BROADCAST/VOD RECEIVER AND VIEWING MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20090044223A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Jiang, Tang, Kaga, Katsumi
• Application Number:
  US12/187,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20090044223A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a broadcast/VOD receiver comprises a broadcast reception processing unit which selectively receives broadcast signals and reproduces content of broadcast programs, a VOD communication processing unit which communicates with a server providing VOD content to acquire the VOD content, an EPG information acquisition unit which acquires EPG information, a viewing reservation unit which makes reservations for viewing the VOD content to the server, a display data generation unit which creates a schedule table of the broadcast programs on the basis of the EPG information, adds list information columns displaying list information of the VOD content on the schedule table, and inserts viewing schedules corresponding to viewing reservations for the VOD content to the list information columns to generate display data, and a display processing unit which reproduces to output the display data and display the schedule table on a display screen of a display unit.

Claims

1. A broadcast/video on demand (VOD) receiver, comprising:

a broadcast reception processing unit which selectively receives broadcast signals and reproduces content of broadcast programs;

a VOD communication processing unit which communicates with a server providing VOD content via a communication line to acquire the VOD content;

an electronic program guide information acquisition unit which acquires electronic program guide information showing broadcast dates, times, and content of the broadcast programs;

a viewing reservation unit which makes reservations for viewing the VOD content to the server through the VOD communication processing unit;

a display data generation unit which creates a schedule table of the broadcast programs on the basis of the electronic program guide information, adds list information columns displaying list information of the VOD content on the schedule table, and inserts viewing schedules corresponding to viewing reservations for the VOD content into the list information columns to generate display data; and

a display processing unit which reproduces to output the display data generated from the display data generation unit and displays the schedule table on a display screen of a display unit.

2. The broadcast/video on demand (VOD) receiver according to claim 1, wherein the display data generation unit inserts content information of the viewing schedule into corresponding time zones in the list information columns.

3. The broadcast/video on demand (VOD) receiver according to claim 2, wherein the display data generation unit determines whether or not a whole content is viewable in an insertion time zones from the content information inserted into the list information columns, and if the content is not wholly viewable, inserts content information showing the remaining part into a predetermined time zone.

4. The broadcast/video on demand (VOD) receiver according to claim 2, wherein:

when a plurality of VOD content items to be viewed is a serial, the display data generation unit automatically inserts individual items of content information into predetermined time zones in the list information columns in order of the individual items of the content information.

5. The broadcast/video on demand (VOD) receiver according to claim 2, wherein the display data generation sets spare time zones in advance in the list information columns, retrieves VOD content having reproduction times going in the spare time zones, and inserts content information being fit for the retrieved VOD content into the spare time zones.

6. The broadcast/video on demand (VOD) receiver according to claim 1, wherein:

when the VOD content has not been viewed even after elapse of the time zone in which the content information is inserted into the list information column, the display data generation unit retrieves the next spare time zone to insert content information of the not-viewed VOD content into the retrieved spare time zone.

7. The broadcast/video on demand (VOD) receiver according to claim 1, wherein:

when the broadcast reception processing unit includes a viewing reservation means for receiving a viewing reservation for the broadcast program from a user, the display data generation unit gives the viewing reservation for the broadcast programs preference to shift content information of the viewing schedule if a time zone in a list information column into which the content information is inserted as the viewing schedule is overlapped with a time zone of the broadcast program of which the viewing has been reserved.

8. A viewing management method for use in a broadcast/video on demand (VOD) receiver which selectively receives a broadcast signal to reproduce content of the broadcast programs, communicates with a server providing VOD content via a communication line to acquire and reproduce the VOD content, comprising:

acquiring electronic program guide information showing broadcast dates, times, and content of the broadcast programs;

making reservations for the VOD content in the server;

creating a schedule table of the broadcast programs on the basis of the electronic program guide information;

adding list information columns displaying list information of the VOD content to the schedule table;

inserting a viewing schedule corresponding to viewing reservations for the VOD content into the list information columns and generating display data; and

reproducing to output the display data and displaying the schedule table on a display screen of a display unit.

9. The viewing management method according to claim 8, wherein the generating display data inserts content information of the viewing schedule into the corresponding time zones in the list information columns.

10. The viewing management method according to claim 9, wherein the generating display data determines whether or not a whole content is viewable in an inserted time zone from the content information inserted in the list information columns, and if the content is not wholly viewable, inserts content information showing the remaining part into a predetermined time zone.

11. The viewing management method according to claim 9, wherein:

when a plurality of VOD content items to be viewed is a serial, the generating display data automatically inserts individual items of content information into predetermined time zones in the list information columns in order of the individual items of the content information.

12. The viewing management method according to claim 8, wherein the generating display data sets spare time zones in advance in the list information columns, retrieves VOD content having reproduction times going in the spare time zones, and inserts content information being fit for the retrieved VOD content into the spare time zones.

13. The viewing management method according to claim 8, wherein:

when the VOD content has not been viewed after elapse of the time zone in which the content information is inserted into the list information columns, the generating display data retrieves the next spare time zone to insert content information of the not-viewed VOD content into the retrieved spare time zone.

14. The viewing management method according to claim 8, wherein:

when the broadcast reception processing unit includes a viewing reservation means for receiving a viewing reservation for the broadcast program from a user, the generating display data gives the viewing reservation for the broadcast programs preference to shift content information of the viewing schedule if a time zone in a list information column into which the content information is inserted as the viewing schedule is overlapped with a time zone of the broadcast program of which the viewing has been reserved.