INFORMATION PROVIDING APPARATUS AND INFORMATION PROVIDING METHOD

• US 20080276280A1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motoki Kobayashi, Takeshi Hashimoto, Tatsushi Nashida
• Original Assignee: Motoki Kobayashi, Takeshi Hashimoto, Tatsushi Nashida
• Inventors: Nashida, Tatsushi, Kobayashi, Motoki, Hashimoto, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus and an information providing apparatus. Images which are consecutive in time series are sequentially enlarged and displayed such that the enlarged images are continuous spirally in the time-series order from the inner circumferential side. In this manner, according to the present invention, it is possible to understand easily a before-after relationship between a large number of images which are consecutive in time series by applying the present invention to a set-top box for digital satellite broadcasting, for example.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. An information providing apparatus for displaying program information outputted from a plurality of information sources to facilitate selecting of a program, the information providing apparatus comprising:

first obtaining means for obtaining a first program information from a first information source;

second obtaining means for obtaining a second program information from a plurality of second information sources;

memory means for storing the first program information and the second program information; and

control means for unitarily managing and classifying the first program information and the second program information into a plurality of categories and displaying the plurality of categories in a layered menu having a plurality of layers,

wherein each layer of the layered menu includes more than one classified categories and the user selects a program or a channel by sequentially passing through layers, and

wherein the control means creates a recommended menu by selecting a predetermined number of channels based on the first program information and the second program information and a past viewing frequency of programs heard or watched by the user.

8. The information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each menu uses a plurality of indications indicating contents of the menu.

9. The information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lowermost layer of the menus include a plurality of child screens indicating contents of corresponding programs.

10. The information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the memory stores a history of programs watched and heard by the user.

11. The information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first program information is electronic program information.

12. The information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of second information sources comprise a server and an external memory.

13. The information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first information source is digital satellite broadcasting or digital cable broadcasting.

14. The information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the layered menu displays icons of past-broadcasted programs that are stored in the second information source for selection.

15. An information providing method for displaying program information outputted from a plurality of information sources to facilitate a user to select a program, the information providing method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first program information from a first information source;

obtaining a second program information from a plurality of second information sources;

storing the first program information and the second program information;

unitarily managing and classifying the first program information and the second program information into a plurality of categories and displaying the plurality of categories in a layered menu having a plurality of layers; and

selecting a predetermined number of channels based on the first program information and the second program information and a past viewing frequency of programs heard or watched by the user,

wherein each layer of the layered menu includes more than one classified categories and the user selects a program or a channel by sequentially passing through layers.

16. The information providing method according to claim 15, wherein each menu uses a plurality of indications indicating contents of the menu.

17. The information providing method according to claim 15, wherein the lowermost layer of the menus include a plurality of child screens indicating contents of corresponding programs.

18. The information providing method according to claim 15, wherein a history of programs watched and heard by a user is stored.

19. The information providing method according to claim 15, wherein the first program information is electronic program information.

20. The information providing method according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of second information sources comprise a server and an external memory.

21. The information providing method according to claim 15, wherein the first information source is digital satellite broadcasting or digital cable broadcasting.

22. The information providing method according to claim 15, wherein the layered menu displays icons for past-broadcasted programs that are stored in the second information source for selection.

23. A computer-readable medium recorded thereon an executable program, when executed, causing a computer to providing information according to an information providing method, said information providing method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first program information from a first information source;

obtaining a second program information from a plurality of second information sources;

storing the first program information, the second program information, and a history of programs watched and heard by a user;

unitarily managing and classifying the first program information and the second program information into a plurality of categories and displaying the plurality of categories in a layered menu having a plurality of layers; and

selecting a predetermined number of channels based on the first program information and the second program information and a past viewing frequency of programs heard or watched by the user,

wherein each layer of the layered menu includes more than one classified categories and the user selects a program or a channel by sequentially passing through layers.