JP2001309253A - Tv receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize an easy selection or easy zapping for a desired program by allowing the reduction of the number of channels for a channel selection target. SOLUTION: In a TV receiver, a lock item 302 consisting of lock IDs is added to a reference table showing a compliant between each channel and frequency receivable by the TV receiver (each lock ID is initialized to -1). The lock Ids are used for omitting the program undesired by viewers from the selection targets. In other words, during a receiving of a program aired in a channel, if a viewer push a lock key 34, an ID is set as the lock ID for the channel. Later that, if the viewer selects channels sequentially, when the lock ID corresponding to the selected channel based on a referring table 300 with lock information is -1, a signal of frequency corresponding to the channel is retrieved by a tuner, but when the lock ID is the ID of the program being in a broadcasting, the channel is skipped.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a television receiver, and more particularly, to a television receiver having a channel selection function corresponding to a multi-channel television broadcast.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, multi-channel television broadcasting is progressing due to digitization of television broadcasting. When a television broadcast has a multi-channel structure, a channel selection operation for selecting a desired program in a television receiver (hereinafter, also referred to as a “television receiver”) becomes complicated for a viewer. For this reason,
There is a problem that it takes time for the viewer to search for the program he wants to watch. Further, in order to view a plurality of programs being broadcast simultaneously, there is a case where it is desired to appropriately switch a receiving channel among a plurality of channels in a short time by a sequential channel selection operation using a channel up / down key (hereinafter, referred to as a “channel”).
Such an operation is referred to as “zapping”), and as the number of channels increases, such zapping also becomes difficult.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the situation where multi-channel television broadcasts are in progress. It is an object of the present invention to provide a television receiver which enables a viewer to easily select a channel of a desired program. Another object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver which can easily perform the above-described zapping even when the number of channels of the television broadcast increases.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a signal of a desired channel selected from a plurality of receivable channels based on a viewer's operation is selected as a desired signal from a tuner. A television receiver for extracting the video of the program broadcast on the desired channel on the display means by using the desired signal, wherein the plurality of receivable televisions can be received based on a first operation by the viewer. Channel selection operation means for selecting one channel from the channels as a designated channel; and program data indicating programs receivable on the plurality of receivable channels and the channel and broadcast time zone of each program from a received signal. The program data acquisition means to be acquired and each program indicated by the program data are two states that each program can take. Rewritable storage means for storing lock information indicating one of a state and an unlocked state, and a program broadcast on the plurality of receivable channels based on a second operation by the viewer. Lock setting means for selecting one or more programs from among the above, and rewriting the lock information so as to indicate that the selected program is in a locked state, and broadcasting on the designated channel at the present time based on the lock information. Determining means for determining whether a specified program which is being locked is in a locked state or an unlocked state, and when it is determined that the specified program is in an unlocked state, the signal of the specified channel is used as the desired signal. If the designated program is determined to be locked by the tuner, if it is determined that the specified program is locked, a channel other than the channel broadcasting the locked program is selected. It is characterized in that it comprises a tuner control means for causing the signal of one channel is extracted to the tuner as the desired signal or Re, the.

According to the first invention, when a certain program is set to the locked state based on the second operation by the viewer, the signal of the channel of the program is extracted by the tuner during the broadcast of the program. Never. That is, the viewer can exclude the desired program from the selection target. Therefore, even if the number of channels in the television broadcast increases, the number of selectable channels is reduced by excluding programs that the user does not want to watch from the selection target, so that the desired programs can be easily selected and viewed. be able to.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the tuning operation means includes a plurality of predetermined keys operated by the viewer, each of the plurality of keys corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined channels. A key and direct selection operation means for selecting a channel corresponding to the operated key as the designated channel when one of the plurality of keys is operated, wherein the tuner control means And when the designated program broadcast on the designated channel selected by the direct channel selection operation means is determined to be in a locked state, the signal of the desired channel at the present time is continuously extracted by the tuner. And

According to the second invention, even if a channel broadcasting a program in a locked state is directly selected as a designated channel by the channel selection operation means, the receiving channel is not switched, so that multi-channel television broadcasting can be realized. Even if the program progresses, by setting a program that the user does not want to watch in the locked state, a desired program can be easily selected and watched.

[0008] In a third aspect based on the first aspect, the tuning operation means includes: a predetermined key operated by the viewer; and a designated plurality of channels each time the predetermined key is operated. And the tuner control means determines that the designated program broadcast on the designated channel selected by the sequential tuning operation means is in a locked state. In this case, a signal of a channel other than a channel which is broadcasting a program in a locked state and which is sequentially selected by the sequential channel selecting operation means after the designated channel based on the predetermined order is transmitted to the desired signal. Is extracted by the tuner.

According to the third aspect, in the operation of sequentially switching the receiving channel (channel up operation or channel down operation), the channel corresponding to the program set in the locked state as the program that the user does not want to watch is skipped, and The receiving channel is switched only between the channels corresponding to the program in the locked state. Therefore, even if the number of channels of a television broadcast increases, zapping can be easily performed by reducing the number of channels to be selected by the lock setting, and a desired program can be easily selected and viewed.

[0010] In a fourth aspect based on the first aspect, the lock setting means is arranged so that the viewer sets the second program while the video of the program being broadcast on the desired channel is displayed on the display means. When the operation is performed, the lock information is rewritten so as to indicate that the program being broadcast on the desired channel is locked.

In a fifth aspect based on the first aspect, a program display control means for displaying, on the display means, a program table of programs receivable on the plurality of channels based on the program data; And a viewing reservation means for making a viewing reservation of one or a plurality of programs scheduled to appear in the program table based on the predetermined operation of the program table. The lock information is rewritten so as to indicate that the programs other than the program reserved for viewing are locked in the programs.

According to the fifth invention, when the viewer makes a viewing reservation for a program selected from the programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in the program table, the viewer selects the programs not scheduled to be viewed among the programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in the program table. Is set to the locked state and is excluded from the channel selection target, and only the program reserved for viewing is selected. In the present invention, when the number of programs to be viewed cannot be narrowed down to one, viewing reservations may be made for a plurality of programs in the same time zone. In this way, programs other than the plurality of programs are excluded from the channel selection target in that time zone, so that channel selection by a channel selection operation becomes easy. Also, in this case, the reception channel is switched between only a plurality of programs that the user wants to view in that time zone, so that zapping can be easily performed by the channel selection operation means.

[0013] In a sixth aspect based on the first aspect, the apparatus further comprises program display control means for displaying, on the display means, a program table of programs receivable on the plurality of channels based on the program data, The lock setting means selects one or a plurality of programs from programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in the program guide based on the second operation, and the lock selection means is selected by the lock selection operation means. Lock information rewriting means for rewriting the lock information so as to indicate that the program is in a locked state.

According to the sixth aspect, a program selected based on the second operation from the programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in the program table is set in a locked state, and only the other programs are to be selected. Thereby, substantially the same effects as those of the fifth invention can be obtained.

In a seventh aspect based on the first aspect, a genre display control means for displaying, on the display means, a genre of a receivable program broadcast on the plurality of channels based on the program data; Based on the prescribed operation,
Viewing genre selection means for selecting one or more genres from among the genres displayed on the display means by the genre display control means as a viewing genre, wherein the lock setting means includes: The lock information is rewritten so as to indicate that a program other than a program belonging to the viewing genre among programs scheduled to be broadcast or being broadcast is a locked state.

