Broadcast receiver

• US 20020102954A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/142
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/20 digital audio broadcasting [DAB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter

Abstract

A receiver for receiving a digital radio broadcast in which additional information is multiplexed with audio information includes a memory for storing the additional information, an LCD, and a bookmark button. When the bookmark button is depressed during reception of a program, a control unit stores additional information of the program in the memory as bookmark data. The bookmark data stored in the memory is displayed on the LCD. When data, for example, “Modern Jazz”, is specified as search data, the control unit sequentially searches programs currently being broadcast or programs to be broadcast later, detecting and tuning in to a program which includes the search data in the additional information thereof. Alternatively, the additional information of the detected program is displayed on the LCD, tuning in to the program in accordance with an operation by the user.

Claims

1. A receiver comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving a broadcast in which additional information is multiplexed with main information including audio information or video information;

a memory for storing the additional information; and

a control unit for storing the additional information received by said receiving unit in said memory during reception of the broadcast.

2. A receiver according to claim 1, further comprising operation means for capturing the additional information into said memory, wherein said control unit stores the additional information in said memory when said operation means is operated and the additional information is received by said receiving unit.

3. A receiver according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display for displaying the additional information; and

operation means for capturing the additional information into said memory;

wherein said control unit displays the additional information received by said receiving unit on said display, and stores the additional information in said memory when said operation means is operated while the additional information is in display.

4. A receiver according to claim 1, wherein the additional information includes text information which is separable on an item-by-item basis, and said control unit stores the received additional information in said memory in an item-by-item data structure.

5. A receiver according to claim 4, wherein said control unit sorts the additional information stored in said memory using a specified item of the text information as a key.

6. A receiver according to claim 4, further comprising a display for displaying the additional information, wherein said control unit sorts the additional information using a specified item of the text information as a key before displaying the additional information on said display.

7. A receiver according to claim 6, wherein said control unit displays one set of the additional information stored in said memory on said display item by item, and sorts the additional information stored in said memory using an item of the additional information selected by the user as a key before displaying the additional information on said display.

8. A receiver according to claim 1, wherein said control unit sequentially searches additional information of programs currently being broadcast using text information selected by the user from the additional information stored in said memory as search data, and detects programs which include the search data in additional information thereof.

9. A receiver according to claim 8, wherein said control unit tunes in to a program detected first.

10. A receiver according to claim 8, wherein if a program which includes the search data in the additional information thereof is detected, said control unit notifies the user of the detection and tunes in to the program in accordance with a selecting operation by the user.

11. A receiver according to claim 8, further comprising a display for displaying the detected programs, wherein said control unit displays detected programs simultaneously on said display, and when the user selects one of the programs displayed on said display, said control unit tunes in to the selected program.

12. A receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying the additional information, wherein the additional information includes text information which is separable on an item-by-item basis, and said control unit displays one set of the additional information stored in said memory on said display item by item, sequentially searches the additional information of programs currently being broadcast using text information of one of the displayed items selected by the user as search data, and detects programs which include the search data in the additional information thereof.

13. A receiver according to claim 12, wherein said control unit tunes in to a program detected first.

14. A receiver according to claim 12, wherein if a program which includes the search data in the additional information thereof is detected, said control unit displays the additional information on said display and tunes in to the program in accordance with a selecting operation by the user.

15. A receiver according to claim 12, wherein said control unit displays the detected programs simultaneously on said display, and when one of the displayed programs is selected by the user, said control unit tunes in to the selected program.

16. A receiver according to claim 1, wherein said control unit sequentially searches the additional information of programs to be broadcast later using text information selected by the user from the additional information stored in said memory as search data, and detects programs which include the search data in the additional information thereof.

17. A receiver according to claim 16, wherein said control unit tunes in to a program detected first.

18. A receiver according to claim 16, wherein when a program which includes the search data in the additional information thereof is detected, said control unit notifies the user of the detection and tunes in to the program in accordance with a selecting operation by the user.

19. A receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying the additional information, wherein the additional information includes text information which is separable on an item-by-item basis, and said control unit displays one set of the additional information stored in said memory on said display item by item, sequentially searches the additional information of programs to be broadcast later using text information of an item selected by the user from the displayed items as search data, and detects programs which include the search data in the additional information thereof.

20. A receiver according to claim 19, wherein said control unit tunes in to a program detected first.

21. A receiver according to claim 19, wherein when a program which includes the search data in the additional information thereof is detected, said control unit displays the additional information on said display and tunes in to the program in accordance with a selecting operation by the user.

22. A method of program searching, comprising the steps of:

instructing data for a search to a control unit of a receiver for receiving a broadcast in which additional information is multiplexed with main information including audio information or video information;

determining in said control unit whether the search data is included in the additional information of programs currently being broadcast or programs to be broadcast later; and

tuning it to or notifying detection of a program if the search data is included in the additional information thereof.

23. A method of program searching according to claim 22, wherein the additional information includes text information which is separable on an item-by-item basis, and text information of an item selected by the user from the additional information displayed item by item is instructed to said control unit as search data.