Display control device and display control method

Abstract

The present technology pertains to a display control device and a display control method which enable further improvement in operability. Provided is the display control device provided with a control unit which displays a plurality of items associated with a display screen, and when a desired item is selected among the plurality of displayed items by an operation of a user, displays a selection display screen according to a selected selection item with a display screen while displaying at a position relative to the display position of the selection item. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a television receiver.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to a display control device and a display control method, and more particularly to a display control device and a display control method that enable improved operability. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, display control devices for television receivers and the like have become capable of providing a variety of functions as their performance improves.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, when an image (object) displayed on a browser screen of a television receiver is selected, an image of a web page corresponding to the selected object is displayed together with the image that was superimposed on the browser screen (see in particular paragraphs 0172, 0173 and Figure 14). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-128247 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when multiple display screens are displayed, the relationship between a selected object and a web page corresponding to the object is not clear, resulting in poor operability. Therefore, there has been a demand for improving operability when multiple display screens are displayed.

[0006] The present technology has been made in view of such circumstances, and is intended to make it possible to further improve operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A display control device according to one aspect of the present technology includes: a display screen that displays a plurality of items associated with the display screen; and, when a desired item is selected from the plurality of displayed items by a user operation, a control unit that displays a selection display screen corresponding to the selected item together with the display screen that is being displayed, at a position relative to a display position of the selected item. When the control unit is displaying an active display screen corresponding to an active item that is a selected item, when the selected item is selected, the control unit displays the selection display screen at a position relative to the display position of the selected item, with the display position of the active item as a reference. A display control device.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present technology, there is provided a display control method, in which a display control device displays a plurality of items associated with a display screen. To do When a desired item is selected from among the displayed items by a user operation, a selection display screen corresponding to the selected item is displayed at a position relative to the display position of the selected item together with the display screen being displayed. and when an active display screen corresponding to an active item that is a selected item is displayed, when the selected item is selected, displaying the selected display screen at a position relative to the display position of the active item based on the display position of the selected item. A display control method.

[0009] In a display control device and a display control method according to one aspect of the present technology, a plurality of items associated with a display screen are displayed, and when a desired item is selected from the plurality of displayed items by a user's operation, a selection display screen corresponding to the selected item is displayed together with the display screen being displayed, at a position relative to the display position of the selected item. Furthermore, when an active display screen corresponding to an active item, which is a selected item, is displayed, when the selected item is selected, the selected display screen is displayed at a position relative to the display position of the selected item, with the display position of the active item as a reference.

[0010] A display control device according to an embodiment of the present technology may be an independent device, or may be an internal block constituting a single device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an embodiment of a display control device to which the present technology is applied. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control unit in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the remote controller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a transition from one screen to two screens. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying an input switching menu. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first example of a selected item selected from a plurality of items. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first example of a dual-screen display. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of a selected item selected from a plurality of items. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of a dual-screen display. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a transition from two screens to three screens. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first example of association between an active item and a display screen. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second example of association between an active item and a display screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first example of a control menu. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first example of functions of a control menu. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of a control menu. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second example of functions of the control menu. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of behavior when a control item in a dual-screen control menu is operated. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of an operation target. [Figure 19] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of an entire screen to be operated and a display screen. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of how to use free space when displaying two screens. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a dual-screen display. [Figure 22] 13 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a dual-screen display process. [Diagram 23] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an embodiment of a display system to which the present technology is applied. [Figure 24] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings. The description will be given in the following order.

[0013] 1. Embodiments of the present technology 2. Variations 3. Computer Configuration

[0014] <1. Embodiment of the present technology>

[0015] (Configuration of a display control device) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an embodiment of a display control device to which the present technology is applied.

[0016] 1, the display control device 10 is a television receiver configured as, for example, a liquid crystal display device, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display device, etc. The display control device 10 includes a control unit 100, signal input units 101-1 to 101-N (N: an integer equal to or greater than 1), a signal processing unit 102, a display unit 103, a speaker 104, and an operation receiving unit 105.

[0017] The control unit 100 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microcomputer, etc. The control unit 100 is a central control device (processing device) that controls the operation of each part and performs various arithmetic processing, and controls the operation of each part of the display control device 10.

[0018] The signal input unit 101-1 is configured as, for example, a tuner etc. When the signal input unit 101-1 is configured as a tuner, it performs processing such as demodulation processing on a broadcast signal received via an antenna (not shown) and supplies the resulting signal to the signal processing unit 102. The broadcast signal here transmits broadcast content (for example, a television program) transmitted according to a predetermined broadcasting method such as terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, or cable television broadcasting.

[0019] The signal input unit 101-1 is not limited to a tuner, and may be configured as a communication module or the like, so that a signal of communication content distributed by a video distribution service via a communication network such as the Internet is input to the signal processing unit 102. The communication content distributed by the video distribution service includes, for example, video content distributed by an OTT (Over The Top) service.

[0020] Furthermore, signal input unit 101-1 may be configured as an interface conforming to a predetermined standard such as HDMI (registered trademark) (High Definition Multimedia Interface) or USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0021] 1, for example, signals of recorded content recorded by a recorder (recording / playback device) or network storage, game content played by a game device, and recorded content recorded on a recording medium such as a semiconductor memory or an optical disk are input to the signal processing unit 102 via an interface conforming to a predetermined standard. The recorded content may be content that has been recorded by a television receiver and stored in a storage device.

[0022] Like signal input unit 101-1, signal input units 101-2 to 101-N are configured from a tuner, a communication module, or an interface conforming to a predetermined standard, and supply various signals to signal processing unit 102. In the following description, signal input units 101-1 to 101-N will be referred to as signal input unit 101 unless there is a need to particularly distinguish them.

[0023] The signal processing unit 102 is configured by, for example, a system on a chip (SoC), etc. The signal processing unit 102 performs processing such as decoding on the signal supplied from the signal input unit 101, and supplies the resulting video signal to the display unit 103 and supplies the audio signal to the speaker 104.

[0024] The display unit 103 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display unit, an OLED display unit, etc. The display unit 103 processes the video signal supplied from the signal input unit 101 under the control of the control unit 100, and displays the video of content such as television programs and videos, various screens (for example, menu screens, etc.), and the like.

[0025] For example, when the display control device 10 is a liquid crystal display device, the display unit 103 as a liquid crystal display unit is a display panel in which pixels including liquid crystal elements and TFT (Thin Film Transistor) elements are arranged two-dimensionally, and displays by modulating light emitted from a backlight (not shown) according to driving from the control unit 100. Also, when the display control device 10 is an OLED display device, the display unit 103 as an OLED display unit is a display panel in which pixels including self-luminous elements are arranged two-dimensionally, and displays according to driving from the control unit 100.

[0026] The speaker 104 processes the audio signal supplied from the signal input unit 101 under the control of the control unit 100, and outputs the audio of content such as television programs and videos.

[0027] The operation reception unit 105 is composed of, for example, a short-distance wireless communication module, an infrared receiving module, etc. The operation reception unit 105 receives (receives) signals such as wireless signals and infrared signals transmitted from the remote controller 20, and supplies them to the control unit 100 as operation signals.

[0028] The control unit 100 controls the operation of each unit based on a command corresponding to an operation signal supplied from the operation reception unit 105. Note that the short-distance wireless communication can be in compliance with standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0029] (Functional configuration of the control unit) FIG. 2 shows an example of a functional configuration of the control unit 100 of FIG.

[0030] 2, the control unit 100 includes an operation detection unit 121, an operation determination unit 122, and a display control unit 123.

[0031] The operation detection unit 121 detects an operation of the remote controller 20 by the user based on an operation signal supplied from the operation acceptance unit 105, and supplies the detection result to an operation determination unit 122.