According to the seventh aspect, when the viewing genre is selected, among the programs scheduled to be broadcast or the programs being broadcast indicated in the program data, programs other than the program belonging to the viewing genre are locked. It is set and excluded from the channel selection target, and only the programs belonging to the viewing genre become the channel selection target. As a result, the channel selection operation becomes easy, and the reception channel can be switched only between the channels broadcasting a plurality of programs belonging to the genre to be watched in each time zone. It will be easy to do.

In an eighth aspect based on the first aspect, the apparatus further comprises a genre display control means for displaying, on the display means, a genre of a program broadcast on the plurality of receivable channels based on the program data, The lock setting means includes a lock genre selection operation means for selecting one or a plurality of genres from the genres displayed on the display means by the genre display control means based on the second operation, and Lock information rewriting means for rewriting the lock information to indicate that a program belonging to a genre selected by the lock genre selection operation means is in a locked state, among programs scheduled to be broadcast or programs being broadcast shown in It is characterized by including.

According to the eighth aspect, the programs belonging to the genre selected by the rock genre selection means are set in the locked state, and only the other programs are selected. Thereby, substantially the same effects as those of the seventh aspect are obtained.

In a ninth aspect based on the first aspect, the program further comprises an automatic lock release means, wherein the program data includes a program identifier for identifying each of the programs, and the storage means stores a program identifier for each receivable channel. The associated identification data, which is identification data set in advance to a specific value for each channel, is stored as the lock information, and the lock setting means sets the lock state based on the second operation. When a program to be set is selected, a program identifier, which is an identifier of the selected program, is obtained from the program data and stored in the storage unit in association with a channel on which the selected program is broadcast. The identification data is rewritten to the acquired program identifier, and the determining means stores the identification data stored in the storage means in association with the designated channel. If the obtained identification data is the specific value, the specified program is determined to be in the unlocked state, and if the obtained identification data is the program identifier, the It is determined whether or not the program identified by the program identifier is being broadcast based on the program data, and when the program identified by the program identifier is being broadcast, the designated program is determined to be in the locked state, When the program identified by the program identifier is not being broadcast, the specified program is determined to be in the unlocked state, and the automatic lock release means broadcasts the locked program when the broadcast of the locked program ends. The identification data stored in the storage means is rewritten to the specific value in association with the channel that has been used.

According to the ninth aspect, identification data as lock information is associated with each channel, and a specific value is set as identification data for a channel broadcasting a program in an unlocked state. ing. Therefore, when the program being broadcast on the designated channel selected by the viewer is in the unlocked state, the receiving channel can be quickly switched to the designated channel without accessing the program data.

In a tenth aspect based on the ninth aspect, the storage means stores a channel lock reservation table for registering a broadcast start time and a broadcast channel in association with each other for a program to be broadcast, Lock setting means for selecting one or a plurality of programs from among programs scheduled to be broadcast indicated in the program data as a lock reservation program, based on the second operation, Broadcast information acquisition means for acquiring a broadcast start time and a broadcast channel from the program data;
Registration means for associating the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel obtained by the broadcast information acquisition means with each other and registering them in the channel lock reservation table; and generating an interrupt at the broadcast start time obtained by the broadcast information acquisition means Timer interrupt generating means; and broadcast start channel determining means for determining, when the interrupt occurs, a broadcast channel corresponding to a broadcast start time substantially equal to the current time among broadcast start times registered in the channel lock reservation table as a broadcast start channel. When the broadcast start channel is determined, program identifier acquisition means for acquiring from the program data an identifier of a program to be broadcast on the broadcast start channel as a broadcast start program identifier, and the broadcast start program identifier is acquired. With the broadcast start channel Characterized in that it comprises a and a rewriting means for rewriting the identification data stored in the storage unit to the broadcast start program identifier Te.

According to the tenth aspect, after the lock reservation program is selected from the programs to be broadcast, when the broadcast start time of the lock reservation program comes, the storage means is associated with the broadcast channel of the lock reservation program. The stored identification data is rewritten with the identifier of the lock reserved program whose broadcast starts. As a result, while the program scheduled to be broadcast can be excluded from the channel selection target in advance, in the channel selection operation, when the program being broadcast on the specified channel selected by the viewer is in the unlocked state, the program data is The receiving channel can be quickly switched to the designated channel without accessing the.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <1. First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a television receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
In the following, description will be made on the assumption that this television receiver is for digital broadcasting. However, the present invention is not limited to television receivers for digital broadcasting,
If it is possible to acquire program data by an (Electronic Program Guide) function or the like, that is, data indicating each program to be broadcast on a receivable channel and data indicating a channel and a broadcast time zone of each program, the analog broadcast It is also applicable to television receivers.

The television receiver 100 according to the present embodiment
As shown in FIG. 1, an antenna 10, a tuner 12,
A display device 14, a data extracting unit 16, a display control device 18, a CPU 20 as a central processing unit, a clock /
A timer 21 and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Read-Only Memory) which is a rewritable nonvolatile memory
y) 22 and RAM 2 which is a rewritable volatile memory
4 and a ROM 26 which is a nonvolatile read-only memory
And a remote control light receiving unit 28 for receiving infrared light emitted from the remote control 30. And tuner 12
, Data extraction unit 16, display control unit 18, and CPU 20
, Clock / timer 21, EEPROM 22, and RAM 24
The ROM 26 and the remote control light receiving unit 28 are connected by a bus 29 so that data can be transferred between them.
The CPU 20 performs the following channel selection operation based on a predetermined program stored in the ROM 26.
Control each part. At this time, the CPU 20 can obtain information indicating the current time (hereinafter, referred to as “current time”) from the clock / timer 21, and can set a timer in the clock / timer 21. When the time corresponding to the setting elapses after the setting of the timer and the timeout occurs, the clock / timer 21 interrupts the CPU 20 (hereinafter, referred to as “timer interrupt”).

The above-described television receiver 100 has an antenna 1
0 receives a radio wave which is a video and audio signal of each program broadcast on various channels. The radio waves received by the antenna 10 include, in addition to these, program data indicating each program and the channel and broadcast time zone of the program,
A signal of a lookup table indicating the correspondence between each receivable channel and the frequency is also included. The tuner 12 extracts a signal corresponding to a desired channel from signals received by the antenna 10. The display device 14 displays an image based on the signal extracted by the tuner 12, that is, an image of a program being broadcast on a desired channel. On the other hand, the data extracting unit 16 extracts program data and a reference table from the signal extracted by the tuner 12. The program data and the reference table are stored in the RAM 24 in the present embodiment. However, even if the power of the television receiver 100 is cut off, the EEPR is used so that the program data and the reference table are not erased.
It may be stored in the OM 22.

In the television receiver 100, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) function is realized as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the program data obtained by the data extracting unit 16 includes a program name, a channel number (hereinafter abbreviated as “ch”), a broadcast time, a program ID, a genre, and a program for each receivable program. The content is stored in the RAM 24 as described above.
Based on the program data, the CPU 20 creates data representing a program guide for guiding a program to a viewer (hereinafter, referred to as “program guide data”) and stores it in the RAM 24. The display control device 18 causes the display device 14 to display a program guide based on the program guide data.

