REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM, REMOTE CONTROLLER, AND REMOTE CONTROL METHOD

• US 20100091198A1
• Filed: 06/11/2006
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US11/997,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20100091198A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/482 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 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

The present invention provides a remote controller that allows obtaining information of a desired broadcast program at an arbitrary place and checking whether it is possible to make a reservation for the program on the spot. A remote controller 110 according to the present invention includes a program obtaining unit 314 that obtains an electronic program guide by remote-controlling a broadcast receiver 130 that receives and records broadcast signals, a data obtaining unit 318 that obtains data from a separate electronic device by wireless communications, a recording-data generator 322 that extracts a program matching a program name or keyword included in the obtained data and that generates recording data needed for reservation of recording by the broadcast receiver, a recording-data storage unit 326 that stores the recording data, and a recording-data transmitter 328 that transmits the stored recording data to the broadcast receiver.

Claims

1. A remote control system comprising a broadcast receiver and a remote controller for remote-controlling the broadcast receiver,

wherein the remote controller includes:

a program obtaining unit that obtains an electronic program guide;

a data obtaining unit that obtains data from a separate electronic device by wireless communications;

a recording-data generator that extracts a program matching a program name or keyword included in the obtained data from the electronic program guide and that generates recording data needed for reservation of recording by the broadcast receiver;

a recording-data storage unit that stores the recording data; and

a recording-data transmitter that transmits the stored recording data to the broadcast receiver, and

wherein the broadcast receiver includes;

a recording-data receiver that receives the recording data transmitted from the remote controller;

a recording reservation unit that makes a reservation for recording according to the recording data; and

a recorder that receives and records broadcast signals according to the reservation for recording.

2. A remote controller for remote-controlling a broadcast receiver that receives and records broadcast signals, the remote controller comprising:

a program obtaining unit that obtains an electronic program guide;

a data obtaining unit that obtains data from a separate electronic device by wireless communications;

a recording-data generator that extracts a program matching a program name or keyword included in the obtained data from the electronic program guide and that generates recording data needed for reservation of recording by the broadcast receiver;

a recording-data storage unit that stores the recording data; and

a recording-data transmitter that transmits the stored recording data to the broadcast receiver.

3. The remote controller according to claim 2, further comprising a reporting unit that reports the presence of the matching broadcast program to a user when the matching broadcast program exists.

4. The remote controller according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display; and

a program selector that displays on the display a plurality of program names or a plurality of keywords included in the obtained data so that a user is allowed to select one of the program names or one of the keywords,

wherein the recording-data generator generates the recording data by extracting a program matching the selected program name or keyword.

5. The remote controller according to claim 4, wherein the program selector further allows the user to select a program when a plurality of programs have been extracted by the recording-data generator.

6. The remote controller according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display; and

a recording-data selector that displays on the display the recording data stored in the recording-data storage unit so that a user is allowed to select recording data,

wherein the recording-data transmitter transmits the selected recording data.

7. The remote controller according to claim 2, wherein the separate electronic device is an IC tag or IC card.

8. The remote controller according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communications are carried out according to the Near Field Communication standard.

9. The remote controller according to claim 2, wherein the recording data is transmitted from the remote controller to the broadcast receiver according to IrDA.

10. A program for remote-controlling a broadcast receiver that receives and records broadcast signals,

the program causing a computer to function as:

a program obtaining unit that obtains an electronic program guide;

a data obtaining unit that obtains data from a separate electronic device by wireless communications;

a recording-data generator that extracts a program matching a program name or keyword included in the obtained data from the electronic program guide and that generates recording data needed for reservation of recording by the broadcast receiver;

a recording-data storage unit that stores the recording data; and

a recording-data transmitter that transmits the stored recording data to the broadcast receiver.

11. A remote control method for remote-controlling a broadcast receiver that receives and records broadcast signals, the remote control method comprising:

a program obtaining step of obtaining an electronic program guide;

a data obtaining step of obtaining data from a separate electronic device by wireless communications;

a recording-data generating step of extracting a program matching a program name or keyword included in the obtained data from the electronic program guide and generating recording data needed for reservation of recording by the broadcast receiver;

a recording-data storing step of storing the recording data; and

a recording-data transmitting step of transmitting the stored recording data to the broadcast receiver.