Information processing device

• US 8,132,209 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kaizu, Tatsuo, Miyazaki, Takuma, Hanaya, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): RABOVIANSKI, JIVKA A
• Application Number:
  US10/398,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,805 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 725/42, 725/46, 725/91, 725/61, 725/110, 725/132
• US Class Current: 725/51
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/023 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/09 Arrangements for device control with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for control of broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• 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 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 : involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 : Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

This invention relates to an information processing apparatus for allowing a user at a remote location to make easy and quick reservation of a TV program for unattended recording over a network. In step S103, the user accesses an EPG server to get an HTML-based TV program information screen displayed on the user'"'"'s camera-equipped digital mobile telephone and reserves through the screen a desired program for unattended recording. In response, a main control unit of the telephone requests the EPG server to attach recording reservation data about the program reserved by the user to an e-mail and to send the e-mail to the user'"'"'s personal computer along with the attachment. Given the send request, the EPG server retrieves the recording reservation data from an EPG information database in step S112, and attaches the retrieved data to an e-mail via the internet before sending the e-mail to the personal computer in step S113, the personal computer being located remotely such as in the user'"'"'s home.

Claims

1. A program information providing apparatus, comprising:

means for storing control data for controlling reservation of a program for unattended recording;

means for providing which, if a first information processing apparatus that requests an unattended recording reservation from a first location requests provision of program information about said program over a network, then provides said program information to said first information processing apparatus;

means for determining which, based on user information sent from said first information processing apparatus regarding a user of said first information processing apparatus, determines a first and a second e-mail address from previously registered information, said first e-mail address corresponding to said first information processing apparatus as a destination to which a result of setting the unattended recording reservation is to be reported, said second e-mail address corresponding to a second information processing apparatus, located at a second location, on which said unattended recording reservation is to be set;

means for preparing which, if said first information processing apparatus requests that said control data be sent over said network to said second information processing apparatus, then reads said control data, which is designated by said user of said first information processing apparatus, from said storing means before preparing a first e-mail by attaching to said first e-mail the retrieved control data and said first e-mail address determined by said determining means as representative of the destination to which the result of the setting of said unattended recording reservation is to be reported;

means for sending said first e-mail prepared by said preparing means to said second information processing apparatus corresponding to said second e-mail address; and

said second information processing apparatus sends a second email to said first email address that reports the result of the setting of the unattended recording, and said result of setting the unattended recording reservation includes selected program information which indicates a name of the program.

2. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control data include channel information, a recording start date, a recording start time, and a recording stop time.

3. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control data are added to said first e-mail as an attachment.

4. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control data arc described in a message of said first e-mail.

5. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sending means attaches said control data to a general-purpose e-mail before sending said general-purpose e-mail together with the attached control data to said second information processing apparatus over said network.

6. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said general-purpose e-mail can be sent and received over the Internet.

7. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determining means determines said first and second e-mail addresses from said previously registered information that is stored in a user profile database which includes said first and second e-mail addresses.

8. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said result of setting said unattended recording reservation identifies a conflict with a previously scheduled reservation.

9. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said result of setting said unattended recording reservation includes a notification that said unattended recording reservation will begin in a predetermined amount of time.

10. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said result of setting the unattended recording reservation includes a method to cancel said recording reservation.

11. A program information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said result of setting the unattended recording reservation including the selected program information also indicates the recording start time, recording stop time, and recording mode.

12. A program information providing method comprising:

storing control data for controlling reservation of a program for unattended recording;

if a first information processing apparatus that requests an unattended recording reservation from a first location requests provision of program information about said program over a network, then providing said program information to said first information processing apparatus;

based on user information sent from said first information processing apparatus regarding a user of said first information processing apparatus, determining a first and a second e-mail address from previously registered information, said first e-mail address corresponding to said first information processing apparatus as a destination to which a result of setting the unattended recording reservation is to be reported, said second e-mail address corresponding to a second information processing apparatus, located at a second location, on which said unattended recording reservation is to be set;

if said first information processing apparatus requests by e-mail that said control data be sent over said network to a second information processing apparatus, then reading said control data stored, designated by said user of said first information processing apparatus and stored in said storing step, before preparing a first e-mail by attaching to said first e-mail the retrieved control data and said first e-mail address determined in said determining step as representative of the destination to which the result of the setting of said unattended recording reservation is to be reported;

sending said first e-mail prepared in said preparing step over said network to said second information processing apparatus corresponding to said second e-mail address; and

