JP2006108740A - Recording and reproducing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording and reproducing apparatus whereby a user can easily discriminate whether or not displayed EPG information is the latest information. <P>SOLUTION: The recording and reproducing apparatus stores a time when a program guide is stored in a storage means to the storage means and displays also the time when the recording and reproducing apparatus displays the program guide. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording / reproducing apparatus capable of recording and reproducing a television broadcast signal.

An electronic program guide (EPG: Electronic Program Guide, hereinafter referred to as “EPG information”) in which a broadcast time, a program name, and the like are stored is multiplexed and transmitted in the television broadcast signal. EPG information is received and stored only when a digital TV receiver receives a television broadcast signal (for example, A channel) from a specific broadcasting station that is transmitting EPG information. If there is content that is different from the EPG information being received, it is updated to the newly received EPG information. Here, when the TV broadcast signal from the specific broadcasting station is not received and the latest EPG information is to be confirmed, reception of the TV broadcast signal currently being viewed (for example, B channel) is interrupted. Must be changed to A channel.
In order to solve this problem, in Patent Document 1, the channel A currently being viewed (B channel) is selected by one tuner, the A channel is searched by another tuner, and EPG information for each channel is obtained. Receive and update.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-27593

  However, when a plurality of tuners are selected other than the channel of the specific broadcasting station, and are viewed and recorded, since the EPG information is not obtained, the updated EPG information cannot be displayed, and the user can When EPG information is displayed in this state, there is a problem that it cannot be determined whether or not the displayed EPG information is the latest.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a recording / reproducing apparatus in which a user can easily determine whether or not displayed EPG information is the latest.

In order to achieve the above object, a recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention is a recording / reproducing apparatus that receives a television broadcast signal multiplexed with an electronic program guide including a broadcast time, and records and reproduces the television broadcast signal. And
Receiving means for receiving the television broadcast signal and the electronic program guide;
Storage means for storing the program guide received by the receiving means;
Clock means for outputting the current time;
Control means for controlling each means,
The control means is configured to store the time when the program guide is stored in the storage means in the storage means, and to display the time when displaying the program guide. It is characterized by.

  And since the time which this program guide was memorize | stored is displayed with a program guide, the time of the program guide which the user was able to memorize | store can be grasped | ascertained easily.

A recording / reproducing apparatus for receiving a television broadcast signal multiplexed with an electronic program guide including a broadcast time, and recording and reproducing the television broadcast signal;
Receiving means for receiving the television broadcast signal and the electronic program guide;
First storage means for storing a broadcast time of the electronic program guide;
Second storage means for storing the program guide received by the receiving means;
Clock means for outputting the current time;
Control means for controlling each means,
The control means stores the time when the program guide is stored in the storage means in the storage means,
Comparing the broadcast time of the electronic program guide in the first storage means and the current time by the clock means, thereby identifying the broadcast time of the electronic program guide closest to the current time,
Comparing the broadcast time of the specified electronic program guide with the time when the program guide stored in the second storage means is stored in the storage means;
When it is determined that the electronic program guide stored in the second storage means is not up-to-date, a message to that effect is displayed.

  Since the display indicating that the electronic program guide is not up-to-date is displayed, the user can easily determine whether or not the displayed electronic program guide is the latest.

  In addition, as a display when it is determined that the electronic program guide is not up-to-date, the time when the electronic program guide is stored in the storage unit stored in the second storage unit is displayed. It is characterized by doing.

  Further, the electronic program guide is controlled so as to display that the electronic program guide is not updated as a display when it is determined that the electronic program guide is not the latest.

  According to the present invention, the user can easily determine whether or not the displayed EPG information is the latest.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a recording / reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The recording / playback apparatus includes an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) unit 2001, a disk drive unit 35 that rotates and drives an optical disk 1001 that is an information storage medium capable of constructing a video file, and reads / writes information from / to the optical disk 1001, and a recording side The main components are an encoder unit 50 that constitutes the decoder, a decoder unit 60 that constitutes the reproduction side, and a microcomputer block 30 that controls the operation of the apparatus main body.

