JP4595422B2 - Display device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device such as a television receiver.

  In recent years, a television receiver using a thin image display device such as a liquid crystal display device is becoming widespread. In the case of such a thin image display device, a so-called wall-hanging type is generally installed so that the display device can be self-supported by attaching a stand to the lower part, except when directly attached to a wall or the like. is there.

Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a configuration in which a stand is attached to a thin image display device.
JP-A-10-161552

  In this type of thin image display device, it is difficult to install a large-sized speaker in order to make use of the fact that the casing constituting the display device is thin. In other words, a large speaker device with good sound quality requires a certain amount of capacity to accommodate the speaker unit, and if the casing remains thin, a speaker of a suitable size cannot be installed, and sound quality is limited. It was.

  In addition, for example, a thin image display device having a screen size of about a dozen inches to 20 inches is relatively easy to carry and may be used by being carried to various places such as a table or a bedside. In some cases, it may be used in situations where it is not desirable to emit sound from a speaker.

  In such a case, it is common to connect a headphone device to the image display device so that the viewer can listen to the sound through the headphone device. By the way, a general headphone device is used by inserting a jack at the end of a cord of the headphone device into a headphone terminal provided on an image display device (television receiver). As a result, the audio output from the speaker on the image display device side is cut off so that the headphone device can listen to the audio.

  However, when a headphone device connected by a cord is used, the viewer is connected to the display device by a cord, which causes a problem that the cord is an obstacle.

  In order to solve this problem, an audio signal may be wirelessly transmitted to the headphone device using a cordless headphone device. As a cordless headphone device, a method that is widely used at present is a method that wirelessly transmits an infrared signal. In an infrared cordless headphone device, an infrared signal light emitting unit is provided on the transmission side, and an infrared signal light receiving unit is provided on the headphone device body. Then, wireless transmission is possible up to a distance of up to about 10 m in a state where the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit can be directly seen.

  The transmission unit (light emitting unit) for the cordless headphone device is separate from the image display device, and is connected to the transmission unit using, for example, a headphone terminal to wirelessly transmit an audio signal output from the headphone terminal. It was like that.

  However, when the transmission unit for the cordless headphone device is connected to the image display device, a place to attach the transmission unit is required. However, the transmission unit for the cordless headphone device is attached to the thin image display device as described above. It was difficult to find an appropriate position. Also, when not using a cordless headphone device, it is necessary to remove the transmitter from the headphone terminal so that sound is emitted from the speaker built in the display device. There was a problem that it took time to switch between.

  Moreover, it is difficult to transmit the transmission unit for the cordless headphone device to the headphone device unless it is installed at a position where it can be directly seen from the cordless headphone device, and it is necessary to install the transmission unit at an appropriate position from this point of view. However, it has been difficult to always have an appropriate position.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to make it easy to use a cordless headphone device in combination with this type of display device.

The present invention provides a display device including a display unit that displays video and a speaker, and includes a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits an audio signal that is input or received simultaneously with the video signal, and outputs audio from the speaker and from the transmission unit. The wireless transmission is switched by a predetermined operation input. In this case, the output level of the audio output from the speaker can be variably set under the control of the control unit, and the wireless transmission from the transmission unit is a wireless transmission of an audio signal fixed to a predetermined level. Also, switching between audio output and wireless transmission by a predetermined operation input is performed by outputting audio from the speaker and not transmitting wirelessly from the transmitting unit, and not transmitting audio from the speaker and transmitting wirelessly from the transmitting unit. The three states, that is, the state of performing the audio output from the speaker and performing the wireless transmission from the transmission unit, are switching that is switched every time there is an operation input.

  In this way, the user only needs to perform a predetermined operation to use a cordless headphone device that receives an audio signal transmitted from the transmission unit, and to output audio from a speaker built in the display device. And can be switched.

Further, according to the present invention, in this display device, in the display device including a display unit for displaying an image and an infrared signal transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting an audio signal as an infrared signal, the infrared signal transmission unit is arranged below the display unit. It is a thing.

  By doing so, for example, when the housing in which the display unit and the infrared signal transmission unit are arranged has a structure that can be tilted back and forth, the position of the infrared signal transmission unit is substantially the same regardless of the position of the case. The audio signal can be satisfactorily transmitted wirelessly to the headphone device worn by the viewer facing the display unit.

