JP2011182170A - Receiver and receiving method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a receiver in which respective programs are independently selected for a plurality of programs which are dealt with as one program on an EPG. <P>SOLUTION: A control part 11 determines whether or not there is a dividing point in one program of EPG data, and when there is the dividing point, displays a program selection screen displaying the dividing point on a display part 31. A user selects a program which the user desires to record from the program selection screen via a remote controller 2. An operation part 24 receives a signal of the remote controller 2, and transmits the selected program to the control part 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a receiving apparatus that receives electronic program guide data and the like and can select received electronic program guide data.

  In the current digital broadcasting, an electronic program guide (EPG) is broadcast together with program data. A digital broadcast receiver such as a television can display a program table based on the received EPG data, and a user can easily select a program to be scheduled for recording from a large number of programs.

  A general program guide is displayed in a so-called latte column format in which programs are arranged with columns as channels and rows as broadcast times. Using this program table, the user can confirm which program is broadcast in which time zone from simple information displayed in each column such as the title of the program. Further, when one program is selected from the program guide and a predetermined operation is performed, detailed information on the program such as performers and synopsis is displayed. By confirming such information, the user can select a program for which a recording reservation is set.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 describes a technique that enables a user to select a desired television program from a program table by simply specifying a channel number and a time zone when making a recording reservation using an EPG.

JP 2009-194588 A

  Even when handled as one program on the EPG, a plurality of programs may actually be included in the time zone of the program. When a recording reservation is set using EPG using conventional technology, one of such a plurality of programs cannot be selected. Therefore, there is only a method of making a recording reservation for all of a plurality of programs or manually setting a recording reservation by designating a time zone and a broadcasting station of a program to be recorded out of the plurality of programs without using an EPG.

  In the present invention, the broadcast time zone of the program determined by the start time and the end time included in the program information of each program received as an electronic program guide is divided into two or more by the other information included in the program information. When possible, the program is divided into two or more and displayed in a selectable manner.

  Further, the present invention provides a receiving unit for receiving an electronic program guide having program information including at least a program start time and an end time for each program, and program information of one program among the received electronic program guides. A control unit that determines whether or not division information indicating that the time period from the start time to the end time of the program can be divided into two or more is included, and when the division information is included in the program information, A display unit that divides the time zone into two or more and displays the operation unit; and an operation unit that receives a selection of the time zones that are divided into two or more and displayed on the display unit.

The division information may be time information, and the time information may be included in the time zone of the one program.
The control unit may perform a recording reservation process using the time information as a recording reservation start time.

  Further, the present invention provides a receiving means for receiving an electronic program guide having program information including at least a program start time and an end time for each program, and program information of one of the received electronic program guides. Control means for determining whether or not division information indicating that a time zone from the start time to the end time of the program can be divided into two or more is included; and when the division information is included in the program information, Display means for displaying the time zone divided into two or more, and operation means for receiving one selection of the time zones displayed on the display unit divided into two or more.

  In the present invention, each program can be independently selected for a plurality of programs handled as one program on the EPG. As a result, the user can select only the program he / she wants to record and make a recording reservation.

It is a figure which shows the functional block of the receiver which comprises this embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the receiver of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the program schedule of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the program on the program schedule of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the program selection screen of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement of the program division | segmentation point extraction of this embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of a receiving device that constitutes the present embodiment. The receiving device 1 includes a control unit 11, a receiving unit 22, a storage unit 23, an operation unit 24, a display unit 31, and a speaker 32.

  The receiving unit 22 receives a broadcast signal from an antenna (not shown). The broadcast signal includes broadcast signals of a plurality of channels, and the receiving unit 22 extracts and demodulates the broadcast signal of the channel selected from the broadcast signals, and so-called digital data called a transport stream. Retrieve the data. The transport stream includes program data composed of image data and audio data encoded in MPEG format, and an electronic program guide (EPG). In addition, the reception unit 22 outputs the extracted transport stream to the control unit 11.

  Specifically, the control unit 11 is a computer configured by a non-illustrated processor, memory, nonvolatile memory such as a hard disk drive, and the like. The control unit 11 separates and extracts image data, audio data, and EPG data from the transport stream output from the reception unit. Further, the control unit 11 decodes the image data and outputs it to the display unit 31, decodes the audio data and outputs it to the audio output unit 23. Further, the control unit 11 stores the separated EPG data in the storage unit 23.