  Among the above, the encoder unit 50 includes an A / D (analog / digital) conversion unit 52, an encoder group 53 including a V (video) encoder, an A (audio) encoder, and an SP (sub-picture) encoder, and an output of each encoder. Is provided with a formatter 56 and a buffer memory 57. The A / D converter 52 receives an external analog video signal + external analog audio signal from the AV input unit 42 or an analog video signal + analog audio signal from the TV (television) tuner unit 44. When a digital video signal or a digital audio signal is input to the A / D converter 52, the A / D converter 52 causes the digital video signal or the digital audio signal to pass through. The digital video signal and the digital audio signal may be subjected to jitter reduction processing, sampling rate change processing, or the like without changing the contents. However, when the sampling frequency is different, the conversion process is performed.

  The digital video signal output from the A / D converter 52 is sent to the formatter 56 via the V encoder of the encoder group 53. The digital audio signal output from the A / D converter 52 is sent to the formatter 56 via the A encoder of the encoder group 53. The V encoder has a function of converting an input digital video signal into a digital signal compressed at a variable bit rate based on the MPEG2 or MPEG1 standard. The A encoder has a function of converting an input digital audio signal into a digital signal compressed at a fixed bit rate or a linear PCM digital signal based on the MPEG or AC-3 standard.

The formatter 56 performs predetermined signal processing on the input video signal, audio signal, sub-picture signal, etc. while using the buffer memory 57 as a work area, so that the recording data conforming to the format (file structure) is obtained. Is output to the data processing unit 36.
Here, the present apparatus can supply the information encoded by the encoder unit 50 and the created management information to the HDD unit 2001 via the data processing unit 36 and record them on the hard disk. Information recorded on the hard disk can also be recorded on the optical disk 1001 via the data processing unit 36 and the disk drive unit 35. Note that the information encoded by the encoder unit 50 and the created management information can be recorded on the optical disc 1001 via the data processing unit 36 and the disc drive unit 35 without going through the HDD unit 2001.
The optical disk 1001 is read / written (recorded and / or played back) as a disk drive unit 35 having an optical system and a drive system, a data processing unit 36, a temporary storage unit 37, and an STC generation. Section (system time counter or system time clock) 38. The temporary storage unit 37 buffers a certain amount of data (data output from the encoder unit 50) written to the optical disc 1001 via the data processing unit 36 and the disk drive unit 35, or the disk drive unit 35, It is used to buffer a certain amount of data reproduced from the optical disc 1001 via the data processing unit 36 (data input to the decoder unit 60 described later). The disk drive unit 35 includes a rotation control system, a laser drive system, an optical system, and the like for the optical disk.

  The data processing unit 36 supplies recording data in a format corresponding to the DVD standard output from the encoder unit 50 to the disc drive unit 35 or supports the DVD standard reproduced from the optical disc 1001 according to the control of the microcomputer block 30. A reproduction signal of the format is taken from the disk drive unit 35, the management information recorded on the optical disk 1001 is rewritten, or the data (file or video object) recorded on the optical disk 1001 is deleted.

The decoder unit 60 includes a separator 62 that separates and extracts each pack from information having a pack structure (not shown) from the HDD unit 2001 or the optical disc 1001, a memory 63 used when performing pack separation and other signal processing, and a separator 62. A V (Video) decoder that decodes the separated main video data (the contents of the video pack), an SP (Sub-picture) decoder that decodes the sub-picture data (the contents of the sub-picture pack) separated by the separator 62, and A decoder group 64 including an A (Audio) decoder that decodes the audio data (audio pack contents) separated by the separator 62, and sub video data obtained from the SP decoder are appropriately combined with main video data obtained from the V decoder. , Video processor 6 for superimposing menus, highlight buttons, subtitles and other sub-pictures on the main picture for output It is equipped with a.
The output of the video processor 66 is input to the video mixing unit 71. In the video mixing unit 71, text data is synthesized. The video mixing unit 71 is also connected to a line (not shown) that directly takes in signals from the TV tuner unit 44 and the A / V input unit 42. A frame memory 72 used as a buffer is connected to the video mixing unit 71. When the output of the video mixing unit 71 is a digital output, it is output to the outside via an I / F (interface) 73, and when it is an analog output, it is externally output via a D / A (digital / analog) conversion unit 74. Is output to the display unit 80 connected to the.

