This disclosure relates to a display device and a video device capable of generating a menu screen by OSD (On-Screen Display), a video display system including the display device and the video display device, and a method for displaying a menu screen applied to such video display system.
In recent years, with the widespread use of a flat television receiver, a link function facilitating and smoothing cooperation of the television receiver (display device) with an external device (video device) such as a recording and reproducing device has been promoted and enhanced. In particular, recording and saving the data of a high-definition television broadcast, with keeping high image quality thereof as it is, is becoming common because of the spread of Blu-ray Disc (Registered Trade Mark) recorders in recent years. The link function may be an appropriate function for facilitating such recording and saving.
While the above link function has different names depending on manufacturers, a basic standard of those is High Definition Multimedia Interface-Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) that utilizes HDMI (Registered Trade Mark). HDMI-CEC allows a control signal conforming to a CEC protocol to be transmitted via a HDMI cable so as to achieve an operation for cooperating between devices. Thus, released from troublesome shifting or handling of remote controllers from one hand to the other and from complicated button operation, a user may enjoy a video image and a sound by operating simply.
The HDMI-CEC standard includes a basic inter-device control function using a common command unified among manufacturers and a specific inter-device control function using a unique command developed freely by manufacturers. The unique command for different functions is proposed by each manufacturer.
On the other hand, recently the setting of an electronic device employing a method using On-Screen Display (OSD) has been in widespread use as an electronic device obtains high functionality. Thus for the display device and the video device, the method is also becoming common. The method puts a user-friendly device setup in practice by displaying a menu screen on a display device and configuring the setting for devices in accordance with the displayed menu screen. The method further allows a user to carry out many kinds of setup by using only a basic button such as an up/down/left/right button and a select button.
Regarding the technique for controlling the menu screen with the HDMI-CEC, various approaches are provided. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-92208 discloses a technique for a menu display of a video device and a display device. This technique is adapted, when the video device instructs menu display, for transmitting a control signal through the HDMI-CEC between the video device and the display device, and thus displaying the menu screen of the video device, with an input selection of the display device conformed to the video device.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds