Apparatus and method for controlling the recording of television programs

• US 6,240,240 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1996
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagano, Kae, Hanai, Tomoyuki, Hamamoto, Kenji, Motoyoshi, Noboru
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/733,429
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 386/83, 386/95, 386/96, 386/46, 360/27, 348/906, 348/468
• US Class Current: 386/292
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/161 Constructional details of the subscriber equipment H04N7/164 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for controlling the recording of television programs are disclosed. The apparatus displays electronic program guide information superposed on a television signal. The apparatus allows a plurality of desired programs to be reserved for recording based on the electronic program guide information. If any of the reserved programs overlap, the apparatus allows the starting time and/or ending time of any of the overlapped programs to be changed. The apparatus may permit a program to be reserved for recording by inputting recording time and recording channel. If a program reserved for recording based on the electronic program guide information overlaps a program reserved for recording by inputting recording time and recording channel, a preferential setting enables one of the overlapped programs to be recorded. The apparatus advantageously causes an icon to be continuously displayed on a television screen in connection with the television picture signal when a program is reserved for recording. A corresponding method is described.

Claims

1. An electronic appliance displaying an electronic program guide superposed on the television signal and being provided with first reservation means for reservation of picture recording of a desired program based on said electronic program guide information,

wherein the electronic appliance is provided with selection means for selecting one of plural overlapping programs reserved for the picture recording when time zones of specified and reserved programs overlap,

wherein said electronic appliance is provided with second reservation means for reserving picture recording by inputting at least recording time and recording channel, and setting means for setting the preferential execution of either picture recording reservations by said first reservation means or by said second reservation means,

wherein said selection means selects a picture recording reservation according to the setting set by said setting means when the one program of said overlapping programs reserved for picture recording is a program reserved by said first reservation means and the other program of said overlapping programs reserved for picture recording is a program reserved by said second reservation means;

wherein said setting means sets said preferential execution automatically depending on specific information superposed on said television signal.

2. An electronic appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said specific information is the existence of a contract for said electronic program guide information.

3. A method for picture recording reservation comprising the steps of reserving a first program for recording with first reservation means for picture recording reservation based upon electronic program guide information superposed on a television signal, reserving a second program for recording with second reservation means for picture recording reservation by inputting at least recording time and recording channel,

setting the preferential execution of picture recording reservations, and selecting the first program or the second program for recording based upon the preferential execution setting when the first and second programs overlap,

wherein said step of setting the preferential execution of either picture recording reservations is accomplished based on specific information superposed on said television signal.