When the output of the A decoder is a digital output, it is output to the outside via an I / F (interface) 75, and when it is an analog output, it is converted into an analog signal by a D / A converter 77 via an audio selector 76. Output to the outside. The audio selector unit 76 may select the output from the A / D conversion unit 52 when directly monitoring the signal from the TV tuner unit 44 or the A / V input unit 42 by the select signal from the microcomputer block 30. Is possible. The analog audio signal is supplied to an external component (2-channel to 6-channel multi-channel stereo device) (not shown).
The microcomputer block 30 includes an MPU (micro processing unit) or CPU (central processing unit) (not shown), a ROM in which a control program and the like are written, and a RAM for providing a work area necessary for executing the program. It is out. The microcomputer block 30 has an information processing unit necessary for controlling EPG information acquisition, and includes an EPG time table unit 30a, a timer unit 30b, an EPG information processing unit 30c, and an EPG acquisition management unit 30d. The microcomputer block 30 receives a TV broadcast signal from a specific broadcast station (A channel) via the TV tuner unit 44 and an EPG information multiplexed and transmitted to the TV broadcast signal. Connected with.

  The EPG time table unit 30a holds a transmission timetable of a specific broadcasting station (for example, A channel) that transmits EPG information. The timer unit 30b outputs the current time. The EPG information processing unit 30c browses the EPG timetable unit 30a, compares it with the current time from the timer unit 30b, automatically selects the TV tuner unit 44 for the EPG broadcast channel (A channel), and multiplexes it with the TV broadcast signal The obtained EPG information is acquired and output as a program guide in response to a user request. The EPG acquisition management unit 30d records EPG information acquisition availability and the time as the EPG information acquisition status. EPG information itself is also recorded. Note that an instruction from the user is input to the microcomputer block 30 via the key input unit 47. Further, the operating state of the recording / reproducing apparatus can be displayed on the display unit 48.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the EPG information acquisition procedure of the recording / reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment. First, the EPG information processing unit 30c checks the EPG timetable unit 30a of EPG broadcast (step S201), and determines whether it is the EPG broadcast time or not with the current time from the timer unit 30b (step S202). If it is the EPG broadcast time, it is determined whether or not the tuning of the TV tuner 44 can be adjusted to the EPG broadcast channel (A channel) (step S203). When other channels are being viewed, during recording, and when the reserved recording time overlaps with the EPG broadcast start time, it is not possible to select the EPG broadcast channel, so EPG information is not acquired (step S207). If channel selection for the EPG broadcast channel is possible in step S204, EPG information is acquired and the data is stored in the EPG acquisition management unit 30d (step S204). Thereafter, the EPG information processing unit 30c determines whether or not the EPG information has been completely acquired without any abnormality in the EPG broadcast radio wave condition, channel selection operation, or the like (step S205). If the acquisition is complete, the acquisition time is recorded in the EPG acquisition management unit 30d (step S207). Thereafter, the EPG time table search (S201) is repeated.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a first EPG information display procedure of the information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment. First, the program table is called from the EPG acquisition management unit 30d by the user's operation from the key input unit 47 (step S301). The EPG information processing unit 30c outputs display data including whether or not EPG information can be acquired and a history of the time along with the program table from the EPG acquisition management unit 30d (step S302). Thereby, the user can grasp | ascertain whether the program schedule currently displayed was able to be acquired completely, and its time.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a second EPG information display procedure of the information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment. When receiving an operation from the user key input unit 47, the EPG acquisition management unit 30d calls the program guide (step S401). The EPG information processing unit 30c collates the broadcast time of the EPG time table unit 30a with the current time from the timer unit 30b, and specifies the broadcast time of the latest program guide (step S402). The latest broadcast time obtained in step S402, that is, the latest EPG broadcast time is compared with the time of the acquired EPG (step S403). Next, it is determined whether or not the acquired EPG information is the latest (step S404). In the case of the latest EPG information, the EPG information is displayed on the display unit 80 (step S405). If the EPG information is not up-to-date, the acquired program guide from the EPG acquisition management unit 30d, the acquisition time information of the program guide, unupdated information, and the like are displayed on the display unit 80 (step S406). FIG. 5 is a screen display showing EPG information and acquired information in the display unit 80 connected to the recording / reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment. In FIG. 5, a program guide 501 is displayed by a call operation from the user key input unit 47. In the display example, the 1CH and 3CH program schedules from 20:00 to 22:00 on April 5, 2004, obtained from EPG information. In the lower part of the screen, the current time 502 from the timer unit 30b, the time when the EPG information of the program table 501 is acquired, and information 503 indicating whether or not it has been updated to the latest version are displayed at the same time. Specifically, 503 compares the acquisition time information of the acquired EPG information with the EPG time table, and if the acquisition time is not the time closest to the most recent EPG time table, but is the time before the latest, the latest It is determined that the acquisition of EPG information has failed, and “not updated” is displayed together with the acquisition time.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a recording / reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for acquiring EPG information of the recording / reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the 1st EPG information display of the recording / reproducing apparatus concerning the embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing a second EPG information display procedure of the recording / reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment. The example of a screen display which shows the EPG information and acquisition information in the display part connected to the recording / reproducing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

