1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote signal inputting system for use in a video display apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for recognizing a pointing position in a video display system with a remote controller, in which a plurality of optical sensors provided in a video display system are utilized to compute a position (on a picture) indicated by output signals of a remote controller, thereby executing a particular menu by the remote controller.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The broadcasting signals which are received into the currently used digital TV are the ones which are encoded based on MPEG2. Thus the broadcasting programs of a plurality of broadcasting stations are multiplexed in a single channel to transmit them in the form of bit streams.
Thus in the case where digital multi-channel broadcasts are realized based on MPEG2 by resorting to a communication satellite, the video and audio signals of the plurality of programs are time-division-multiplexed. Further, transport streams of the video and audio signals of as many as the number of repeaters are simultaneously transmitted.
Therefore, many programs are assigned to each channel of the video display apparatus. Accordingly, if the number of channels increases, then the number of program increases. Therefore, when a user wants to watch a broadcasting program by selecting a channel in the conventional manner, the desired channel cannot be easily found.
That is, the program information in the conventional television broadcast was supplied through newspapers, televisions, magazines and the like. However, in the digital broadcast, the number of the program channels is several scores or several hundreds, and therefore, the selection of programs by the user becomes complicated.
Therefore, the MPEG2 system provides an EPG (electronic program guide), so that the user can more easily manipulate the digital video display apparatus.
The EPG furnishes the information on the programs or on a program schedule table, so that the user can execute the desired program in an easy manner by using the remote controller.
Currently, the conception of the EPG is being gradually generalized, but the constitution of the information or data is different depending on the conditions of the broadcasting system, and is not uniform.
That is, the channel number, the name of the program and the schedule table are converted into a program schedule having a time axis and a channel axis by the EPG software of the receiving apparatus, and thus, the program schedule is displayed on the screen.
In this case, the user can directly select a broadcasting station by moving the cursor on the program schedule, and can select the feature of reserved recording and reserved watch.
In the conventional remote controller, a light emitting diode is provided so that key signals can be transmitted. Meanwhile, the video display apparatus which is controlled by key signals of the remote controller has an optical sensor. Therefore, the remote controller has a plurality of key buttons to execute the functions of the video display apparatus.
If the user presses one of the key buttons of the remote controller, then the corresponding light emitting diode blinks to transmit the relevant codes. Then the optical sensor of the video display apparatus which receives the codes measures the intensity of the incoming beams, thereby judging on the presence or absence of optical signals based on a proper standard.
If an optical signal is present, the relevant code is restored, and a menu is selected based on the restored code. Then the total system is controlled based on the selected menu.
However, when the functions of the video display apparatus are controlled by pressing the key buttons of the remote controller, as the functions of the video display apparatus are increased, the number of the key buttons of the remote controller increases.
Even when the EPG is improved to solve the above described problem, the up, down, left and right buttons are used. In this case, these buttons have to be pressed as many times as required, this being a troublesome task.
The present invention is intended to overcome the above described disadvantages of the conventional technique.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for recognizing a pointing position in a video display system with a remote controller, in which a plurality of optical sensors provided in a video display system are utilized to compute a position (on a picture) indicated by output signals of a remote controller, thereby executing a particular menu by the remote controller.
In achieving the above object, the apparatus for recognizing a pointing position in a video display system with a remote controller according to the present invention includes: an optical receiving section for outputting different current values in accordance with intensities of incoming optical beams incoming from the remote controller; a switching section for receiving the different current values to output a selected current value in accordance with a selecting signal; an A/D converting section for receiving the selected current value from the switching section to convert it into a digital signal; a control section for outputting a selecting signal to the switching section if no interrupt signal is received from a relevant sensor of the optical sensing section, for computing a position value based on an indication by the remote controller (of a user) in accordance with digital signals incoming from the A/D converting section, for outputting an interrupt signal to notify a position data and a data input in accordance with a computed value, and for outputting a selection signal to the switching section; and a menu executing section for executing a user""s selected menu in accordance with the interrupt signal and the position value of the control section.