Electronic program guide system and electronic program guide displaying method

• US 6,037,998 A
• Filed: 07/01/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter, Takahashi, Naomasa, Usui, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/108,647
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 348/563, 348/564, 348/569, 348/906
• US Class Current: 725/49
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic program guide system and an electronic program guide displaying method that allow a desired program to be selected in a short time and at a high degree of reliability. EPG data of programs received by an IRD 4 through a satellite and EPG data of programs transmitted as a ground wave and received by a TV receiver 5 are converted into EPG data with an integrated format by an EPG receiver 6. The integrated EPG data is then output and displayed to the TV receiver 5.

Claims

1. An electronic program guide system comprising:

first receiving means for receiving a broadcasting signal of a first system and including a first electronic program guide;

second receiving means for receiving a broadcasting signal of a second system differing from said first system and including a second electronic program guide;

integrating means for integrating said first electronic program guide of said first system and said second electronic program guide of said second system and producing an integrated program guide;

selecting means for selecting a desired program from said integrated electronic program guide;

determining means for determining which system of said first and second systems broadcasts the desired program selected by said selecting means; and

control means for controlling one of said first and second receiving means which is determined by said determining means to tune said desired program prior to recording said desired program on a recording media.

2. The electronic program guide system according to claim 1, further comprising:

storage means for storing said first electronic program guide of said first system and said second electronic program guide of said second system,

wherein said integrating means integrates first and second electronic program guides stored in said storage means.

3. The electronic program guide system according to claim 1, wherein said integrating means integrates said first and second electronic program guides in a predetermined uniform format different from formats of said first and second systems which formats are also different from each other.

4. The electronic program guide system according to claim 1, wherein said integrating means integrates said first and second electronic program guides by performing one of adjusting said first electronic program guide to a first predetermined format of said second electronic program guide and adjusting said second electronic program guide to a second predetermined format of said first electronic program guide.

5. An electronic program guide method comprising the steps of:

receiving a broadcasting signal of a first system including receiving a first electronic program guide;

receiving a broadcasting signal of a second system differing from said first system including receiving a second electronic program guide;

integrating said first electronic program guide of said first system and said second electronic program guide of said second system and producing an integrated program guide;

selecting a desired program from said integrated electronic program guide;

determining which system of said first and second systems broadcasts the desired program selected in said step of selecting; and

controlling one of said first and second receiving means which is determined by said determining means to tune said selected desired program prior to recording said desired program on a recording media.

6. The electronic program guide method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of storing said first electronic program guide and said second electronic program guide,

wherein said step of integrating includes integrating said first and second electronic program guides stored in said step of storing.

7. The electronic program guide method according to claim 5, wherein said step of integrating integrates said first and second electronic program guides in a predetermined uniform format different from formats of said first and second systems which formats are also different from each other.

8. The electronic program guide method according to claim 5, wherein said step of integrating integrates said first and second electronic program guides by performing one of adjusting said first electronic program guide to a first predetermined format of said second electronic program guide and adjusting said second electronic program guide to a second predetermined format of said first electronic program guide.