Television receiver and program data reception method

• US 8,588,588 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Horibe, Tatsuto, Tanaka, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIO, TAT CHI
• Application Number:
  US13/057,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20110142423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 386/200, 386/212, 386/213, 386/214, 386/234, 386/239, 386/248, 386/291, 386/292, 386/293, 386/296
• US Class Current: 386/291
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Using a remote control, a viewer specifies the channel and the date and time of a program that he/she wants to watch. A reception method selection unit determines, based on the date and time, whether the program is currently being broadcast or was broadcast in the past, and then selects a reception method. An SI information storage unit stores URL information of program distribution servers having past programs. The URL information is contained in the SDT in SI information transmitted together with a program. When the viewer chooses a past program, an IP data reception unit connects to the corresponding program distribution server based on its URL so as to transmit the date and time thereto, and receives the past program that the viewer wants to watch via IP network.

Claims

1. A television receiver connecting to a program distribution server so as to receive and play back past program data, the television receiver comprising:

a broadcast data reception unit configured to receive currently broadcast program data and program information, the program information containing server identification information which identifies the program distribution server;

an IP data reception unit configured to receive the past program data from the program distribution server;

a remote control reception unit configured to receive viewing program information as a remote control signal, the viewing program information containing at least one of viewing channel information and viewing date-and-time information and being selected by a viewer independent of an electronic program guide (EPG);

a storage unit for storing configured to receive at least the program information received; and

a control unit configured to;

a) determine whether program data indicated by the viewing program information is past program data based on the viewing date-and-time information when the remote control reception unit has received the viewing program information,

b) obtain the server identification information contained in the program information stored in the storage unit, control the IP data reception unit to connect to the program distribution server indicated by the server identification information, and then receive the program data identified by at least one of the viewing channel information and the viewing date-and-time information when it is determined that the program data indicated by the viewing program information is past program data, and

c) control the broadcast data reception unit to receive the program data identified by the viewing program information when it is determined that the program data indicated by the viewing program information is not past program data.

2. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein

the server identification information is connection URL information of the program distribution server corresponding to one channel.

3. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein

the server identification information is connection URL information of the program distribution server corresponding to one piece of program data.

4. The television receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a video recording unit for recording the currently broadcast program data, wherein

when the remote control reception unit has received the viewing program information, the control unit determines whether the program data indicated by the viewing program information is past program data, based on the viewing date-and-time information;

when determining that the program data indicated by the viewing program information is past program data, the control unit determines whether the program data indicated by the viewing program information has been recorded in the video recording unit; and

when determining that the program data indicated by the viewing program information has been recorded in the video recording unit, the control unit controls the recorded program data indicated by the viewing program information to be played back.

5. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein

the control unit controls an electronic program guide corresponding to the viewing date-and-time information received by the remote control reception unit to be displayed;

specific past program data to be selected from the electronic program guide corresponding to the viewing date-and-time information; and

the selected past program data to be received by the IP data reception unit.

6. A method for receiving program data by connecting a television receiver to a program distribution server so as to receive and play back past program data, the method comprising:

receiving currently broadcast program data, and receiving and storing program information containing server identification information which identifies the program distribution server;

receiving viewing program information from a remote control, the viewing program information containing at least one of viewing channel information and viewing date-and-time information and being selected by a viewer independent of an electronic program guide (EPG);

determining, based on the viewing date-and-time information, whether program data indicated by the viewing program information is past program data;

when the program data indicated by the viewing program information is determined to be past program data, obtaining the server identification information contained in the program information stored in the program information storing step, connecting to the program distribution server indicated by at least one of the server identification information, and receiving the program data identified by the viewing channel information and the viewing date-and-time information; and

when the program data indicated by the viewing program information is determined not to be past program data, receiving the program data identified by the viewing program information.