sending, by said second information processing apparatus, a second email to said first email address that reports the result of the setting of the unattended recording, and said result of setting the unattended recording reservation includes selected program information which indicates a name of the program.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium which stores a computer-readable program which when executed by a processor performs a method comprising:

storing control data for controlling reservation of a program for unattended recording;

if a first information processing apparatus that requests an unattended recording reservation from a first location requests provision of program information about said program over a network, then providing said program information to said first information processing apparatus;

based on user information sent from said first information processing apparatus regarding a user of said first information processing apparatus, determining a first and a second e-mail address from previously registered information, said first e-mail address corresponding to said first information processing apparatus as a destination to which a result of setting the unattended recording reservation is to be reported, said second e-mail address corresponding to a second information processing apparatus, located at a second location, on which said unattended recording reservation is to be set;

if said first information processing apparatus requests by e-mail that said control data be sent over said network to said second information processing apparatus, then reading said control data, designated by said user of said first information processing apparatus and stored in said storing step, before preparing a first e-mail by attaching to said first e-mail the retrieved control data and said first e-mail address determined in said determining step as representative of the destination to which the result of the setting of said unattended recording reservation is to be reported;

sending said first e-mail prepared in said preparing step over said network to said second information processing apparatus corresponding to said second e-mail address; and

sending, by said second information processing apparatus, a second email to said first email address that reports the result of the setting of the unattended recording, and said result of setting the unattended recording reservation includes selected program information which indicates a name of the program.

14. An image recording system, comprising:

a program information providing apparatus, a first information processing apparatus, located at a first location, and a second information processing apparatus, located at a second location, said program information providing apparatus providing over a network control data for controlling reservation of a program for unattended recording, said first information processing apparatus reserving said program for unattended recording, said second information processing apparatus recording said program in unattended fashion;

wherein said program information providing apparatus includes;

means for storing said control data;

means for determining which, based on user information sent from said first information processing apparatus regarding a user of said first information processing apparatus, determines a first and a second e-mail address from previously registered information, said first e-mail address corresponding to said first information processing apparatus as a destination to which a result of setting the unattended recording reservation is to be reported, said second e-mail address corresponding to said second information processing apparatus on which said unattended recording reservation is to be set;

means for preparing which, if said first information processing apparatus requests by e-mail that said control data be sent over said network to said second information processing apparatus, then reads said control data, which is designated by said user of said first information processing apparatus, from said storing means before preparing a first e-mail by attaching to said first e-mail the retrieved control data and said first e-mail address determined by said determining means as representative of the destination to which the result of the setting of said unattended recording reservation is to be reported; and

means for sending said first e-mail prepared by said preparing means over said network to said second information processing apparatus corresponding to said second e-mail address;

wherein said first information processing apparatus includes;

means for selecting display of program information provided by said program information providing apparatus over said network, before selecting said program from among the programs covered by said program information; and

means for requesting which, if said program is selected by said selecting means, then requests said program information providing apparatus to send said control data to said second information processing apparatus over said network; and

wherein said second information processing apparatus includes;

means for receiving said first e-mail sent from said program information providing apparatus over said network;

recording controlling means for initially storing said control data attached to said first e-mail received by said receiving means, before controlling unattended recording of said program based on the stored control data; and

means for sending a second email to said first email address that reports the result of the setting of the unattended recording, and said result of setting the unattended recording reservation includes selected program information which indicates a name of the program.

15. A program information providing apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store control data for controlling reservation of a program for unattended recording;

a providing unit configured to, if a first information processing apparatus configured to request an unattended recording reservation from a first location requests provision of program information about said program over a network, provide said program information to said first information processing apparatus;

a determining unit configured to, based on user information sent from said first information processing apparatus regarding a user of said first information processing apparatus, determine a first and a second e-mail address from previously registered information, said first e-mail address corresponding to said first information processing apparatus as a destination to which a result of setting the unattended recording reservation is to be reported, said second e-mail address corresponding to a second information processing apparatus on which said unattended recording reservation is to be set;

a preparing unit configured to, if said first information processing apparatus requests by e-mail that said control data be sent over said network to said second information processing apparatus, read said control data, which is designated by said user of said first information processing apparatus, from said storage unit before preparing a first e-mail by attaching to said first e-mail the retrieved control data and said first e-mail address determined by said determining unit as representative of the destination to which the result of the setting of said unattended recording reservation is to be reported;

a sending unit configured to send said first c-mail prepared by said preparing unit over said network to said second information processing apparatus corresponding to said second e-mail address; and

said second information processing apparatus sends a second email to said first email address that reports the result of the setting of the unattended recording, and said result of setting the unattended recording reservation includes selected program information which indicates a name of the program.