[0032] The operation determination unit 122 determines the content of the operation performed by the user based on the detection result supplied from the operation detection unit 121 , and supplies the determination result to the display control unit 123 .

[0033] The display control unit 123 controls the display of the content video and various screens displayed on the display unit 103 based on the determination result supplied from the operation determination unit 122 .

[0034] (Remote controller configuration) FIG. 3 shows an example of the external appearance of the remote controller 20 of FIG.

[0035] The remote controller 20 is provided with a button group 201 including various buttons, and a cross button 202 for moving a cursor (pointer) or the like up, down, left and right on the screen, as physical buttons.

[0036] The button group 201 includes, for example, a power button 201A for turning on or off the power of the display control device 10, an input switching button 201B for switching signals input from the signal input units 101-1 to 101-N, and the like.

[0037] The cross button 202 includes an up key 211 for moving the cursor or the like upward, a down key 212 for moving the cursor or the like downward, a left key 213 for moving the cursor or the like leftward, and a right key 214 for moving the cursor or the like rightward. The cross button 202 also includes a determination button 215 in the center thereof that is pressed at a point to be selected.

[0038] The remote controller 20 is also provided with a channel selection button group 203 consisting of buttons labeled "1" through "12," a volume adjustment button 204 for adjusting the volume in an up or down direction, and a channel selection button 205 for selecting a channel in an up or down direction.

[0039] It should be noted that the external appearance of the remote controller 20 shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and other buttons and the like may be further provided.

[0040] The display control device 10 configured as above can provide various functions, for example, a function to simultaneously display multiple display screens. For example, the following use cases are assumed for this function to display multiple display screens.

[0041] First, there may be cases where a user who is watching content other than a television program (for example, a video delivered via an OTT service) temporarily switches to dual screens when deciding whether to switch to watching a television program.

[0042] In this case, it is expected that the user will want to display a dual-screen display that displays a TV program along with a video display screen of the OTT service while continuing to watch the video. In addition, when displaying dual screens, it is expected that the user will want to be able to operate the second screen, i.e., the TV program display screen (e.g., zapping or skipping commercials), and then easily transition to one of the two screens.

[0043] In order to handle such cases, the display control device 10 needs to temporarily switch to a dual-screen display, for example, until a user who is watching video from an OTT service decides on a desired TV program, so that one display screen continues to display the video delivered by the OTT service, while the other display screen displays the TV program in an operable state.

[0044] Therefore, the display control device 10 provides, for example, the following user interfaces (UI elements) as a display function for multiple display screens. That is, the display control device 10 provides a UI element for the user to transition to two screens while viewing content, a UI element for enabling an arbitrary display screen to be added as a second screen, a UI element for enabling an operation of the added display screen, and a UI element for making an arbitrary display screen of the two screens into a single screen.

[0045] By providing such a user interface, if a user who is watching a video wants to watch a television program displayed on one display screen while continuing to watch the video on the other display screen after transitioning to dual screens, he or she can simply display the other display screen as a single screen and switch the content being viewed from the video to a television program.On the other hand, if a user does not want to watch the television program displayed on the other display screen after transitioning to dual screens, he or she can simply display one display screen as a single screen (returning to the display of one display screen) and continue watching the video.

[0046] This allows the user to decide which content to view next while continuing to view the desired content, thereby shortening the time between finishing viewing one piece of content and starting viewing the next piece of content.

[0047] Secondly, there may be a case where the display is switched to a dual screen when two different pieces of content (for example, a TV program and a game) are viewed simultaneously.

[0048] In this case, the user's expectations are assumed to be, for example, a desire for a dual-screen display in which a display screen of a soccer broadcast program is displayed together with a display screen of the soccer game while the user is playing the game. In addition, it is assumed that the user would desire to realize a dual-screen display of any content and to be able to change the volume balance, image size, etc. of each of the two screens when displaying the dual screen.

[0049] Therefore, in the display control device 10, as a display function for multiple display screens, UI elements for dual-screening any content and UI elements for enabling adjustment of the volume balance between the left and right display screens and the image size of the left and right display screens are provided.

[0050] Hereinafter, details of the display function of a plurality of display screens provided by the display control device 10 to which the present technology is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0051] The display function of multiple display screens can be said to be a function corresponding to, for example, a so-called multi-screen function, a PIP (Picture in Picture) function, a PBP (Picture by Picture) function, etc. In order to distinguish between the screen (whole screen) of display unit 103 and one or more screens displayed on display unit 103, the latter screen will be referred to as a display screen in the following description.

[0052] (Example of transition from one screen to two screens) FIG. 4 shows an example of a transition from one screen to two screens as a display function of multiple display screens.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows examples of behavior when operations OP11 to OP13 are performed by a user on the remote controller 20 when a display screen 151 displaying a content image is displayed on the screen of the display unit 103 in the display control device 10.

[0054] Here, first, in a case where the display screen 151 is displayed as a single screen, when, for example, an input switching button (INPUT) 201B is operated as an operation OP11 by a user holding the remote controller 20, an input switching menu 161 is displayed superimposed on the lower area of ​​the display screen 151 displayed on the entire screen.

[0055] The input switching menu 161 is a UI (User Interface) for switching between a plurality of inputs when the display control device 10 supports the plurality of inputs. In this input switching menu 161, a plurality of items 171 associated with the display screen 151 are displayed. For example, when the plurality of inputs can be switched to inputs such as an input from a tuner, a playback device, a recorder, a game device, an external storage, and an OTT service, items 171 having information (labels) corresponding to those inputs are displayed.

[0056] Here, among the multiple items 171 displayed in the input switching menu 161, the selected item 171 associated with the currently displayed display screen 151 is also referred to as an active item 171 (171-1A, 171-2A, etc.) to distinguish it from the other items 171. Furthermore, among the multiple items 171, the desired item 171 selected by a user operation is also referred to as a selected item 171 (171-2S, etc.).

[0057] Furthermore, among the multiple items 171, the item 171 displayed in the area to the left of the active item 171 (171-1A, etc.) is also referred to as the left item 171 (171-2L, etc.), and the item 171 displayed in the area to the right of the active item 171 (171-1A, etc.) is also referred to as the right item 171 (171-2R, etc.).

[0058] At this time, when the left item 171-2L is selected by the user as the operation OP12 from among the multiple items 171, the display screen 151-1 corresponding to the active item 171-1A and the display screen 151-2L corresponding to the left item 171-2L are displayed in two screens. Note that as the operation OP12, for example, an operation of moving the cursor to the left item 171-2L by operating the cross button 202 and pressing the up key 211 in that state is performed.

[0059] In this dual screen display, a display screen 151-2L corresponding to the left item 171-2L is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen, and a display screen 151-1 corresponding to the active item 171-1A is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen. Also, an input switching menu 161 is displayed in the lower area of ​​the dual screen.

[0060] In other words, when the active item 171-1A is used as a reference and a left item 171-2L displayed in the area to the left of it is selected, the display screen 151-2L corresponding to the left item 171-2L is displayed in the area corresponding to the left area (the left area of ​​the entire screen).

[0061] Furthermore, when the right item 171-2R is selected by the user as operation OP13 from among the multiple items 171, a display screen 151-1 corresponding to the active item 171-1A and a display screen 151-2R corresponding to the right item 171-2R are displayed in two screens. Note that, as operation OP13, for example, an operation of positioning the cursor on the right item 171-2R by operating the cross button 202 and pressing the up key 211 in that state is performed.

[0062] In this dual screen display, a display screen 151-2R corresponding to the right item 171-2R is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen, and a display screen 151-1 corresponding to the active item 171-1A is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen. Also, an input switching menu 161 is displayed in the lower area of ​​the dual screen.

