JP2001155393A - Video recording management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the degree of freedom of reservation and convenience of the automatic changing of reservation based on EPG(electroninic program guidance) information to be consistant in a video recording management device which receives EPG information which are to be transmitted as electronic information and performs video reservation by using the EPG information. SOLUTION: In this video recording management device, broadcast starting times and broadcast completing times of programs whose videos are wanted to be reserved are not made to be video recording starting times and video recording completing times as they are, but offset times are enabled to be set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and converts the information into electronic program guide information according to an operation by the operator. The present invention relates to a recording reservation management device that instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it is usual to designate a recording start time and a recording end time in recording reservation of a program to be broadcast on a television. In this case, the program is replaced or the program is extended by changing the broadcast contents. It has been impossible to cope with a broadcast or a change in a broadcast time zone of a subsequent program by an extension broadcast thereof.

On the other hand, in recent digital televisions,
Since electronic program guide information called EPG information is transmitted, it is considered that a minute change can be made to the recording reservation by using the EPG information.

[0004]

However, in the prior art, it has been proposed to follow a change in broadcast contents (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-136615), and a method for coping with a case where a plurality of recording reservations overlap in the same time zone (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-136615). General suggestion that the recording reservation time is changed when the broadcast time is extended, and the recording end time is extended when the broadcast time is extended.
The general proposal is to delete one program reservation when two recording reservations overlap in the same time slot, and it is not possible to cope with various broadcast change patterns that can occur in EPG information if these proposals are left as they are. Impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to use electronic program guide information to achieve a balance between securing reservation flexibility and convenience by automatically modifying a reservation corresponding to a broadcast change or the like. And

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems A first recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention which achieves the above object has an operator for recording reservation and is transmitted as electronic information. Receiving electronic program guide information, creating and managing recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and operation of the operator, and instructing start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. In the management device, when making a recording reservation of a program selected for recording, an offset time from the start time or the end time of the program is set, and recording is started or started at a time different from the start time or the end time by the offset time. It is characterized by having an offset setting means for making a recording reservation so as to end.

A first recording reservation management device of the present invention utilizes electronic program guide information and calculates a recording start time or a broadcast end time obtained from the electronic program guide information by adding or subtracting an offset time to a recording start time. Alternatively, by setting the recording end time, the recording start time and the recording end time can be set quite freely without being limited to the broadcast start time and the broadcast end time, and the start and ending of the program are reliably recorded. And so on.

In the first recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention, a warning is issued to the operator when the recording time reserved including the offset time by the offset setting means does not have a positive value. It is preferable to have a warning notifying means for notifying.

As a result, incorrect recording reservation settings can be reduced.

In the first recording reservation management apparatus according to the present invention, after recording of a recording reservation program whose offset time is set to start recording before the broadcast start time of the program is started, When it is determined that the broadcast start time of the scheduled recording program has been postponed, the recording that instructs erasure of the recording portion before the time that is earlier than the post-delayed broadcast start time by the recording time corresponding to the offset time. It is preferable to have a partial erasure instruction means.

With the recording partial erasure instructing means, if the recording medium is a medium that can be accessed randomly, it is possible to secure recording for the offset time as intended by the operator.

In the first recording reservation management apparatus according to the present invention, after recording of a recording reservation program whose offset time is set to start recording before the broadcast start time of the program is started, The broadcast start time of the scheduled recording program has been postponed,
In addition, it is preferable to have a rewind instructing means for instructing to return the recording start position of the recording medium to the position where the recording has been started this time when the broadcast start time after the postponement is reached.

When the recording medium is a medium such as a video tape which can only be accessed sequentially, it is preferable to rewind once when the broadcast start time after the postponement is reached, as described above.

Further, the second recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention includes an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and receives the electronic program guide information. In the recording reservation management device that creates and manages recording reservation information based on the program guide information and according to the operation of the operator, and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, , A plurality of program batch reservation means for selecting a plurality of programs with continuous broadcast times and collectively making a recording reservation.

The electronic program guide information includes, for example, for each program,
Alternatively, information of a broadcast start time and a broadcast end time is included for each event obtained by dividing one program into a plurality of programs. In this case, recording reservation is simply made for each program or each event. . However, there is an upper limit to the number of recording reservation items due to memory restrictions and the like, and it is not possible to make an unlimited reservation. Therefore, by providing the above-mentioned multiple program batch reservation means, it is possible to make a recording reservation of a plurality of programs with one reservation item when recording a plurality of programs having continuous broadcast times, and to set a recording reservation memory area. Can be used effectively.

Further, the third recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention includes an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and A recording reservation management device that creates and manages recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to the operation of the operator, and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. A series object detecting means for detecting whether or not the program selected in response to the operation is a series object; and, when it is detected that the program selected for recording is a series object, A series batch reservation means for batch-recording the series in response to an operation.

Also in this case, the recording reservation item is effectively used.

Here, a series refers to a group of programs having the same (or substantially the same) main title, such as a series such as a drama, a special program consisting of several series, and the like. If there is information identifying the series in the electronic program guide information, the information may be used, or the series may be detected by searching the electronic program guide information based on the main title.