The viewer operates the display device 14 as described above.
The user operates the remote controller 30 in order to select a channel corresponding to the program in order to view the desired program by looking at the program table displayed in. The signal indicating the channel selected by this operation (hereinafter referred to as “designated channel”)
The light is sent from the remote control 30 to the remote control light receiving unit 28 as infrared light. When infrared light indicating the designated channel is received by the remote control light receiving unit 28, it is converted into an electric signal there and passed to the CPU 20. When the CPU 20 receives the signal indicating the designated channel from the remote control light receiving unit 28, the tuner 12 extracts a signal of a frequency determined by the designated channel and the reference table from the signals received by the antenna 10. The display device 14 displays an image based on the signal extracted by the tuner 12.

In the present embodiment, of the above operations, a channel selection operation which is an operation from when the viewer performs an operation for selecting a channel with the remote controller 30 until the CPU 20 controls the tuner 12 based on the specified channel. However, this is different from the conventional one. That is, conventionally, the viewer's remote control 30
When a certain channel is selected as the designated channel by the operation for, the CPU 20 refers to a reference table 390 as shown in FIG. The tuner 12 extracts a signal of a frequency associated with the designated channel. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, an item 302 (hereinafter referred to as “lock item”) indicating lock information, which is information for excluding a program that the user does not want to watch from the channel selection target, is referred to. This reference table is also referred to as a “reference table with lock information”. In the present embodiment, the tuner 12 is controlled based on the lock information-added reference table 300 during the channel selection operation. Hereinafter, the setting of the lock item 302 (hereinafter referred to as “lock setting”) and the details of the channel selection operation in the present embodiment will be described. In this specification, “exclude a program from a channel selection target” means that a channel broadcasting the program in a time zone in which the program is broadcast cannot be selected by a normal channel selection operation. The state of such a program is called a “locked state”.

<1.1 Lock Setting> When a viewer turns on the power of the television receiver 100, broadcasting of a drama or movie program may already be started. You do not watch such drama or movie programs from the middle. In addition, there are cases where programs that are not desired to be shown to children, such as programs including violent scenes and programs for adults, are being broadcast. In addition, certain talents that do not suit the viewer's preferences may appear in the program. In the present embodiment, in these cases, the viewer can exclude a specific program from the channel selection target by performing the lock setting operation described below.

FIG. 4 shows a key arrangement of the remote controller 30 used in the television receiver according to the first embodiment. A plurality of keys in a region 32 surrounded by a dotted line among keys of the remote controller 30 are position keys (hereinafter, “Po”).
Each Pos key is called one of a plurality of predetermined channels and a predetermined table (hereinafter, “Pos key”).
-Ch table "). The Pos-ch table is set, for example, when the television receiver is installed, and is stored in the EEPROM 22, for example. Further, the remote controller 30 is provided with a lock key 34 as a key for designating a program that the user does not want to watch among receivable programs.

In this embodiment, in the initial state, the lock item 30 in the lock information-added reference table 300 is set.
The value of 2 is set to “−1” for all channels. This means that none of the programs being broadcast on any channel are excluded from channel selection,
That is, it indicates that it is in the unlocked state. On the other hand, when the program being broadcast is excluded from the channel selection target by operating the lock key 34 (details of the operation at this time will be described later), the reference table with lock information 3
At 00, the lock item 3 corresponding to the channel
As the value of 02, the program ID of the program is set. Hereinafter, the value of the lock item 302 set for each channel in the lock information table 300 will be referred to as “lock ID”.

When excluding a program being broadcast from a channel selection target, the viewer performs the following operation. First, a channel which broadcasts a program to be excluded from the channel selection target is selected. Then, when watching the program, that is, when the video of the program is displayed on the display device 14, the viewer presses the lock key 34 of the remote controller 30. A signal indicating that the lock key 34 has been pressed is sent from the remote control 30 to the remote control
Receives the signal as an electric signal from the remote control light receiving unit 28 via the bus 29. CP that received this signal
U20 performs a process as shown in FIG. That is, C
In response to this signal, the PU 20 first responds to this signal by receiving the I
D is acquired from the program data (step S100). Next, the program ID is set as the lock ID for the reception channel in the reference table with lock information 300 (step S102). This means that the program has been locked. Further, when it is desired to exclude another program being broadcast from the channel selection target, the viewer similarly presses the lock key 34 while selecting and viewing the channel broadcasting the program. I just need. In this way, one or a plurality of programs (only programs being broadcast) to be excluded from the channel selection target can be set in the locked state. For the programs in the locked state, in the reference table 300 with the lock information, The ID of the program is set as the lock ID for the channel on which the program is being broadcast.

<1.2 Tuning operation by direct tuning operation>
Next, after the lock setting is performed as described above, the channel selection operation when the viewer operates the Pos key to select a desired channel, that is, the channel selection operation is directly performed after the lock setting. The channel selection operation in this case will be described.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the CPU 20 when a direct channel selection operation is performed in this embodiment. When any of the Pos keys is pressed,
The processing shown in this flowchart is executed. That is, when any Pos key is pressed on the remote control 30, a signal indicating that the Pos key is pressed is sent from the remote control 30 to the remote control light receiving unit 28 as infrared light,
The signal is converted into an electric signal by the remote control light receiving unit 28, and then sent to the CPU 20 via the bus 29.
Upon receiving this signal, the CPU 20 operates as follows.

First, information for identifying the pressed Pos key is received from the remote control light receiving unit 28 as Pos information included in the signal (step S10). Next, Po
This Pos information is converted into a channel number using the s-ch table. That is, the channel associated with the Pos key is determined as the designated channel by the Pos-ch table (step S12). Thereafter, the lock ID set for the designated channel in the reference table with lock information 300 is obtained (step S13), and it is determined whether or not the lock ID is "-1" (step S14). As a result, the lock ID
Is "-1", it is determined that the program being broadcast on the designated channel is not in the locked state, and the tuner 12 extracts the signal of the frequency set for the designated channel in the lookup table with lock information 300. (Step S20). Thus, the processing of the CPU 20 for one press of the Pos key ends. By the above-described channel selection operation, the signal of the designated channel corresponding to the pressed Pos key is extracted by the tuner 12, and the video of the program being broadcast on the designated channel is displayed on the display device 14 based on the extracted signal. .

If it is determined in step S14 that the lock ID for the specified channel is not "-1", it is determined whether or not the lock ID is equal to the ID of the program being broadcast on the specified channel (step S14). S1
6). That is, when a lock ID is not “−1” in the reference table 300 with lock information, the lock ID indicates a program ID.
The broadcast end time of the program indicated by the program ID that is the lock ID for the designated channel is obtained, and it is determined whether the current time obtained by the clock / timer 21 has passed the broadcast end time (step S16). As a result, if the current time is before the broadcast end time, the program being broadcast on the designated channel is determined to be in a locked state, and the channel selection operation corresponding to the designated channel is stopped (step S).
24). That is, the tuner 12 continues extracting the signal of the frequency corresponding to the current reception channel without causing the tuner 12 to extract the signal of the frequency corresponding to the designated channel. This is from a viewer perspective,
This means that even if the user presses the Pos key to switch the received program to another program, the program is not switched.

