Program information broadcasting method program information display method, and receiving device

• US 5,686,954 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hattori, Yoshitsugu, Yoshinobu, Hitoshi, Yoshimura, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/469,331
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/569, 348/906, 348/473, 348/460, 955/4.1, 955/4.2, 955/5.1, 955/3.1
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/84 : 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 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 : for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/877 : by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate memory

Abstract

A plurality of classification items each including a plurality of detailed items for recognizing broadcasting programs per se and program elements included in each of the broadcasting programs are provided wherein the contents of each of the broadcasting programs are represented by the classification items and the detailed items that are respectively represented by the identification data are used to form scheduled program information. The scheduled program information is broadcast together with the corresponding table data for the identification data and the data for character display of the classification items and the detailed items corresponding to the identification data. Program schedules for various kinds of broadcasting programs can be broadcast with a reduced amount of data.

Claims

1. A program information broadcasting method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of classification items, each including a plurality of detailed items for recognizing broadcasting programs per se or program elements included in each of the broadcasting programs,

forming scheduled program information by representing the contents for each of said broadcasting programs with said classification items and detailed items, and representing said classification items and detailed items with first and second identification data, respectively; and

broadcasting said scheduled program information and corresponding table data for the data for the character display of said classification items and said detailed items corresponding to said first and second identification data.

2. A program information broadcasting method according to claim 1, wherein said scheduled program information includes information for recognizing broadcasting start time and broadcasting end time on each program to be broadcast.

3. A program information broadcasting method according to claim 1, wherein said scheduled program information includes information for recognizing broadcasting start time and broadcasting end time on each program element unit included in each of the programs to be broadcast.

4. A program information display method comprising the steps of:

extracting, from received broadcast wave signals, scheduled program information in which the contents of programs to be broadcast are represented by a plurality of classification items and detailed items for each of said classification items, and said classification items and said detailed items are represented by first and second identification data, respectively, and corresponding table data for character display of said classification items and said detailed items corresponding to said first and second identification data

replacing said extracted identification data of said scheduled program information with data for corresponding character display by using said extracted corresponding table data, thereby generating program schedule data; and

displaying the program schedule for the contents of the program to be broadcast by character display on a display based on the program schedule data.

5. A program information display method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting, from said scheduled program information, a program having identical classification items or detailed items with those designated by a user as program information and displaying said extracted program on a display in a form recognizable to the user.

6. A program information display method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting, from said scheduled program information, program element comprising identical classification items or detailed items with those designated by a user, generating program schedule data including the extracted program element and displaying the program schedule on the display based on the program schedule data.

7. A program information display method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting, from said received broadcast wave signals, information for recognizing broadcasting start time and broadcasting end time for each program to be broadcast, and displaying information regarding the broadcasting time of the program in a wherein the broadcasting start time and the broadcasting end time can be recognized corresponding to each of the corresponding programs in the broadcasting schedule.

8. A program information display method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting, from said received broadcast wave signals, information for recognizing broadcasting start time and broadcasting end time for each program element in each program to be broadcast, and displaying the information regarding the broadcasting start time and the broadcasting end time corresponding to each of the elements in the program schedule.

9. A receiving device for displaying a program schedule comprising:

a program information extraction means for extracting, from received broadcast wave signals, scheduled program information in which the contents of programs to be broadcast are represented by a plurality of classification items and detailed items for each of said classification items, and said classification items and the detailed items are represented, respectively, by first and second identification data, and corresponding table data for the data for character display of said classification items and said detailed items corresponding to said first and second identification data,

a program schedule data generation means for replacing said identification data of said scheduled program information with the data for corresponding character display by using the corresponding table data thereby generating program schedule data; and

a display control means for displaying the program schedule based on said program schedule data generated by said program schedule data generation means on a display screen.

10. A receiving device according to claim 9, further including key input means for selecting said classification items or detailed items

wherein said program schedule data generation means extracts programs or program elements having identical classification items or detailed items with those selectively designated depending on the selective designation at said key input means from the scheduled program information for putting the extracted program or the program elements in a form recognizable to a user;

and

wherein said display control means conducts display based on said display data.

11. A receiving device according to claim 10, wherein said program information extraction means also extracts the time information regarding the scheduled broadcasting time for each program to be broadcast,

said key input means has a key input section for designating a program or program elements desired by a user with reference to the program schedule displayed on the display screen, and said device further comprises;

a control means for selectively receiving the program or the program elements designated by said key input section at the scheduled broadcasting time of the program or the program elements by using the time information regarding said extracted scheduled broadcasting time.

12. A receiving device according to claim 11, wherein the device further includes a recording/reproducing device section;

and

a program or program elements designated by said key input section and selectively received by said control means at the scheduled broadcasting time are recorded in said recording/reproducing device section.

13. A receiving device according to claim 12, wherein said recording/reproducing device section records the information regarding the decoded content in a recording area separate from the main recording data, and said device further comprises:

a recording means for recording received signals of the program or the program elements designated by said key input section and selectively received by said control means at the scheduled broadcasting time by said recording/reproducing device section in a main recording data area of the recording medium and recording information regarding said recorded received signals in a recording area separate from said main recording data area of said recording medium; and

a reproducing means for reproducing the information regarding the received signals from said recording medium and displaying the same on a display screen.

