EPG transmitting apparatus and method, EPG receiving apparatus and method, EPG transmitting/receiving system and method, and provider

• US 6,487,722 B1
• Filed: 02/08/1999
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okura, Yukiko, Tsurumoto, Takashi, Hanai, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US09/245,871
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 725/1-8, 725/37, 725/40, 725/55, 725/43, 725/52, 725/51, 725/101, 725/102, 725/103, 725/23, 725/39, 725/41
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics

Abstract

The broadcast hour and the title of a program is displayed in an EPG (Electronic Program Guide). If the charge of the program is lower than the other corresponding programs, a symbol “Discount” is also displayed. If the program is the last one of NVOD (Near Video On Demand) programs, a symbol “Last” is also displayed.

Claims

1. An electronic program guide transmitting apparatus comprising:

generating means for generating an electronic program guide that represents a transmission schedule of programs to be transmitted;

adding means for generating additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs and for adding the feature recognition information to the electronic program guide; and

transmitting means for transmitting the electronic program guide to which the additional information has been added, wherein

the particular program is one of a plurality of near video on demand programs, and wherein the feature recognition information is information indicating that the particular program is a last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.

2. The electronic program guide transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the particular program is one of a plurality of near video on demand programs, and wherein the feature recognition information is information indicating that a cost to the viewer of the particular program is different from a cost of the other plurality of near video on demand programs.

3. An electronic program guide transmitting method comprising:

a generating step of generating an electronic program guide that represents a transmission schedule of programs to be transmitted;

an adding step of generating additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs and for adding the feature recognition information to the electronic program guide, wherein the adding step includes adding information to show whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video on demand programs; and

a transmitting step of transmitting the electronic program guide to which the additional information has been added.

4. A provider which provides a computer program comprising:

a generating step of generating an electronic program guide that represents a transmission schedule of programs to be transmitted;

an adding step of generating additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs and for adding the feature recognition information to the electronic program guide, wherein the adding step includes adding information to show whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video on demand programs; and

a transmitting step of transmitting the electronic program guide to which the additional information has been added.

5. An electronic program guide receiving apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving an electronic program guide to which additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs, is added, wherein the additional information includes information as to whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video on demand programs;

extracting means for extracting the additional information from the electronic program guide that has been received by the receiving means;

storing means for storing information to be used for displaying the feature recognition information; and

display control means for reading out the information stored in the storing means and corresponding to the additional information that has been extracted by the extracting means and for displaying the feature recognition information, including displaying the information to show whether the particular program is the last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.

6. An electronic program guide receiving method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving an electronic program guide to which additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs, is added, wherein the additional information includes information as to whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video on demand programs;

an extracting step of extracting the additional information from the electronic program guide that has been received by the receiving step;

a storing step of storing information to be used for displaying the feature recognition information; and

a display control step of reading out the information stored by the storing step and corresponding to the additional information that has been extracted by the extracting step and for displaying the feature recognition information, including displaying the information to show whether the particular program is the last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.

7. A provider which provides a computer program comprising:

a receiving step of receiving an electronic program guide to which additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs, is added, wherein the additional information includes information as to whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video demand programs;

an extracting step of extracting the additional information from the electronic program guide that has been received by the receiving step;

a storing step of storing information to be used for displaying the feature recognition information; and

a display control step of reading out the information stored by the storing step and corresponding to the additional information that has been extracted by the extracting step and for displaying the feature recognition information, including displaying the information to show whether the particular program is the last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.

8. An electronic program guide transmitting and receiving system comprising:

an electronic program guide transmitting apparatus for transmitting information, including;

generating means for generating an electronic program guide that represents a transmission schedule of programs to be transmitted;

adding means for generating additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs, and for adding the feature recognition information to the electronic program guide, wherein the particular program is one of a plurality of near video on demand programs and the feature recognition information indicates whether the particular program is a last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs; and

transmitting means for transmitting the electronic program guide to which the additional information has been added; and

an electronic program guide receiving apparatus for receiving the information transmitted from the electronic program guide transmitting apparatus, including;

receiving means for receiving the electronic program guide transmitted from the electronic program guide transmitting apparatus;

extracting means for extracting the additional information from the electronic program guide received by the receiving means;

storing means for storing information to be used for displaying the feature recognition information; and

display control means for reading out the information stored in the storing means and corresponding to the additional information that has been extracted by the extracting means and for displaying the feature recognition information, including displaying the information to show whether the particular program is the last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.