[0063] In other words, when the active item 171-1A is used as a reference and the right item 171-2R displayed in the area to the right of the active item 171-1A is selected, the display screen 151-2R corresponding to the right item 171-2R is displayed in the area corresponding to the right area (the right area of ​​the entire screen).

[0064] Although details will be described later, when this dual screen display is performed, another menu screen such as a control menu 163 (FIG. 15) may be displayed instead of the input switching menu 161.

[0065] Next, a specific example of a transition from one screen to two screens will be shown with reference to examples of whole screen displays in FIGS.

[0066] 5, when a user who is watching a TV program presses input switching button 201B, an input switching menu 161 is displayed superimposed in the lower area of ​​TV program display screen 151 displayed on the entire screen. This input switching menu 161 displays a plurality of items 171 on which information (e.g., labels such as character strings or icons) corresponding to a player (playback device), game, TV, external storage, or OTT service is displayed.

[0067] In this example, the television item 171 is the active item 171-1A, and is therefore highlighted (for example, displayed larger and surrounded by a colored frame) compared to the other items 171. Also, the player and game items 171 are left items 171-2L, while the external storage and OTT service items 171 ("NET VIDEO SERVICE" and "Online Video Distribution" in the figure) are right items 171-2R.

[0068] At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, when the user operates the cross button 202 to position the cursor on the left game item 171-2L and presses the up key 211, it is selected as the selected item 171-2S, and the two screens shown in FIG. 7 are displayed.

[0069] 7, the display screen 151-2L corresponding to the left game item 171-2L is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen, and the TV program display screen 151-1 is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen. In addition, the game item 171 after the transition to the two-screen display is highlighted as the active item 171-2A in the input switching menu 161 at the bottom of the left and right two-screen display.

[0070] In this way, when the TV program display screen 151 is displayed as a single screen, when a left game item 171-2L displayed in the area to the left of the TV active item 171-1A is selected, the game display screen 151-2L (selected display screen) is displayed in a position (left area of ​​the entire screen) relative to the display position of the selected left item 171-2L (selected item 171-2S). Meanwhile, the TV program display screen 151-1 (active display screen) is displayed in the right area opposite the left area of ​​the entire screen.

[0071] In FIG. 7, the number icon "1" links the active item 171-2A of the game to the display screen 151-2L, and the number icon "2" links the active item 171-1A of the TV program to the display screen 151-1.

[0072] Also, as shown in FIG. 8, when the user operates the cross button 202 to position the cursor on the right item 171-2R of the external storage and presses the up key 211, it is selected as the selected item 171-2S and the two screens shown in FIG. 9 are displayed.

[0073] 9, a display screen 151-2R corresponding to the right item 171-2R of the external storage is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen, and a display screen 151-1 of the TV program is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen. In addition, in the input switching menu 161 at the bottom of the left and right dual screens, the external storage item 171 after the dual screen transition is highlighted as an active item 171-2A compared to the other items 171.

[0074] In this way, when the TV program display screen 151 is displayed in a single screen, when a right item 171-2R of the external storage displayed in the area to the right of the active item 171-1A of the TV is selected, the external storage display screen 151-2R (selected display screen) is displayed in a position (right area of ​​the entire screen) relative to the display position of the selected right item 171-2R (selected item 171-2S). Meanwhile, the TV program display screen 151-1 (active display screen) is displayed in the left area opposite the right area of ​​the entire screen.

[0075] In FIG. 9 as well, the active item 171-1A of the TV program is linked to the display screen 151-1 by the icon with the number "1," and the active item 171-2A of the external storage is linked to the display screen 151-2R by the icon with the number "2."

[0076] As described above, in the display control device 10, when a desired item 171 (171-2L, 171-2R) is selected from the multiple displayed items 171 by a user operation, the display screen 151 (151-2L, 151-2R) corresponding to the selected item 171 (171-2S) is displayed at a position relative to the display position of the selected item 171 (171-2S). This improves operability when a user uses the display function of multiple display screens to display multiple display screens.

[0077] That is, since it is assumed that the user will look at the entire screen with active item 171-1A as a reference when transitioning from one screen to two screens, when left item 171-2L displayed in the area to the left of the reference is selected, display screen 151-2L is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen. On the other hand, when right item 171-2R displayed in the area to the right of the reference is selected, display screen 151-2R is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen.

[0078] By displaying in this manner, when transitioning from one screen to two screens, the relationship between the two screens, display screens 151-1, 151-2, and the selected item 171, which is the active item 171-1A, 171-2A, becomes clear, thereby improving visibility for the user and ultimately improving operability.

[0079] Here, it is conceivable to realize a dual-screen display function by providing the remote controller 20 with a dual-screen key for transitioning from one screen to two screens, but this requires providing a new physical button, and it is difficult to specify the content to be displayed on the dual screen by operating the dual-screen key. On the other hand, in the present technology, it is possible to display the video of the desired content in a dual-screen state by using the current cross button 202 as it is, without providing a new physical button.

[0080] In the above explanation, it was explained that in the single-screen state, when the cursor is positioned on a desired item 171 (171-2L, 171-2R) from among a plurality of items 171 and the up key 211 is pressed, the desired item 171 is selected as the selected item 171 (171-2S) and the state transitions to a dual-screen state; however, when the decision button 215 is pressed with the cursor positioned on the desired item 171 (171-2L, 171-2R), the display screen 151 corresponding to the item 171 on which the cursor is positioned is displayed as a single screen.

[0081] In this way, when the cursor is on the desired item 171, by operating the decision button 215 instead of the up key 211, the same operation as normal input switching is performed, so that it is possible to realize the display function of multiple display screens (two screens) without impairing the input switching function provided by the input switching menu 161.

[0082] (Example of transition from two screens to three screens) In the above explanation, an example of displaying two screens, display screens 151-1 and 151-2, was shown as a display function of multiple display screens, but the same can be applied to the case of displaying three or more screens. Fig. 10 shows an example of transition from two screens to three screens as a display function of multiple display screens.

[0083] FIG. 10 shows examples of behavior when operations OP21 to OP23 are performed by the user on the remote controller 20 in a case where images of different contents are displayed on two screens on the screen of the display unit 103 in the display control device 10.

[0084] In this dual-screen display, of the five items 171 displayed in the input switching menu 161, the second item 171 from the left is set as the active item 171-1A, and a display screen 151-1 corresponding to the active item 171-1A is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen. Also, of the five items 171, the second item 171 from the right is set as the active item 171-2A, and a display screen 151-2 corresponding to the active item 171-2A is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen.

[0085] At this time, when the leftmost item 171-3L of the five items 171 is selected as the operation OP21, the display screen 151-1 and the display screen 151-2 are displayed in the upper left and upper right areas of the split screen into four parts, and the display screen 151-3L corresponding to the left item 171-3L is displayed in the lower left area. Also, the input switching menu 161 is displayed in the lower left and lower right areas, and the input switching menu 161 is displayed superimposed on a part of the area of ​​the lower left display screen 151-3L.

[0086] In this triple-screen display, display screen 151-1 and display screen 151-3L corresponding to active items 171-1A and 171-3A are displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen, respectively, and display screen 151-2 corresponding to active item 171-2A is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen.

[0087] In other words, when the active items 171-1A, 171-2A are used as a reference and a left item 171-3L displayed in the area to the left of them is selected, the display screen 151-3L (selected display screen) is displayed in a position relative to the display position of the selected left item 171-3L (selected item 171-3S) (the left area of ​​the entire screen).

[0088] Furthermore, when central item 171-3M is selected among the five items 171 as operation OP22, the entire screen is divided into two parts, top and bottom, and display screen 151-1 and display screen 151-2 are displayed in the left and right areas of the upper area, respectively, and display screen 151-3M corresponding to central item 171-3M is displayed in the central area of ​​the lower area.

[0089] In this triple-screen display, display screens 151-1 and 151-2 corresponding to active items 171-1A and 171-2A are displayed in the upper left and right areas of the entire screen, respectively, and display screen 151-3M corresponding to active item 171-3A is displayed in the lower central area of ​​the entire screen.

[0090] In other words, when the central item 171-3M displayed in the area between the active items 171-1 and 171-2 is selected, the display screen 151-3M (selected display screen) is displayed in a position relative to the display position of the selected central item 171-3M (selected item 171-3S) (the area corresponding to the area between the left and right areas on the entire screen).

[0091] Furthermore, when the right-most item 171-3R of the five items 171 is selected as operation OP23, the entire screen is divided into four split screens, and display screen 151-1 and display screen 151-2 are displayed in the upper left and upper right areas, respectively, and display screen 151-3R corresponding to right item 171-3R is displayed in the lower right area.

[0092] In this triple screen display, display screen 151-1 corresponding to active item 171-1A is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen, and display screens 151-2 and 151-3R corresponding to active items 171-2A and 171-3A are displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen, respectively.

[0093] In other words, when the active items 171-1A, 171-2A are used as a reference and the right item 171-3R displayed in the area to the right of the active items 171-1A, 171-2A is selected, the display screen 151-3R (selected display screen) is displayed in a position (the right area of ​​the entire screen) relative to the display position of the selected right item 171-3R (selected item 171-3S).

[0094] In the above explanation, examples of two-screen and three-screen display have been described as examples of the display function for a plurality of display screens. However, even when four or more display screens are displayed, it is possible to similarly display screen 151 corresponding to selected item 171 at a position relative to the display position of selected item 171, and therefore it is possible to improve operability even when four or more display screens are displayed.

[0095] A similar display can also be applied when multiple display screens are displayed as a two-dimensional list. Furthermore, in the above description, an example was shown in which display screens 151-1 and 151-2 are displayed side by side in the left-right direction when displaying two screens, but for example, display screens 151-1 and 151-2 may be displayed side by side in the up-down direction.

[0096] In the above description, a case where images of different types of content, such as a television program and a game, or a television program and a video, are displayed on multiple display screens, has been exemplified, but the same type of content may be displayed. For example, by enabling input from multiple tuners as the signal input units 101-1 to 101-N, television programs on different channels may be displayed on two screens. Furthermore, when display screen 151 corresponding to selected item 171 is displayed, a visual effect may be added, for example, by displaying display screen 151 so as to expand from the selected item 171.

[0097] (Relationship between multiple screens and items) However, when the number of items 171 to be displayed in the input switching menu 161 increases, it may not be possible to display all of the items 171 on the screen, making it difficult to understand the relationship between the active item 171 and the multiple display screens 151 displayed in two or three screens.

[0098] For example, as shown in A of FIG. 11, when display screen 151-1 and display screen 151-2 are displayed in a dual-screen format, active item 171-α corresponding to display screen 151-1 is displayed in input switching menu 161, but active item 171-β corresponding to display screen 151-2 is off-screen.

[0099] However, although "α" and "β" are used here for convenience of explanation, in reality there is no such notation, and active items 171-α, 171-β cannot be linked to display screens 151-1(α), 151-2(β). In addition, hidden items 171 are also shown for convenience of explanation, but in reality, only the items 171 represented by five squares in input switching menu 161 are displayed, and the items 171 represented by four squares to the right of them are hidden (they can be displayed by scrolling).

[0100] In such a case, it is difficult to understand the relationship between the item 171 displayed in the input switching menu 161 and the dual-screen display screens 151-1 and 151-2, that is, the relationship between the active item 171-α (171-β) and the display screens 151-1 and 151-2.

[0101] 11A, the user cannot easily understand whether the active item 171-α displayed in the input switching menu 161 is linked to the display screen 151-1 or the display screen 151-2. Therefore, for example, when transitioning from two screens to three screens, a problem occurs in that it is difficult to understand where the third screen 151-3 is to be added to the display screens 151-1 and 151-2 being displayed in the two screens.

[0102] Therefore, in the display control device 10, as a display function for the multiple display screens, the following two methods can be provided, for example, so that the positional relationship between the active item 171 and the multiple display screens 151 can be easily understood.

[0103] In the first method, as shown in B of Fig. 11, active item 171 and multiple display screens 151 are linked using linking information such as numbers and symbols. In the example of B of Fig. 11, display screens 151-1 and 151-2 and corresponding active items 171-1A and 171-2A are linked by linking information that is a number.

[0104] Specifically, when displaying two screens, the display screen 151-1 in the left area and the active item 171-1A are linked by being assigned the number "1" respectively, and the display screen 151-2 in the right area and the active item 171-2A are linked by being assigned the number "2" respectively.

[0105] In the example of B in FIG. 11, the number "1" is displayed at the top of display screen 151-1 as linking information 181-1, and the number "1" is also displayed on active item 171-1A, so that the user can recognize that active item 171-1A corresponds to display screen 151-1.

[0106] Also, in the example of B in FIG. 11, the number "2" is displayed at the top of display screen 151-2 as linked information 181-2, and item 171 displaying the number "2" is not displayed. However, since active item 171-1A is displayed, the user can recognize that active item 171-2A is cut off and hidden (it can be displayed by scrolling to the left, for example).

[0107] In this way, by linking the corresponding active items 171 and display screens 151 with the numbers "1" and "2," even when one active item 171 is displayed on the screen and the other active item 171 is partially outside the screen, it is easy to understand which of the dual-screen displayed display screens 151 an active item 171 is linked to.

[0108] In the display examples shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the active items 171-1A and 171-2A are linked to the display screens 151-1 and 151-2 by the numbers "1" and "2."

[0109] In the second method, as shown in B of Fig. 12, even if there are many items 171 to be displayed in the input switching menu 161, only the active item 171 is prevented from being cut off outside the screen. Note that A of Fig. 12 shows a problem regarding the positional relationship between the corresponding active item 171 and the display screen 151, similar to A of Fig. 11.

[0110] In the example of B in FIG. 12, when active item 171 is in a state where it is partially visible outside the screen, at least a part of active item 171 is displayed within input switching menu 161 (within the screen).

[0111] Specifically, when two screens are displayed, if active item 171-1A corresponding to display screen 151-1 in the left area is displayed on the screen and active item 171-2A corresponding to display screen 151-2 in the right area is cut off outside the screen, a part of active item 171-2A (for example, approximately half of the left side area) is displayed within input switching menu 161 (the area including the right end).

[0112] In the example of B in FIG. 12, a portion of active item 171-2A is displayed in input switching menu 161 along with active item 171-1A, making clear the positional relationship between active items 171-1A, 171-2A and the left and right display screens 151-1, 151-2 displayed in dual screen format.

[0113] In this way, by displaying at least a portion of the active item 171 that would normally be off-screen, within the screen, even if one active item 171 is displayed within the screen and the other active item 171 is off-screen, it is easy to understand which of the dual-screen display screens 151 both active items 171 are linked to.

[0114] In the example of B in Figure 12, a case is shown in which active item 171-2A is partially visible outside the screen, but when active item 171-1A is partially visible outside the screen, a portion of active item 171-1A (for example, approximately half of the area on the right side) can be displayed within input switching menu 161 (the area including the left end).

[0115] In addition, when both active items 171-1A and 171-2A are cut off, a portion of active item 171-1A (e.g., approximately half of the area on the right side) and a portion of active item 171-2A (e.g., approximately half of the area on the left side) may be displayed within input switching menu 161 (an area including the left and right ends).

[0116] The first and second methods described above are merely examples, and other methods may be used if, when there are multiple pairs of active items 171 and display screens 151 (active display screens), the positional relationship between the corresponding active items 171 and display screens 151 (active display screens) can be displayed in a manner that is recognizable to the user.

[0117] (Example of control menu) In the above description, the input switching menu 161 is displayed in the lower area of ​​a plurality of display screens such as two or three screens, but a menu screen such as a control menu may be displayed instead.

[0118] 13, as the control menu 162, a plurality of control items 172 to which functions such as adding and deleting the display screen 151 are assigned can be displayed, similar to the above-mentioned input switching menu 161. Functions assigned to the control items 172 can include, for example, the functions shown in FIG.

[0119] First, as a function for adding a display screen 151, when the up key 211 is pressed with the cross button 202 operated to place the cursor on a control item 172 to be added (desired), a display screen 151 corresponding to the control item 172 is added. This function allows transition from one screen to two screens, or from two screens to three screens.

[0120] Secondly, as a function for reducing the number of display screens 151, when the cross button 202 is operated to place the cursor on a (desired) control item 172 to be reduced and the down key 212 is pressed, the display screen 151 corresponding to that control item 172 is deleted. This function allows transition from two screens to one screen, or from three screens to two screens.

[0121] Thirdly, there is a function for switching the operation target, which is a function for switching the operation target control item 172 by operating the cross button 202 to align the cursor with the desired control item 172 and focus on it. With this function, the desired control item 172 can be selected.

[0122] In the example of FIG. 13, a display screen 151-1 and a display screen 151-2 are displayed side by side as two screens.

[0123] This dual-screen display is achieved, for example, when display screen 151-1 is displayed as a single screen and the up key 211 is pressed with the cursor positioned on control item 172-2, or when display screen 151-2 is displayed as a single screen and the up key 211 is pressed with the cursor positioned on control item 172-1.

[0124] In addition, in this dual-screen display state, when the down key 212 is pressed with the cursor positioned on control item 172-2, display screen 151-2 is deleted and display screen 151-1 is displayed in single screen. Alternatively, in this dual-screen display state, when the down key 212 is pressed with the cursor positioned on control item 172-1, display screen 151-1 is deleted and display screen 151-2 is displayed in single screen.

[0125] Thus, the input switching menu 161 is an example of the control menu 162, and when a first operation (e.g., pressing the up key 211) is performed on a desired control item 172, the desired control item 172 is selected as a selected control item 172, and the display screen 151 (selected display screen) is displayed. Also, when a second operation (e.g., pressing the down key 212) is performed on an active item 172 that is the selected control item 172, the display screen 151 (active display screen) corresponding to the active item 172 is hidden.

[0126] 15, a menu dedicated to controlling multiple display screens such as two screens or three screens can be displayed as control menu 163. One or more control items 173 are displayed in control menu 163. Functions assigned to control item 173 can include, for example, the functions shown in FIG.

[0127] When the control item 173-1 labeled "Single Screen: Left" is operated (selected), the screen transitions from dual screens to the single screen of the display screen 151-1 displayed on the left side. When the control item 173-2 labeled "Single Screen: Right" is operated, the screen transitions from dual screens to the single screen of the display screen 151-2 displayed on the right side.

[0128] When the control item 173-3 labeled "left operation / right operation" is operated, the operation target on the dual screen is changed to the left display screen 151-1 or the right display screen 151-2.

[0129] When control item 173-4 labeled "Enlarge: Left Up" is selected, the area of ​​left display screen 151-1 of the two screens is enlarged while the area of ​​right display screen 151-2 is reduced. When control item 173-5 labeled "Enlarge: Right Up" is selected, the area of ​​right display screen 151-2 of the two screens is enlarged while the area of ​​left display screen 151-1 is reduced.

[0130] When control item 173-6 labeled "Volume balance: left up" is selected, the volume of the audio corresponding to the video displayed on the left display screen 151-1 of the two screens is increased, while the volume of the audio corresponding to the video displayed on the right display screen 151-2 is decreased. When control item 173-7 labeled "Volume balance: right up" is selected, the volume of the audio corresponding to the video displayed on the right display screen 151-2 of the two screens is increased, while the volume of the audio corresponding to the video displayed on the left display screen 151-1 is decreased.

[0131] In other words, when displaying two screens, crosstalk can be tolerated, and the sound corresponding to the images displayed on each of the left and right display screens 151-1, 151-2 can be adjusted to a volume balance of, for example, 30:70, rather than a volume balance of 100:0 or 0:100.

[0132] When control item 173-8, labeled "Close," is selected, control menu 163 is closed.

[0133] 16 are merely examples, and at least one function can be assigned to the control item 173. Functions other than those shown in Fig. 16 may be added. Furthermore, as an operation of the control item 173, for example, when a predetermined button such as the decision button 215 is pressed with the cursor positioned on a desired control item 173, a function corresponding to the control item 173 is executed.

[0134] Here, a specific example of an operation on the control item 173 displayed on the control menu 163 will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 shows examples of behavior when operations OP31 to OP36 are performed as operations of the remote controller 20 by the user.

[0135] Here, first, an operation OP31 is performed to transition from one screen to two screens. After that, when a predetermined button such as the input switching button 201B is operated as an operation OP32, a control menu 163 is displayed in the lower area of ​​the two screens. In this control menu 163, a plurality of control items 173 with various item labels (FIG. 16) are displayed.

[0136] At this time, when the control item 173-1 is selected as the operation OP33, the dual screen is switched to the single screen on the left side, and the display screen 151-1 on the left side is displayed on the entire screen. Also, when the control item 173-2 is selected as the operation OP34, the dual screen is switched to the single screen on the right side, and the display screen 151-2 on the right side is displayed on the entire screen.

[0137] Furthermore, examples of when various control items 173 are selected as the operation OP35 are shown within dashed lines in the drawing (A to C in FIG. 17).

[0138] Here, when control item 173-5 is selected as operation OP35-1, the area of ​​the right-hand display screen 151-2 of the two screens is enlarged while the area of ​​the left-hand display screen 151-1 is reduced, and the image size is scaled in tandem with the left and right displays (A in FIG. 17).

[0139] Although not shown, when control item 173-4 is selected, of the two screens, the area of ​​left display screen 151-1 is enlarged and the area of ​​right display screen 151-2 is reduced.

[0140] Furthermore, when control item 173-6 is selected as operation OP35-2, the volume of the sound corresponding to the image displayed on the left display screen 151-1 of the two screens is increased, and the volume of the sound corresponding to the image displayed on the right display screen 151-2 is decreased (B in FIG. 17). In this example, the ratio of the volume corresponding to the left display screen 151-1 to the volume corresponding to the right display screen 151-2 is 30:70.

[0141] On the other hand, when the control item 173-7 is selected, the volume of the sound corresponding to the image displayed on the right display screen 151-2 of the two screens is increased and the volume of the sound corresponding to the image displayed on the left display screen 151-1 is decreased, thereby adjusting the mix balance of the sound volumes in the two screens. Note that even when the two screens are displayed, normal volume operations can be performed in the same way as when the single screen is displayed.

[0142] Furthermore, when control item 173-3 is selected as operation OP35-3, the operation target in the dual screen is changed to left display screen 151-1 or right display screen 151-2. In this example, right display screen 151 becomes the operation target, and an icon for identifying the operation target ("remote control icon" in the figure) is displayed in the upper area (C in FIG. 17).

[0143] It should be noted that when the control item 173-8 is selected as the operation OP36, or when a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) has elapsed, the control menu 163 is closed.