If it is determined in step S16 that the lock ID for the specified channel is different from the ID of the program being broadcast on the specified channel, the lock ID set for the specified channel in the reference table 300 with lock information is determined. Is changed to "-1" (step S18). That is, if the current time is after the broadcast end time of the program, the lock ID for the designated channel
Is set to “−1”. This means that the program that has finished broadcasting on the specified channel is unlocked,
Releases the lock for the specified channel.

After the lock on the designated channel is released in step S18, the tuner 12 extracts a signal of the frequency set for the designated channel in the look-up table with lock information 300 (step S20). Thus, the processing of the CPU 20 for one press of the Pos key ends.

<1.3 Tuning Operation by Sequential Tuning Operation>
Next, a description will be given of a selection operation in a case where a desired channel is selected by sequentially switching receivable channels in a predetermined order, that is, a channel selection operation in a case where a sequential channel selection operation is performed. In a normal sequential channel selection operation, the viewer operates a channel up / down key 36 to select a desired channel. That is, the upper part of the channel up / down key 36 (hereinafter referred to as “UP key”)
Each time the button 36a is pressed, the reception channel is sequentially switched in a predetermined order (specifically, the order of the channels set in the reference table) (hereinafter, this operation is referred to as “channel up operation”), Lower part 36b of the key 36 (hereinafter referred to as "DOWN key")
Each time is pressed, the reception channel is sequentially switched in the order opposite to the above order (hereinafter, this operation is referred to as “channel down operation”). For example, 2,4,6,8,1
If the channels 0, 12, B7, B9, and B11 are receivable and the correspondence between each channel and the frequency is set in the reference table 300 in this order, the UP key 36
Each time a is pressed, the receiving channel changes from 2 → 4 → 6 → 8 →
The switching is performed sequentially and sequentially in the order of 10 → 12 → B7 → B9 → B11 → 2 (the receiving channels are switched in ascending order of the numbers). On the other hand, every time the DOWN key 36b is pressed, the channel changes from B11 → B9 → B7 → 12 → 10 →
The order of 8 → 6 → 4 → 2 → B11 (reverse order from above)
(Ie, the receiving channels are switched in descending order of the numbers). In the above, B7, B9, and B11 are broadcast satellites (BS: Broadcast
Satellite).

Also in this embodiment, when all the lock IDs in the reference table with lock information 300 are set to "-1", such as in the initial state, the channel selection operation by the channel up / down key 36 is sequentially performed. When performed, the reception channel is switched as described above. However, in the present embodiment, the reference table with lock information 30
0, if the ID of the program being broadcast is set as a lock ID for any channel, that is, if any of the programs being broadcast is locked, the channel up / down key 36 , The channel on which the locked program is being broadcast is skipped and the receiving channel is switched. For example, when a program being broadcast on channels 4, 8, 10, B7, and B9 is in a locked state, each time the UP key 36a above the channel up / down key 36 is pressed, the reception channel changes from 2 → 6 → 12 → B11
→ It switches sequentially like 2.

Hereinafter, with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. 7, a description will be given of a channel selection operation when a channel selection operation is sequentially performed in the present embodiment. Note that, among the steps in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, the same steps as those in the flowchart shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, when the channel up / down key 36 is operated, that is, the UP key 36a and the D key
When any one of the OWN keys 36b is pressed, the CPU 2
0 executes the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. That is, when the channel up / down key 36 is operated on the remote controller 30, the UP key 36a and the DO key
A signal indicating that any one of the WN keys 36b is pressed is sent from the remote controller 30 to the remote control light receiving unit 28 as infrared light, converted into an electric signal by the remote control light receiving unit 28, and further sent to the CPU 20 via the bus 29. . The CPU 20
When this signal is received, it operates as follows. In the following, it is assumed that the “current channel number” is equal to the number of the receiving channel immediately before the channel up / down key 36 is operated.

First, the UP key 36a and the DOWN key 36
Information indicating which one of b is pressed is received from the remote control light receiving unit 28 as channel UP / DOWN information included in the signal. Next, this channel UP / D
Based on the OWN information, it is determined whether or not the UP key 36a has been pressed (step S32). Here, UP key 3
If it is determined that 6a has been pressed, the current channel number ch is updated to the immediately following channel number in the order of the channels set in the lookup table 300 (step S34). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S32 that the UP key 36a has not been pressed, DO
Since the WN key 36b has been depressed, the current channel number ch is updated to the immediately preceding channel number in the above order (step S36). In this way,
When the UP key 36a is pressed, the current channel number ch is updated in the ascending direction in step S34,
If the WN key 36b is pressed, the data is updated substantially in the descending direction in step S36.

Thereafter, the same processing as in the case of the channel selection operation by the direct channel selection operation (FIG. 6) is performed on the updated current channel number ch (steps S38, S14 to S14).
20). That is, the updated current channel number ch
It is determined whether the program being broadcast on the current channel which is the channel is locked or unlocked. If the program is determined to be unlocked, the frequency set for the current channel in the lookup table with lock information 300 Is extracted by the tuner 12 (step S20). Thereby, one UP key 36a or DOWN key 36
The processing of the CPU 20 for the pressing of the button b ends.

However, if it is determined in the above processing that the lock ID for the current channel is not "-1" but is the ID of a program being broadcast on the current channel (steps S14, S16), If the current program is in the locked state, the process returns to step S32 without stopping the channel selection operation, unlike the channel selection operation by the direct channel selection operation (FIG. 6). Then, the current channel number ch is updated again based on the already obtained channel UP / DOWN information, and it is determined whether the program being broadcast on the updated current channel is in the locked state or the unlocked state (step S14, step S14). S16). Thereafter, steps S16 → S32 → (S34 or S36) → S3 until the program being broadcast on the current channel is determined to be in the unlocked state.
8 → S14 → S16 are repeatedly executed to keep updating the current channel number ch. In the meantime, if it is determined that the program being broadcast on the current channel is in the unlocked state, the tuner 12 extracts the signal of the frequency set for the current channel in the lookup table with lock information 300 (step S20). The processing for the channel selection operation in response to one press of the UP key 36a or the DOWN key 36b is terminated.

<1.4 Specific Example of Lock Setting and Tuning Operation after Lock Setting> Next, a specific example of the lock setting and the tuning operation after the lock setting in the present embodiment are sequentially performed. This case will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the following, the numbers of receivable channels are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. In this case, in the initial state, that is, in a state where all the lock IDs in the reference table with lock information 300 are set to “−1”, each time the UP key 36a is pressed, the reception channel is
The switching is performed sequentially in the order of 2 → 4 → 6 → 8 → 10 → 12 → 2. Here, it is assumed that such a channel up operation is expressed as shown in FIG.