According to the present invention, the user performs a predetermined operation and uses a cordless headphone device that receives an audio signal transmitted from the transmission unit and outputs audio from a speaker built in the display device. Each type of usage can be easily switched by a key operation or the like.

  In this case, since the predetermined operation input is an input of an operation command from the remote control device, switching can be easily performed by operating a specific key arranged on the remote control device.

  In addition, switching between audio output and wireless transmission by a predetermined operation input is a state in which audio is output from the speaker and wireless transmission from the transmission unit is not performed, and a state in which audio output from the speaker is not performed and wireless transmission from the transmission unit is performed And the three states of audio output from the speaker and wireless transmission from the transmission unit are switching that is switched every time there is an operation input, and switching of these three states can be easily performed with one key operation. Yes.

  In addition, when the control unit switches between audio output and wireless transmission, by displaying the switched state on the display unit, the user who performed the operation can easily check the current state from the display. It becomes like this.

  Also, the audio output from the speaker is variably set by the control of the control unit, and the wireless transmission from the transmission unit is the wireless transmission of an audio signal fixed at a predetermined level, so that the output level from the speaker is The sound volume can be adjusted and the audio signal level transmitted wirelessly can be transmitted at a relatively high level with less noise regardless of the volume adjustment state.

Further, according to the present invention, for example, when the housing in which the display unit and the infrared signal transmission unit are arranged has a structure that can be tilted back and forth, the position of the infrared signal transmission unit is substantially the same regardless of the position. Thus, the audio signal can be satisfactorily wirelessly transmitted to the headphone device worn by the viewer facing the display unit.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In this example, the television receiver is constituted by a liquid crystal image display device. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a television receiver and peripheral devices, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing a state in which the television receiver of this example is attached to a floor stand.

  First, the overall configuration of the television receiver 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The television receiver of this example is relatively large (for example, the length of the diagonal line of the screen is about 20 inches). The liquid crystal image display unit 11 is a thin display device. As shown in FIG. 2, left and right speaker devices 12 </ b> L and 12 </ b> R are built in the lower end of the display unit 11, and the infrared light emitting unit 13 is installed at the lower end of the center of the casing constituting the television receiver 10. Is arranged in a state of protruding from the housing. The infrared light emitting unit 13 functions as an infrared signal transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits an audio signal with infrared rays to a cordless headphone or the like. The infrared light emitting unit 13 includes, for example, an infrared light emitting diode and a resin cover that covers the diode. In addition to the infrared light emitting unit 13, a light receiving unit 18 that receives (receives) a remote control infrared signal from a remote control device 300, which will be described later, is also arranged.

  2 and 3, the television receiver 10 is attached to the floor stand 20 as an example. In a state where the television receiver 10 is attached to the floor stand 20, as shown in a side view in FIG. 3, the receiver 10 is tilted obliquely forward with the fulcrum x near the lower end of the television receiver 10 as the rotation center. The receiver 10 can be moved to a state (position indicated as 10a) or the receiver 10 is inclined obliquely rearward (position indicated as 10b). In the case of this example, since the fulcrum x is near the lower end of the television receiver 10, when the television receiver 10 is rotated back and forth, the upper side of the casing constituting the main body of the television receiver 10 is relatively long. It will move greatly, but there is little movement on the underside of the housing. Therefore, when the television receiver 10 is rotated back and forth, the infrared light emitting unit 13 attached to the lower side of the housing has little movement, and any rotation within the range that the infrared light from the light emitting unit 13 reaches can be achieved. The angle can be set almost the same.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the television receiver 10 of the present example is provided with a terminal portion 15 on the left side surface of a casing constituting the receiver body, and a terminal 16 prepared in the terminal portion 15. Can be used to connect various video equipment and video game equipment. The terminal portion 15 is provided with a stowable hook 17 so that the headphone device can be suspended by the hook 17 when the hook 17 is pulled out.

