central processing unit. The gain control unit amplifies audio signals of each channel of the TV set. The command input unit generates a channel selection command and a gain adjustment command in response to operational inputs. The central processing unit signals the tuner to receive broadcasting signals of a channel corresponding to a channel selection command. The storage unit stores a default gain value and a setting table. A plurality of predetermined gain values of each channel of the TV set are listed in the setting table. 
     The gain management unit includes an obtaining module, a gain adjusting module, a calculating module and a setting module. The obtaining module reads a predetermined gain value of the channel from the setting table, updates the default gain value using the predetermined gain value, and signals the gain control unit to amplify audio signals extracted from the broadcasting signals of the channel according to the default gain value. The gain adjustment module adjusts the default gain value to an adjusted gain value, updates the default gain value using the adjusted gain value, and signals the gain control unit to amplify the audio signals of the channel according to the default gain value, if receiving the gain adjustment command. The calculating module calculates an integrated gain value according to the predetermined gain value and the default gain value. The setting module updates the predetermined gain value of the channel listed in the setting table using the integrated gain value. 
     The TV set for automatically managing gain value for each channel includes a gain control unit, a command input unit, a tuner, a central processing unit and a storage unit. The storage unit stores a default gain value and a setting table. A plurality of predetermined gain values of each channel of the TV set are listed in the setting table. The command input unit generates a channel selection command and a gain adjustment command in response to operational inputs. The central processing unit signals the tuner to receive broadcasting signals of a channel corresponding to a channel selection command. 
     The central processing unit includes an obtaining module, a gain adjusting module, a calculating module and a setting module. The obtaining module reads a predetermined gain value of the channel from the setting table, updates the default gain value using the predetermined gain value, and signals the gain control unit to amplify audio signals extracted from the broadcasting signals of the channel according to the default gain value. The gain adjustment module adjusts the default gain value to an adjusted gain value, updates the default gain value using the adjusted gain value, and signals the gain control unit to amplify the audio signals of the channel according to the default gain value, if receiving the gain adjustment command. The calculating module calculates an integrated gain value according to the predetermined gain value and the default gain value. The setting module updates the predetermined gain value of the channel listed in the setting table using the integrated gain value. 
     Other systems, methods, features, and advantages will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of a TV set in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of main function modules of a gain management unit of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a preferred method of automatically adjusting a predetermined gain value of a current channel by utilizing the TV set of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a preferred method of regenerating a predetermined gain value of a channel by utilizing the TV set of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of a TV set in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of main function modules of a gain management unit of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of a TV set in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The TV set  10  includes a command input unit  11 , a central processing unit  12 , a tuner  13 , a detection unit  14 , a signal selection unit  15 , a gain control unit  16 , a gain management unit  17 , an audio output  18 , and a storage unit  19 . 
     The central processing unit  12  controls components of the TV set  10  being connected therewith, such as the command input unit  11 , the central processing unit  12 , the tuner  13 , the wave detection unit  14 , the signal selection unit  15 , the gain control unit  16 , the gain management unit  17 , and the storage unit  19 . 
     The storage unit  19  stores a default gain value and a setting table. The setting contains a plurality of predetermined gain values of each channel of the TV set  10 . The command input unit  11  is used for generating a channel selection command and a gain adjustment command in response to a channel selection input and a gain value adjustment input respectively. 
     The central processing unit  12  signals the tuner  13  to receive broadcasting signals of a channel in response to the channel selection command. The broadcasting signals include high frequency broadcasting signals via an antenna (not shown) and analog or digital TV signals via a CATV (community antenna television) interface. The tuner  13  amplifies the broadcasting signals of the channel to a predetermined voltage level, and sends the broadcasting signals of the channel amplified to the wave detection unit  14 . 
     The wave detection unit  14  extracts video signals and audio signals from the broadcasting signals of the channel amplified by the tuner  13 . The signal selection unit  15  transmits the video signals to a video display unit (not shown) to be displayed, and transmits the audio signals to an audio output unit  18  to output sound corresponding to the audio signals. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the gain management unit  17  further includes an obtaining module  170 , a gain adjustment module  171 , a calculating module  172 , and a setting module  173 . 
     The obtaining module  170  reads a predetermined gain value of the channel according to the broadcasting signals received by the tuner  13  from the setting table in response to the channel selection command, and signals the gain control unit  16  to amplify the audio signals extracted from the broadcasting signals of the channel according to the predetermined gain value of the channel. 
     While receiving the broadcasting signals of the channel, the gain adjustment module  171  adjusts the default gain value of the channel to an adjusted gain value, signals the gain control unit  16  to amplify the audio signals according to the adjusted gain value, after receiving the gain adjustment command. 
