DE29510844U1 - Multimedia device - Google Patents

Description

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Honor
Multimedia device

The invention relates to a multimedia device according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a device is known, for example, from US patent 5,283,819. In this case, the PC monitor is used as the television part, to which the television signals are fed as VAG image signals via a so-called MPEG module. Connections for independent CD drives for audio and video CDs are also provided. The device is also equipped with a remote control that works with infrared rays. On the one hand, it enables the selection of the desired operating mode, such as television reception, radio reception or playing an audio CD. It is also used to select the channel and to adjust the volume in the respective operating mode.

Based on this, the invention aims at a further development in such a way that different types of CD, such as audio, video or photo CDs, can be played selectively in a simple manner.

This is achieved according to the characterizing features of claim 1 by using a multi-CD drive, which is integrated into the PC part and is equipped with devices for automatically detecting and reporting the type of CD present at any given time and which can be controlled either via the keyboard and mouse of the PC part or via the remote control.

This is a common remote control for the television and the multi-CD drive, which is connected to control units for evaluation and implementation.

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which converts remote control signals into system-compliant control signals.

The monitoring of the various operating states of the individual components of the multimedia device and the remote control signals as well as the setting of the operating functions in the individual components according to the respective operating mode is carried out in a known manner by a higher-level control unit in the PC part, whereby, as a result of the invention, the type of CD reported by the multi-CD drive must be taken into account.

The television part is conveniently equipped with a switchable picture control unit so that analogue television signals can also be fed directly without having to go through the PC part and an MPEG unit. The television part can therefore work as a normal television with high picture quality.

Details of the invention are explained in more detail below using an embodiment shown in the drawing. In detail,

FIG 1 a perspective view of the new multimedia device without the associated keyboard and mouse on the PC part, 25

FIG 2 is a plan view of the associated remote control device and

FIG 3 is a schematic representation of the control units and components of the multimedia device that are essential for understanding the invention.

The new multimedia device according to FIG 1 contains two devices in one. It consists of a TV part and a PC part, where the associated keyboard and mouse are not shown. Both parts use the same screen FBS as an output device, which can also be used directly without going through

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a corresponding TV module, a so-called MPEG module, can be controlled in order to play back TV programs received directly via an antenna or cable connection in high picture quality. Stereo loudspeakers LS complete the TV section, which also has connections for video cameras and recorders in the usual way, which, like the usual control elements for manual settings, are not shown separately.

The PC part contains the usual system assembly with the screen control unit as well as the assemblies required for multimedia operation. In addition to the usual hard disk and floppy disk drive, there is also a multi-CD drive 1, which is arranged above the floppy disk drive 2.

On the front panel of the PC part, there is also a control panel 3, which has, among other things, a switch for "ON" or "Standby", for TV or PC operation, switches for switching to a program slot and for volume adjustment as well as connections for e.g. microphone, headphones and 0 video camera. This control panel also has an infrared detector 4 for the remote control.

FIG 2 shows the associated remote control FB in plan view, where the individual buttons perform the following control functions:

A. Television

11 = Switch to STAND BY and switch on 12 = Switch off sound

13 = Advance program step by step / select vertical menu options

14 = Select TV or PC mode

15 = OK for menu settings
16 = Basic setting for image

17 = Basic setting for sound

18 = Switch teletext on/off

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19 = Select external video inputs

20 = Switch menu on/off

21 = Adjust volume / select horizontal menu options

B. Teletext (activated with button 18)

13 = Advance teletext page step by step 18 = Switch teletext on/off

22 = the top three buttons:

- Teletext and television picture

- Pause teletext page

- Enlarge teletext page

23 = Answer release (e.g. for puzzles)

C. Multi-CD drive (teletext switched off with button 18)

22 = the top three keys in order from left to right: - Pause

- Stop
- Play 22 = the bottom button left and right:

- 10 seconds back or previous image

- 10 seconds further or next picture

FIG 3 shows the functional and circuit-related relationship of the individual components and control units of the multimedia device of FIG 1. The lower part refers to the hardware platform of the PC part PC, which works with the WINDOWS operating system, for example, with a higher-level control unit DISP and the drivers TREIB for the other modules, namely the multi-CD drive MCD and the modules accessible via the AT/PCI-BUS line system, such as the video module MPEG for playing video CDs, the module CD-ROM for playing audio CDs, the audio module SOUND, the graphics module GRAPH for controlling the screen FBS in the television part TV with VGA image signals FS(VGA) and the control module COM2 for the

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Exchange of control signals between the PC part PC and the television part TV.

The control module COM2 works together with a microprogram controller μC, which on the one hand receives the remote control signals coming from the remote control FB and converted by the infrared detector IR and forwards them to the control module COM2 or directly controls corresponding control functions in the television part TV. Conversely, the control module COM2 transmits to the microprogram controller μΩ commands for immediate execution by the latter, such as for setting the volume on the amplifier VER for the loudspeakers LS or for setting TV functions.