  That is, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 4, a plurality of terminals 16 are arranged at the lower portion of the terminal portion 15, and a vertically long hook 17 is accommodated at the lower portion of the terminal portion 15. The hook 17 is configured to be rotatable. By hooking a finger on the through-hole 17a on the hook 17 and rotating the hook 17 so that the hook 17 is pulled out, as shown in FIG. Projects horizontally from the portion 15. At this time, the convex portion 17 b is positioned on the back side (upper surface) of the through hole 17 a of the hook 17. A groove of a band of a headphone device attached to the television receiver 10 of this example is fitted in the convex portion 17b so that the headphone device can be suspended by the hook 17.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the headphone device is suspended. The headphone device 200 attached to the television receiver 10 of this example has a shape in which left and right drivers 211 and 212 are joined by a circular band 213, and a groove 214 is formed in the band 213. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the headphone device 200 is held by the hook 17 and suspended by fitting the groove 214 of the band 213 of the headphone device 200 into the protruding portion 17 b of the hook 17 that is pulled out. It becomes a state.

  Next, the internal configuration of the television receiver of this example and its peripheral devices will be described with reference to FIG. 1. In the television receiver 10 of this example, a base unit incorporating a tuner and the like is separately prepared. The base unit is configured to perform wireless communication, and video data and audio data are wirelessly transmitted at a distance of about several tens of meters from the base unit.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a base unit 90 is prepared, and a tuner 92 to which an antenna 91 is connected and receives a television broadcast is built in the base unit 90. Video data and audio data obtained from the television broadcast signal received by the tuner 92 are supplied to the wireless transmission / reception unit 94 via the switching unit 93 and wirelessly transmitted from the antenna 95 connected by a predetermined wireless transmission method. As the wireless communication system, for example, various types using the 2 GHz band and the 5 GHz band standardized as the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 system which is put into practical use for a wireless LAN (local area network). The method is applicable.

  Transmission and reception by the wireless transmission / reception unit 94 are executed under the control of the control unit 97. Further, various control data such as channel switching is transmitted from the television receiver 10 side to the base unit 90, and the control unit 97 determines the control data and performs corresponding control. Further, the base unit 90 includes an external input terminal 96, and video data and audio data input to the terminal 96 can be selected by the switching unit 93 and supplied to the wireless transmission / reception unit 94 for wireless transmission. .

  As a configuration of the television receiver 10, an antenna 101 that receives a signal wirelessly transmitted from the base unit 90 is provided, and video data and audio data are received by a wireless transmission / reception unit 102 to which the antenna 101 is connected. The received video data and audio data are demodulated from the wireless transmission signal by the demodulator 103. The demodulated video data is supplied to the video processing unit 104, and a process for displaying the video on the display unit 11 including a liquid crystal display panel is performed.

  The audio data demodulated by the demodulating unit 103 is supplied to the audio processing unit 105, and audio processing such as analog conversion is performed. The obtained left and right two-channel audio signals are connected to the speakers 12L and 12R via the amplifiers 106L and 106R. To be output. In this case, the audio level (volume) output from the speakers 12L and 12R is set by the control of the control unit 110 of the television receiver 10, and is set to a level (volume) corresponding to the gain adjustment of the amplifiers 106L and 106R, for example. Is set. In addition, the audio signals output from the speakers 12L and 12R can be configured to perform so-called surround processing to output effective stereophonic sound. Also, the audio output from the speakers 12L and 12R can be turned off under the control of the control unit 110.

  Also, the audio signal obtained by the audio processing unit 105 is supplied to the audio modulation unit 111, performs modulation processing for wireless transmission as an infrared signal, and supplies the modulated audio signal to the infrared light emitting unit 13. Thus, light is emitted (transmitted). The audio signal transmitted from the infrared light emitting unit 13 is fixed to a constant level in the vicinity of the maximum level regardless of the tail volume adjustment state output from the speakers 12L and 12R. On / off of light emission (transmission) in the infrared light emitting unit 13 is executed under the control of the control unit 110.

  The audio output from the speakers 12L and 12R and the transmission of the audio signal from the infrared light emitting unit 13 are controlled in conjunction with the control of the control unit 110. In this example, the following 3 Two modes (states) can be set. That is, a mode (state) in which audio output from the speaker is performed and wireless transmission from the light emitting unit (transmission unit) is not performed, and a mode (state) in which audio output from the speaker is not performed and wireless transmission from the light emitting unit (transmission unit) is performed. In addition, three modes can be set: a mode (state) in which audio is output from the speaker and wireless transmission from the transmission unit is also performed. The setting process will be described later.