     The calculating module  172  assigns a weight value respectively to the predetermined gain value and the adjusted gain value, multiplies the predetermined gain value and the adjusted gain value by the corresponding weight value assigned, thereby obtaining two products, and sums the two products to obtain an integrated gain value. 
     The setting module  173  updates the predetermined gain value of the channel listed in the setting table using the integrated gain value. 
     The gain management unit  17  further includes an adding module  174 . If the obtaining module  170  detects that the channel is originally not listed in the setting table, the adding module  174  adds the channel to the setting table, obtains the default gain value (after adjustment, i.e., the adjusted gain value) from the storage unit  19 , and adds the default gain value to the setting table as the predetermined gain value of the channel. 
     If the obtaining module  170  detects that the predetermined gain value of the channel is originally not listed in the setting table, the adding module  174  obtains the default gain value from the storage unit  19 , and adds the default gain value to the setting table acting as the predetermined gain value of the channel. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a preferred method of automatically adjusting a predetermined gain value of a current channel by utilizing the TV set  10  of  FIG. 1 . In step S 30 , the command input unit  11  generates the channel selection command in response to the selection input for selecting the channel. 
     In step S 31 , the central processing unit  12  receives the channel selection command from the command input unit  11 , signals the tuner  13  to receive broadcasting signals of a corresponding channel in response to the channel selection command. 
     In step S 32 , the obtaining module  170  determines whether the channel selected by the tuner  13  is listed in the setting table. If the obtaining module  170  detects that the channel is not originally listed in the setting table, the procedure goes to step S 36  described below. 
     If the obtaining module  170  detects that the channel is listed in the setting table, in step S 33 , the obtaining module  170  also detects whether the predetermined gain value of the channel is originally listed in the setting table. If the obtaining module  170  detects that the predetermined gain value of the channel is not originally listed in the setting table, the procedure goes to step S 37  described below. 
     If the obtaining module  170  determines that the predetermined gain value of the channel is originally listed in the setting table, in step S 34 , the obtaining module  170  reads the predetermined gain value of the channel from the setting table. 
     In step S 35 , the obtaining module  170  updates the default gain value stored in the storage unit  19  using the predetermined gain value. 
     In step S 39 , the obtaining module  170  signals the gain control unit  16  to amplify the audio signals extracted from the broadcasting signals of the channel according to the default gain value, and then the procedure is finished. 
     In step S 36 , namely where the channel is not originally listed in the setting table, the adding module  174  adds the channel to the setting table. In step S 37 , the adding module  174  obtains the default gain value from the storage unit  19 . 
     In step S 38 , the adding module  174  adds the default gain value to the setting table acting as a predetermined gain value of the channel added in the setting table, and then the step goes to step S 39 . 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a preferred method of regenerating a predetermined gain value of a current channel by utilizing the TV set  10  of  FIG. 1 . 
     In step S 40 , the gain adjustment module  171  determines whether it receives the gain adjustment command from the command input unit  11 . If the gain adjustment module  171  does not receive the gain adjustment command, in step S 41 , the gain adjustment module  171  signals the gain control unit  16  to continually amplify the audio signals of the current channel according to the default gain value (if the current channel having the predetermined gain value, i.e., the predetermined gain value). 
     If the gain adjustment module  171  receives the gain adjustment command, in step S 42 , the gain adjustment module  171  signals the gain control unit  16  to adjust the default gain value to an adjusted gain value. 
     In step S 43 , the gain adjustment module  171  updates the default gain value stored in the storage unit  19  using the adjusted gain value. 
     In step S 43 , the gain adjustment module  171  signals the gain control unit  16  to amplify the audio signals of the current channel according to the default gain value. 
     In step S 45 , the calculating module  172  assigns a weight value respectively to the predetermined gain value of the current channel and the default gain value, multiplies respectively the predetermined gain value and the default gain value by the corresponding weight value assigned, thereby obtaining two products, and sums the two products to obtain the integrated gain value. 
     In step S 46 , the setting module  173  updates the predetermined gain value of the current channel listed in the setting table using the integrated gain value. 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of a TV set in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The TV set of the alternative embodiment is the same as that of the preferred embodiment, except that the gain management unit  17  is included in the central processing unit  12 . 
     Therefore, in this alternative embodiment, the central processing unit  12  further has the function as well as the gain management unit  17  does in  FIG. 1 . That is, the central processing unit  12  has an obtaining module  610 , a gain adjustment module  611 , a calculating module  612 , a setting module  613  and an adding module  614 , which respectively performs the same functions as the obtaining module  170 , a gain adjustment module  171 , a calculating module  172 , a setting module  173  and an adding module  174  of the gain management unit  17 . 
     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments, including preferred embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, and are set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention, and be protected by the following claims.

Technology Category: h