[0144] In this way, by displaying the control menu 163 as a menu screen when displaying multiple screens, such as two screens, it is possible to perform operations on the multiple screens (active display screens) immediately after displaying the multiple screens.

[0145] When the control menu 163 is displayed as the menu screen, the menu screen may be switched from the input switching menu 161 to the control menu 163 at the timing when the single screen is switched to the dual screen, for example.

[0146] (How to operate on multiple screens) FIG. 18 shows an example of a display screen 151 to be operated during dual-screen display.

[0147] In FIG. 18, A of FIG. 18 shows an example of a screen when the control menu 163 is superimposed during dual screen display, and B of FIG. 18 shows an example of a screen when the control menu 163 is not superimposed.

[0148] Furthermore, when a predetermined operation is performed by the user as operation OP41 while the screen A in Fig. 18 is being displayed, the control menu 163 is closed, and the screen transitions from the screen A in Fig. 18 to the screen B in Fig. 18. On the other hand, when a predetermined operation is performed by the user as operation OP42 while the screen B in Fig. 18 is being displayed, the control menu 163 is opened, and the screen transitions from the screen B in Fig. 18 to the screen A in Fig. 18.

[0149] Here, since the control menu 163 is displayed on the screen A of FIG. 18, by operating the control item 173-3, the left display screen 151-1 or the right display screen 151-2 can be selected as the display screen 151 to be operated in the dual screens.

[0150] For example, when control item 173-3 of control menu 163 is operated on screen A of FIG. 18 and display screen 151-2 on the right side is selected as the operation target, and operation OP41 is performed, control menu 163 closes and the screen transitions from screen A of FIG. 18 to screen B of FIG. 18.

[0151] At this time, in the screen B of FIG. 18, keys for operating within the screen are sent to the right-hand display screen 151-2, which is selected as the object of operation, so that the user can operate the right-hand display screen 151-2 (or the content displayed thereon) by operating the remote controller 20.

[0152] That is, even when the control menu 163 is closed, the state of the display screen 151 that was previously selected by (the control item 173-3 of) the control menu 163 is retained. In other words, in dual-screen display, one of the dual-screen display screens 151 has the control right, and in order to switch the control right, it is necessary to operate (the control item 173-3 of) the control menu 163.

[0153] However, an operation to call a function that is commonly used across all the functions provided by the display control device 10, such as the control menu 163, is not sent to the display screen 151 to be operated, but is treated as a common function of the display control device 10, similar to the case of single-screen display. Operations according to this common function include, for example, the activation of the control menu 163, as well as operations for power, volume, etc., the activation of the main menu, the activation of the input switching menu 161, etc.

[0154] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, operations corresponding to common functions related to the entire display control device 10 include, for example, opening a menu screen such as the control menu 163, and operations such as power and volume operations (A in FIG. 19), and operations corresponding to specific functions related to the display screen 151 (active display screen) to be operated include operations on the video and audio of the content displayed on the display screen 151 (B in FIG. 19).

[0155] In the above explanation, an example was given in which the control item 173-3 of the control menu 163 was operated to select the display screen 151 to be operated in the dual screen mode. However, instead of the control menu 163, another menu screen such as the control menu 162 may be launched and the display screen 151 to be operated may be selected in response to a predetermined operation.

[0156] (Examples of other display formats) The above-mentioned display form of a plurality of screens (two screens, three screens, etc.) is one example, and various display forms can be adopted.

[0157] For example, as shown in FIG. 20, when menu screens such as the input switching menu 161 and the control menu 163 are hidden in dual screen display, free space is created in the upper and lower areas of the dual screen, and this free space can be used for display.

[0158] 20, each of the two screens, display screen 151-1 and display screen 151-2, is a horizontally long screen with an aspect ratio of, for example, 16:9, but, for example, by using the free space above and below, at least one of the two screens, display screen 151, may be a vertically long screen. In particular, in an OTT service, a screen such as a menu screen may be compatible with a vertically long display, and in such a case, by making display screen 151 a vertical screen to match the screen of the menu screen, for example, the menu screen of the OTT service can be displayed larger, thereby improving its visibility.

[0159] Also, for example, in FIG. 20, the empty space above or below the two screens may be used to display subtitles for the content displayed on display screen 151-1 or display screen 151-2, or to display a screen for making various settings (e.g., a control panel, etc.).

[0160] In the above explanation, two screens are displayed when item 171 in input switching menu 161 is selected. However, multiple display screens may be displayed, such as transitioning from one screen to two screens when another display item is selected.

[0161] For example, as shown in FIG. 21, when a program guide 191 is superimposed on the lower area of ​​a TV program image on a display screen 151, and a desired TV program is selected by, for example, pressing the up key 211 while the cursor 192 is on the desired program listing (item), the selected TV program can be displayed in dual screen format together with the TV program being viewed.

[0162] At this time, however, the display screen 151 (selection display screen) of the selected television program is displayed at a position relative to the display position of the program column (selection item) selected from the program guide 191.

[0163] Specifically, while watching a program such as "All Japan Soccer Special," if a program listing (active item) in the left area is selected based on that program listing (active item) (for example, a left item such as "General News" or "Go / Shogi Channel"), display screen 151 (active display screen) for the soccer program is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen, and display screen 151 (selected display screen) corresponding to the program listing (selected item) in the selected left area is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen.

[0164] On the other hand, when a program listing ("All Japan Soccer Special") is being viewed and a program listing (active item) in the area to the right of the program listing (active item) is selected (for example, a right item such as "Sports TV" or "Travel Channel"), the soccer program display screen 151 (active display screen) is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen, and a display screen 151 (selected display screen) corresponding to the program listing (selected item) in the selected right area is displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen.

[0165] Moreover, although the above shows a case where a program column (item) displayed in the program guide 191 is selected, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a recommended item such as a television program or website, or an item corresponding to various applications is operated (e.g., by pressing the up key 211), the display screen 151 corresponding to the selected item can be displayed in dual screen.

[0166] (Dual screen display processing) Next, the flow of the dual-screen display process executed by the control unit 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0167] In step S 11 , the operation detection unit 121 detects, based on an operation signal from the operation acceptance unit 105 , an operation of the remote controller 20 by the user.

[0168] In step S12, the operation determination unit 122 determines, based on the detection result in step S11, whether or not the item 171 displayed in the input switching menu 161 has been selected.

[0169] If it is determined in the determination process of step S12 that the item 171 has been selected, for example, by pressing the up key 211 with the cursor positioned on the item 171, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0170] In step S13, the operation determination unit 122 determines, based on the detection result in step S11, whether or not the selected item 171-2S is the left item 171-2L displayed in the area to the left of the active item 171-1A.

[0171] If it is determined in the determination process of step S13 that the selected item 171-2S is the left item 171-2L, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0172] In step S14, the display control unit 123 displays the display screen 151-2L corresponding to the selected item 171-2S (selected left item 171-2L) in the left area of ​​the entire screen, and displays the display screen 151-1 corresponding to the active item 171-1A in the right area of ​​the entire screen.

[0173] On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S13 that the selected item 171-2S is the right item 171-2R, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0174] In step S15, the display control unit 123 displays the display screen 151-2R corresponding to the selected item 171S (selected right item 171-2R) in the right area of ​​the entire screen, and displays the display screen 151-1 corresponding to the active item 171-1A in the left area of ​​the entire screen.

[0175] If it is determined in the determination process of step S12 that the item 171 has not been selected, the process proceeds to step S16. In step S16, the control unit 100 controls each unit to perform a predetermined process in response to a predetermined operation.