The fourth recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention includes an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and receives the information. A recording reservation management device that creates and manages recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation of the operator, and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. A recording device that performs recording in accordance with an instruction from the device is in a standby state where recording cannot be performed, a preparation state for recording,
Having a recording state in which recording is being performed,
When the recording reservation management device determines that the broadcast start time of the recording reservation program has been postponed while the recording device is in the preparation state for recording the recording reservation program, the recording of the recording reservation program is performed. A state management unit that changes the scheduled recording start time and, when the time length from the current time to the changed recording start time is longer than a predetermined time, instructs the recording apparatus to shift to a standby state. It is characterized by the following.

When it is determined that the broadcast start time of the scheduled recording program has been postponed while the recording apparatus is in the ready state, the recording start time of the scheduled recording of the scheduled recording program is, of course, changed. The problem is how to transition the recording device (or to keep it in the current ready state). Therefore, here, if the time length from the current time to the changed recording start time is shorter than the predetermined time, the current preparation state is maintained, and if the time length is longer than the predetermined time, the state is shifted to the standby state. It was done. By doing so, the recording apparatus can be placed in an appropriate state according to the situation at that time, and power consumption can be suppressed.

Further, the fifth recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention includes an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and receives the information. A recording reservation management device that creates and manages recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation of the operator, and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. A recording device that performs recording in accordance with an instruction from the device is in a standby state where recording cannot be performed, a preparation state for recording,
Having a recording state in which recording is being performed,
When the recording reservation management device determines that the broadcast start time of the recording reservation program has been postponed while the recording device is in the preparation state for recording the recording reservation program, and When the program is currently being broadcast, the recording start time of the recording reservation of the recording reservation program is changed, and a state management means for maintaining the recording apparatus in a ready state is provided.

[0022] When the start of broadcasting of a scheduled recording program is delayed due to the extension of the program currently being broadcast, there is a high possibility that the program currently being broadcast is further extended. It is preferable that the recording device be kept in the ready state so that the recording device can take immediate action upon receiving the information.

The sixth recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention includes an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and receives the information. A recording reservation management device that creates and manages recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to the operation of the operator, and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. If the broadcast is canceled before the broadcast start time of the program, the recording reservation of the recording reservation program is canceled, and if the broadcast schedule of the program whose recording reservation is canceled is reset, the It is characterized by having a reservation management means for restoring the recording reservation according to the reset broadcasting schedule.

As described above, in addition to canceling the recording reservation in response to the suspension of the program reserved for recording, when the broadcast schedule of the program is reset, the recording reservation corresponding to the reset broadcast schedule is made. By reviving, the convenience of automatic correction of the reservation is further improved.

Further, the seventh recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention has an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and receives the electronic program guide information. A recording reservation management device that creates and manages recording reservation information based on program guide information and in response to an operation by an operator, and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. A recording device that performs recording in response to an instruction from
It has a standby state in which recording is not possible, a preparation state for recording, and a recording state in which recording is being performed, and when the broadcast of a recording reservation program is interrupted after the broadcast of the program is started, the program State management means for instructing the recording apparatus to transition from the recording state to the standby state or the ready state, respectively, depending on whether the time length until the scheduled broadcast restart time is longer or shorter than the predetermined time. Features.

When the time length from the interruption to the scheduled restart time is shorter than the predetermined time, the recording device is shifted to the ready state, and when the time length is longer than the predetermined time, the recording device is shifted to the standby state. It can be placed in an appropriate state according to the situation.

An eighth recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention includes an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and receives the electronic program guide information. A recording reservation management device that creates and manages recording reservation information based on the program guide information and according to the operation of the operator, and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. Is stopped after the broadcast of the program is started, and when the broadcast schedule of the program is reset, the reset program of the program is recorded from the beginning while the recording until the stop is left. The mode, the mode for erasing the recording of the program until it was stopped, and recording the reset program from the beginning, and the continuation of the recording of the program until it was stopped, At least one of the mode demarcating
It has three modes.

In the case of a recording reservation management apparatus having two or three modes, the operator can set which of the two or three modes to execute at the time of recording reservation or as a default. The configuration may be such that the operator can make a selection after the suspension and before the setting is performed again.

A program re-set after the suspension may be partially cut off and broadcast in relation to the broadcast time. Therefore, when it is desired to record a broadcast before being cut as much as possible, it is preferable to make use of the original recording until the stop. Under such circumstances, the provision of the above three types of modes makes it possible to respond to the preference of the operator.

Further, a ninth recording reservation management apparatus of the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention includes an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and receives the electronic program guide information. A recording reservation management device that creates and manages recording reservation information based on guide information and according to an operation of the operator, and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. In the case where there is a change affecting the recording reservation, a change notifying means for notifying the change is provided.

The change notifying means may be, for example, displayed on a television screen, notified by voice, telephone, FA, or the like.
Notification to the operator, such as notification by X, E-mail, or the like, may be performed, or the change may be recorded together with video recording.

It is preferable that the operator can select a process by responding to the notification.

The provision of such a change notification means can give the operator a sense of security.

It should be noted that the recording reservation management apparatus of the present invention may have the following features in addition to those described above. That is, (1) an operator for recording reservation is provided, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and creates recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operator. In the recording reservation management apparatus for instructing the start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, the electronic program guide information transmitted includes a start time for each event in which one program is divided into a plurality of pieces. And information identifying the end time,
The recording reservation management device includes an event recording reservation management unit that receives and manages a recording reservation in units of events in accordance with an operation by the operation element.

