INFORMATION READING APPARATUS

Abstract

As the number of contents which a user can access (TV programs, images stored on HDD or Internet news) is increasing, the contents a viewer wishes to view is becoming increasingly diverse, and consequently the question of how to view these contents efficiently is now a major problem. In other words, this huge volume of broadcast content also contains information which the user does not require, and it is difficult to efficiently acquire only the required information without any error. To resolve this problem, there are therefore provided an information reading apparatus comprising a receiving means which receives first and second broadcast signals, an information reading means which displays and reads the first broadcast signal received by the receiving means as first image information, a storage means which stores the second image information contained in the second broadcast signal, and an extraction means which extracts a part of the second image information stored by the storage means, wherein the information display means displays a part of the image in the second image information extracted by the extraction means superimposed on the image of the first image information, and reads it.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a typical screen according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen change accompanying a screen cutout operation according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a screen cutout operation sequence according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a screen cutout method according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing screen cutout information according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the operation sequence when a cutout area is selected by dragging a pointer according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example where a screen is cut out using a cutout pattern according to the invention;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing screen cut out information according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the operation sequence when a cutout area is selected using a predefined cutout pattern according to the invention;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of screen cutout by a free cursor remote control operation according to the invention;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the operation sequence when a cutout area is selected by a free cursor remote controller according to the invention;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example where the size of the screen on which the cutout of the invention is displayed superimposed, is changed according to the invention;

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the operation sequence where the screen size is changed by recognizing a pre-registered keyword according to the invention;

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example where the screen is displayed by varying the transmittancy of the screen according to the invention;

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example where the screen size is changed and repositioned according to the invention;

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a method for disposing part of a cutout screen according to the invention;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a method for disposing part of a cutout screen according to the invention;

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example where screen cutout information is inserted into a broadcast signal according to the invention;

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example where “human” and “telop” information is contained in a broadcast signal according to the invention;

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a production method when a cutout image is superimposed according to the invention;

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a method for linking to a server or a sponsor according to the invention;

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example where image cutout information is shared between various terminals according to the invention;

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example where a cutout image is selected by a cursor and read according to the invention; and

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a method for hiding part of a screen according to the invention.

Claims

1. An information reading apparatus, comprising: receiving means which receives first and second broadcast signals;information reading means which displays and reads said first broadcast signal received by said receiving means as first image information;storage means which stores the second image information contained in said second broadcast signal; andextraction means which extracts a part of the second image information stored by said storage means,wherein said information display means displays a part of the image in said second image information extracted by said extraction means superimposed on the image of said first image information, and reads it.

2. The information reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: input means which inputs information from the outside,wherein said extraction means extracts a part of said second image information selected by said input means.

3. The information reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when an audio signal in said second broadcast signal is equal to or exceeds a predetermined value, or when said audio signal includes predetermined waveform information or approximates it with predetermined waveform information, or when a variation of said audio signal exceeds a predetermined value, said extraction means displays a part of said second image information superimposed on said first image information, and reads it.

4. The information reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extraction means extracts a part of said second image information by performing image recognition of predetermined image information from said second image information.

5. The information reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when said second broadcast signal contains a predetermined character array, said text information is displayed superimposed on said first image information, and read.

6. The information reading apparatus according to claim 1, comprising input means which inputs information from the outside, wherein said first broadcast signal or said second broadcast signal is selected as a main program based on the specification of said input means and displayed on the full screen of said information display means, and part of one thereof is extracted and displayed superimposed on the other.

7. The information reading apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: input means which inputs information from the outside,wherein, when information included in said second broadcast signal contains information inputted from said input means, an alarm is output.

8. The information reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when information included in said second broadcast signal contains information inputted from said input means, the size of the image in said second image information is expanded.

9. The information reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when information included in said second broadcast signal contains information inputted from said input means, the image in said second image information is displayed with variable transparency.

10. An information reading apparatus, comprising: receiving means which receives first and second broadcast signals; andinformation reading means which displays and reads said first broadcast signal received by said receiving means as first image information,wherein said second broadcast signal has second image information and position information in the whole of the display area of said information reading means of said second image information,wherein said apparatus comprises storage means which stores said second image information and said position information, andwherein said information display means displays an image in said second image information at a position in the whole of the display area of said position information stored by said storage means superimposed on an image in said first image information.

11. The information reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second broadcast signal contains text information.

12. The information reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second broadcast signal has time information, and said information display means superimposes and displays the image in said second image information at a position in the whole display area of said position information on the image in said first image information based on said time information.

13. The information reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second broadcast signal has information or text information about a person's position.

14. The information reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second broadcast signal contains a link to an address on the Internet about information contained in said second image information.

15. The information reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information display means displays said second image information as a static image, and said information display means reads said second image information as a moving image based on the input from said input means.