Now, it is assumed that the receiving channel is channel 4 and the video of the program being broadcast on channel 4 is displayed on the display device 14. At this time, if the viewer presses the lock key 34 (see FIG. 8A), a signal indicating that the lock key 34 is pressed is sent from the remote control 30 to the remote control light receiving unit 28 as infrared light, and the CPU 2
0 receives the signal as an electric signal from the remote control light receiving unit 28 via the bus 29. Next, in response to this signal, the CPU 20 obtains, from the program data, the ID (program ID) of the program being broadcast on channel 4, which is the current reception channel, and refers to this as the lock ID for channel 4 with lock information. Set in table 300. Thereafter, when the UP key 36a is pressed by the viewer,
The CPU 20 obtains a frequency corresponding to the channel 6 which is the channel next to the channel 4 in the look-up table 300 with the lock, and outputs a signal of the frequency to the tuner 12.
To be extracted. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the reception channel is switched from channel 4 to channel 6, and the video of the program being broadcast on channel 6 is displayed on the display device 14.
Will be displayed.

After the lock of the program being broadcast on channel 4 is set as described above, the channel selection operation by the channel selection operation is performed as follows (see FIG. 9).

It is now assumed that the receiving channel is channel 2. At this time, when the UP key 36a is pressed, the channel 4 which is the channel next to the channel 2 is pressed.
Is selected as the designated channel. In the reference table with lock information 300, the ID of the program being broadcast on channel 4 is set as the lock ID for channel 4. For this reason, the CPU 20 checks the lock ID for the channel 6 which is the next channel after the channel 4. Since the lock ID for the channel 6 in the reference table with lock information 300 is set to “−1”, the CPU 20 causes the tuner 12 to extract the signal of the frequency associated with the channel 6 in the reference table 300. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 9A, channel 6 becomes a reception channel,
The video of the program being broadcast on channel 6 is displayed on the display device 14. In this way, when the UP key 36a is pressed when the receiving channel is the channel 2, the channel 4 is skipped and the receiving channel is switched to the channel 6. This means that the program being broadcast on channel 4 has been excluded from the selection target. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9A, each time the UP key 36a is pressed, the receiving channel is sequentially switched in the order of 6 → 8 → 10 → 12 → 2 → 6, and the program being broadcast on channel 4 is switched. Until the end, the channel 4 is sequentially skipped in the channel selection. That is, the channel up operation until the program being broadcast on channel 4 ends is as shown in FIG. 9B.

In the above description, the channel selection operation in the case where the lock is set only for the program being broadcast on channel 4 is described. It is also possible to do. For example, when the lock setting is performed for the program broadcast on the channel 6 in addition to the channel 4, every time the UP key 36a is pressed, the receiving channel is changed from 2 → 8 → 10
It switches sequentially in the order of → 12 → 2.

<1.5 Forcibly releasing lock> The program which is set in the locked state as described above and excluded from the channel selection target is unlocked so as to be included again in the channel selection target before the end of the program broadcast. There is a case where it is desired to return to the state, that is, a case where it is desired to forcibly unlock the program. The lock is forcibly released by a combination of the Pos key and the lock key 34 corresponding to the channel on which the program to be unlocked is being broadcast. For example, if the program being broadcast on channel 4 is set to the locked state and the user wants to return the program to the channel selection target before the broadcast ends, the viewer presses the Pos key of “4” and then The lock key 34 is pressed. A signal indicating such two consecutive key operations is sent from the remote control 30 to the remote control light receiving unit 28, and the CPU 20 receives the signal via the bus 29. Then, when receiving the signal, the CPU 20 changes the lock ID corresponding to the channel 4 in the lookup table with lock information 300 to “−1”. Thereafter, channel 4 can be selected.

As described above, in the present embodiment, a program in a locked state can be forcibly returned to an unlocked state by a predetermined operation, but it is preferable that the program can be unlocked only by the above operation. Not always. For example, if the program set in the locked state is a program that the child does not want to show to the child, it is preferable to require the viewer to input a personal identification number. Specifically, in order to allow the viewer to enter a password as required when the lock is set, and to forcibly return the program that has been locked with the input of the password to the unlocked state Is performed, the viewer (operator) may be required to input a personal identification number. With this configuration, the program returns to the unlocked state only when the password input when the lock is set matches the password input when the lock is released.

Further, a configuration may be adopted in which all of the programs that are currently locked are returned to the unlocked state by a specific operation. For example, if the viewer uses the lock key 3
If a specific numerical value is input by pressing 4 and subsequently pressing the Pos key, all the programs set in the locked state may return to the unlocked state.

<1.6 Effect of First Embodiment>
According to the first embodiment, a program that the user does not want to watch can be excluded from the channel selection target by operating the lock key 34. Therefore, even if the number of channels increases due to digitalization of broadcasting or the like, the number of channels increases. A desired program can be easily selected and viewed. That is, in the case of the direct channel selection operation, even if the channel corresponding to the program in the locked state is selected, the receiving channel is not switched, and the program set in the locked state as a program that the user does not want to watch is not received. Also, in the case of the sequential channel selection operation, in the operation of cyclically switching the reception channel by the UP key 36a or the DOWN key 36b, the channel corresponding to the program set in the locked state as the program not to be watched is skipped. The reception channel is switched only between the channels corresponding to the unlocked programs. Therefore, even if the number of channels increases due to digitalization of broadcasting or the like, zapping can be easily performed by reducing the number of channels to be selected by lock setting.

<1.7 Modification of First Embodiment> In the first embodiment, when a channel is selected in the channel selection operation, the channel is set as a lock ID for the selected channel (designated channel). It checks whether or not the broadcast of the program indicated by the current program ID has ended (whether or not the current time has passed the broadcast end time of the program). The lock is released by setting the ID to “−1”. However, instead of this, when the lock key 34 is pressed, a timer of the clock / timer 21 may be set to release the lock. That is, when the lock key 34 is pressed, the ID of the program being broadcast on the reception channel is set as the lock ID for the reception channel at that time in the same manner as described above.
Is set in the reference table 300, the end time of the program being broadcast on the reception channel is checked with the program data, and the CPU 2 is set to time out at the end time.
0 sets the timer in the clock / timer 21. Then, when the time-out occurs, the clock / timer 21
An interrupt to U20 occurs, and based on the timer interrupt, the CPU 20 changes the lock ID for the channel of the program whose broadcast time has ended in the reference table 300 to "-1".

Alternatively, for the program ID set as the lock ID in the reference table with lock information 300, the CPU 20 periodically determines the relationship between the broadcast end time of the program indicated by the program ID and the current time. The lock ID may be changed to "-1" if the current time is past the broadcast end time of the program.

<2. Second Embodiment> Next, a television receiver according to a second embodiment will be described. The hardware configuration of the television receiver according to the present embodiment, and the processing of the CPU 20 for the direct channel selection operation and the sequential channel selection operation are the same as those in the first embodiment. But,
The television receiver according to the present embodiment has a function of viewing reservation based on program data, and differs from the first embodiment in that lock setting is performed in accordance with the viewing reservation. In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the reference table 30 with lock information as shown in FIG.
0 is used, and in the initial state, the value (lock ID) of the lock item 302 in the reference table with lock information 300 is set to “−1” for all the channels.

In this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment,
The CPU 20 creates program guide data from the program data obtained by the data extracting unit 16. The display control device 18 displays a viewing reservation screen including the program guide on the display device 14 based on the program guide data, as shown in FIG. The viewer operates the remote controller 30 in order to make a viewing reservation of a desired program while viewing the display of the viewing reservation screen. In the viewing reservation according to the present embodiment, unlike usual, a viewing reservation can be made for a plurality of programs broadcast in the same time zone. Then, among the programs scheduled to be broadcast that appear in the program table, the programs that have not been reserved for viewing are set to the locked state. The lock setting at this time is performed by the CPU 20 as follows.