  The display unit 31 displays an image signal, and the speaker 32 outputs an audio signal. As a result, the user can view the program.

  The remote controller 2 is provided with numeric keys for designating numbers, an EPG key for instructing display of an EPG, a cross key, an enter key, and an LED for transmitting a signal corresponding to the operated key. Yes. Further, the remote controller 2 is provided with keys for accepting, for example, channel selection, power ON / OFF, volume adjustment, and the like. The user presses any key to instruct the receiving device 1. The operation unit 24 is provided with a light receiving unit that receives a command transmitted from the remote controller 2. The command input by the remote controller 2 is transmitted from the LED and received by the light receiving unit of the operation unit 24. Then, the operation unit 24 transmits the received command to the control unit 11. The operation unit 24 is provided with the same keys as the remote controller 2.

  The storage unit 23 stores the EPG data output by the control unit 11. The storage unit 23 stores recording reservations and recorded program data.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the receiving device 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

  When the EPG key of the remote controller 2 is pressed, the control unit 11 reads the EPG data stored in the storage unit 23 and outputs it to the display unit 31. Thereby, for example, a program table in a latte column format as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed (S1). The EPG data includes a broadcast channel, a start time, a completion time, a program name, program information described later, and detailed program information for a plurality of programs. In the program guide, the start time, program name, and program information of each program are displayed.

  The user can select a desired program from the program guide by moving the focus on the program guide using the cross key of the remote controller 2 and pressing the enter button on the remote controller 2. When the focus is on one program in the program table and the enter button is pressed, the display screen is switched and the program detailed information of the program is displayed (S2). The detailed program information is included in the EPG data and describes, for example, the contents of the program and the performers. On this screen, a recording reservation button and a viewing reservation button are displayed. The user can make a recording reservation by moving the focus on the recording reservation button and pressing the enter button on the remote controller 2.

  FIG. 4 is an example of a program on the program guide. This program is regarded as one program in the broadcast time zone of 0:55 to 2:40 on the EPG data. However, actually, three programs starting at 0:55, 1:25, and 2:10 are included. Thus, although it is a single program on the EPG, in practice, EPG data including a plurality of programs is often seen in late-night programs and the like.

  The control unit 11 analyzes the character string of the program information of the EPG data of the program and determines whether or not a division point is included (S3). The division point is time information, and is the start time of each program when the EPG data of the program includes a plurality of programs. A method for extracting program division points will be described later.

  When there is no division point in step S3, the control unit 11 stores the channel number, program start time, and end time described in the EPG data of the program in the storage unit 23, and performs a recording reservation process (S7). .

  When there is a division point in step S3, the control unit 11 creates a program selection screen as shown in FIG. 5 and displays it on the display unit 31 (S4). From the program selection screen, the user can select a program to be recorded. On the program selection screen, two options “record all” and “select program to be recorded” are displayed. As for the option “select program to be recorded”, the program name and the broadcast time zone of each program are displayed and set as lower options. With regard to the lower options, it is possible to select a plurality of programs at the same time.

  In creating the program selection screen, the control unit 11 sets the division point extracted from the program information of the EPG data in step S3 as the start time of each program, and sets the division point next to the division point as the end time of the program. A character string between the division point and the next division point is set as a program name candidate. When a symbol is included in the start point or end point of a character string extracted as a candidate for a program name, the symbol may be deleted and used as a program name.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, for “0:55 to midnight news ◇ 1: 25”, “0:55” is the program start time and “1:25” is the program end time. “˜midnight news ◇” is extracted as a candidate for the program name, but the first “˜” and the last “◇” are deleted, and “midnight news” is used as the program name.

  When “record all” is selected from the program selection screen (S5), the control unit 11 stores the channel number, the program start time and the end time described in the EPG data of the program in the storage unit 23 for recording. Reservation processing is performed (S7). On the other hand, when “select program to be recorded” is selected and the programs are individually selected, the control unit 11 sets the channel number described in the EPG data and the division point extracted in step S3 to the program start time. And it memorize | stores in the memory | storage part 23 as end time.

  With the above operation, the recording reservation process is completed. Thereafter, the display unit displays the program guide again. When broadcasting of a program reserved for recording starts based on the recording reservation stored in the storage unit 23, the control unit 11 stores the program data of the program in the storage unit 23.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the operation of program division point extraction in step S3 will be described. The control part 11 analyzes the character string of the program information of EPG data (S11, S12). The program information is information obtained by removing a program name from a character string displayed on a program guide, for example. In the example shown in FIG. 4, “◇ 0: 55 to midnight news ◇ 1: 25 to document special ◇ 2: 10 mail order special feature” is program information.

  In step S11, if “(number from 0 to 28) +“: ”+ (number from 0 to 59)” is included in the character string of the program information, it is determined as a division point candidate. In the present embodiment, three of “0:55”, “1:25”, and “2:10” are division point candidates. If the string does not contain “(number from 0 to 28) +“: ”+ (number from 0 to 59)”, then “(number from 0 to 28) +“ hour ”+ It is determined whether or not “minute” is included. If it is included, this is set as a dividing point candidate. If neither character string is included, it is determined that there is no division point in the program (S15).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the time indicated by the division point candidate is included in the program broadcast time zone indicated by the EPG data (S13). At this time, the correction may be performed in consideration of whether the time of the division point candidate is displayed for 24 hours or 12 hours. For example, when the program broadcast time zone of EGP data is 16:00 to 18:00, the value “4: 0 to 6:00” obtained by subtracting 12 hours from the time is also regarded as the program broadcast time zone. Thereby, even if the time of the division point candidate is displayed in the 12-hour display as “4:30”, it is determined that the division point candidate is included in the program broadcast time zone.

  In this embodiment, the broadcast time zone of EPG data is 0:55 to 2:40, and the division point candidates “0:55”, “1:25”, and “2:10” are all included in the broadcast time zone. It is. In this case, the dividing point candidate is determined as a dividing point (S14). If the dividing point candidate is not included in the broadcast time zone in step S13, it is determined that there is no dividing point in the program (S15).

  In this embodiment, the example in which a plurality of programs are included in one program on the EPG has been described. In addition, even when one program includes a plurality of corners, the present invention can be similarly applied, and the user can select a part of the plurality of corners to make a recording reservation. Further, not only for recording reservation but also for viewing reservation, it is possible to make a reservation by selecting each program and each corner in the same manner.

  Although the present embodiment has been described with reference to digital broadcasting in which a broadcast signal is received by an antenna, the present invention can also be applied to other examples in which an electronic program guide is received simultaneously with or separately from a broadcast signal. For example, it may be an Internet television that receives an IP multicast via an Internet connection, or a cable television that receives a broadcast signal via a cable.

  The present invention enables each program to be independently selected for a plurality of programs handled as one program on the EPG. As a result, the user can select only the program he / she wants to record and make a recording reservation.

1 Receiving Device 11 Control Unit 22 Receiving Unit 23 Storage Unit

Claims (5)

  When the broadcast time zone of the program determined by the start time and the end time included in the program information of each program received as an electronic program guide can be divided into two or more by other information included in the program information, A receiving device that divides the program into two or more and displays the program in a selectable manner. A receiving unit for receiving an electronic program guide having program information including at least a start time and an end time of the program for each program;
It is determined whether the program information of one program in the received electronic program guide includes division information indicating that the time period from the start time to the end time of the program can be divided into two or more. A control unit;
When the division information is included in the program information, a display unit that divides and displays the time zone into two or more,
A receiving device, comprising: an operation unit that receives one selection of the time periods divided into two or more and displayed on the display unit. In claim 2,
The division information is time information,
The receiving apparatus, wherein the time information is included in the time zone of the one program. In claim 2 or 3,
The control unit performs a recording reservation process using the time information as a recording reservation start time. Receiving means for receiving an electronic program guide having program information including at least a start time and an end time of the program for each program;
It is determined whether the program information of one program in the received electronic program guide includes division information indicating that the time period from the start time to the end time of the program can be divided into two or more. Control means;
When the division information is included in the program information, display means for dividing and displaying the time zone into two or more,
A receiving method comprising: operating means for receiving one selection of the time periods divided into two or more and displayed on the display unit.

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