Broadcast reception method and apparatus which controls recording of a broadcast video signal and detects a changed reception channel without using extra memory

• US 5,631,743 A
• Filed: 06/21/1996
• Issued: 05/20/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Hiraku
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VINCENT, DAVID ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/666,995
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 360/69, 369/49, 348/473, 348/474, 348/478
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

A broadcast reception apparatus can detect a changed reception channel without using an extra memory. A signal from an antenna (1) is supplied to a tuner (2), and the tuner (2) is connected with a reception channel preset device (3) and a channel setting device (4). A signal received by the tuner (2) is supplied to a PDC decoder (6) and a decoded television program ID is supplied to a control microcomputer (7). A network code in the television program ID is supplied to a comparator (72), and a network code provided when LUF="1" is detected is supplied to a memory (73). Compared results are supplied to a controller (74) which sequentially outputs a channel selection control signal to the channel setting device (4) if the compared results do not agree. If the compared results agree, a signal representing the reception channel provided at that time is supplied to a television program reserve circuit (71). A signal from the television program reserve circuit (71) is supplied to a recording circuit (8), thereby a video signal from the tuner (2) or the like being recorded.

Claims

1. A reception method in a broadcast reception apparatus including a tuner for receiving a broadcast signal into which a predetermined television program ID is inserted, detecting means for detecting said television program ID, comparing means for comparing a detected ID code, preset means for a reception channel, and channel setting means, comprising the steps of:

a first step of resetting a housed counter when a destination channel determining processing is started;

a second step of detecting a network code of a destination network code;

a third step of selecting a reception channel 1 of said preset means;

a fourth step of adding "1" to a count value of said housed counter;

a fifth step of detecting whether or not a counter value of said housed counter becomes larger than a predetermined value;

a sixth step of detecting a television program ID in a received signal when said count value of said housed counter is said predetermined value or smaller;

a seventh step of judging television program change information in said television program ID and returning the processing to said fourth step when said television program ID includes said television program change information;

an eighth step of determining whether or not the network code of said destination channel and the network code of said television program ID are agreed to each other if it is determined that said television program ID has no television program change information;

a ninth step of adding "1" to the reception channel if it is determined in said eighth step that said network codes do not agree and returning the processing to said fourth step and a tenth step of setting the reception channel to the destination channel if it is determined in said eighth step, that said network codes do agree.

2. Broadcast reception apparatus comprising:

a tuner for receiving a broadcast signal into which a predetermined television program ID code is inserted, wherein said television program ID code is associated with a respective television program and contains broadcasting schedule information composed of at least a network code representing the broadcast channel on which said program is transmitted, a broadcasting date representing the date said program is transmitted, a broadcasting time representing the time of day said program is transmitted, and an update flag indicating whether said television program ID code contains updated broadcasting schedule information;

detecting means for detecting said network code, said broadcasting date, said broadcasting time, and said update flag contained in said television program ID code;

comparing means for comparing a detected network code, a detected broadcasting date, and a detected broadcasting time to a pre-stored reception channel, a pre-stored broadcasting date, and a pre-stored broadcasting time, respectively, when said update flag is detected as being set;

preset means for presetting said apparatus to receive a television program, wherein said preset means pre-stores a reception channel corresponding to said broadcast channel on which the received television program is transmitted;

channel setting means for selecting said pre-stored reception channel on which said television program is transmitted at said pre-stored broadcasting time on said pre-stored broadcasting date;

time updating means for updating the pre-stored broadcasting time associated with a television program to be received by replacing the pre-stored broadcasting time with said detected broadcasting time, and for controlling said channel setting means to select said pre-stored reception channel on which said television program to be received is transmitted at said detected broadcasting time on said pre-stored broadcasting date when it is determined by the comparing means that said broadcasting time associated with said television program has been changed, thereby enabling said apparatus to correctly receive said television program even when said broadcasting time associated said television program is changed;

