Broadcasting Device and Receiver

• US 20090007209A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawai, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/18 on copying information
• 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 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A broadcasting device and a receiver excellent in responsiveness are obtainable through transmitting program information, organized by condition and including a program satisfying a search condition, from a broadcasting station.

Claims

1. A broadcasting device storing numerous digital data to be served, and used with a digital broadcasting method which multiplexes various data according to a predetermined program organization, the broadcasting device comprising:

a program material memory for storing numerous program materials;

a program information memory for storing program information about programs to be organized;

a program information analyzer for analyzing the program information stored in the program information memory based on a predetermined search condition;

a program information organized-by-condition memory for storing an identifier of a program resulting from the analysis; and

a multiplexer for multiplexing the program materials, the program information and searched program information before they are transmitted.

2. The broadcasting device of claim 1, wherein the program information analyzer extracts a program based on program information stored in the program information memory.

3. The broadcasting device of claim 1, wherein the program information analyzer compares a past analysis result with a present analysis result, and establishes a search condition for programs based on the comparison result.

4. The broadcasting device of claim 1, wherein the program information analyzer obtains a piece of desire-to-receive program information from a receiver and analyzes the information, then extracts a program to be on-aired.

5. A receiver comprising:

a decoder for receiving digital broadcasting, and extracting a signal multiplexed on broadcast wave;

a first search-result memory for storing a program identifier of a program extracted from the broadcast wave and satisfying a predetermined search condition;

a program data storage for storing program information extracted from the broadcast wave;

an input section through which the search condition is input;

a search section for searching the program data storage for a program satisfying a condition supplied through the input section;

a second search-result memory for storing a program supplied from the search section and satisfying the search condition;

a selecting section for selecting one of content stored in the first search-result memory and content stored in the second search-result memory; and

an output section for displaying a program selected by the selecting section,

wherein the receiver implements a program search by using both of the first search-result memory and the second search-result memory.

6. The receiver of claim 5 further comprising:

a search condition memory for storing a search condition; and

a screening section for screening the broadcast wave to extract a program identifier of a program satisfying the search condition stored in the search condition memory,

wherein the screening section extracts only a program corresponding to a program satisfying a search condition stored in the search condition memory, and the first search-result memory stores a program identifier of a program extracted by the screening section.

7. The receiver of claim 5 further comprising:

a check section for checking the program data storage against the first search-result memory,

wherein the check section makes information existing only in program information stored in the first search-result memory useless as a search result through checking the program data storage against the first search-result memory.

8. The receiver of claim 5 further comprising:

a check section for checking the program data storage against the first search-result memory,

wherein the check section compares a program information updated time stored in the program data storage against a program information updated time stored in the first search-result memory, and when the program data storage differs from the first search-result memory about program information in an identical time slot, the check section selects program information having a more recent updated time than that of the other one.

9. The receiver of claim 6, wherein the receiver transmits program information satisfying a search condition stored in the search condition memory.

11. The receiver of claim 6 further comprising:

a check section for checking the program data storage against the first search-result memory,

wherein the check section makes information existing only in program information stored in the first search-result memory useless as a search result through checking the program data storage against the first search-result memory.

12. The receiver of claim 6 further comprising:

a check section for checking the program data storage against the first search-result memory,

wherein the check section compares a program information updated time stored in the program data storage against a program information updated time stored in the first search-result memory, and when the program data storage differs from the first search-result memory about program information in an identical time slot, the check section selects program information having a more recent updated time than that of the other one.

10. A receiver comprising:

a decoder for receiving digital broadcasting, and extracting a signal multiplexed on broadcast wave;

a program data storage for storing program information extracted from the broadcast wave; and

a program information analyzer for analyzing program information stored in the program data storage based on a predetermined search condition,

wherein the program information analyzer extracts a piece of desire-to-watch program information while viewers watch no programs.