Program Search Apparatus and Program Search Method

• US 20120005710A1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Murakami, Masatoshi, Omokawa, Mitsunori, Kamio, Hiroyuki, Nemoto, Yuuki, Tachikawa, Takayuki, Miyazaki, Megumi, Kazawa, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US13/109,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005710A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a program search apparatus includes a communication module, a search module, and an output controller. The communication module is configured to communicate with an external apparatus via a network. The search module is configured to search for a corresponding program corresponding to a designated program designated from a program table via the network. The output controller is configured to execute control to output a search result.

Claims

1. A program search apparatus comprising:

a communication module configured to communicate with an external apparatus via a network;

a search module configured to search for a corresponding program corresponding to a designated program designated from a program table via the network; and

an output controller configured to execute control to output a search result.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output controller is configured to execute control to output guide data indicating that the corresponding program exists.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output controller is configured to execute control to output access data required to access the corresponding program.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output controller is configured to execute control to output a movie viewing site including access data required to access the corresponding program.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a registration unit configured to register the access data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the registration unit is configured to manage a playback list, and to register the access data in the playback list, and

the output controller is configured to execute control to output the playback list.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the search module is configured to search a designated search target site for the corresponding program.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the search module is configured to search for the corresponding program in response to a recording failure of the designated program.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the search module is configured to search for an introductory site including data about the designated program.

10. A program search method comprising:

searching for a corresponding program corresponding to a designated program designated from a program table via a network; and

controlling to output a search result.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the corresponding program includes a program having substantially the same content as the designated program.