Information processing apparatus and method, and program storage medium

• US 7,890,982 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2001
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Takuma, Hanaya, Hiroyuki, Kaizu, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shang; Annan Q
• Application Number:
  US10/016,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,403 Days
• Field of Search: 725131-134, 725139-142, 725/153, 725/58, 725106-120, 725 78- 85, 709217-231, 345/169, 345/553, 345/556, 345/173, 345/716, 345/717, 345/722, 345/901, 348/734
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/47214 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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

Abstract

This invention is intended to allow user to easily and quickly set the preset recording of television programs on recording devices. When setting the preset recording of a television program on a VCR, the user of a personal computer first accesses an EPG server on the Internet to download the preset recording data of that program. The personal computer converts the downloaded preset recording data into a G-code and transmits the G-code from a video mouse to the VCR as an infrared signal. The VCR decodes the received G-code, recognizes the program to be preset for recording, and sets the preset recording of the recognized program.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a recording apparatus;

a personal computer configured to (1) directly access a remote program information providing server through the internet based on a user request directly input to the personal computer by the user to obtain recording data for recording of a program from the remote program information providing server access and (2) to directly access the recording apparatus through a non-Internet connection to set recording of the program by the recording apparatus based on the obtained recording data;

an information processing apparatus comprising;

control means including,

a user controlled mobile telephone or personal digital assistant for acquiring, without accessing the personal computer or the recording apparatus, control information for controlling preset recording of a program by accessing a remote program information providing server through the internet based on a user request to access the remote program information providing server,

conversion means for converting contents described in said control information acquired by said mobile telephone or personal digital assistant into code information for setting said program preset recording to the recording apparatus, which is remote from the control means, and

transmission means for receiving said code information from said conversion means and for transmitting said code information obtained by said conversion means directly to said recording apparatus under control of said control means;

wherein the recording apparatus receives said code information from said transmission means, confirms whether said code information properly sets said program preset recording, and displays whether said program preset recording is proper or improper.

2. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said code information acquired by said acquisition means is G-code information.

3. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means transmits said code information to said recording apparatus by use of an infrared signal.

4. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said control information includes broadcast channel information, broadcast date, broadcast start time, and recording end time of said program.

5. An information processing system, comprising:

a recording apparatus;

a personal computer configured to (1) directly access a remote program information providing server through the internet based on a user request directly input to the personal computer by the user to obtain recording data for recording of a program from the remote program information providing server and (2) to directly access the recording apparatus through a non-Internet connection to set recording of the program by the recording apparatus based on the obtained recording data;

an information processing apparatus comprising;

a controller configured to,

under user control acquire control information through a mobile telephone or personal digital assistant, without accessing the personal computer or the recording apparatus, for controlling preset recording of a program by accessing a remote program information providing server through the interne based on a user request to access the remote program information providing server, and

convert contents described in said acquired control information into code information for setting said program preset recording to a remote recording apparatus separate from the controller, and

a transmitter configured to receive said code information from said controller and to transmit said received code information directly to said recording apparatus under control of said controller;

wherein the recording apparatus receives said code information from said transmission means, confirms whether said code information properly sets said program preset recording, and displays whether said program preset recording is proper or improper.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said code information acquired by the controller is G-code information.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said transmitter transmits said code information to said recording apparatus by use of an infrared signal.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control information includes broadcast channel information, broadcast date, broadcast start time, and recording end time of said program.

9. An information processing apparatus configured to be used in an information processing system including a recording apparatus, and a personal computer configured to (1) directly access a remote program information providing server through the internet based on a user request directly input to the personal computer by the user to obtain recording data for recording of a program from the remote program information providing server access and (2) to directly access the recording apparatus through a non-Internet connection to set recording of the program by the recording apparatus based on the obtained recording data, the information processing apparatus comprising:

control means including,

a user controlled mobile telephone or personal digital assistant for acquiring, without accessing the personal computer or the recording apparatus, control information for controlling preset recording of a program by accessing a remote program information providing server through the internet based on a user request to access the remote program information providing server,

conversion means for converting contents described in said control information acquired by said mobile telephone or personal digital assistant into code information for setting said program preset recording to the recording apparatus, which is remote from the control means, and

transmission means for receiving said code information from said conversion means and for transmitting said code information obtained by said conversion means directly to said recording apparatus under control of said control means.

10. An information processing system according to claim 9, wherein said code information acquired by said acquisition means is G-code information.

11. An information processing system according to claim 9, wherein said transmission means transmits said code information to said recording apparatus by use of an infrared signal.

12. An information processing system according to claim 9, wherein said control information includes broadcast channel information, broadcast date, broadcast start time, and recording end time of said program.