Method and apparatus for program information search

• US 20030066079A1
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Suga, Masao
• Application Number:
  US10/233,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20030066079A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/232 Content retrieval operation locally within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays storage management G06F3/0604; details of querying and searching of video data from a database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A digital television set can obtain electronic programming guide (EPG) services of various broadcast stations. A remote controller of the digital television set can input a natural language such as Japanese or English, which the human being reads and writes. A search engine searches for program information contained in the EPG services of the various broadcast stations, using, as a search key, the natural language input by the remote controller. As a result of a search operation, one or more program information items are arranged on a display in the order of rate of access, beginning from the highest one, or in the order of airtime.

Claims

1. A program information search method for use in a digital imaging apparatus capable of obtaining electronic programming guide (EPG) services of various broadcast stations, the method comprising:

inputting a natural language using an input device of the digital imaging apparatus;

searching for program information contained in the EPG services of the various broadcast stations, using the input natural language as a search key; and

displaying one or more program information items, acquired from the searching, on a screen of the digital imaging apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying includes adding, to each program information item, a rate of access to each program information item by another digital imaging apparatuses.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the displaying includes arranging the program information items in an order of rate of access to each program information item by the another digital imaging apparatuses, beginning from a highest rate of access.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying includes arranging the program information items in an order of airtime.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the displaying includes displaying a program information item having a higher rate of access in preference to a program information item having a lower rate of access if two or more of the program information items overlap in airtime.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising estimating what kind of program a user of the digital imaging apparatus likes, from an analysis based on program information the another digital imaging apparatuses have already displayed or accessed, thereby displaying an analysis result.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

recording on a recording medium a program information item accessed by the digital imaging apparatus and an airtime corresponding to the accessed program information item; and

selecting a program corresponding to the accessed program information item at the airtime and displaying the selected program on a screen of the digital imaging apparatus at the recorded airtime, if the digital imaging apparatus is in an ON state.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of the one or more program information items displayed;

recording on a recording medium the selected program information item and an airtime corresponding thereto; and

selecting a program corresponding to the recorded program information item and displaying the selected program on a screen at the airtime.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of one or more program information items displayed;

recording on a recording medium the selected program information item and an airtime corresponding thereto; and

selecting a program corresponding to the selected program information item and recording the selected program on a recording medium at the airtime.

10. A program information search apparatus capable of obtaining electronic programming guide (EPG) services of various broadcast stations, comprising:

an input unit configured to input a natural language;

a search unit configured to search for program information contained in the EPG services of the various broadcast stations, using, as a search key, the natural language input by the input unit; and

a processing unit configured to display one or more program information items, acquired by the search unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing unit adds, to each program information item to be displayed, a rate of access to each program information item by another digital imaging apparatuses.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit arranges the program information items in an order of rate of access to each program information item by the another digital imaging apparatuses, beginning from a highest rate of access.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing unit arranges the program information items to be displayed in an order of airtime.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit displays a program information item having a higher rate of access in preference to a program information item having a lower rate of access if two or more of the program information items overlap in airtime.