[0176] For example, in a dual-screen display state, when the down key 212 is pressed with the cursor positioned on an active item 171 corresponding to one display screen 151, the other display screen 151 is displayed as a single screen. Also, for example, when the enter button 215 is pressed with the cursor positioned on an arbitrary item 171, the display screen 151 corresponding to that item 171 is displayed as a single screen.

[0177] When the process of step S14, S15, or S16 ends, the dual-screen display process ends.

[0178] The flow of the dual-screen display process has been described above. In this dual-screen display process, when transitioning from one screen to two screens, the relationship between the selected item 171 and the display screen 151 becomes clear, improving the user's visibility, and as a result, improving operability.

[0179] In FIG. 22, the flow of the two-screen display process is explained, and the explanation of the flow of the display process for three or more screens is omitted. However, even in the display process for three or more screens, the relationship between the selected item 171 and the display screen 151 becomes clear, thereby improving operability.

[0180] <2. Modifications>

[0181] In the above description, the display control device 10 has been described as a television receiver, but it is not limited to this and may be, for example, an electronic device such as a display device, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a head-mounted display, or a game console.

[0182] In addition, in the above description, the display control device 10 has been described as a television receiver including a display unit 103 such as an LCD display unit or an OLED display unit, and a speaker 104. However, a display control device to which the present technology is applied may be configured not to include the display unit 103 and the speaker 104.

[0183] (Display system configuration) FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an embodiment of a display system to which the present technology is applied.

[0184] 23 includes a display control device 30, a display device 40, and an audio output device 50. The display control device 30 is, for example, an electronic device such as a set-top box, a recorder, or a playback device (player).

[0185] The display device 40 is, for example, an electronic device such as a display device, a television receiver, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. The audio output device 50 is, for example, an electronic device such as a speaker device, etc. The display control device 30, the display device 40, and the audio output device 50 are each connected by a cable or the like via an interface conforming to a predetermined standard.

[0186] 23, the display control device 30 includes a control unit 300, signal input units 301-1 to 301-N, a signal processing unit 302, a video signal output unit 303, an audio signal output unit 304, and an operation receiving unit 305. Also, in FIG. 23, the display device 40 includes a display unit 400. Furthermore, the audio output device 50 includes a speaker 500.

[0187] The display control device 30 in FIG. 23 differs from the display control device 10 in FIG. 1 in that a video signal output unit 303 and an audio signal output unit 304 are provided instead of the display unit 103 and the speaker 104. However, the other components, i.e., the control unit 300, signal input units 301-1 to 301-N, signal processing unit 302, and operation receiving unit 305, are configured in the same manner as the control unit 100, signal input units 101-1 to 101-N, signal processing unit 102, and operation receiving unit 105.

[0188] The video signal output unit 303 outputs the video signal from the signal processing unit 302 to the display device 40 via a predetermined interface. The audio signal output unit 304 outputs the audio signal from the signal processing unit 302 to the audio output device 50 via a predetermined interface.

[0189] In the display device 40, the display unit 400 is configured similarly to the display unit 103 in Fig. 1. In addition, in the audio output device 50, the speaker 500 is configured similarly to the speaker 104 in Fig. 1. That is, in the display system in Fig. 23, the video and various screens displayed on the screen of the display device 40, and the audio output from the audio output device 50, etc. are controlled by the display control device 30.

[0190] 23, the display control device 30, the display device 40, and the audio output device 50 are each connected via a specific interface such as a cable, but this is not limited to wired connection, and for example, video signals and audio signals may be sent wirelessly according to a communication method that complies with a specific standard. Also, a system refers to a collection of multiple components (devices, modules (parts), etc.), and it does not matter whether all the components are in the same housing or not.

[0191] In the above description, the operation of the display control device 10 or the display control device 30 is performed by the user operating the remote controller 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, voice operation or gesture operation may be performed in response to the user's speech or gesture. The display control device 10 (or the display control device 30) and the remote controller 20 may communicate with each other according to another communication method, not limited to short-distance wireless communication or infrared communication. The communication method here is not limited to wireless communication, and may be wired communication.

[0192] <3. Computer configuration>

[0193] The above-mentioned series of processes (for example, the dual-screen display process shown in FIG. 22) can be executed by hardware or software. When the series of processes is executed by software, a program constituting the software is installed in the computer of each device. FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer that executes the above-mentioned series of processes by a program.

[0194] 24, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1001, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1002, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1003 are interconnected by a bus 1004. An input / output interface 1005 is further connected to the bus 1004. An input unit 1006, an output unit 1007, a storage unit 1008, a communication unit 1009, and a drive 1010 are connected to the input / output interface 1005.

[0195] The input unit 1006 includes a microphone, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The output unit 1007 includes a speaker, a display, etc. The storage unit 1008 includes a hard disk, a non-volatile memory, etc. The communication unit 1009 includes a network interface, etc. The drive 1010 drives a removable recording medium 1011 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory.

[0196] In a computer configured as described above, the CPU 1001 loads a program recorded in the ROM 1002 or memory unit 1008 into the RAM 1003 via the input / output interface 1005 and the bus 1004, and executes the program, thereby performing the series of processes described above.

[0197] The program executed by the computer (CPU 1001) can be provided by being recorded on a removable recording medium 1011 such as a package medium, for example. The program can also be provided via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, or digital satellite broadcasting.

[0198] In the computer, the program can be installed in the storage unit 1008 via the input / output interface 1005 by mounting the removable recording medium 1011 in the drive 1010. The program can also be received by the communication unit 1009 via a wired or wireless transmission medium and installed in the storage unit 1008. Alternatively, the program can be installed in the ROM 1002 or the storage unit 1008 in advance.

[0199] Here, in this specification, the processing performed by a computer according to a program does not necessarily have to be performed in chronological order according to the order described in the flowchart. In other words, the processing performed by a computer according to a program also includes processing executed in parallel or individually (for example, parallel processing or processing by objects). In addition, the program may be processed by one computer (processor), or may be distributed among multiple computers.

[0200] Also, each step of the dual screen display process shown in Fig. 22 can be executed by one device or can be shared and executed by multiple devices. Furthermore, when one step includes multiple processes, the multiple processes included in the one step can be executed by one device or can be shared and executed by multiple devices.

[0201] The embodiments of the present technology are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present technology. For example, the present technology can be configured as cloud computing in which one function is shared and processed jointly by multiple devices via a network.

[0202] The present technology can also be configured as follows.