By making it possible to make a recording reservation in units of events, it is possible to perform a recording in which a portion to be recorded is extracted with high precision.

When a reservation is made on a per-event basis, a list of events from an event including a recording start to an event including a recording end in one reservation item is stored in the recording reservation item. In the storage of the event list, the data length of each reservation item may be variable, may be fixed length, or the fixed length may limit the number of events that can be continuously reserved. (2) An operator for recording reservation is provided, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and creates recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and in response to an operation by the operator. In a recording reservation management device that manages and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, when a plurality of recording reservations conflict due to a change in the broadcast schedule after the recording reservation, these recording reservations are The present invention is characterized in that there is provided a reservation adjusting means for adjusting the information and canceling the conflict.

As the reservation canceling means, the operator selects one of the recording reservations from among the recording reservations, determines priorities in advance, and adjusts the recording reservations according to the priority when they overlap. In a case where there are a plurality of controllable recording devices, it is preferable to perform at least one of transferring duplicate recording reservations to recording by another recording device. (3) It has an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and creates recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operator. In the recording reservation management device that manages and instructs the start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, a change that determines whether there is a possibility of changing the scheduled broadcast time or the scheduled broadcast time of the program that received the recording reservation operation It is characterized by comprising a possibility determining means, and a change possibility notifying means for notifying that there is a possibility of change at the time of recording a program which may be changed.

For example, when there is a program which is likely to be extended, such as a live broadcast program of sports, the broadcast time or the broadcast time of the program itself or the program scheduled immediately after the program can be changed. High in nature. For example, by determining and notifying such a situation, a recording reservation suitable for the situation can be made. The possibility of this change may be determined from the title of the program or the nature of the program. If the electronic program guide information contains information indicating the possibility of change, the information is used. Is also good.

Further, when there is a possibility of a change, it is preferable to determine whether or not the remaining recording time of the recording medium is sufficient when the change actually occurs, and to notify the user of this as well. (4) It is provided with an operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and creates recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operator. In a recording reservation management device that manages and instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, the recording device that performs recording in response to an instruction from the recording reservation management device determines the remaining capacity of the recording medium by using this recording reservation. When the remaining recording capacity of the recording medium is insufficient for recording the program, the recording reservation management apparatus notifies the recording apparatus until the reserved recording end time of the program. Recording start time adjusting means for delaying the recording start time so that the recording start time is adjusted.

Generally, in drama or baseball broadcasting, it is more stressful to miss the end than to miss the beginning. Therefore, by adjusting the end time as described above, the stress of the viewer can be relieved even a little.

In the present invention, the "electronic program guide information" refers to information such as various tables and characters relating to the broadcast contents transmitted by digital television broadcasting, or other networks and various storage media. Refers to electronic information about digital television broadcast content that can be used via

[0042]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a recording apparatus with a recording reservation function including an embodiment of a recording reservation management apparatus according to the present invention.

The broadcast radio wave received by the antenna is tuned by the tuner unit 10 and a signal obtained thereby is input to the data extraction / input / output control unit 20. The data extraction / input / output control unit 20 receives the signal sent from the tuner unit 10 and separates the signal into video and audio signals and signals representing EPG information (electronic program guide information). , And has a function of outputting the EPG information to the EPG information update detection unit 30.

The EPG information update detector 30 stores the EPG information up to that time, and the EPG information update detector 3
In the case of 0, the transmitted EPG information is checked, and if a part updated compared with the stored EPG information is detected, the updated information is transmitted to the control unit 50.

The control unit 50 stores the EPG information and its EP
Plays a role of controlling the flow of the recording reservation information created based on the G information, and when the update information of the EPG information is sent from the EPG information update detection unit 30, the update information is sent to the reservation management unit 60. hand over. The reservation management unit 60 manages the recording reservation information recorded in the reservation data memory 70, and upon receiving the update information,
It is determined whether or not it is necessary to change the recording reservation information recorded at 0 based on the updated information, and if necessary, the recorded recording reservation information is changed. The command input unit 80 is a man-machine interface for making a recording reservation, changing, deleting, and the like. When a remote controller (remote controller) 81 provided in the command input unit 80 is operated, the command input unit 80 is operated. 80 receives the operation associated with the recording reservation, its change, deletion, and the like, and passes it to the control unit 50. The information sent to the control unit 50 is further sent to the reservation management unit 60. The reservation management unit 60 creates a new recording reservation item in the reservation data memory 70 based on the information sent from the control unit 50. Or change or delete an existing recording reservation item.

The control unit 50 is provided with a command input unit 80
In response to the command from, screen information for recording reservation and the like to be described later is sent to the data processing unit 40.

The data processing unit 40 decodes the video and audio sent from the data extraction / input / output control unit 20 and sends them to a television (not shown). Image information for decoding, and decoding the image information and sending it to the TV. When the screen information is sent from the control unit 50 to the data processing unit 40, the information such as the recording reservation is displayed on the TV screen. The screen for operation is displayed. The user operates the remote controller 81 while viewing the displayed screen to make a recording reservation or the like.