<2.1 Lock Setting> In this embodiment,
A table (hereinafter, referred to as a “channel lock reservation table”) indicating a correspondence between a broadcast start time of a program scheduled to be set to the locked state and a channel on which the program is broadcast is prepared in the RAM 24. When a viewing reservation is made in the present embodiment, the CPU 20 first determines, for each of the programs scheduled to be broadcast that appear in the program guide that have not been reserved for viewing (hereinafter referred to as a “lock reservation program”), The broadcast start time and the channel on which the lock reservation program is broadcast are associated with each other and registered in the channel lock reservation table. FIG. 11 shows an example of the channel lock reservation table 400. In the following, of the lock setting processing in the present embodiment, first, the registration of the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel of the lock reservation program in the channel lock reservation table 400 (hereinafter simply referred to as “registration of lock reservation program”)
) Will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When a viewing reservation is made in this embodiment, the CPU 20 operates as follows. First, one of the programs scheduled to be broadcast, which is not scheduled to be viewed among the programs scheduled to appear in the program table, is selected (step S).
200). Next, a broadcast start time of the selected program (hereinafter, referred to as “selected program”) and a channel (broadcast channel) on which the selected program is broadcast are obtained from the program data (step S202). Then, the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel of the selected program are registered in the channel lock reservation table 400 in association with each other (step S204). Thereafter, the clock / timer 21 is set so that a timer interrupt occurs at the broadcast start time of the selected program.
Is set (step S206). When the setting of the timer is completed, it is determined whether or not a lock reservation program that has not been selected remains (step S).
208). As a result, when it is determined that an unselected lock reservation program remains, the process returns to step S200 and
One program is selected as a newly selected program from the unselected lock reservation programs. Then, steps S202 to S208 are executed for the newly selected program. Thereafter, similarly, steps S208 → S200 → S202 → S204 → S206 are repeatedly executed until there is no unselected lock reservation program. In the meantime, if there are no unselected lock reservation programs, registration of the lock reservation program in the channel lock reservation table 400 ends.

When a timer interrupt occurs on the basis of the above-described timer setting when registering a lock reservation program in the channel lock reservation table 400, the CPU 20 proceeds to FIG.
The processing shown in is performed. That is, first, information indicating the current time is obtained from the clock / timer 21 (step S22).
0), a channel corresponding to a broadcast start time registered in the channel lock reservation table 400 that is substantially equal to the current time (a broadcast start time that can be regarded as being the same as the current time within a predetermined error range) (hereinafter, “broadcast start time”). The corresponding channel is referred to by referring to the channel lock reservation table 400 (step S222). Next, the ID of the program to be broadcast on the corresponding channel is obtained from the program data (step S224). Then, the obtained program ID is set as the lock ID for the corresponding channel in the reference table with lock information 300 (step S226). Thus, the lock setting according to the present embodiment ends.

For example, channel lock reservation table 4
When the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel of the lock reservation program are registered at 00 as shown in FIG.
0 operates as follows. In this case, the timer is set so that the timer interrupt occurs at the time of 10:00 and 10:45. And the current time is 10
When a timer interrupt occurs at 0:00, the CP
The U20 refers to the channel lock reservation table 400 and sets the lock item 302 for the lock reservation program that starts broadcasting at 10:00 in the reference table with lock information 300. That is, the program ID included in the program data as the ID of the program that starts broadcasting on channels 2, 4, 34, and 12 is stored in the lookup table 300 with lock information in the channels 2, 4, 34, 1
2 are respectively set as lock IDs corresponding to. Also, in this case, when the current time reaches 10:45 and a timer interrupt occurs, the CPU 20 refers to the channel lock reservation table 400 to lock the locked reservation program which starts broadcasting at 10:45. Item 30
2 is performed on the reference table 300 with lock information. That is, the program ID included in the program data as the ID of the program that starts broadcasting on channels 2, 4, and 12
Are set as lock IDs corresponding to the channels 2, 4, and 12 in the reference table with lock information 300, respectively.

In the above description, the timer is set so that a timer interrupt occurs at the broadcast start time of the lock reservation program registered in the channel lock reservation table 400. Instead, the CPU 20 sets the timer of each program. The channel lock reservation table 400 may be referred to every predetermined time as a time sufficiently shorter than the broadcast time. In this case, the CPU 20 refers to the channel lock reservation table 400 at every predetermined time, and sets the current time to the channel lock reservation table 400.
At the time when the broadcast start time of the lock reserved program registered in the program has been reached, the setting of the lock item 302 for the lock reserved program that has reached the broadcast start time is performed on the reference table 300 with lock information.

<2.2 Tuning Operation by Tuning Operation> In this embodiment, as described above, the setting of the lock item corresponding to the program whose current time has reached the broadcast start time among the lock reserved programs is as follows. This is performed in the reference table with lock information 300. The CPU 20 operates according to the processing procedure shown in FIG. 6 when the direct channel selection operation is performed by the Pos key, and performs the processing shown in FIG. 7 when the channel selection operation is sequentially performed by the channel up / down key 36. Operate according to the procedure. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, when the lock table as shown in FIG. 11 is created based on the viewing reservation, for example, when the channel selection operation is sequentially performed, the reception channel is switched as shown in FIG.
That is, the lookup tables 300 include the channels 2, 4,
Assuming that frequencies are set for 34, 8, 36, and 12, at 9:00, the programs being broadcast on any receivable channel are not in the locked state. Is performed, every time the UP key 36a is pressed, the receiving channel is changed from 2 → 4 → 34 → 8 → 36
It switches sequentially in the order of → 12 → 2. In contrast,
At 10:00, of the programs being broadcast on the receivable channels, only the programs being broadcast on channel 8 are in the unlocked state, and the programs being broadcast on channels 2, 4, 34, and 12 are in the locked state. Therefore, the receiving channel is
Even if the UP key 36a is pressed, the channel 8 remains. At 10:45, the locked program which started broadcasting on Channels 2, 4, 34, and 12 at 10:00 has ended.
Since the program being broadcast at 4 and 12 is locked, the UP
Each time the key 36a is pressed, the receiving channel is changed from 34 →
The order is switched in the order of 8 → 36 → 34. And
At 11:30, the locked programs that started broadcasting on channels 2, 4, and 12 at 10:45 have ended, and since no programs have been locked after that, the UP key 36a Each time is pressed, the receiving channel is sequentially switched in the order of 2 → 4 → 34 → 8 → 36 → 12 → 2.

<2.3 Effects in the Second Embodiment>
According to the second embodiment, when a viewer makes a viewing reservation for a program selected from broadcast-scheduled programs appearing in a program table, a program which is not scheduled to be viewed among programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in the program table is Only the program which has been set to the locked state and excluded from the channel selection target and reserved for viewing can be selected. As described above, in the second embodiment, viewing reservations can be made for a plurality of programs in the same time slot. Therefore, when the number of programs to be viewed cannot be reduced to one, viewing and listening of a plurality of programs in the same time slot can be performed. Make a reservation. In this way, programs other than the plurality of programs are excluded from the channel selection target in that time zone, so that channel selection by a channel selection operation becomes easy. In addition, zapping between only a plurality of programs desired to be watched during that time period is possible, and zapping operation using the channel up / down key 36 is facilitated.