The television part TV also includes the screen FBS with the associated picture control FBS-CTL including channel selection and the deflection control DEFLECTION for the picture signals FS... The picture control FBS-CTL has two inputs EXT for television programs transmitted via antenna or cable and INT for television picture signals supplied, for example, via the MPEG module, which can be switched on and off by the microprogram control μgr; θ ;. In addition, the deflection system can be switched over so that either remote picture signals FS(TV) or VGA signals FS(VGA) supplied by the graphics module GRAPH can be reproduced. The switching is carried out by signals BM(VGA/TV) from the microprogram control μgr;θ;. in conjunction with the switching device UM for the picture signals FS.... With a separate video processor module FRAME, the television picture can also be imported and processed in PC programs via the graphics module GRAPH.

The superior control unit DISP in the form of a monitoring and control program superimposed on the WINDOWS operating system forms the actual control center of the multimedia device, which monitors all requirements and operating states of the various applications and

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different components are activated according to the different operating modes. The information exchange takes place via so-called Windows messages.

The multi-CD drive MCD also reports the status, e.g. START, STOP, EJECT, and the type of CD inserted, e.g. audio, video or photo CD, via a Windows message to the higher-level control unit DISP as part of a multi-CD application, which then selects the screen mode - TV or VGA - depending on the type of CD and/or enables the sound channel for the Audi&ogr; module SOUND - MPEG or CD-ROM. Additional sound channels not shown can also be activated via the Audi&ogr; module SOUND.

This results in the following operating procedures:

After switching on the device and setting the TV mode on the control panel 3 of the PC part or with button 14 on the remote control unit FB, it is immediately possible to receive normal television programs, which can be selected using the number keys on the remote control unit FB. The infrared signals triggered in this process are received by the infrared detector and forwarded to the microprogram control μC. Only the switching signal for setting the TV mode is forwarded to the control module COM2 in order to inform the higher-level control unit DISP accordingly. All other signals for setting the television part TV, however, are forwarded directly to the corresponding components, for example for switching the picture control FBS-CTL 0 to the EXT connection and for setting the deflection system DEFLECTION and the switching device UM to the FS (TV) signals and for setting the tuner in the picture control FBS-CTL to the selected program. In the same way, the volume setting on the amplifier VER for the loudspeakers is done with the buttons 21 on the remote control FB directly by the microprogram control μθ. To end the

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To receive television, simply press button 11 so that the device switches to the "STAND BY" mode.

When the TV mode is switched on, the remote control FB can be used in conjunction with button 20 to set and sort the TV channels, button 16 to adjust contrast, brightness, colour and picture sharpness, and button 17 to adjust the treble, bass and balance of the sound.
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These settings are made menu-controlled by the PC part in conjunction with the FBS screen as a monitor, whereby the signal exchange takes place via the COM2 module.

If a CD is to be played, the multi-CD drive automatically detects the type of CD inserted via the relevant drivers and reports this to the higher-level control unit DISP. Depending on the reported type of CD, this then activates the required 0 components and the sound channel for the audio module SOUND and selects the respective screen mode, whereby the latter is in turn controlled by commands forwarded to the microprogram control μC via the control module COM2. Furthermore, after calling up the multi-CD drive application, a display field is shown on the FBS screen as a monitor, which shows the type of CD and replicates the controls of the multi-CD drive as a program interface. This is the same program interface for all three CD types, whereby analogous functions, such as direct song selection for an audio CD and direct picture selection for a photo CD, are assigned to the same controls. Some of the control functions triggered by the controls can also be called up using the buttons 22 on the remote control FB if a CD is inserted into the multi-CD drive.

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The remote control signals sent to control the multi-CD drive are forwarded directly to the MCD drive by the higher-level control unit if the associated application is already called up. Otherwise, the application is started first.

Claims (4)

B &dgr;&Ogr; 3 7 „ Protection claims 1. Multimedia device, consisting of a personal computer part (PC part) and a remote-controlled television part (TV) with a common screen (CSC),
marked by y ^y a multi-CD drive (MCD) T integrated in the PC part (PC) for various types of CD (audio CD, video CD, photo CD) with facilities for automatic recognition and reporting of the type of CD present and optional control via the keyboard and mouse of the PC part (PC) or by remote control (RC). 2. Multimedia device according to claim 1,
marked by a common remote control (FB) for the television part (TV) and the multi-CD drive (MCD) and control units (IR, uC, COM2) for evaluating and converting the remote control signals into system-compatible control signals. 20 3. Multimedia device according to claim 2,
marked by a higher-level control unit (DISP) in the PC part (PC) for monitoring the operating states of the individual components of the multimedia device and the implemented remote control signals and for setting the operating functions in the individual components according to the selected operating mode (TV, PC, CD). 4. Multimedia device according to claim 3,
marked by a switchable image control unit in the television part (TV) for analog TV signals (EXT/INT) and for video signals supplied by the PC part (VGA).