The reservation management unit 60 monitors the recording reservation items recorded in the reservation data memory 70, and when the recording start time approaches, the recording start time, recording time and other information necessary for recording are controlled by the control unit 50. Send to Then, the control unit 50
Sends an instruction to the recording / playback control unit 90 to make a recording start preparation based on the transmitted information, and to start recording when the recording start time is reached. The recording / reproduction control unit 90 requests the data extraction / input / output control unit 20 to transmit video and audio necessary for recording in accordance with the instructions, and the video / audio is transmitted from the data extraction / input / output control unit 20. Receiving and recording on the broadcast data recording medium 100 after the recording start time.

Here, the recording / reproducing control unit 90 switches the recording state of recording on the broadcast data recording medium 100, the preparation state prepared for shifting to the recording state at any time, and the recording state immediately such as turning off the power. A standby state in which it is not possible to move, and in response to an instruction from the control unit 50,
It is configured to transition from one state to another.

The recording / reproducing control unit 90 responds to an inquiry from the control unit 50 to control the broadcast data recording medium 1
It also has a function of notifying the control unit 50 of the remaining recording capacity of 00. When the remaining recording capacity is insufficient, the control unit 50 takes measures such as delaying the recording start time so that the recording can be performed until the reserved recording end time.

The reservation management section 60 continues to monitor the recording reservation information recorded in the reservation data memory 70, and when the recording end time is reached, reports to the control section 50 that the recording end time has been reached, and the control section 50 is a recording / reproduction control unit 90
The recording / reproduction control unit 90 stops recording in accordance with the instruction. When the recording end time is calculated from the recording start time and the recording time and the recording is stopped at the calculated recording end time, for example, when the broadcast time is extended after the recording is started, the recording is stopped in the middle of the broadcast. Therefore, the recording reservation information is always updated to the latest state based on the EPG information, and the recording is stopped by the report from the reservation management unit 60.

The recording / reproducing control section 90 also has a function of reproducing the recorded information of the broadcast data recording medium 100. At the time of reproduction, the video and audio read from the broadcast data recording medium 100 are extracted / input. It is sent to the output control unit 20. The video and audio sent from the data extraction / input / output control unit 20 are further sent to the data processing unit 40, decoded by the data processing unit 40, sent to a television (not shown), and watch the recorded broadcast on the television. be able to.

Here, the part of the actual recording function of the recording apparatus with a recording reservation function, that is, the recording / reproduction control unit 90 and the broadcast data recording medium 100 may be configured as separate systems. Regardless of whether the system is an integrated system or a separate system, the recording / reproduction control unit 90 and the broadcast data recording medium 100 correspond to the recording device according to the present invention.

The recording / reproduction control unit 90 and the broadcast data recording medium 100 shown here may be provided as a plurality of integrated or separate systems, or may be configured to be connectable. In this case, the reservation management unit 60 and the reservation data memory 70 may be provided in a number corresponding to the plurality of systems.

Further, the tuner unit 10, the data extraction / input / output control unit 20, the data processing unit 40, and the like may be another system, for example, a system incorporated in a television. Furthermore, although the EPG information update detection unit 30 is shown here as a separate block from the data processing unit 40,
The EPG information update detection unit 30 may be included in the data processing unit 40. Further, during the reservation standby (when the recording / reproduction control unit 90 is in the standby state although there is a recording reservation), the tuner unit 10, the data extraction / input / output control unit 20, and the EPG information update from the viewpoint of suppressing wasteful power consumption It is preferable that only the detection unit 30 be operated and the other units be restarted in response to the update of the EPG information.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a "program guide entire mode" screen of the EPG screen displayed at the time of recording reservation.

Here, the selected date (here, 96
On June 28 (Monday), the entire program table of the selected broadcast mode (here, digital BS / TV) is displayed. However, the part that can not be displayed on the TV display screen,
It is displayed by scrolling according to the operation.

In the case of digital TV, one channel B in the current analog TV broadcast is obtained by a data compression technique.
Two channels can be included in S1, BS3,...

Therefore, here, for example, BS Asahi is assigned to BS1,
Two channels of JDC are shown. BS3, B
The same applies to S13 and the like.

The program table includes the recording / recording data shown in FIG.
A program reserved by another external recording device different from the reproduction control unit 90 is displayed in a different color for each recording device, and the recording / reproduction control unit 90 and the broadcast data recording shown in FIG. Regarding those to be recorded on the medium 100, the fact that the reservation is currently being made and the fact that the reservation has been made are indicated by color. It should be noted that the reserved portion a indicates that there is a further reserved program in a screen portion that does not appear on the display screen of FIG.

In the program table, a cursor is displayed on the currently selected program. Here, by operating the portion of the display shown in FIG. 2 where “<program guide entire mode>” is displayed, the “<
"Reservation setting mode>", "<Program guide detailed mode>",
Move to the display screen of “<Reservation list mode>”.

The display screen shown in FIG.
By operating the part displayed as "8th (Mon)", a program guide on another day can be displayed, and "Digital BS-
By manipulating the part displayed as "TV", the display items can be changed to a program table for different media such as BS-TV, BS-sound, BS-data or a program table for each genre such as sports programs. it can.