14. A receiving device according to claim 13, wherein

said key input means includes a key input section for optionally selecting a program or program element units to be reproduced by a user from the recording medium with reference to the information regarding the recorded contents and displayed on the display screen;

and

wherein said device extracts and reproduces the program or the program element units selected by said key input section from said recording medium.

15. A receiving device according to claim 14, wherein said device is capable of designating a reproducing order for the selected program or the program element units by said key input means and has a function of reproducing the selected program or the program element units in accordance with the designated reproducing order.

16. A receiving device according to claim 9, further including means for receiving said broadcast wave signals from a satellite transmission.

17. A receiving device according to claim 9, further including a program selector for extracting index information from said broadcast wave signals.

18. A receiving device according to claim 17, further including a system control section which receives said index information from said program selector and recognizes at least one frequency to which a selected channel is allocated.

19. A receiving device according to claim 18, wherein said system control section includes a microcomputer.

20. A receiving device according to claim 12, wherein said recording/reproducing device section includes an opto-magnetic disc.

21. A method for searching for a desired program element, comprising the steps of:

receiving program scheduling information for a plurality of programs, each of said programs having associated program elements;

selecting a program type to search for said desired program element;

searching said program type to identify programs having said desired program element; and

displaying at least a portion of said program scheduling information for said searched programs having said desired program element.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said selected program type is selected from a menu of available program types.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said selected program type is selected by using a remote commander.

24. A method according to claim 21, wherein a desired searched program having said desired program element is selected from a menu of available searched programs.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said desired searched program is selected by using a remote commander.

26. A method according to claim 21, wherein said program scheduling information includes channel information and broadcast start and stop times and said channel information and said broadcast stop and start times are displayed on ordinate and abscissa axes, respectively, of a display.

27. A method for searching for a desired program element to enable reserve recording, comprising the steps of:

receiving a program information data packet having program scheduling information for a plurality of programs each having program elements, wherein program elements indicative of a program type are grouped together to form a plurality of program type lists each identified by a program type designation indicative of associated program elements;

displaying each said program type designation on a first screen menu;

selecting a program type designation from said first screen menu which is indicative of said desired program element;

displaying a second menu of program elements associated with said selected program type designation, wherein said second menu of program elements includes said desired program element;

selecting said desired program element from said second menu of program elements;

searching said programs to identify programs which include said desired program element;

displaying a third menu of searched programs;

selecting at least one of said searched programs from said third menu of searched programs; and

registering said selected searched programs for reserve recording.

28. A method according to claim 27, further including a program table for displaying said searched programs, wherein said program table includes broadcasting stop and start times for said searched programs.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein selection of said desired program type designation, said desired program element and said searched programs is shown by a monochrome reversal display.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein selection of said desired program type designation, said desired program element and said searched programs is shown by changing display color.

31. A method according to claim 27, wherein selection of said desired program type designation, said desired program element and said searched programs is shown by a pointer cursor.

32. A method according to claim 27, wherein said program type designations include general categories and performer.

33. A method according to claim 27, wherein said program information data packet is stored in memory.

34. A method according to claim 27, wherein said steps of selecting a program type designation, said desired program element and said at least one of said searched programs are performed by using a remote controller.

35. A method for searching for a desired program element to enable reserve recording, comprising the steps of:

receiving a program information data packet having program scheduling information for a plurality of programs each having program elements

receiving an identification data packet wherein said program elements are grouped together according to program type to form a plurality of program type lists each identified by a program type designation indicative of associated program elements, wherein said program information data packet and identification data packets are stored in memory;

displaying each said program type designation on a first screen menu;

selecting a program type designation from said first screen menu which is indicative of said desired program element wherein said program type designations include general categories and performer;

displaying a second menu of program elements associated with said selected program type designation, wherein said second menu of program elements includes said desired program element;

selecting said desired program element from said second menu of program elements;

searching said programs to identify programs which include said desired program element;

displaying a third menu of searched programs;

selecting at least one of said searched programs from said third menu of searched programs; and

registering said selected searched programs for reserve recording.

36. A method according to claim 35, further including a program table for displaying said searched programs, wherein said program table includes broadcasting stop and start times for said searched programs.

37. A method according to claim 35, wherein selection of said desired program type designation, said desired program element and said searched programs is shown by a monochrome reversal display.

38. A method according to claim 35, wherein selection of said desired program type designation, said desired program element and said searched programs is shown by changing display color.

39. A method according to claim 35, wherein selection of said desired program type designation, said desired program element and said searched programs is shown by a pointer cursor.

40. A method according to claim 35, wherein said steps of selecting a program type designation, said desired program element and said at least one of said searched programs are performed by using a remote controller.

41. A method according to claim 35 further including the step of recording said selected searched programs.

42. A method according to claim 35 further including the step of playing back said recorded searched programs.

43. A method according to claim 35 wherein said identification data packet includes list data for the types of items, list data corresponding to the program title identification, list data corresponding to subtitle identification, list data corresponding to performer identification and list data corresponding to category identification.

44. A method according to claim 35, wherein said step of searching is initiated by selecting a find function from a fourth menu of available functions.