date updating means for updating said pre-stored broadcasting date associated with said television program to be received by replacing the pre-stored broadcasting date with said detected broadcasting date, for controlling said channel setting means to select said pre-stored reception channel on which said television program to be received is transmitted at said pre-stored broadcasting time on said detected broadcasting date when it is determined by the comparing means that said broadcasting date associated with said television program has been changed, thereby enabling said apparatus to correctly receive said television program even when said broadcasting date associated said television program is changed; and

channel updating means for updating said pre-stored reception channel on which said television program to be received is transmitted by replacing the pre-stored reception channel with another reception channel corresponding to said detected network code, and for controlling said channel setting means to select said other reception channel corresponding to said detected network code at said pre-stored broadcasting time on said pre-stored broadcasting date when it is determined by the comparing means that the broadcast channel on which said television program is transmitted has been changed, thereby enabling said apparatus to correctly receive said television program even when said broadcast channel for said television program is changed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising recording means in which a reserve recording is started and ended under the control of said detecting means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said detecting means includes decoder means.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising counter means for limiting said comparing means to compare said television program ID codes a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time.

6. Broadcast reception and recording apparatus comprising:

a tuner for receiving a broadcast signal into which a predetermined television program ID code is inserted, wherein said television program ID code is associated with a respective television program and contains broadcasting schedule information composed of at least a network code representing the broadcast channel on which said program is transmitted, a broadcasting date representing the date said program is transmitted, a broadcasting time representing the time of day said program is transmitted, and an update flag indicating whether said television program ID code contains updated broadcasting schedule information;

detecting means for detecting said network code, said broadcasting date, said broadcasting time, and said update flag contained in said television program ID code;

comparing means for comparing a detected network code, a detected broadcasting date, and a detected broadcasting time to a pre-stored reception channel, a pre-stored broadcasting date, and a pre-stored broadcasting time, respectively, when said update flag is detected as being set;

preset means for presetting said apparatus to receive a television program, wherein said preset means pre-stores a reception channel corresponding to said broadcast channel on which the received television program is transmitted;

channel setting means for selecting said pre-stored reception channel on which said television program is transmitted at said pre-stored broadcasting time on said pre-stored broadcasting date;

recording means responsive to said television program ID code for recording said broadcast signals received by said tuner on the selected pre-stored reception channel at said pre-stored broadcasting time on said pre-stored broadcasting date;

time updating means for updating the pre-stored broadcasting time associated with a television program to be received by replacing the pre-stored broadcasting time with said detected broadcasting time, and for controlling said channel selecting means to select said pre-stored reception channel on which said television program to be received is transmitted at said detected broadcasting time on said pre-stored broadcasting date when it is determined by the comparing means that said broadcasting time associated with said television program has been changed, thereby enabling said apparatus to correctly receive and record said television program even when said broadcasting time associated said television program is changed;

date updating means for updating said pre-stored broadcasting date associated with said television program to be received by replacing the pre-stored broadcasting data with said detected broadcasting date, and for controlling said channel setting means to select said pre-stored reception channel on which said television program to be received is transmitted at said pre-stored broadcasting time on said detected broadcasting date when it is determined by the comparing means that said broadcasting date associated with said television program has been changed, thereby enabling said apparatus to correctly receive and record said television program even when said broadcasting date associated said television program is changed;

channel updating means for updating said pre-stored reception channel on which said television program to be received is transmitted by replacing the pre-stored reception channel with another reception channel corresponding to said detected network code, and for controlling said channel setting means to select said other reception channel corresponding to said detected network code at said pre-stored broadcasting time on said pre-stored broadcasting date when it is determined by the comparing means that the broadcast channel on which said television program is transmitted has been changed, thereby enabling said apparatus to correctly receive and record said television program even when said broadcast channel for said television program is changed.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said recording means is operable to start and end a reserve recording under the control of said detecting means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said detecting means includes decoder means.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising counter means for limiting said comparing means to compare said television program ID codes a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time.