When the select / execute button 81a of the remote controller 81 (see FIG. 1) is pressed while the display screen of the entire program guide mode shown in FIG. 2 is displayed, "temporary reservation" and "reservation setting" are performed. , “Program guide details” and “Reservation list” are displayed. Here, reservation settings, program table details,
When any one of the reservation lists is selected, the reservation setting mode shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 is displayed in the same manner as when the part of the display screen shown in FIG. The screen shifts to the display screen of the program guide detailed mode and the reservation list mode. When "temporary reservation" is selected, the display screen remains in the screen of the entire program guide mode shown in FIG. 1, but after that, the program selected for recording reservation is temporarily registered as a temporary reservation, and then the remote control is used. By pressing the “reservation decision” button on the illustrated display screen, the reservation is switched from the tentative reservation to the actual reservation. This is effective when, for example, programs that are temporally continuous are collectively registered as one recording reservation. When recording programs which are consecutive in time as a single reservation item, recording reservation can be saved, and a memory portion for recording reservation can be saved, and recording reservation of more programs can be accepted.

Further, FIG. 2 shows an overlapping portion of the reservation in which two recording reservations overlap in the same time zone. In this case, for example, the user deletes one of them,
Alternatively, if one is automatically deleted according to a predetermined priority, or if multiple recording devices (recording media) can be used simultaneously, one program is changed to recording by another available recording device. Is done.

The screen shown here indicates that duplication has already occurred. However, when an attempt is made to make a recording reservation for a certain program, it is determined that the broadcast time or broadcast time of the program may be changed. When there is a possibility, the fact is displayed. This possibility is determined based on the genre of the program, such as a baseball live broadcast program, if the information is included in the EPG information, or even if the information is not included in the EPG information. May be determined.

By making such a determination and notifying the user, the possibility of occurrence of duplication can be reduced.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a "reservation setting mode" screen of the EPG screen.

The screen of the “reservation setting mode” in FIG.
On the screen of the “entire program guide mode” shown in FIG. 2, the user operates the column where <entire program guide mode> is displayed, or presses the select / execute button 81a of the remote controller 81 (see FIG. 1). Further, by selecting “reservation setting”, a reservation setting screen for the program selected by the cursor on the display screen of FIG. 2 is displayed. Pressing the "Reservation decision" button on the display screen of the entire mode in the program table of FIG. 2 allows the user to make a recording reservation for the selected program. The reservation setting screen shown in FIG. When a recording reservation is made on the screen, more detailed reservation settings can be made.

Here, the recording time offset designation
If "none" is specified and an offset is specified, the offset time is further specified. The offset time refers to the time difference between the broadcast start time of the program, the broadcast end time, the recording start time, and the recording end time. In this display screen, “recording start: −0.05 from start” means that the broadcast Recording starts five minutes before the start time, and “recording end: +0.03 from the end” means that recording ends three minutes after the broadcast end time.

If the offset time is set such that the recording time including the offset time becomes zero or negative, a warning to that effect is displayed on the television screen.

In the column of “recording device”, a plurality of recording devices (here, 3
Is displayed when it is possible to use the recording device
By selecting any one of "R-1", "VTR-2", and "HDD", a reservation is made to perform recording on the selected recording device.

In the "additional function" field, it is selected whether to record including the commercial part or to cut the commercial part from the recording. In this case, the condition is that the broadcast program contains information for distinguishing whether it is a commercial part or not.

In the "recording mode", "standard mode", "long time mode" and "automatic selection mode" can be selected.

In the "reservation mode", a mode of "once", "every time", or "every week" can be selected. "Once"
Is a one-time recording reservation, "daily" is a "daily" recording reservation for a series, and "weekly" is a recording for a specific day of the week, even if the program is broadcast every day. It is specified.

When making a recording reservation for a series or a fixed time every week, a series of plural programs are collectively reserved for recording.

The "reserved program linking" is a portion for specifying whether or not to reserve programs that are temporally continuous at once when the reservation setting mode screen is displayed. When "To program reservation setting" is selected, a reservation setting screen relating to the next program in time is displayed. In this case, on the “reservation setting screen for the next program”, the already specified common reservation setting items are adopted as they are. That is, for example, when the offset time has already been set, it is treated as the offset time when a plurality of programs are integrated, and the recording device is also treated as recording on the same recording device following the previous program, and the recording is performed. The mode and reservation mode are the same as the previous program.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen in the “program guide detailed mode” of the EPG screen.

This program guide detailed screen can be operated by operating a column where <program guide entire mode> is displayed on the entire program guide screen shown in FIG. 2 or by pressing a select / execute button on the remote controller. This is displayed by selecting “program table details” from the displayed dialog.

At the beginning of the transition to the program guide detail screen shown in FIG. 4, the program selected by the cursor in the entire program guide screen shown in FIG. 2 is displayed in detail.
By scrolling this screen up and down, it is possible to display detailed information of programs in different time zones. When the detail screen of a program that has already been scheduled for recording is displayed as the program guide detail screen, and an offset has been set in the recording reservation item of the displayed program, as shown in FIG. The specified offset value is also displayed. In addition, a “reservation decision” button is also displayed on the program guide detail screen shown in FIG. 4, and when a program that is not reserved for recording is displayed and the reservation decision button is pressed, the program is reserved for recording. can do.

On the detailed program table screen shown in FIG. 4, the broadcast start time and broadcast for each event (for example, a political news portion, an economic news portion, a social news portion, a sports corner, etc.) of one program are displayed. The end time information is also displayed, and a recording reservation can be made in units of the event. It is also possible to make a recording reservation for a plurality of temporally consecutive events collectively.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen in the “reservation list mode” of the EPG screen.

