PLAYBACK APPARATUS AND PROGRAM CONTENT TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING SYSTEM

• US 20120027377A1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsukagoshi, Ikuo, Inoue, Hajime
• Application Number:
  US13/262,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20120027377A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/230
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/412 Distributed storage methods, i.e. the system may autonomously determine for a storage device that provides enough storage capacity for recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/82 the individual colour picture signal components being recorded simultaneously only

Abstract

Program content is easily selected on a playback apparatus having a plurality of program content recording locations.

A video recording management server (11) manages program IDs, the video recording condition of program content on a television apparatus (10), and recording location information indicating on which server each program content is recorded, in association with each other as program management information. The television apparatus (10) displays an electronic program guide (100) in which past and future programs are displayed integrally, and displays a video recording complete mark (RM) for programs previously recorded on a user content server (13). On the other hand, when an instruction to play back program content is made in the electronic program guide (100), the television apparatus (10) receives the program content from a server designated from the video recording management server (11) to perform streaming playback. Thus, the television apparatus (100) can perform video recording and playback of program content desired by the user by means of the electronic program guide (100), without making the user specify a program content recording location.

Claims

1. A playback apparatus comprising:

a receiving section that receives program information from an outside;

a program information storage section in which the program information received by the receiving section is recorded and accumulated;

a program guide data generating section that generates program guide data on a basis of past program information accumulated in the program information storage section, the program guide data serving as an electronic program guide in which the past program information is arranged in time series;

a display section that displays the electronic program guide on a basis of the program guide data;

a selecting section that causes program content to play back to be selected via the program information, from the electronic program guide displayed on the display section;

a communication section that communicates data via a network with an external device having the program content;

a program content storage section to which the program content is recorded, the program content storage section being provided separately from the external device;

a recording management section that manages a recording location of the program content, and in response to an acquisition request for the program content, supplies recording location information indicating the program content storage section if the program content is stored in the program content storage section, and supplies recording location information indicating the external device if the program content is not stored in the program content storage section; and

a playback control section that sends, when program content to play back is selected from the electronic program guide, an acquisition request for the program content to the recording management section, acquires recording location information for the program content to play back from the recording management section, and acquires and plays back the program content from the program content storage section or the external device indicated by the recording location information.

2. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiving section receives the program content from an outside;

the program content storage section stores the program content received by the receiving section;

the program guide data generating section generates program guide data on a basis of past and future program information accumulated in the program information storage section, the program guide data serving as an electronic program guide in which the past program information and the future program information are arranged integrally in time series;

the selecting section causes program content to record to be selected via the program information, from the electronic program guide displayed on the display section;

the recording management section supplies recording location information indicating the program content storage section, in response to a recording request for the program content; and

the playback apparatus comprises a recording control section that sends, when program content to record is selected from the electronic program guide, a recording request for the program content to the recording management section, acquires recording location information for the program content to record from the recording management section, and sends the program content to the program content storage section indicated by the recording location information.

3. The playback apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the recording management section manages a recording condition of the program content to the program content storage section; and

the program guide data generating section acquires the recording condition of the program content from the recording management section, and generates the program guide data showing the recording condition of the program content in association with the program information of the electronic program guide.

4. The playback apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the program guide data generating section generates the program guide data showing a recording complete mark in the electronic program guide, in association with the program information indicating the program content of which recording to the program content storage section has been completed.

5. The playback apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the program guide data generating section generates the program guide data showing a recording standby mark in the electronic program guide, in association with the program information indicating the program content which has been selected for recording by the selecting section and of which recording to the program content storage section has not been started.

6. The playback apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the program guide data generating section generates the program guide data showing a recording-in-progress mark in the electronic program guide, in association with the program information indicating the program content which has been selected for recording by the selecting section and which is being recorded to the program content storage section.

7. The playback apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the recording-in-progress mark shows a ratio of a completed recording time with respect to a total recording time of the program content.

8. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the recording management section manages a recording condition of the program content to the program content storage section; and

the program guide data generating section acquires the recording condition of the program content from the recording management section, and generates the program guide data showing a recording complete mark in the electronic program guide, in association with the program information indicating the program content stored in the program content storage section.

9. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program content storage section is provided in another external device that is connected via a network.

10. A program content transmitting and receiving system comprising:

a broadcast station server; and

a playback apparatus,

the broadcast station server including

a storage section that stores program content that has been broadcast, and

a broadcast station control section that communicates data via a network with the playback apparatus that plays back program content, and transmits the program content to the playback apparatus,

the playback apparatus including

a receiving section that receives program information from an outside,

a program information storage section in which the program information received by the receiving section is recorded and accumulated,

a program guide data generating section that generates program guide data on a basis of past program information accumulated in the program information storage section, the program guide data serving as an electronic program guide in which the past program information is arranged in time series,

a display section that displays the electronic program guide on a basis of the program guide data,

a selecting section that causes program content to play back to be selected via the program information, from the electronic program guide displayed on the display section,

a communication section that communicates data via a network with the broadcast station server having the program content,

a program content storage section to which the program content is recorded, the program content storage section being provided separately from the broadcast station server,

a recording management section that manages a recording location of the program content, and in response to an acquisition request for the program content, supplies recording location information indicating the program content storage section if the program content is stored in the program content storage section, and supplies recording location information indicating the broadcast station server if the program content is not stored in the program content storage section, and

a playback control section that sends, when program content to play back is selected from the electronic program guide, an acquisition request for the program content to the recording management section, acquires recording location information for the program content to play back from the recording management section, and acquires and plays back the program content from the program content storage section or the broadcast station server indicated by the recording location information.