Content Reproducing Apparatus, Method, and Medium

• US 20090037954A1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagano, Kae
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related 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 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A content reproduction method is provided. First, a broadcast program having a program content is received and electronic program guide data including program information on the broadcast program is received. Then, a content corresponding to the program content of the broadcast program is retrieved from a network based on the electronic program guide data. Finally, identification information identifying the content is displayed with the program information.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

first reception means for receiving a broadcast program having a program content;

second reception means for receiving electronic program guide data including program information on the broadcast program;

retrieval means for retrieving a content corresponding to the program content of the broadcast program from a network based on the electronic program guide data; and

display means for displaying identification information identifying the content such that the identification information is shown with the program information.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

reproduction means for reproducing the broadcast program, receiving the content corresponding to the identification information via the network, and reproducing the content.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

input means for inputting an operation by a user, wherein;

the display means displays a content list indicating contents with locations on the network and reproduction conditions together with the electronic program guide data; and

the reproduction means reproduces one of the contents selected by an operation of the user.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

input means for inputting retrieval condition information, wherein the retrieval means retrieves the content based on the retrieval condition information.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, wherein, when a plurality of contents conforming to the retrieval condition information are retrieved, the reproduction means judges a priority order of the plurality of contents based on the retrieval condition information and reproduces one of the plurality of contents judged to have the highest priority order.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the program information includes genre information regarding a genre of the broadcast program;

the input means inputs the retrieval condition information for the genre of the content, and

the retrieval means judges the genre of the content to be retrieved based on the genre information and retrieves the content based on the condition information on the judged genre.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

recording means for recording the broadcast program;

generation means for generating a recorded program list indicating the recorded broadcast program such that the recorded broadcast program can be reproduced by the reproduction means; and

control means for adding the content received via the network and for reproducing by the reproduction means the recorded program list such that the content can be reproduced again.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

reservation means for setting a recording reservation of the broadcast program in a predetermined time slot, wherein, when a first recording reservation of a first broadcast program to be broadcasted on a first channel in the predetermined time slot is overlapped with a second recording reservation of a second broadcast program to be broadcasted on a second channel in the predetermined time slot, the control means controls the recording means to record the first broadcast program based on the first recording reservation and controls the retrieval means to retrieve a second content corresponding to a second program content of the second broadcast program from the network and add the second content to the recorded program list such that the second content can be reproduced by the reproduction means.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, further comprises:

reservation means for setting a first recording reservation of a first broadcast program in a predetermined time slot, wherein, when the predetermined time slot is changed after setting the first recording reservation, the retrieval means retrieves a content corresponding to content of the first broadcast program from the network and adds the content to the recorded program list such that the content can be reproduced by the reproduction means.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the recording means records location information including a first location on the network in which the content is located; and

the retrieval means comprises;

means for judging whether the content is located in the first location by accessing the first location after the retrieval;

means for retrieving, when judged that the content is not located in the first location, a second content corresponding to a second program content of the second broadcast program from the network and adding the second content retrieved from a second location on the network to the recorded program list, and

means for updating the location information from the first location to the second location.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the recording means records location information including a first location on the network in which the content is located; and

the retrieval means comprises;

means for judging whether the content conforms to the retrieval condition information by accessing the first location after the retrieval;

means for retrieving, when judged that the content does not conform to the retrieval condition information, a second content corresponding to a second program content of the second broadcast program from the network and adding the second content from a second location on the network to the recorded program list; and

means for updating the location information from the first location to the second location.

12. A content reproduction method, comprising:

receiving a broadcast program having a program content;

receiving electronic program guide data including program information on the broadcast program;

retrieving a content corresponding to the program content of the broadcast program from a network based on the electronic program guide data; and

displaying identification information identifying the content such that the identification information is shown with the program information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

reproducing the broadcast program;

receiving the content corresponding to the identification information via the network;

reproducing the content; and

inputting retrieval condition information, wherein the retrieving of the content is based on the retrieval condition information.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

recording the broadcast program;

generating a recorded program list indicating the recorded broadcast program such that the recorded broadcast program can be reproduced;

adding the content received via the network; and

reproducing the recorded program list such that the content can be reproduced again.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

setting a recording reservation of the broadcast program in a predetermined time slot; and

when a first recording reservation of a first broadcast program to be broadcasted on a first channel in the predetermined time slot is overlapped with a second recording reservation of a second broadcast program to be broadcasted on a second channel in the predetermined time slot, recording the first broadcast program based on the first recording reservation, retrieving a second content corresponding to a second program content of the second broadcast program from the network, and adding the second content to the recorded program list such that the second content can be reproduced.

16. A computer-readable medium having computer programs which when executed by a processor cause an electronic apparatus to perform a content reproduction method, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast program having a program content;

receiving electronic program guide data including program information on the broadcast program;

retrieving a content corresponding to the program content of the broadcast program from a network based on the electronic program guide data; and

displaying identification information identifying the content such that the identification information is shown with the program information.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

reproducing the broadcast program;

receiving the content corresponding to the identification information via the network;

reproducing the content; and

inputting retrieval condition information, wherein the retrieving of the content is based on the retrieval condition information.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

recording the broadcast program;

generating a recorded program list indicating the recorded broadcast program such that the recorded broadcast program can be reproduced;

adding the content received via the network; and

reproducing the recorded program list such that the content can be reproduced again.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

setting a recording reservation of the broadcast program in a predetermined time slot; and

when a first recording reservation of a first broadcast program to be broadcasted on a first channel in the predetermined time slot is overlapped with a second recording reservation of a second broadcast program to be broadcasted on a second channel in the predetermined time slot, recording the first broadcast program based on the first recording reservation, retrieving a second content corresponding to a second program content of the second broadcast program from the network, and adding the second content to the recorded program list such that the second content can be reproduced.