On this screen, as an example, “−, S + 345” is displayed in the “time offset” column of the item in which the rectangular cursor is displayed, of which “−” indicates the recording start time. Means that no offset is set, and the broadcast start time of the program (pm9: 0)
0), and the recording end time is 35 minutes after the program start time (S) (that is, pm9:
35).

On this screen, "Add reservation",
By pressing the "delete reservation" and "edit reservation" buttons, recording reservations can be added, deleted, and edited, respectively. Details are omitted.

Although the reserved programs are displayed here in the order of the broadcast start time, they may be displayed in the order of the reservation number, the program name, or the recording device.

Although a list of unrecorded recording reservations is shown here, a list of recorded programs can be displayed instead.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the recording apparatus with a recording reservation function shown in FIG. 1 when only the EPG information receiving function is activated and the apparatus is in a reservation standby state. This operation is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals.

Here, first, it is determined whether or not the recording start time is slightly before (step a1). If there is still time until the recording start time, the reservation standby state is maintained (step a12). Through. That is, until just before the recording start time, only monitoring is performed to determine whether or not the time has reached just before the recording start time.

When the time reaches a time immediately before the recording start time, preparation for recording is started (step a2), and it is detected whether or not the EPG information has been updated (step a3).
If it has not been updated, it waits in the ready state until just before the recording start time, and starts recording when the recording start time is reached (step a13).

If the EPG information has been updated, it is determined whether or not the update relates to a change in the already-recorded recording reservation item (step a4), and the stored recording reservation item is changed. If not necessary, the stored EPG information is only updated (step a1).
4), the process proceeds to step a13 to wait in the preparation state, and subsequently, start recording when the recording start time is reached.

At step a4, if it is determined that the update information in the EPG information is related to the update of the recorded recording reservation item, the update information is displayed on the television screen or the like. (Step a5).

Thereafter, in step a6, it is determined whether or not "duplication" that recording of a plurality of programs is reserved at the same time when a change is made to the recording reservation item in accordance with the update information. When duplication occurs, duplication handling processing is executed (step a15). This duplication handling process is not limited to a specific process. For example, the user may be notified that duplication has occurred and the process may be entrusted to the user, or a low priority recording may be performed according to a predetermined priority. The reservation may be deleted, and if there is another available recording device, one recording may be performed by the other available recording device, or the user's favorite among the plurality of processes may be performed. The processing may be selectable.

If it is determined that no duplication has occurred, then it is determined whether or not the update information is information indicating that the program reserved for recording is to be interrupted. At the time, 'Pause' is added to the corresponding recording reservation item
Is set, and the recording end time is changed to a time corresponding to the interruption time (step a16).

If the update information does not relate to interruption, the process proceeds to step a8, and it is determined whether or not the update information relates to a program scheduled to start recording at the closest time. If the update information does not relate to the recording reservation at the latest recording start time, the process proceeds to the routine of FIG. 7 described later. If the update information relates to the recording reservation having the latest recording start time, the process proceeds to step a9. .

At step a9, it is determined whether or not the update information is information indicating that the program reserved for recording has been replaced by another program and the broadcast of the program to be recorded has been stopped. When the program is replaced, the corresponding reservation item is changed to "hold standby" and the program shifts to the reservation standby state (step a17). Here, “Hold standby” means that although it is deleted from the scheduled recording,
When the canceled program is to be broadcasted at a later date, the fact that the recording reservation has been made is stored in order to restore the program as a recording reservation in accordance with the newly broadcast date and time.

At step a10, the update information is information on a change in the broadcast start time due to the extension of the program currently being broadcast (the program immediately before the program reserved for recording), or the update information is earlier than the program currently being broadcast. It is determined whether or not the broadcast end time of the program currently being broadcast is extended due to the extension of the program, and it is information on the change of the broadcast start time of the recording reservation program accompanying the extension. If it is due to the extension of the program currently being broadcast, the recording start time of the recording reservation item is updated (step a18), and the process proceeds to step a13 to wait in the ready state and to wait from the recording start time. Recording starts. If the program currently being broadcast is extended, the preparation state is kept.If the program currently being broadcast is extended, the broadcast end time of the same program is more likely to fluctuate, This is in order to be able to respond flexibly when new update information is received.

In step a10, if the broadcast start time of the program reserved for recording is changed as a result of the extension of the program preceding the program currently being broadcast, the change has already been determined and a new Since there is little possibility that a change will occur, it is determined in step a11 whether there is sufficient time until the recording start time, and if there is sufficient time, the process returns to the reservation standby state (step a19). After proceeding to a18 to update the recording start time, proceed to step a13, stand by in the ready state, and start recording when the recording start time is reached.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a routine executed when it is determined in step a8 in FIG. 6 that the change information is related to a program other than the program whose recording is to be started at the latest time.