30 microcomputer block
30a EPG timetable
30b Timer section
30c EPG information processing department
30d EPG acquisition management department
35 Disk drive section
36 Data processing section
37 Temporary storage
50 Encoder section
60 Decoder part
501 Program guide (EPG information)
502 Current time
503 Information about the time when EPG information of program guide 501 was acquired and whether it was updated to the latest version
1001 Optical disc (DVD-RAM)
2001 HDD (hard disk drive)

Claims (4)

A recording / reproducing apparatus for receiving a television broadcast signal multiplexed with an electronic program guide including a broadcast time, and recording and reproducing the television broadcast signal,
Receiving means for receiving the television broadcast signal and the electronic program guide;
Storage means for storing the program guide received by the receiving means;
Clock means for outputting the current time;
Control means for controlling each means,
The control means is configured to store the time when the program guide is stored in the storage means in the storage means, and to display the time when displaying the program guide. A recording / reproducing apparatus. A recording / reproducing apparatus for receiving a television broadcast signal multiplexed with an electronic program guide including a broadcast time, and recording and reproducing the television broadcast signal,
Receiving means for receiving the television broadcast signal and the electronic program guide;
First storage means for storing a broadcast time of the electronic program guide;
Second storage means for storing the program guide received by the receiving means;
Clock means for outputting the current time;
Control means for controlling each means,
The control means stores the time when the program guide is stored in the storage means in the storage means,
Comparing the broadcast time of the electronic program guide in the first storage means and the current time by the clock means, thereby identifying the broadcast time of the electronic program guide closest to the current time,
Comparing the broadcast time of the specified electronic program guide with the time when the program guide stored in the second storage means is stored in the storage means;
A recording / reproducing apparatus configured to display, when it is determined that the electronic program guide stored in the second storage means is not up-to-date.   Controlling to display the time when the electronic program guide is stored in the storage means stored in the second storage means as a display when it is determined that the electronic program guide is not up-to-date The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 2.   4. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein control is performed to display that the electronic program guide is not updated as a display when it is determined that the electronic program guide is not up-to-date.

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