[0203] (1) Displaying a plurality of items associated with the display screen; When a desired item is selected from among the displayed items by a user operation, a selection display screen corresponding to the selected item is displayed at a position relative to the display position of the selected item together with the display screen being displayed. Equipped with a control unit Display control device. (2) When an active display screen corresponding to an active item that is a selected item is displayed, when the selected item is selected, the control unit displays the selected display screen at a position relative to the display position of the active item, based on the display position of the active item. The display control device according to (1). (3) The control unit displays the active display screen in a second area different from a first area in which the selection display screen is displayed. The display control device according to (2). (4) The control unit is when the selected item is an item displayed in an area to the left of the active item, displaying the selection display screen in an area corresponding to the area to the left of the active item, and displaying the active display screen in an area corresponding to the area to the right of the area to the left of the active item; When the selected item is an item displayed in the area to the right of the active item, the selection display screen is displayed in an area corresponding to the area to the right, and the active display screen is displayed in an area corresponding to the area to the left of the area to the right. The display control device according to (3). (5) When the selected item is an item displayed in a region between a first active item and a second active item, the control unit displays a first active display screen corresponding to the first active item in a left region of the entire screen, displays a second active display screen corresponding to the second active item in a right region of the entire screen, and displays the selection display screen in a region corresponding to between the left region and the right region. The display control device according to (3). (6) The control unit is when the selected item is an item displayed in an area to the left of the first active item, displaying the first active display screen and the selected display screen in an area to the left of the entire screen, and displaying the second active display screen in an area to the right of the entire screen; When the selected item is an item displayed in the area to the right of the second active item, the first active display screen is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen, and the second active display screen and the selected display screen are displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen. The display control device according to (5) above. (7) The plurality of items are displayed on a predetermined menu screen. A display control device according to any one of (1) to (6). (8) the menu screen includes an input switching menu for switching an input signal, The control unit is when a first operation is performed on a desired item among the plurality of items displayed on the input switching menu, the desired item is selected as the selected item, and the selection display screen is displayed; When a second operation is performed on an active item that is a selected item displayed on the input switching menu, an active display screen corresponding to the active item is hidden. The display control device according to (7) above. (9) the first operation includes an operation on an up key of a cross button provided on a remote controller, The second operation includes an operation on the down key of the cross button. The display control device according to (8). (10) the menu screen includes a control menu displaying one or more control items to which a function for controlling an active display screen corresponding to an active item that is a selected item is assigned; When a desired control item is selected from one or more control items displayed on the control menu, the control unit controls the active display screen according to a function assigned to the selected control item. The display control device according to (7) above. (11) The functions include at least one of a function of transitioning the active display screen to a single screen, a function of changing the active display screen to be operated, a function of enlarging or reducing the size of the active display screen, and a function of changing a volume corresponding to the active display screen. The display control device according to (10) above. (12) When there are a plurality of pairs of the active item and the active display screen, the control unit displays the positional relationship between the corresponding active item and the active display screen in a distinguishable manner. A display control device according to any one of (2) to (6). (13) The control unit displays association information that associates the corresponding active item with the active display screen. The display control device according to (12). (14) When the active item is in a state where it is not visible outside the screen, the control unit displays at least a part of the active item within the screen. The display control device according to (12). (15) the user's operation includes an operation corresponding to a common function for the entire device and an operation corresponding to a specific function for the active display screen, The control unit controls the active display screen when an operation corresponding to the unique function is performed. A display control device according to any one of (2) to (6). (16) The operation includes an operation on a cross button provided on a remote controller. The display control device according to any one of (1) to (15). (17) The display screen displays a video of the content. The display control device according to any one of (1) to (16). (18) the active display screen displays a video of a first content; The selection display screen displays an image of a second content different from the first content. A display control device according to any one of (2) to (6). (19) The content includes broadcast content; The content is configured as a television receiver further including a display unit for displaying the video of the content and a speaker for outputting the audio of the content. The display control device according to (17). (20) A display control device comprising: Displaying a plurality of items associated with the display screen; When a desired item is selected from among the displayed items by a user operation, a selection display screen corresponding to the selected item is displayed at a position relative to the display position of the selected item together with the display screen being displayed. Display control method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0204] 10 display control device, 20 remote controller, 30 display control device, 40 display device, 50 audio output device, 100 control unit, 100, 101-1 to 101-N signal input unit, 102 signal processing unit, 103 display unit, 104 speaker, 105 operation reception unit, 121 operation detection unit, 122 operation determination unit, 123 display control unit, 300 control unit, 301-1 to 301-N signal input unit, 302 signal processing unit, 303 video signal output unit, 304 audio signal output unit, 305 operation reception unit, 400 display unit, 500 speaker, 1001 CPU

Claims

1. Displaying a plurality of items associated with the display screen; When a desired item is selected from among the displayed items by a user operation, a selection display screen corresponding to the selected item is displayed at a position relative to the display position of the selected item together with the display screen being displayed. A control unit is provided, When an active display screen corresponding to an active item that is a selected item is displayed, when the selected item is selected, the control unit displays the selected display screen at a position relative to the display position of the active item, based on the display position of the active item. Display control device.

2. The control unit displays the active display screen in a second area different from a first area in which the selection display screen is displayed. The display control device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit is when the selected item is an item displayed in an area to the left of the active item, displaying the selection display screen in an area corresponding to the area to the left of the active item, and displaying the active display screen in an area corresponding to the area to the right of the area to the left of the active item; When the selected item is an item displayed in the area to the right of the active item, the selection display screen is displayed in an area corresponding to the area to the right, and the active display screen is displayed in an area corresponding to the area to the left of the area to the right. The display control device according to claim 2 .

4. When the selected item is an item displayed in a region between a first active item and a second active item, the control unit displays a first active display screen corresponding to the first active item in a left region of the entire screen, displays a second active display screen corresponding to the second active item in a right region of the entire screen, and displays the selection display screen in a region corresponding to between the left region and the right region. The display control device according to claim 2 .

5. The control unit is when the selected item is an item displayed in an area to the left of the first active item, displaying the first active display screen and the selected display screen in an area to the left of the entire screen, and displaying the second active display screen in an area to the right of the entire screen; When the selected item is an item displayed in the area to the right of the second active item, the first active display screen is displayed in the left area of ​​the entire screen, and the second active display screen and the selected display screen are displayed in the right area of ​​the entire screen. The display control device according to claim 4.

6. The plurality of items are displayed on a predetermined menu screen. The display control device according to claim 1 .

7. the menu screen includes an input switching menu for switching an input signal, The control unit is when a first operation is performed on a desired item among the plurality of items displayed on the input switching menu, the desired item is selected as the selected item and the selection display screen is displayed; When a second operation is performed on an active item that is a selected item displayed on the input switching menu, an active display screen corresponding to the active item is hidden. The display control device according to claim 6.

8. the first operation includes an operation on an up key of a cross button provided on a remote controller, The second operation includes an operation on the down key of the cross button. The display control device according to claim 7.

9. the menu screen includes a control menu displaying one or more control items to which a function for controlling an active display screen corresponding to an active item that is a selected item is assigned; When a desired control item is selected from one or more control items displayed on the control menu, the control unit controls the active display screen according to a function assigned to the selected control item. The display control device according to claim 6.

10. The functions include at least one of a function of transitioning the active display screen to a single screen, a function of changing the active display screen to be operated, a function of enlarging or reducing the size of the active display screen, and a function of changing a volume corresponding to the active display screen. The display control device according to claim 9.

11. When there are a plurality of pairs of the active item and the active display screen, the control unit displays the positional relationship between the corresponding active item and the active display screen in a distinguishable manner. The display control device according to claim 1 .

12. The control unit displays association information that associates the corresponding active item with the active display screen. The display control device according to claim 11.

13. When the active item is in a state where it is not visible outside the screen, the control unit displays at least a part of the active item within the screen. The display control device according to claim 11.

14. the user's operation includes an operation corresponding to a common function for the entire device and an operation corresponding to a specific function for the active display screen, The control unit controls the active display screen when an operation corresponding to the unique function is performed. The display control device according to claim 1 .

15. The operation includes an operation on a cross button provided on a remote controller. The display control device according to claim 1 .

16. The display screen displays a video of the content. The display control device according to claim 1 .

17. the active display screen displays a video of a first content; The selection display screen displays a video of a second content different from the first content. The display control device according to claim 1 .

18. The content includes broadcast content; The content is configured as a television receiver further including a display unit for displaying the video of the content and a speaker for outputting the audio of the content. The display control device according to claim 16.

19. A display control device comprising: Displaying a plurality of associated items on a display screen; When a desired item is selected from among the displayed items by a user operation, a selection display screen corresponding to the selected item is displayed at a position relative to a display position of the selected item together with the display screen being displayed; When an active display screen corresponding to an active item which is a selected item is displayed, when the selected item is selected, the selected display screen is displayed at a position relative to the display position of the active item, with the display position of the active item being used as a reference. A display control method comprising:

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