9. An electronic program guide transmitting and receiving method for an electronic program guide transmitting and receiving system including an electronic program guide transmitting apparatus for transmitting information and an electronic program guide receiving apparatus for receiving the information transmitted from the electronic program guide transmitting apparatus, the method comprising in the electronic program guide transmitting apparatus:

a generating step of generating an electronic program guide that represents a transmission schedule of programs to be transmitted;

an adding step of generating additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs, and for adding the feature recognition information to the electronic program guide, wherein the adding step includes adding information to show whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video on demand programs; and

a transmitting step of transmitting the electronic program guide to which the additional information has been added, the method further comprising in the electronic program guide receiving apparatus;

a receiving step of receiving the electronic program guide transmitted by the transmitting step;

an extracting step of extracting the additional information from the electronic program guide received by the receiving step;

a storing step of storing information to be used for displaying the feature recognition information; and

a display control step of reading out the information stored by the storing step and corresponding to the additional information that has been extracted by the extracting step and for displaying the feature recognition information, including displaying the information to show whether the particular program is the last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.

10. A provider for providing a computer program to be used in an electronic program guide transmitting and receiving system including an electronic program guide transmitting apparatus for transmitting information and an electronic program guide receiving apparatus for receiving the information transmitted from the electronic program guide transmitting apparatus, the computer program for the electronic program guide transmitting apparatus comprising:

a generating step of generating an electronic program guide that represents a transmission schedule of programs to be transmitted;

an adding step of generating additional information to be superimposed on the electronic program guide, including feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize a feature of a particular program that differentiates the particular program from other programs, and for adding the feature recognition information to the electronic program guide, wherein the adding step includes adding information to show whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video on demand programs; and

a transmitting step of transmitting the electronic program guide to which the additional information has been added, the computer program for the electronic program guide receiving apparatus comprising;

a receiving step of receiving the electronic program guide transmitted by the transmitting step;

an extracting step of extracting the additional information from the electronic program guide received by the receiving step;

a storing step of storing information to be used for displaying the feature recognition information; and

a display control step of reading out the information stored by the storing step and corresponding to the additional information that has been extracted by the extracting step and for displaying the feature recognition information, including displaying the information to show whether the particular program is the last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.

11. An electronic program guide receiving apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving an electronic program guide that represents a schedule of programs to be transmitted;

detecting means for detecting whether a particular program has a feature that differentiates the particular program from other programs; and

display control means for displaying, in accordance with a recognition result of the detecting means, feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize that the particular program has the feature that differentiates the particular program from the other programs, so that the feature recognition information is superimposed on the electronic program guide, wherein

the detecting means detects whether the particular program is a last one of near video on demand programs, and wherein the display control means displays the feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize that the particular program is the last one of the near video on demand programs if the detecting means has detected that the particular program is the last one of the near video on demand programs.

13. The electronic program guide receiving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the detecting means detects whether the particular program is the last one of the near video on demand programs based on time information that is included in the electronic program guide.

14. The electronic program guide receiving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the detecting means detects whether a cost to the viewer of the particular program is different from a cost to the viewer of the other near video on demand programs, and wherein the display control means displays the feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize whether the cost to the viewer of the particular program is different from that of the other of the near video on demand programs if the detecting means has detected that the cost to viewer of the particular program is different from the cost to the viewer of the other of the near video on demand programs.

15. The electronic program guide receiving apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detecting means detects whether the cost to the viewer of the particular program is different from the cost to the viewer of the other of the near video on demand programs based on a flag that is transmitted together with the electronic program guide.

16. The electronic program guide receiving apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising storing means for storing the feature recognition information.

17. The electronic program guide receiving apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the feature recognition information is a symbol.

12. The electronic program guide receiving apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the detecting means detects whether the particular program is the last one of the near video on demand programs based on a flag that is transmitted together with the electronic program guide.

18. An electronic program guide receiving method comprising:

a receiving step of receiving an electronic program guide that represents a schedule of programs to be transmitted;

a detecting step of detecting whether a particular program has a feature that differentiates the particular program from other programs, including detecting information relating to whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video on demand programs; and

a display control step of displaying, in accordance with a recognition result of the detecting step, feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize that the particular program has the feature that differentiates the particular program from the other programs, so that the feature recognition information is superimposed on the electronic program guide, including displaying the information to show whether the particular program is the last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.

19. A provider for providing a computer program comprising:

a receiving step of receiving an electronic program guide that represents a schedule of programs to be transmitted;

a detecting step of detecting whether a particular program has a feature that differentiates the particular program from other programs, including detecting information relating to whether the particular program is a last one of a plurality of near video on demand programs; and

a display control step of displaying, in accordance with a recognition result of the detecting step, feature recognition information for allowing a viewer to recognize that the particular program has the feature that differentiates the particular program from the other programs, so that the feature recognition information is superimposed on the electronic program guide, including displaying the information to show whether the particular program is the last one of the plurality of near video on demand programs.