Method for the setting-up of an electronic program journal and circuit therefor

• US 6,091,456 A
• Filed: 09/25/1996
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Loewe OPTA GmbH (Loewe Technologies GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Loewe OPTA GmbH (Loewe Technologies GmbH)
• Inventors: Schaas, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Application Number:
  US08/718,483
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 348/460, 348/468, 348/461, 348/462, 348/476, 348/473, 348/477, 348/478, 348/570
• US Class Current: 348/460
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/34 using an out-of-band subcarrier signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/13 radio data system/radio broadcast data system [RDS/RBDS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a circuit arrangement for producing an electronic program journal. The data of upcoming programs, contained in received television and/or radio signals, are evaluated and are stored and displayed according to specific sorting algorithms. The thus received and sorted data are displayed in the form of an electronic program journal. This data can be called upon for tuning the apparatus based on a simultaneous coordination of the transmitted data, such as channel data or frequency data, to the individual programs.

Claims

1. A method for the setting-up of an electronic program journal for television and/or sound radio programs in an apparatus for the reception of television and/or sound radio from different transmitting institutions, which emit program information as program data in video text (television text) program survey pages of the own transmitting institution and/or other transmitting institutions or feed these into cable networks and/or send program information as preliminary information to sound radio transmission stations or feed these into cable networks and tuning of the receiver circuit of the apparatus, the following features:

a) decoding the received program data of the video text (television text) pages or the preliminary program information received with the sound radio signals by a decoder and listing tabularly, stored in a program journal storage device and indicated on a display,

b) evaluating at least one received identification characterizing the respective program and taking up in the list in association with the program data,

c) sorting all received program data according to certain preset filing criteria by a processor circuit with an inscribed program according to a preset ordering algorithm and storing in the program journal storage device either automatically or after actuation of a take-over key,

d) automatically associating data of the reception channel or the reception frequency of the transmitter which are necessary for the tuning of the receiver circuit to the program contribution, in the program journal storage device and seizing and storing together with the program data,

e) wherein the seizing of tuning data takes place in dependence on the selective tuning of the receiving apparatus to the corresponding channel or the corresponding frequency,

f) wherein the tuning data are indicated or concealed,

g) calling up the stored program data out of the program journal storage device by actuation of a call-up device and represented on the display page by page according to preset sorting criteria which can differ from the filing criteria, and

h) selecting a line of the representation of the data for the tuning of the apparatus to a transmitter, for which the associated data of the reception channel or of the frequency are led to the tuning circuit of the receiver circuit.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the following method steps:

a) checking the video text pages (television text pages) or the program information pages radiated by a transmitter in respect of contained program tables or program information data;

b) taking over program data indicated in program information data or tables into video text pages if the program information data or tables are ascertained;

c) inserting program data, which have not yet been entered into storage, according to an ordering algorithm and, writing over or suppressing the program data already entered into storage;

d) examining the video text pages (television text pages) or the program information in the case of sound radio transmissions of the further receivable transmitters in like manner by selective tuning and ordering the program data taken over into the video text pages according to method step (b) and likewise stored in the program journal storage device;

e) wherein the listwise seizing of the program data takes place over a certain time span by reference to the transmission date statements (calender day, check time) associated with the program data, for example over a time span of one week.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

setting serial numbers in the display line of a program or characterizing identifications in the represented program data at the front or rear in the program lines.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the tuning of the apparatus for the reception of a program selected from the electronic program journal takes place through input of the serial number associated with the program or of the identification or, in the case of a cursor control, by selective driving of the program line of the cursor and by way of issue of a take-over command by key pressure of a take-over equipment and that the program is received at the time which is indicated as transmission time and, in the case that the selected program is already being transmitted, this is automatically presented or reproduced at once, wherein the program journal in the case of television reception is not shown in the case of representation on the same display or the indication is not shown only by actuation of a command key.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that additional switch-on data, which is indicated on the picture screen marked for example by "preselection" or by marking or colored backing of the program lines, are preset for the program data which have been selected for a reception.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the preset data are priority data which are associated with the program data by actuation of a priority-setting equipment and that, in the case of program overlap or reception of a current transmission, the receiver is switched over or on in the tuning circuit in dependence on the priority date to the transmitter, by way of which the program with priority is radiated.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the processor control equipment for the selection copies the program data selected by presetting or the switch-on data, which are provided with priority data, into a further storage device, or calls the switch-on data or the priority data, which are associated with the program data, from the program journal storage device and compares them with actual time data and, in the case of agreement of the switch-on data with the actual time data, undertakes the tuning to the selected program or initiates this in the tuning circuit.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the program data are associated with data for the program-dependent control (VPS-control or RDS-control), which are visibly indicated or stored in concealed manner, and that the receiver--with the use of only one receiving circuit during the current reception of a transmission or in the switched-off state of the reproduction equipment--continuously monitors the transmitter in respect of VPS-signals or RDS-signals at least during a certain time window before the expected program start, and wherein the receiver switches over to the program characterized by the program-dependent control or switches on the reception thereof when the switching-on point is signalled by the received data.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that two receiver circuits are selectively driven by a processor circuit or by several processor circuits, wherein the second receiver circuit serves for the monitoring of the program-dependent control (VPS, RDS).