<2.4 Modification of Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, when a viewing reservation is made for a program selected from programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in a program table, a broadcast schedule appearing in the program table appears. Of the programs which have not been reserved for viewing are set in the locked state. Alternatively, if the viewer selects a program that he does not want to watch by operating the lock key 34 from programs to be broadcast that appear in the program guide, The selected program may be set in a locked state.

Further, in the second embodiment, the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel of the lock reservation program are registered in the channel lock reservation table 400 in association with each other. Instead, as shown in FIG. 19, a lock item 304 is added to the program data (lock item 304).
The program data with lock information added is denoted by reference numeral 210). In the lock item 304, a flag (“lock flag”) indicating whether each program indicated in the program data 210 is locked or not is set. (Hereafter, the lock flag value “1” indicates a locked state, and “0” indicates a non-locked state).
In this case, the lock item 302 in the reference table becomes unnecessary, and when the tuning operation is performed by the Pos key or the channel up / down key 36, the CPU 2
0 controls the tuner 12 by referring to the lock flag in the program data 210 instead of referring to the lock item 302 in the reference table. Hereinafter, details of the operation of the CPU 20 at this time will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 20 shows C when a channel selection operation is directly performed when a lock item 304 including a lock flag indicating whether each program is locked is provided in the program data.
It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of PU. Steps in the flowchart shown in FIG. 20 that are the same as steps in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 are assigned the same step numbers, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. When the lock item 304 is provided in the program data, FIG.
As shown at 0, when any Pos key is pressed by the viewer on the remote controller 30, the CPU 20 operates as follows. That is, first, the lock flag of the program being broadcast on the designated channel determined by the Pos key is obtained (step S43). More specifically, information indicating the current time is obtained from the clock / timer 21, and the program being broadcast on the specified channel is read based on the current time.
At 0, a lock flag corresponding to the found program is obtained from the lock item 304 of the program data 210. Next, it is determined whether or not the lock flag is set (step S44). Here, it is assumed that the lock flag is set if it is "1" and is reset if it is "0". If the result of determination in step S44 is that the lock flag is set, the program being broadcast on the specified channel is in a locked state, and the channel selection operation corresponding to the specified channel is stopped (step S24). If the result of determination in step S44 is that the lock flag has been reset, the program being broadcast on that designated channel is in the unlocked state,
At 90, a frequency associated with the designated channel is obtained, and a signal of that frequency is extracted by the tuner 12 (step S16). As described above, one Pos
The processing of the CPU 20 for the key press ends.

FIG. 21 shows a case where a lock item 304 including a lock flag indicating whether or not each program is locked is provided in the program data, and the channel selection operation is sequentially performed.
It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of PU. Steps in the flowchart shown in FIG. 21 that are the same as the steps in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 are assigned the same step numbers, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. When the lock item 304 is provided in the program data, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the channel up / down key 36 is operated by the viewer on the remote controller 30, the CPU
20 operates as follows. That is, the UP key 36
a or DOWN key 36b is pressed,
The current channel number ch is updated based on a signal indicating that one of the P key 36a and the DOWN key 36b is pressed (steps S30 to S36), and broadcasting is being performed on the channel (current channel) corresponding to the updated current channel number ch. A lock flag is obtained for the program (step S53). Specifically, information indicating the current time is obtained from the clock / timer 21, a program being broadcast on the current channel is searched in the program data 210 based on the current time, and a lock flag corresponding to the found program is set in the program data 210. Obtained from 210 lock items 304. Next, it is determined whether or not the lock flag is set (step S54). If the result of the determination in step S54 is that the lock flag has been set, the program being broadcast on the current channel is in a locked state, so the flow returns to step S32 to further update the current channel (steps S32 to S36). Step S54
If the lock flag is reset, the program being broadcast on the current channel is in the unlocked state, so the frequency associated with the current channel is found in the lookup table 390, and the The signal is extracted by the tuner 12 (step S16). Thus, one UP key 36a or DOWN key 36b
The processing of the CPU 20 for the depression of the button is ended.

<3. Third Embodiment> Next, a television receiver according to a third embodiment will be described. The hardware configuration of the television receiver according to the present embodiment and the processing of the CPU 20 for the direct channel selection operation and the sequential channel selection operation are the same as those in the first and second embodiments. Further, similarly to the second embodiment, the television receiver according to the present embodiment also has a view reservation function based on program data, and lock setting is performed in accordance with the view reservation. At this time, in the present embodiment, the genre of the program to be reserved for viewing can be specified, and lock setting is performed according to the genre specification. In this embodiment, similarly to the first and second embodiments, a reference table 300 with lock information as shown in FIG. 3A is used.
The value (lock ID) of the lock item 302 at 00 is
It is set to "-1" for all channels.

In this embodiment, similar to the second embodiment,
The CPU 20 creates program guide data from the program data obtained by the data extracting unit 16 and
8 displays a viewing reservation screen including the program guide on the display device 14 based on the program guide data (see FIG. 10). The viewer operates the remote controller 30 in order to make a viewing reservation of a desired program while viewing the display of the viewing reservation screen. In this embodiment, instead of the viewing reservation screen shown in FIG.
A viewing genre selection screen as shown in FIG. 15 is displayed on the display device 14 based on the program data, and the genre of the program to be viewed can be selected by operating the remote controller 30. In the viewing reservation according to the present embodiment, when one or more genres are selected by the viewer from the genres displayed on the viewing genre selection screen (hereinafter, the selected genre is referred to as “viewing genre”).
All programs other than programs belonging to the viewing genre (excluding programs whose broadcasting has ended) are set in the locked state. The lock setting at this time is performed by the CPU 20 as follows.

<3.1 Lock Setting> In the present embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the correspondence between the broadcast start time of the program scheduled to be set to the locked state and the channel on which the program is broadcasted Is prepared in the RAM 24 (FIG. 11).
reference). In the present embodiment, when a viewing reservation is made based on the selection of a viewing genre, the CPU 20 first sets a program other than a program belonging to the viewing genre (hereinafter referred to as a “genre lock program”) among programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in the program table. In each case, the channel lock reservation table 40 associates the broadcast start time of the genre lock program with the channel on which the genre lock program is broadcast.
Register to 0. In the following, of the lock setting processing in the present embodiment, first, the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel of the genre lock program are registered in the channel lock reservation table 400 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “registration of the genre lock program”). Part),
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In this embodiment, when a viewing reservation is made based on the selection of a viewing genre, the CPU 20 operates as follows. First, one genre-locked program that is a program other than the program belonging to the viewing genre among the programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in the program table is selected (step S300). Next, a broadcast start time of the selected program (selected program) and a channel (broadcast channel) on which the selected program is broadcast are obtained from the program data (step S302). Then, the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel of the selected program are associated with each other, and the channel lock reservation table 4
00 (step S304). Thereafter, the timer of the clock / timer 21 is set so that a timer interrupt occurs at the broadcast start time of the selected program (step S306). When the timer setting is completed,
It is determined whether a genre lock program that has not yet been selected remains (step S308). As a result, if it is determined that an unselected genre lock program remains, the process returns to step S300, and one program is selected from the unselected genre lock programs as a new selected program. Then, step S302 is performed on the newly selected program.
To S308. Thereafter, similarly, until there is no unselected genre lock program, step S308 →
S300 → S302 → S304 → S306 are repeatedly executed. In the meantime, if there is no unselected genre lock program, registration of the genre lock program in the channel lock reservation table 400 ends.