At step b1, it is determined whether or not the change information is program replacement information. As described above, the replacement of a program means that the broadcast of the program to be recorded is stopped, and another program is broadcast during that time zone. If it is determined in step b1 that the update information is not information relating to the replacement of the program, the process proceeds to step b8, and the content of the reservation item is updated according to the update information.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step b1 that the information is update information relating to the replacement of a program, the flow advances to step b2 to determine whether the replacement information is for an item reserved for recording or for an item on hold standby. It is determined whether or not there is, and if it is related to the reserved item, the process proceeds to step b9, and the corresponding reserved item is changed to the hold standby.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step b2 that the replacement information is information on an item that is already on hold, the process proceeds to step b3, where the hold standby item is restored as a reservation item based on the updated information. Then, it is determined whether there is no overlap with other reserved items.
When there is an overlap, an overlap handling process is executed (step b10) as in step a15 of FIG. 6, and step b3
If it is determined that the program does not overlap, the process proceeds to step b4, and it is determined whether or not the current update information is a program that was interrupted during the previous recording and replaced. A program that was interrupted and replaced during recording means that, for example, while recording a drama, the drama program was interrupted for emergency reporting, and the drama program was broadcasted without being resumed. In other words, when the drama is rebroadcasted from the beginning at a later date, it means a drama program or the like of the rebroadcast. If there is a situation where the broadcast of the program is stopped before the start of the program and replaced with another program instead of such a replacement after the interruption, the process proceeds to step b11, and the corresponding hold standby is changed to a new broadcast. Activate as a recording reservation that matches the date and time.

On the other hand, when the replacement is made after the interruption,
Step b5 according to the preset mode
Then, it is determined whether to keep or delete the recording up to the interruption of the previously interrupted program. When deleting, the recording up to the interruption is deleted and the corresponding hold standby is activated (step b11). On the other hand, when the recording up to the interruption is to be left, in step b5, only the part of the program to be rebroadcasted after the previously interrupted part is recorded, or the recorded part up to the interruption is broadcasted again while remaining. It is determined whether to record from the beginning of the program to be broadcasted. When recording from the beginning of the program to be rebroadcast, the process proceeds to step b11 to activate the corresponding hold. On the other hand, if only the part after the interruption is to be recorded, the process proceeds to step b7, where the recording start time of the hold standby is corrected to the recording start time according to the first broadcast time of the part after the interruption, and the hold standby is activated. (Step b11).

By providing such three modes, recording that suits the user's preference is performed.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the operation executed when the EPG information is updated during recording.

If it is determined in step C1 that the current update information relates to the currently reserved program, the process proceeds to step C2 to determine whether the update information relates to postponement of the broadcast start time. Is determined. If the offset time is set so that the recording is started before the broadcast of the reserved program starts, there is a possibility that the information of the broadcast time extension is received before the broadcast start time after the start of the recording. Is required. .

If it is determined in step C2 that the current update information is related to the broadcast start time, the process proceeds to step C8, in which the recording portion that has been recorded extra due to the postponement of the broadcast start time is determined. It is determined whether to leave the data or delete it. If there is a useless recording portion before the start of the broadcast, the process proceeds to step C10 and the recording is continued as it is. On the other hand, when it is not desired to generate a useless recording portion as much as possible, the process proceeds to step C9, and it is determined whether or not a new recording can be performed sufficiently even from the beginning including the set offset time. Proceeding to step C11, the recorded portion is deleted, the recording start time is changed, and the process returns to the recording ready state.

If it is determined in step C9 that all of the set offset times cannot be secured if recording is newly started, the process proceeds to step C12.
It is determined whether the recording medium that is currently recording is a sequential device (such as a video tape) or a random access device (such as a magnetic disk). If it is a sequential device, then in step C13,
It is determined whether or not to secure the offset time. If the offset time is to be secured, the recording is continued (step C15). Recording is continued after erasing the portion.

If it is determined in step C12 that the recording medium is a random access device, the excess portion that has already been recorded is deleted and recording is continued (step C12).
16).

If it is determined in step C2 that the current update information is not information relating to postponement of the broadcast start time,
Proceeding to step C3, it is determined whether or not the update information relates to the interruption of the program. Here, the interruption of the program means information including information on the restart time after the interruption.

If the information is information relating to the interruption, the process proceeds to step C4, where the occurrence of the interruption is recorded in the corresponding recording reservation item, and the recording is continued until the interruption time. In step C5, it is determined whether the interruption of the recorded program is a sufficiently long interruption or is resumed in a short time. If the interruption is long, the process proceeds to step C6 and the time when the interruption ends (broadcast restart) The recording restart time is set immediately before (time C), and the program shifts to the reservation standby state (step C7).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step C5 that the interruption time is short, the apparatus stands by in the ready state until immediately before the scheduled restart time, and resumes recording when the recording restart time is reached.

If it is determined in step C3 that the current update information does not relate to the interruption of the broadcast, the process proceeds to C17. If the update information relates to the broadcast end time, the process proceeds to step C18, where It is determined whether or not the change is related to the change of the broadcast end time due to the extension of the broadcast of the program. If the change is due to the extension, the recording end time is changed and the recording is continued (step C).
20). On the other hand, if it was not an extension, it is determined that the broadcast of the program was interrupted and ended as it was (the broadcast of the program was stopped after the broadcast of the program started)
The hold waiting due to the interruption end is recorded.

[0113]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Using the electronic program guide information, the degree of freedom of reservation and the convenience of automatic correction of reservation corresponding to a change in broadcast date and time or broadcast time can be highly compatible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a recording device with a recording reservation function including an embodiment of a recording reservation management device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen of “entire program guide mode” of the EPG screen.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a “reservation setting mode” screen of the EPG screen.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen in a “program guide detailed mode” of the EPG screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a screen example of a “reservation list mode” in the EPG screen.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation in a reservation standby state in which only an EPG information receiving function is activated.

