Digital Broadcast Reception Device

• US 20070242783A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishi, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/344
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

There is disclosed a digital broadcast reception device capable of acquiring a broadcast wave at a current position with a high probability without using position information even when moving over a broadcast area. In this device, when reservation of recording or viewing is inputted from an input unit (104), a broadcast wave which can be received by the frequency channel for which the frequency channel station selection unit (123) is specified is selected. When it is impossible to select a broadcast wave which can be received by the specified frequency channel, a station selection control unit (122) controls the frequency channel station selection unit (123), a broadcast analysis unit (124), and a service channel station selection unit (125) so as to perform channel search and acquire a broadcast wave which can be received.

Claims

1. A digital broadcast receiving apparatus comprising:

a frequency channel selection section that receives a viewable broadcast wave on a frequency channel specified when recording or viewing is preselected, or prior to a start of preselection execution; and

a channel search section that, if a viewable broadcast wave cannot be received on a frequency channel specified by the frequency channel selection section, performs a channel search, and acquires a frequency channel of a viewable broadcast wave.

2. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the channel search section, if a broadcast wave of a specified frequency channel is not a broadcast wave from a broadcasting station on a previously selected frequency channel, performs a channel search, and acquires a viewable broadcast wave and service channel.

3. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the channel search section, if a viewable broadcast wave cannot be received, repeatedly performs a channel search at fixed intervals until a viewable broadcast wave can be received.

4. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein specification of a broadcasting station and a preselection execution start time and preselection execution end time is received when recording or viewing is preselected, and when recording preselection is executed, the entirety of a primary service or TS is recorded.

5. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein specification of an affiliate and a preselection execution start time and preselection execution end time is received when recording or viewing is preselected, and preselection is executed in accordance with a specified affiliate and preselection execution start time and preselection execution end time.

6. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein specification of a remote controller number and a preselection execution start time and preselection execution end time is received when recording or viewing is preselected, and preselection is executed in accordance with a specified remote controller number and preselection execution start time and preselection execution end time.

7. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein specification of a keyword and a preselection execution start time and preselection execution end time is received when recording or viewing is preselected, program information is acquired by means of a channel search performed prior to the start of preselection execution, and preselection is executed using a program that includes a keyword specified in acquired program information and a preselection execution start time and preselection execution end time.

8. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a broadcast wave is acquired by means of a channel search performed prior to the start of preselection execution, and reception is performed using a channel with the best reception status within an acquired broadcast wave.

9. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the channel search section, if a broadcast wave of a specified frequency channel is not a broadcast wave from a broadcasting station in a preselection-time frequency channel, performs a channel search, and acquires a viewable broadcast wave and service channel.

10. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the channel search section, if a viewable broadcast wave cannot be received, repeatedly performs a channel search at fixed intervals until a viewable broadcast wave can be received.

11. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if preselection cannot be executed with contents specified at a time of preselection, preselection is executed for a program already being broadcast or a program that is scheduled to be broadcast within a fixed period of time from a preselection execution start time or preselection execution end time, and that partially matches contents specified at a time of preselection.

12. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined that preselection cannot be executed with specified contents due to an out-of-range situation or a change of broadcast area, a determination result is reported to a user prior to the start of preselection execution.

13. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if specified contents are changed in line with a change of broadcast area, the fact that preselection contents have been changed is reported to a user prior to the start of preselection execution.

14. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a preselection request including preselection contents is transferred to an external device that has a recording function.

15. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein preselection preparations are performed according to a specified preselection method prior to the start of preselection execution, and if the preselection preparatory processing fails, preselection preparatory processing is performed according to a preselection method with a next-highest ranking to a specified preselection method among ranked preselection methods.