Transmitting, receiving, and automatic recording system for programs with time and channel information

• US 5,195,134 A
• Filed: 03/25/1991
• Issued: 03/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US07/673,528
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/142, 358/147, 455/186, 455/186.1, 380/20
• US Class Current: 380/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• 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 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/06 Systems for the simultaneous transmission of one television signal, i.e. both picture and sound, by more than one carrier H04N7/084, H04N7/087 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

Scrambled video and audio signals of programs are transmitted from a transmitting system via a communication satellite to a receiving system. The audio signal contains channel, start/end time, and standard time information of the programs. The receiving system has a calendar for generating time information which is corrected according to the standard time information. Desired programs can automatically be recorded by a video tape recorder connected to the receiving system, based on the channel and start/end time information which is displayed. Any received programs which the user of the receiving system does not want to record can be canceled simply by pushing cancel keys.

Claims

1. A transmitting system, comprising:

means for transmitting video program information to a receiver system having a calendar;

means for adding time information indicative of times at which a program starts and ends to said program information;

means for adding standard time information to the program information to correct a time indicated by the calendar of the receiving system; and

said means for transmitting comprising a first active control system and a second auxiliary control system, each of said first and second control systems having their own controller controlling their own scrambler means, each of said scrambler means scrambling the video program information and the added time information and standard time information.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein a scrambler back-up controller connects to both the first and second control systems and has its output connected to a transmitter.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein a data branch means is provided for simultaneously supplying control information data to both said first and second control systems.

4. A transmitting system according to claim 1 further comprising means for adding channel information indicative of the channel on which the program is transmitted to the program information.

5. A transmitting system according to claim 1 wherein the program information includes video and audio signals, and means is provided for adding the added information to the program audio signal.

6. A transmitting system according to claim 5 wherein the added information is in a data block having program audio signal data and the sequence of channel information, program start/end time information, and standard time information.

7. A transmitting system according to claim 5 wherein said added information is added subsequent to speech data in data blocks of the audio signal.

8. An automatic recording system for automatically recording a transmitted program on a designated channel at a designated time, comprising:

television receiving means for descrambling video and audio signals and for receiving transmitted program information transmitted along with said video and audio signals relating to a plurality of programs, said program information including program identification, channel information, program start/end time information, and standard time information;

decoding means for decoding the transmitted program information received by said receiving means;

non-volatile memory means for storing said program information for said plurality of programs;

calendar means including timing means for providing current date and time information;

a display means for displaying program information for a plurality of said programs;

control means connected to said calendar means, memory means, and display means for calibrating said calendar means with said standard time information, for selecting program information for a plurality of programs from said memory means and displaying said plurality of programs on said display means, and for permitting said recording means to record at least one of said programs which has been selected for recording;

said control means including marker movement key means for placing a marker adjacent any one of the program informations for said plurality of programs which are displayed on the display means;

a first cancel key means connected to said control means for instructing said control means to cancel a particular program at which the marker is adjacent;

second cancel key means for instructing said control means to cancel a plurality of programs at a same time; and

said first cancel key means being located as a separate key on a front panel of said display means adjacent a screen of said display means so that an operator can observe the position of the marker and conveniently press the cancel key means when desired to cancel the particular program indicated by the marker.