Reservation information setting apparatus and method thereof

• US 20020049620A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takeda, Kasumi, Uchida, Mami, Mizobuchi, Ayumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A reservation information setting apparatus and a method thereof are capable of a setting recording reservation and a program viewing reservation of a target broadcast program correctly and easily. By performing given operations, a control section forms a calendar as a schedule table, and displays the calendar on a display. Schedule information and reservation information, including a program viewing reservation and a recording reservation, are input into a selected date through the displayed calendar.

Claims

1. A reservation information setting apparatus, comprising:

schedule table forming means for controlling the display of a schedule table that includes calendar information;

date selection accepting means for accepting a selection input of a target date in said schedule table;

schedule information accepting means for accepting an input of schedule information for said target date; and

reservation information accepting means for accepting an input of reservation information for a broadcast program on said target date.

2. A reservation information setting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

display instruction accepting means for accepting an input of an instruction to display a broadcast program guide corresponding to said target date if said selection input of said target date is accepted by said date selection accepting means; and

broadcast program guide forming means for forming a signal for displaying said broadcast program guide if said input of said instruction to display said broadcast program guide is accepted by said display instruction accepting means;

wherein said reservation information accepting means accepts said input of said reservation information through said broadcast program guide.

3. A reservation information setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displayed schedule table includes said schedule information for said target date and said reservation information for said broadcast program on said target date.

4. A reservation information setting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said broadcast program guide is based on program guide information included in a broadcast signal.

5. Electronic equipment, comprising:

a reservation information setting apparatus, including schedule table forming means for controlling the display of a schedule table that includes calendar information;

date selection accepting means for accepting a selection input of a target date in said schedule table;

schedule information accepting means for accepting an input of schedule information for said target date; and

reservation information accepting means for accepting an input of reservation information for a broadcast program on said target date, said reservation information including said target date and a broadcast time on said target date;

reservation information storing means for storing said reservation information for said broadcast program on said target date; and

viewing control means for controlling the display of said broadcast program upon arrival of said target date and said broadcast time in said stored reservation information.

6. Electronic equipment, comprising:

a reservation information setting apparatus, including schedule table forming means for controlling the display of a schedule table that includes calendar information;

date selection accepting means for accepting a selection input of a target date in said schedule table;

schedule information accepting means for accepting an input of schedule information for said target date; and

reservation information accepting means for accepting an input of reservation information for a broadcast program on said target date, said reservation information including said target date and a broadcast time on said target date;

reservation information storing means for storing said reservation information for said broadcast program on said target date;

information signal storing means for storing an information signal; and

recording control means for controlling the recording of said broadcast program in said information signal storing means upon arrival of said target date and said broadcast time in said stored reservation information.

7. A reservation information setting method, comprising:

displaying a schedule table that includes calendar information;

accepting a selection input of a target date in the schedule table;

accepting an input of schedule information for the target date; and

accepting an input of reservation information for a broadcast program on the target date.

8. A reservation information setting method according to claim 7, further comprising:

accepting an input of an instruction to display a broadcast program guide corresponding to the target date if the selection input of the target date is accepted; and

displaying the broadcast program guide if the input of the instruction to display the broadcast program guide is accepted;

wherein, in said reservation information accepting step, the reservation information is accepted through the displayed broadcast program guide.

9. A reservation information setting method according to claim 7, wherein the step of displaying the schedule table includes displaying the schedule table with the schedule information for the target date and the reservation information for the broadcast program on the target date.

10. A reservation information setting method according to claim 8, wherein the broadcast program guide is included in a broadcast signal.

11. A reservation information setting method according to claim 7, further comprising:

storing the reservation information for the broadcast program on the target date, the reservation information including the target date and a broadcast time on the target date; and

controlling the display of the broadcast program upon arrival of the target date and the broadcast time in the stored reservation information.

12. A reservation information setting method according to claim 7, further comprising:

storing the reservation information for the broadcast program on the target date, the reservation information including the target date and a broadcast time on the target date; and

recording the broadcast program upon arrival of the target date and the broadcast time in the stored reservation information.