7 is a flowchart of a routine that is executed when it is determined in step a8 in FIG. 6 that the change information is related to a program other than the program whose recording is to be started at the latest time.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an operation executed when updating of EPG information occurs during recording.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Tuner part 20 Data extraction / input / output control part 30 Information update detection part 40 Data processing part 50 Control part 60 Reservation management part 70 Reservation data memory 80 Command input part 81 Remote control 81a Selection / execution button 90 Recording / reproduction control part 100 Broadcast Data recording medium

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 7/035 (72) Inventor Kiyomi Shibata 4-1-1, Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Fujitsu Stock In-house (72) Inventor Eiji Hasegawa 4-1-1, Kamidadanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa F-term within Fujitsu Limited (reference) 5C018 HA10 5C052 AA01 CC06 5C063 EB32 5D102 AC01 GA44 GA45 GA51 GA61

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An electronic control apparatus comprising an operation device for recording reservation, receiving electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and generating recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operation device. In a recording reservation management apparatus for instructing start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, a recording reservation of a program selected for recording is offset from a start time or an end time of the program. And an offset setting means for making a recording reservation so as to start or end recording at a time different from the start time or end time by the offset time. 2. An electronic control apparatus comprising an operator for recording reservation, receiving electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and generating recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operator. In the recording reservation management device for instructing start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, a plurality of programs having continuous broadcast times are selected and collectively selected in accordance with an operation by the operator. A recording reservation management device, comprising a plurality of program batch reservation means for recording reservation. 3. An operation device for recording reservation, receiving electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and generating recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operation device. A recording reservation management device for instructing start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, wherein a series for detecting whether or not the program selected in response to the operation by the operator is a series program Object detection means, and series object batch reservation means for, when the program selected for recording is detected as a series object, recording the series objects collectively according to an operation by the operation element; And a recording reservation management device. 4. An operation device for recording reservation, receiving electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and generating recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operation device. A recording reservation management device that instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, wherein the recording device that performs recording in response to an instruction from the recording reservation management device is in a standby state where recording cannot be performed. A recording preparation state, and a recording state in which recording is being performed, wherein the recording reservation management apparatus is in a state where the recording apparatus is in a preparation state for recording a recording reservation program, If it turns out that the broadcast start time of the scheduled recording program has been postponed,
When the recording start time of the recording reservation of the recording reservation program is changed, and when the time length from the current time to the changed recording start time is longer than a predetermined time, the recording device is instructed to shift to a standby state. A recording reservation management apparatus, comprising: 5. An electronic control unit comprising an operator for recording reservation, receiving electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and generating recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and in response to an operation by the operator. A recording reservation management device that instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, wherein the recording device that performs recording in response to an instruction from the recording reservation management device is in a standby state where recording cannot be performed. A recording preparation state, and a recording state in which recording is being performed, wherein the recording reservation management apparatus is in a state where the recording apparatus is in a preparation state for recording a recording reservation program, If it is determined that the broadcast start time of the scheduled recording program has been postponed and the postponement is due to the extension of the program currently being broadcast, the recording of the preprogrammed recording is performed. With change of about recording start time of recording reservation management apparatus characterized by having a state management means for maintaining said recording device ready. 6. An operator for recording reservation, receives electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and creates recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and in response to an operation by the operator. A recording reservation management device that instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, when the broadcast of the recording reservation program is stopped before the broadcast start time of the program, A recording management unit for canceling the recording reservation of the reserved program and, when the broadcast schedule of the program whose recording reservation has been canceled is reset, restoring the recording reservation of the program according to the reset broadcast schedule. A recording reservation management device characterized by the above-mentioned. 7. An operation device for recording reservation, receiving electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and generating recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operation device. A recording reservation management device that instructs start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, wherein the recording device that performs recording in response to the instruction from the recording reservation management device is in a standby state where recording cannot be performed. A recording preparation state and a recording state in which recording is being performed, and when the broadcast of the recording reservation program is interrupted after the broadcast of the program is started, until the scheduled broadcast resumption time of the program. State management means for instructing the recording apparatus to transition from a recording state to a standby state or a ready state, respectively, depending on whether the time length of the recording apparatus is longer or shorter than a predetermined time. Recording reservation management apparatus according to claim the door. 8. An electronic control unit comprising an operator for recording reservation, receiving electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and creating recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and in response to an operation by the operator. In the recording reservation management device for instructing start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information, the broadcast of the recording reservation program is stopped after the broadcast of the program starts,
When the broadcast schedule of the program is reset, a mode for recording the re-set program from the beginning while leaving the recording of the program until it is stopped, and a mode for stopping the program At least one of a mode for erasing the recording up to and recording the re-set program from the beginning and a mode for recording the program from the continuation of the recording until the recording is stopped. A recording reservation management device, comprising: 9. An electronic control unit comprising an operator for recording reservation, receiving electronic program guide information transmitted as electronic information, and generating recording reservation information based on the electronic program guide information and according to an operation by the operator. And a recording schedule management device for instructing start and end of recording based on the recording reservation information. When there is a change affecting the recording reservation in the broadcast schedule after the recording reservation, the change is notified. A recording reservation management device, comprising: