Apparatus and method managing personal schedule and providing overlapping broadcasting programs

• US 8,205,231 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-ku, Lim, Myong-kyun, Shim, Hyo-sun
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US11/934,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 725/43, 725/46, 725/58, 386/292, 386/297, 348/563, 348/564
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• 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 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

An apparatus for effectively managing a personal schedule and broadcasting programs includes a schedule management unit for managing a personal schedule, a broadcasting program management unit for managing basic information of broadcasting programs, an interface unit which receives an input signal, and a control unit which finds a first broadcasting program which overlaps with the personal schedule, searches for basic information for the first broadcasting program, and provides a first list including a title of the first broadcasting program, the basic information, and a display component for performing a control operation in response to an input signal.

Claims

1. A method of managing a schedule and programs, the method comprising:

providing a personal schedule and which includes one or more non-broadcasting program events;

finding at least one broadcasting program which overlaps with the personal schedule;

searching for basic information for the at least one broadcasting program; and

providing a list including a title of the at least one broadcasting program,

the basic information, and display components for performing a control operation related to the at least one broadcasting program in response to an input signal,

wherein at least one broadcast program which does not overlap with the personal schedule is excepted from the list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display component comprises an icon displayed together with the basic information for the at least one broadcasting program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the input signal for selecting the at least one broadcasting program from the list is received, providing detailed information on the selected at least one broadcasting program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the personal schedule is changed, updating the list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal schedule is from a past date.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the display component for performing the control operation comprises selecting an operation selectable between recording the at least one broadcasting program, providing a comment service on the at least one broadcasting program, and providing a video on demand (VOD) service related to the at least one broadcasting program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the operation of recording the at least one broadcasting program includes at least one of an operation of recording the entire at least one broadcasting program or an operation of starting to record the at least one broadcasting program.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the operation of providing the comment service on the at least one broadcasting program includes an operation of obtaining a comment on the at least one broadcasting program by accessing a server which provides the comment service on the at least one broadcasting program and an operation of displaying a display window for inputting another comment.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the operation of providing the VOD service comprises displaying a VOD service list including information about the VOD service related to the at least one broadcasting program so that a user may select the VOD service from the VOD service list.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing of the VOD service list further comprises displaying third information indicating whether the at least one broadcasting program is stored and displaying another display component for receiving a VOD included in the VOD service list in response to another input signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the list comprises displaying information indicating whether the at least one broadcasting program has already been recorded, and

when the information indicates that the at least one broadcasting program has already been recorded, the method further comprises displaying an icon to delete the at least one broadcasting program.

12. An apparatus for managing a schedule and programs, the apparatus comprising:

a schedule management unit to manage a personal schedule including one or more non broadcasting program events;

a broadcasting program management unit to manage basic information of broadcasting programs;

an interface unit which receives an input signal; and

a control unit which finds a at least one broadcasting program among the broadcasting programs which overlaps with the personal schedule managed by the schedule management unit, searches for the basic information for the at least one broadcasting program, and provides a list including a title of the at least one broadcasting program, the basic information, and display components for performing a control operation related to the at least one broadcasting program and which is activated in response to the input signal,

wherein at least one broadcast program which does not overlap with the personal schedule is excepted from the list.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the display component comprises an icon displayed together with the basic information for the at least one broadcasting program.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein when the input signal for selecting the at least one broadcasting program from the list is received, the control unit provides detailed information on the selected at least one broadcasting program.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit updates the list when the personal schedule is changed.

16. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the personal schedule is from a past date.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a broadcasting data processing unit which receives and processes broadcasting data,

wherein the control unit performs an operation of recording the at least one broadcasting program formed of the processed broadcasting data in response to the input signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operation of recording the at least one broadcasting program includes at least one of an operation of recording the entire at least one broadcasting program or an operation of starting to record the at least one broadcasting program.

19. The apparatus of claim 12,

wherein when the control unit provides the list, the control unit provides information indicating whether the at least one broadcasting program has already been recorded, and

when the information indicates that the at least one broadcasting program has already been recorded, the control unit further provides an icon to delete the at least one broadcasting program.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a communication unit for communicating with a server that provides at least one of a comment service for the at least one broadcasting program and/or a video on demand (VOD) service related to the at least one broadcasting program through a communication network,

wherein the control unit performs at least one of an operation of providing the comment service on the at least one broadcasting program or an operation of providing the VOD service related to the at least one broadcasting program in response to the input signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the operation of providing the comment service on the at least one broadcasting program includes an operation of obtaining a comment on the at least one broadcasting program by accessing the server and an operation of displaying a display window for inputting another comment.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the operation of providing the VOD service related to the at least one broadcasting program includes an operation of displaying a VOD service list including information about the VOD service related to the at least one broadcasting program so that a user may select the VOD service from the VOD service list.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein when the VOD service list is displayed, third information is displayed indicating whether the at least one broadcasting program is stored and displaying another display component for receiving a VOD included in the VOD service list in response to another input signal.

24. A computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method of managing a schedule and programs, the method comprising:

providing a personal schedule and which includes one or more non-broadcasting program events;

finding at least one broadcasting program which overlaps with the personal schedule;

searching for basic information for the at least one broadcasting program; and

providing a list including the title of the at least one broadcasting program, the basic information, and display components for performing a control operation related to the at least one broadcasting program in response to an input signal,

wherein at least one broadcast program which does not overlap with the personal schedule is excepted from the list.

25. A method of managing a schedule and programs in a portable device, the method comprising:

searching broadcasting programs for at least one overlapping broadcasting program which overlaps with a portion of entries corresponding to designated times entered into a personal schedule, the entries in the personal schedule not being related to the at least one broadcasting program;

simultaneously displaying the personal schedule and a list of titles of the at least one overlapping broadcasting program;

wherein the list further includes the basic information of the at least one overlapping broadcasting program and a display component for performing a control operation related to the at least one overlapping broadcasting program in response to an input signal,

wherein at least one broadcast program which does not overlap with the personal schedule is excepted from the list.