System and method for selecting a program in a broadcast

• US 6,763,332 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Fujii, Kyoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US09/455,906
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 704/246, 704/251, 704/275, 704/272, 704/71, 704/276, 248/727, 248/734
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0025 in a remote control unit remote control tuning in general H03J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42214 using alphanumerical characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/8405 represented by keywords

Abstract

A question means is provided for requiring a reply of a user to a question, receiving means is provided for receiving an instruction of the user. A speech recognizer is provided for recognizing the instruction of the user. A program is selected based on the recognized instruction. The instructed and selected program is stored for learning. The instructed program is displayed on a display.

Claims

1. A program selecting system for receiving broadcast signals including guide information of broadcast programs and selecting a program in a broadcast, comprising:

a data storing section for storing item data representing items for programs and being classified by category and retrieval history information including a retrieval frequency;

a question section for requiring an instruction of a user to a question;

a receiving section for receiving an instruction of the user;

a recognizing section for recognizing said instruction of the user;

an extracting section for extracting a keyword from said recognized instruction;

a program selecting section for selecting an instructed program from said guide information of broadcast programs by retrieving said item data and said retrieval history information based on said extracted keyword;

a learning section for obtaining retrieval history information when said instructed program is selected and for updating said retrieval history information including said retrieval frequency by adding said obtained retrieval history information to learn a user'"'"'s favorite with said retrieval frequency; and

a providing section for providing said instructed and selected program to the user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the program is a television program, and the providing section is a display of a television receiver.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the question section includes a speaker.

4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a speech synthesizer for requesting the reply of the user.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the receiving section includes a microphone.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a speech synthesizer and for requesting the reply of the user.

7. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a remote controller and a remote control signal transmitting and receiving circuit.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the remote controller has a display.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the question is displayed on the display.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the remote controller is provided with an alphabet key for inputting a desired program.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the remote controller has a numeric keypad for inputting a channel number.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the instructed and selected program is displayed on the display when said keyword is a name of a program which is included in the guide information of television programs or in the retrieval history information stored in the data storing section.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein the instructed and selected program is displayed on the display when said keyword is stored in the data storing means.

14. A method for receiving broadcast signals including guide information of television programs and selecting a program in a television broadcast, comprising the steps of:

requiring an instruction of a user to a question;

receiving said instruction of the user in response to said question;

recognizing said instruction of the user;

extracting a keyword from said recognized instruction;

selecting an instructed program from said guide information of broadcast programs by retrieving an item data and retrieval history information including a retrieval frequency stored in a data storing section based on said extracted keyword;

obtaining retrieval history information when said instructed program is selected;

updating said retrieval history information including said retrieval frequency by adding said obtained retrieval history information to learn a user'"'"'s favorite with said retrieval frequency; and

displaying the instructed and selected program on a display.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the question is performed through the display.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the receiving is performed through a microphone.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the instruction is performed through a remote controller.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of:

displaying the instructed and selected program on the display section when said keyword is a name of a program which is included in the guide information of television programs or in the retrieval history information stored in the data storing section.

19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of:

displaying the instructed and selected program on the display section when said keyword is stored in said data storing section.