Recording reservation central control system for one or more VTR's

• US 5,761,372 A
• Filed: 09/02/1994
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Akaike, Kazuhiro, Yoshinobu, Hitoshi, Saito, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/300,458
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/342, 358/310, 358/311, 360/32, 360/33.1, 360/13, 360/69
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A TV system includes at least one VTR and a TV set. The VTR is operated on the basis of a predetermined control signal fed from one TV set connected thereto. The TV set includes: a timer for counting a time; an S-RAM for storing information of a time basis operation of each VTR connected to the TV set; a CPU for generating the predetermined control signal on the basis of the time information from the timer and the information of the time basis operation; and cables for feeding the predetermined control signal to each designated VTR.

Claims

1. A TV system including a plurality of VTRs and a TV set wherein:

each of the plurality of VTRs is operated on the basis of a separate predetermined control signal fed from the TV set connected thereto; and

said TV set includes a timer for counting a time;

a storage means for storing information of a time basis operation of each VTR connected to said TV set;

a control means for generating said predetermined control signal on the basis of the time information from said timer and said information of said time basis operation; and

feeding means for feeding said predetermined control signal to each designated VTR to thereby individually control each designated VTR;

wherein said control means operates in a time sharing manner if a plurality of pieces of stored information of said time basis operation are overlapped with each other on a time basis and the control means generates separate predetermined control signals for different VTRs based on the plurality of pieces of stored information which are overlapped with each other on a time basis and supplies the different predetermined control signals to different ones of the plurality of VTRs via the feeding means to separately record different programs.

2. A TV system including at least one VTR and a TV set comprising:

at least one VTR that is operated on the basis of a predetermined control signal fed from the TV set connected thereto;

said TV set including;

a timer for counting a time;

a storage means for storing information of a time basis operation of each VTR connected to said TV set;

a control means for generating said predetermined control signal on the basis of the time information from said timer and said information of said time basis operation; and

feeding means for feeding said predetermined control signal to each designated VTR;

wherein said time basis operation comprises at least one of a reservation recording operation and a power source on/off operation of the VTR to be operated; and

wherein said control means stores a condition of the VTR to be operated, prior to the reservation recording, and generates a control signal at the time of completion of the reservation recording for returning the VTR to be operated back to the condition before the reservation recording.

3. A TV set connectable to a plurality of VTRs, comprising:

a timer for counting a time;

a storage means for storing information of a time basis operation of each VTR connected to said TV set;

a control means for generating a predetermined control signal on the basis of the time information from said timer and said information of said time basis operation; and

feeding means for feeding said predetermined control signal to a designated VTR to thereby control the designated VTR;

wherein said control means operates in a time sharing manner if a plurality of pieces of stored information of said time basis operation are overlapped with each other on a time basis and the control means generates separate predetermined control signals for different VTRs based on the plurality of pieces of stored information which are overlapped with each other on a time basis and supplies the different predetermined control signals to different ones of the plurality of VTRs via the feeding means to separately record different programs.

4. A TV set connectable to at least one VTR comprising:

a timer for counting a time;

a storage means for storing information of a time basis operation of each VTR connected to said TV set;

a control means for generating a predetermined control signal on the basis of the time information from said timer and said information of said time basis operation;

feeding means for feeding said predetermined control signal to each designated VTR;

wherein said time basis operation comprises at least one of a reservation recording operation and a power source on/off operation of the VTR to be operated; and

wherein said control means stores a condition of the VTR to be operated, prior to the reservation recording, and generates a control signal at the time of completion of the reservation recording for returning the VTR to be operated back to the condition before the reservation recording.

5. A TV system including a plurality of VTRs and a TV set wherein:

each of the plurality of VTRs is operated on the basis of a separate predetermined control signal fed from the TV set connected thereto;

said TV set includes a timer for counting a time;

a storage means for storing information of a time basis operation of each VTR connected to said TV set;

a control means for generating said predetermined control signal on the basis of the time information from said timer and said information of said time basis operation; and

feeding means for feeding said predetermined control signal to each designated VTR to thereby individually control each designated VTR; and

wherein said control means stores a condition of the VTR to be operated, prior to the reservation recording, and generates a control signal at the time of completion of the reservation recording for returning the VTR to be operated back to the condition before the reservation recording.

6. The TV system according to claim 5, wherein said control means operates in a time sharing manner if a plurality of pieces of stored information of said time basis operation are overlapped with each other on a time basis and the control means generates separate predetermined control signals for different VTRs based on the plurality of pieces of stored information which are overlapped with each other on a time basis and supplies the different predetermined control signals to different ones of the plurality of VTRs via the feeding means to separately record different programs.

7. The TV system according to claim 5, wherein said timer generates a predetermined interrupt signal to the control means M seconds before an operation start time of the reservation recording thereby causing the control means to generate said predetermined control signal.