  The control unit 110 is connected to an infrared signal light receiving unit 18 that receives a remote control infrared signal from the remote control device 300, and performs operation control based on control data received by the infrared signal light receiving unit 18. Do. The control unit 110 can perform the same control by operating the operation keys 19 attached to the television receiver 10. The operation key 19 is installed at the upper end of the television receiver 10, for example, as shown in FIG.

  A headphone device (cordless headphone device) 200 that receives an infrared signal emitted from the infrared light emitting unit 13 includes an infrared light receiving unit 201 and an audio signal received (received) by the light receiving unit 201 as shown in FIG. The demodulating unit 202 that demodulates, the amplifiers 203 and 204 that amplify the left and right audio signals demodulated by the demodulating unit 202, and the driver (headphone speaker unit) 211 that outputs the audio signals amplified by the amplifiers 203 and 204. , 212. In this case, the headphone device 200 of this example includes a volume adjusting volume (not shown), and adjusts the volume output from the drivers 211 and 212 by changing the gains of the amplifiers 203 and 204 by operating the volume. I can do it.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the remote control device 300 for remotely controlling the television receiver 10 includes a plurality of operation keys 310, and a transmission data generation unit based on the operated keys 310. The remote control transmission data corresponding to 301 is generated, and the generated transmission data is transmitted from the infrared signal transmission unit 302. As the plurality of keys 310 arranged in the remote control device 300, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, various keys for operating a television receiver are prepared. In this example, headphones are displayed as headphones. The audio switching key 311 is provided.

  Next, an example of processing in the television receiver 10 when the audio switching key 311 of the remote control device 300 of this example is operated will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the control unit 110 of the television receiver 10 determines data received by the light receiving unit 18 and determines whether or not a headphone switching signal has been received by operating the audio switching key 311 (step S11). Here, when it is determined that the headphone switching signal has been received, it is determined whether the current audio output mode is a mode in which audio output from the speaker and wireless transmission from the transmission unit are also performed (step S12). . If it is determined that the mode is appropriate, the audio output from the speaker is performed and the wireless transmission from the light emitting unit is not performed (step S13). At this time, on the screen displayed on the display unit 11, for example, as shown in FIG. 9A, a display indicating “headphone off / speaker on” as a character or a figure is displayed on the upper right side for a predetermined time (for example, several seconds ) Is displayed (step S17).

  If it is determined in step S12 that the mode is not the corresponding mode, it is determined whether the current audio output mode is a mode in which audio output from the speaker is performed and wireless transmission from the light emitting unit is not performed (step S14). . If it is determined that the mode is applicable, the mode is changed to a mode in which audio is not output from the speaker and wireless transmission is performed from the light emitting unit (step S15). At this time, the process proceeds to step S17, and the screen displayed on the display unit 11 displays, for example, as shown in FIG. Display for a few seconds.

  Further, if it is determined in step S14 that the mode is not the corresponding mode, the current audio output mode is the remaining mode among the three prepared modes, and the audio output from the speaker is not performed without performing audio output from the speaker. Since it is a mode for wireless transmission, the mode is changed to a mode for performing audio output from the speaker and also performing wireless transmission from the transmission unit. At this time, the process proceeds to step S17, and the screen displayed on the display unit 11 includes, for example, As shown in FIG. 9C, a display indicating “headphone on / speaker on” as characters or figures is displayed on the upper right or the like for several seconds. When the mode display is performed in step S17, the process returns to the determination in step S11.

  By changing the audio output mode in this manner, every time the audio switching key 311 of the remote control device 300 is operated once, a mode in which “headphone off / speaker on” shown in FIG. 9A is displayed. 9b, the mode displayed as “headphone on / speaker off” and the mode displayed as “headphone on / speaker on” illustrated in FIG. 9C are sequentially changed. . Therefore, the user can set the desired audio output mode by simply pressing the audio switching key 311 prepared in the remote control device 300 once or twice. That is, the audio output from the speakers 12L and 12R can be turned off to view using the cordless headphone device 200, and the case where the audio can be viewed from the speakers 12L and 12R without using the cordless headphone device 200. Can be selected. Since the transmission from the infrared light emitting unit 13 can be turned off when the cordless headphone device 200 is not used, the power consumption when the cordless headphone device 200 is not used can be reduced. In addition, by preparing a mode in which audio output from the speakers 12L and 12R and transmission from the infrared light emitting unit 13 are simultaneously performed, for example, a person near the television receiver 10 can output sound output from the speaker. A person who listens and is far away from the television receiver 10 to some extent can listen to sound using the cordless headphone device 200.

