Device and method for displaying broadcast program guide in a programmed recording system

• US 6,400,406 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1997
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jin-hwi
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US08/878,070
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5445, H04/N.716, H04/N.7173, 348/460, 348/906, 348/564, 348/552, 348/553, 348/563, 348/569, 348/12, 348/13, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 455/5.1, 455/4.2, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 725/58, 725/116
• US Class Current: 348/460
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A device and method for displaying a broadcast program guide in a broadcast programmed recording system (referred to as immediate-K), wherein the method includes the steps of (a) loading a plurality of packets containing broadcast information among successively input data to periodically separate the broadcast program information therefrom, (b) comparing a current time with the start or end time of a next program from the broadcast program information separated in the step (a), and (c) displaying information of the broadcast program on a screen if the start or end time of the next program is a predetermined time later than the current time as a result of the step (b). The device includes a code extractor which periodically extracts the broadcast program information, a storage device which stores the extracted information and a controller which compares the current time with the start or end time of the next program and causes the broadcast information to be displayed if the start or end time of the next program is a predetermined time later than the current time. Thus, a viewer is automatically informed of an upcoming broadcast program by the display of the broadcast information of the program a predetermined time before the program starts.

Claims

1. A device for automatically displaying a broadcast program guide message for a program at a predetermined time prior to broadcast of the program in a broadcast programmed recording system, said program guide message being displayed independent of a user actively setting a program reminder, comprising:

a code extracting portion for periodically extracting broadcast program information from a received broadcast signal, said received broadcast signal being one of a plurality of predetermined data formats;

a storing portion for storing the broadcast program information extracted in said code extracting portion;

a controlling portion for comparing a current time read from said storing portion with a starting time of a next broadcast program as extracted from the broadcast program information and automatically displaying information of the next broadcast program on a screen if a difference between the current time and the starting time is less than a predetermined time.

2. A device for displaying a broadcast program guide message as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcast program information of said code extracting portion includes a current time, the start and end time and title of the broadcast program, and a name of a broadcast station.

3. A device for displaying a broadcast program guide message as claimed in claim 1, wherein said broadcast information is the starting time and title of the program.

4. A device for displaying a broadcast program guide message as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first time is a current time of said broadcast program information extracted from said plurality of predetermined data formats.

5. A method for automatically displaying a broadcast program guide message for a program at a predetermined time prior to broadcast of the program in a broadcast programmed recording system, said program guide message being displayed independent of a user actively setting a program reminder, comprising the steps of:

(a) extracting broadcast program information received as a plurality of packet units in a received broadcast signal, said plurality of packet units including a title of a next broadcast program, a broadcast station name, and time data corresponding to a start and end time of said next program;

(b) comparing a current time with one of the start time and the end time of the next broadcast program from the broadcast program information separated in said step (a); and

(c) automatically displaying information of the next broadcast program on a display if it is determined in said step (b) that one of the start time and the end time of the next broadcast program is within a predetermined time form the current time.