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the case of use in a television receiver apparatus or sound radio apparatus, the respectively offered transmission is terminated by selection of another program from the program journal or by switching over to another transmitter under time control by the indicated end of transmission or in dependence on the program-dependent control data of the VPS-system or RDS-system.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that program data stored in the program journal storage device by the processor control are erased automatically when the end of the program is no longer receivable due to elapse of time or due to program-dependent identification.

12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the video text pages (television text pages) are substituted by data of the service channel in the case of digital transmission of television signals and the take-over of the program data into the program journal storage device takes place in like manner according to the indicated method.

13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that data allowing locking are addable in addition to each program line and the data indicated therein and that the program line is displayed due to prefixed or inserted or added identifications or due to corresponding marking or colored backing or input of a signal allowing locking by actuation of an input equipment delivering a locking signal and that the locking is cancellable only by an access key known to the authorized user.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the blocked programs are indicated by means of cursor control and load key by colored identification or other identifying marks and that the apparatus, in the case of a program being blocked, blocks a switching-on of the program or skips the program at the set clock time.

15. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data in the program journal storage device, reaching the display, or all data including the concealed ones, are output by way of a printer interface of the apparatus to a printer upon input of a printer control command by way of the processor control equipment.

16. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the program data in the program journal storage device are subjected to a certain selection ordering according to freely selectable criteria by appropriate inputs by way of a keyboard or by user control on the picture screen and the ordered data are brought to display according to the selected ordering program.

17. The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the data in the program journal storage device are transmitted by way of an interface connectable to a computer by input of a transfer command, which computer is internal of the apparatus or external and which manages longer lists of program data over longer time spans and corresponds with the processor of the processor control in the apparatus in such a manner that the program data stored in the program journal storage device are updated.

18. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the program journal storage device is a storage device which is connectable to the apparatus, which storage device is also connectable to any apparatus with the same interface for the programming of the other apparatus, wherein the data in the program journal storage device, that are overwritable, are updated in the other apparatus, or this program journal storage device can be blocked against overwriting by new data.

19. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data in the program journal storage device are refreshed cyclically at least once a day or refreshed constantly and that newly added new data, taken over from the video text pages or program information pages, are added and existing data are not renewed or overwritten.

20. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data in the program journal storage device are refreshed, renewed or added upon the switching-off of the apparatus or upon the switching-over of the apparatus from the normal operating state into the stand-by operation or in stand-by operation and that the apparatus is switched off with delay or switched over with delay into the stand-by operation during the updating of the data in the program journal storage device, wherein the delay corresponds to the required evaluating time for the updating of the program data or that a refreshing of the data takes place constantly during the stand-by operation.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that at least those circuit components of the apparatus required for refreshing the data remain functioning when the indicating display is switched off.

22. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data from the program journal storage device are placed into a current television picture represented on the display or shown in a selected partial region of the display.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

sorting the program data from the program journal storage device by calling up a certain sorting program;

bringing out the sorted program data of the program journal storage device in such a manner that programs are displayed, which programs are running at the time of calling-up or which programs are receivable in a next hour window or in the day window.

24. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the program data are ordered additionally according to program kinds and/or program contents and are callable up in ordered manner and displayed upon call-up of the program data according to program kinds and program contents, such as sports programs, science programs, music programs, entertainment programs and news programs as well as according to other program-ordering criteria.

25. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the program data in the program journal storage device are addresses for the calling-up of detailed program representations which are stored in another storage device and that the detailed program representations can be called up by initiation of a sheet-turning function.

26. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that programs, which are ordered according to thematic fields, are blocked for the reception by the input of blocking signals and released by input of a cancellation signal.

27. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus queries all receivable transmitters for program data and the processor control undertakes an updating of the program data in the program journal storage device upon switching the apparatus from the off-state into the stand-by operation or into the normal operating state.

28. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the program data contain at least the following codings or at least some thereof, which are storable altogether or selectively in the program journal storage device:

Description of the program,

kind of the program,

transmitting institution (short name),

abbreviated description of the transmitter, e.g. BR1,

VPS-activation (yes/no),

RDS-activation (yes/no),

program starting times,

program end times,

program classification data (music, entertainment, news),

radio activation data in order to control the recording or reproduction when correspondingly coded transmissions are involved in dependence on identification signals which are transmitted together with the sound radio transmission, and

program description data.

29. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it is combined with methods of conventional program selection in an apparatus in such a manner that either the conventional program selection or the program selection or the display of the program as set forth previously is drawn upon for the operation of the apparatus.

30. The method according to claim 1, characterized by the use in television reception apparatus or in combined radio and television apparatus or in picture and/or sound recording apparatus in any apparatus for the reception of analogously and digitally transmitted transmissions in mobile or stationary construction, or in conjunction with peripheral apparatuses such as a CD-player, which peripheral apparatuses contain a plurality of stored programs.

31. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the program data are stored on a CD and can be called up therefrom, that they are listed in the form of a program journal and that the program data stored in the program journal storage device are issued to the indication by way of the processor control, wherein the in di cation as display is component of the apparatus or a connected indicating apparatus.

32. A circuit arrangement comprising:

a receiving apparatus including;

a receiver circuit (6) with a tuner,

an intermediate frequency amplifier and demodulator,

a video text decoder (12) or a decoder for program information, which is transmitted by sound radio, of programs broadcast in a specific future time portion;

a first storage device for storing program data contained in transmitted pages;

a program journal storage device;

a processor control with a microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor reads the program data out of the first storage device according to an inscribed program and stores this program data in the program journal storage device (15) in the form of lists according to a preset ordering algorithm so that said program data can be called up;

a display apparatus having a control;

a local control including setting elements, wherein the program data stored in the program journal storage device (15) are output page by page to the control of the display apparatus corresponding to display possibilities on the display apparatus (9) by input of a display command by actuation of the corresponding setting elements at the local control (17) at the receiving apparatus or of a remote control (18), wherein the display apparatus (9) indicates the program data presented as program information page by page;

a selecting equipment provided for selecting a program line, wherein the receiver circuit of the receiving apparatus automatically receives the channel data or the frequency data for tuning a reception after selection of the program data.

33. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the display is a component of the apparatus or a component of a display device connected to an apparatus with performing circuit arrangement, which apparatus undertakes the evaluation.

34. The circuit arrangement according to claim 33, characterized in that the performing circuit arrangement is component of a video recorder, with which a television receiver or monitor is connected, and displays the program data, which are stored in the program journal storage device and receivable by way of a bus, on the picture screen or a display.

35. The circuit arrangement according to claim 33, characterized in that the performing circuit arrangement is a component of a television receiver or video recorder for the reception of VPS-signals or of a radio receiver for the reception of RDS-signals or other program data broadcast with the program by a transmitting institution and that the display is present in the radio receiver or has a connection to a television apparatus, wherein the program journal can be displayed on the picture screen of the television apparatus.

36. The circuit arrangement according to claim 34, characterized in that a bidirectional bus is connected between the display apparatus and the evaluating apparatus, wherein commands from the display apparatus or from a remote control for the control of the processor control are input in the evaluating apparatus in order to control a display of the program data according to specific selection criteria or for the selection of program data for the reproduction or recording.

37. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that additional function keys or setting members are present in the operating field of the evaluating apparatus or on the remote control transmitter and that, upon actuation of the additional function keys or setting members, the data in the program journal storage device are brought to display according to specific evaluation criteria as a function of specific programs input into the processor of the processor control.

38. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the processor control controls a tuning circuit for an automatic search run and stores the transmitters, which have been ascertained in the automatic search run, with the program data, which have been obtained upon reception of these transmitters and are associated with the transmitter or unrelated transmitters, but radiated by the same transmitting institution, or the processor control stores the address for access to the tuning storage device, under which the found transmitter can be called up, wherein the processor program does not allocate the program data of the unrelated transmitters to the tuning data.

39. The circuit arrangement according to claim 38, characterized in that a storage device with a transmitter table is contained in the tuning circuit and that the processor control undertakes an allocation to the transmitters based on the received program data and stores the program data accordingly in the program journal storage device in association with the corresponding transmitting institution.

40. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the current numbers are input with the input keyboard into the program journal, which is indicated on the display, and the receiver circuit tunes to the selected transmitter based on the take-over of the program data and switches the program on or records the program either simultaneously or, in the case of a presetting, at the moment of the switching-on time associated with the program data.

41. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the receiver circuit comprises a VPS-decoder and that the processor circuit associates the VPS-data with the program data and that the processor circuit switches the apparatus synchronously, or also the reception circuit during a defined time window, to a waiting position depending on the VPS-data and that the switching to program reception or the switching to the recording takes place only when a switch-on signal for the VPS-coded transmission is applied.

42. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the processor control of a program evaluates the indicated transmission time in the program journal and in dependence thereon performs the control of the tuning circuit to the transmitter, from which the program is receivable.

43. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32 in conjunction with a television reception apparatus, characterized in that a control circuit automatically initiates the fading out of the program journal on the display and displays the received picture information of a current program upon the switching-on of the current program.

44. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the display is a color display and that preset program data for a reproduction or a recording are stored in terms of color during the selection by a selection command or a priority command, wherein the preselection or the priority are stored with different colors or the written image representation of the program appears in other colors and that the color recognition is also stored in an evaluatable way in the program journal storage device as additional data.

45. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the evaluating circuit comprises a separate receiver circuit and that the separate receiver circuit is provided for the reception of current transmissions or for the reception of transmitters tuned by way of the program selections.

46. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that a time comparator circuit, in which the actual time is compared with the preset switching-on time and/or switching-off time, is provided in the apparatus and that the representation or recording of the program is switched on and/or off in dependence on the switching-on times and/or switching-off times associated with the program data.

47. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the receiver circuit comprises a demodulator for digitally transmitted data and that the data transmitted in the service channel are evaluated by the processor control to the extent that they contain program data.

48. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the receiver circuit is such as for the reception of signals which are offered terrestrially distributed by way of satellite or by way of channels.

49. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the apparatus comprises a printer interface.

50. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the apparatus comprises an interface for a connectable computer and that the processor transmits the data, stored or storable in the program journal storage device, with a transmission program to the connected computer over a longer time span.

51. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that a generator is provided in the apparatus and, under the control of the process control equipment, effects the search run through all reception ranges continuously or discontinuously or at certain times or in dependence on the operative switching of the apparatus (stand-by) full operation switching-on/switching-off and that the thereby received program data are evaluated and entered into the program journal storage device, or the data entered there are overwritten, or already stored data are not taken over.

52. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, further comprising a display switching frame circuit for opening a frame display superposing the program journal onto a displayed television picture of a currently received transmission.

53. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that a change-over switch, which causes the switching-over of the operation of the receiver circuit to channel selection or to program selection, is provided in the operating field.

54. The circuit arrangement according to claim 32, characterized in that the program journal storage device is an erasable read/write memory storage (RAM, EEPROM).

55. The circuit arrangement according to claim 54, characterized in that the read/write memory storage is an exchangeable memory storage which is insertable into the apparatus.

56. The circuit arrangement according to claim 55, characterized in that the exchangeable memory storage is a chip card with processor and storage device.

57. A method for setting-up an electronic program journal for television and/or sound radio programs in an apparatus for receiving television and/or sound radio from different transmitting institutions, comprising the following steps:

emitting program information as program data in video text (television text) program survey pages of the own transmitting institution and/or other transmitting institutions or feed these into cable networks and/or send program information as preliminary information to sound radio transmission stations or feed these into cable networks;

tuning a receiver circuit of the apparatus for reception;

decoding the received program data of the video text (television text) pages or the preliminary program information received with the sound radio signals by a decoder;

listing the received program data in a table;

storing the table in a program journal storage device;

indicating the table on a display;

evaluating at least one received identification characterizing the respective program;

taking the received identification up in the list in association with the program data;

sorting all received program data according to certain preset filing criteria by a processor circuit with an inscribed program according to a preset ordering algorithm;

storing the sorted data in the program journal storage device;

selectively tuning the receiving apparatus to the corresponding reception characteristics of a transmitted signal;

automatically associating data of the reception characteristics with the signal transmitted by the transmitter, as are necessary for a tuning of the receiver circuit to the signal carrying the program, with the program

data depending on the selectively performed tuning;

storing the associated data in the program journal storage device;

calling up the stored program data out of the program journal storage device by actuation of a call-up device and presenting the stored program data on a display page by page according to preset sorting criteria; and

selecting a line of the representation of the data for the tuning of the apparatus to a transmitter, for which the associated data of the reception characteristics are led to the tuning circuit of the receiver circuit.

58. The method according to claim 57 further comprising the following steps:

checking information pages emitted by a transmitter relative to contained program information data;

transferring the program data indicated in the program information data into video text pages, where the program information data or tables are ascertainable;

inserting the program data, which have not yet been entered into storage, according to an ordering algorithm into the video text pages; and

,

eliminating the program data previously entered into storage;

examining program information pages in case of sound radio transmissions of other receivable signals from transmitters in a like manner by selective tuning;

ordering the program data transferred to the video text pages;

likewise storing the transferred and ordered program data in the program journal storage device, wherein a batch-type capturing of the program data takes place over a certain time span by reference to transmission date stamps furnished with the program data.