  Further, when each operation is performed, the mode is displayed on the screen of the display unit 11, so that the operator can know the current setting, which is convenient. In the display example of FIG. 9, the image is displayed at the upper right of the screen, but may be displayed at other positions such as the lower left.

  In the case of this example, the audio control key 311 dedicated to the audio output mode switching is prepared in the remote control device 300. However, for example, an audio output mode switching item is prepared as one of selection items in the menu screen. Then, the same mode setting may be performed by using the up / down / left / right direction instruction keys of the remote control device 300 or the like.

  Further, in the television receiver 10 having the configuration described in the above-described embodiment, the light emitting unit 13 for transmitting an audio signal is protruded from the lower end of the housing constituting the receiver (display device) body. It is good also as a position incorporated in the housing | casing which comprises a machine (display apparatus) main body. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, a light emitting unit 13 ′ may be incorporated in a space between the left and right speakers 12 </ b> L and 12 </ b> R below the display unit 11. In this case, the light receiving unit 18 that receives a signal from the remote control device may also be integrated with the light emitting unit 13 '.

  In the embodiment described so far, the present invention is applied to a television receiver constituted by a liquid crystal display device. However, it is needless to say that the present invention can also be applied to display devices having other configurations.

  In the embodiment described above, the analog audio signal is wirelessly transmitted as an infrared signal as a wireless transmission of the audio signal from the television receiver (display device) body to the headphone device. The signal may be transmitted wirelessly. For example, a digital audio signal may be wirelessly transmitted as an infrared signal. Alternatively, wireless transmission is performed using a signal transmission method other than infrared, such as Bluetooth (trademark), and the audio output from the speaker and wireless transmission from the transmission unit in that case are switched by the above-described processing. It may be.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the display apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the display apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the structural example of the display apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the principal part of the display apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which pulled out the hook from the state of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the example of the state which hung the headphone apparatus on the hook shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the remote control apparatus used for the display apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the example of operation by one embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a display by one embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the display apparatus by other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Television receiver, 11 ... Image display part, 12L, 12R ... Speaker, 13, 13 '... Infrared light emission part, 18 ... Infrared signal light-receiving part, 19 ... Operation key, 20 ... Floor stand, 90 ... Base unit, 105 ... Audio processing unit, 110 ... Control unit, 200 ... Headphone device, 300 ... Remote control device, 311 ... Audio switching key

Claims (2)

A video processing unit that performs display processing on the input or received video signal;
A display for displaying the video processed by the video processing means;
An audio processing section for processing an audio signal input or received simultaneously with the input or received video signal ;
A speaker for outputting an audio signal processed by the audio processing unit;
A transmitter that wirelessly transmits the audio signal processed by the audio processor;
Controls the radio transmission from the transmission unit and the audio output from the speaker, by a predetermined operation input, Bei example and a control unit for switching between the radio transmission and the audio output,
The audio output from the speaker can variably set the output level under the control of the control unit,
The wireless transmission from the transmitter is a wireless transmission of an audio signal fixed at a predetermined level,
Switching between the audio output and the wireless transmission by the predetermined operation input is as follows:
Audio output from the speaker, no wireless transmission from the transmitter,
Audio output from the speaker is not performed, wireless transmission from the transmission unit,
A display device in which the three states of performing audio output from the speaker and performing wireless transmission from the transmitting unit are switched every time the operation input is performed . The display device according to claim 1,
The wireless transmission unit is an infrared signal transmission unit that wirelessly transmits an audio signal as an infrared signal,
The housing in which the display unit and the infrared signal transmission unit are arranged is held so as to be tiltable back and forth with a position near the lower end of the housing as a fulcrum,
The infrared signal transmitter is disposed at the lower end of the housing.
Display device.

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