When a timer interrupt occurs on the basis of the above timer setting when registering a genre lock program in the channel lock reservation table 400, the CPU 20 executes the processing shown in FIG. That is, first, information indicating the current time is obtained from the clock / timer 21 (Step S).
320), a channel corresponding to a broadcast start time registered in the channel lock reservation table 400 that is substantially equal to the current time (a broadcast start time that can be regarded as being the same as the current time within a predetermined error range) (hereinafter, “broadcast start time”). The corresponding channel ”) is stored in the channel lock reservation table 400.
(Step S322). Next, the ID of the program to be broadcast on the corresponding channel is obtained from the program data (step S324). Then, the obtained program ID is set as the lock ID for the corresponding channel in the reference table with lock information 300 (step S326). Thus, the lock setting according to the present embodiment ends.

For example, when the viewer selects “movie” and “sports” on the viewing genre selection screen (see FIG. 15), and these genres are viewing genres, the lock setting in the present embodiment is as follows. become. In this case, among programs scheduled to be broadcast indicated in the program data, a program that does not belong to any of the genres “movie” and “sports” is a genre lock program, and this genre lock program is registered in the channel lock reservation table 400. You. Then, based on the channel lock reservation table 400, the value (lock ID) of the lock item 302 in the reference table with lock information 300 is set. As a result, the genre lock program is set to the locked state.

<3.2 Channel Selection Operation> Now, the viewer causes the display device 14 to display a viewing genre selection screen, selects “movie” and “sports” as the viewing genre as described above, and has already selected the viewing genre. It is assumed that the lock setting has been performed corresponding to. Also at 9:30 pm
Assume that the contents of the program data for the program being broadcast at the minute are as shown in FIG. In this case, at 9:30 pm, the channels on which programs belonging to any of the genres "movie" and "sports" are broadcast are 19, 34 and BS5. Is a genre-locked program and is set in a locked state. Therefore, at 9:30 pm, the viewer
When the channel selection operation is sequentially performed by the P key 36a, the reception channel is changed from 19 to 34 every time the UP key 36a is pressed.
→ BS5 → 19 in order.

<3.3 Effects of Third Embodiment>
According to the third embodiment, when a genre of a program to be viewed is selected as a viewing genre based on an operation of a viewer who has viewed the viewing genre selection screen, all programs other than programs belonging to the viewing genre (however, (Excluding programs for which broadcasting has ended) are set in a locked state and excluded from channel selection targets, and only programs belonging to the viewing genre can be selected. As a result, the channel selection operation becomes easy, and zapping between a plurality of programs belonging to the genre to be viewed in each time zone becomes possible, and the zapping operation using the channel up / down key 36 becomes easy.

<3.4 Modification of Third Embodiment> In the third embodiment, the program scheduled to be broadcast determined by the selection of the viewing genre is set to the locked state, but the broadcast determined by the selection of the viewing genre is set. The program in the middle may be set to the locked state. In this case, when the viewing genre is selected by the viewer, for programs other than the programs belonging to the viewing genre among the programs being broadcast at the time of the selection (current time), the CPU 20 determines the ID of the program from the program data 200. The ID of the program may be acquired and set in the reference table 300 as the lock ID corresponding to the broadcast channel of the program. The processing procedure of the CPU 20 for the channel selection operation after such lock setting is the same as that in the first embodiment. That is, in this case, the CPU 20 operates according to the flowchart of FIG. 6 when the channel selection operation is directly performed, and operates according to the flowchart of FIG. 7 when the channel selection operation is sequentially performed.
By such an operation of the CPU 20, the channel selection operation is as follows. Now, it is assumed that the viewer displays a viewing genre selection screen on the display device 14 and selects “movie” and “sports” as viewing genres, and the program being broadcast at 9:30 pm, which is the time of the selection. It is assumed that the contents of the program data for are as shown in FIG.
In this case, at 9:30 pm, the channels on which programs belonging to any of the genres “movie” and “sports” are broadcast are 19, 34 and BS5.
Programs broadcast on channels other than these are genre locked programs and are set in a locked state. Therefore, if the viewer performs a tuning operation sequentially with the UP key 36a of the remote controller 30 after the selection of the viewing genre,
Each time the UP key 36a is pressed, the reception channel becomes 1
19 between the three channels 9, 34 and BS5 →
The switching is sequentially performed in the order of 34 → BS5 → 19. In this way, among the programs being broadcast, programs other than the programs belonging to the viewing genre are excluded from the selection targets, and the channel can be selected only among the channels broadcasting the programs belonging to the viewing genre.

In the third embodiment, when the viewer selects a desired genre from the genres appearing on the viewing genre selection screen as the viewing genre, the viewer selects the genre among the programs scheduled to be broadcast indicated in the program data. A program other than the belonging program is set to the locked state. Alternatively, if the viewer selects a program that he does not want to watch by operating the lock key 34 from among the genres appearing on the viewing genre selection screen, the program is set in such a manner. The program belonging to the selected genre may be set to the locked state.

Further, in the third embodiment, the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel of the genre lock program are associated with each other and the channel lock reservation table 4
19, instead of creating such a channel lock reservation table 400, a lock item 304 is added to the program data as shown in FIG. 210), a lock flag indicating whether each program indicated in the program data 210 is locked or unlocked may be set in the lock item 304.
In this case, the lock item 302 in the reference table becomes unnecessary, and when the channel selection operation is performed by the Pos key or the channel up / down key 36, the CPU 2
0 refers to the lock item 30 in the program data 210 instead of referring to the lock item 302 in the reference table.
Refer to FIG. Then, whether the program being broadcast on the designated channel or the current channel is locked or unlocked is determined by a lock flag, and the tuner 12 is controlled based on the determination result. The details of the operation of the CPU 20 at this time are the same as those of the modification of the second embodiment described above and are as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.

<4. Others> As described above, the television receiver according to the first embodiment excludes a program that the user does not want to watch from a channel selection target by setting a lock on a program that is currently being broadcast. The television receiver according to the second embodiment having a function, when a viewer makes a viewing reservation by viewing a program table (a viewing reservation can be made for a plurality of programs broadcast in the same time zone), The television receiver according to the third embodiment has a function of setting a lock state of a program that has not been reserved for viewing among programs appearing to be broadcast and excluding it from a channel selection target. When a desired genre is selected as a viewing genre from the genres appearing on the screen, among the programs scheduled to be broadcast indicated in the program data, programs other than the programs belonging to the viewing genre are set in a locked state, and the programs are selected from the channel selection target. It has a function of outside. As a function to be provided to the television receiver in order to exclude a program that the viewer does not want to watch from a channel selection target, the function described in the above three embodiments is used.
Although different types of functions are conceivable, the present invention is not limited to any one of the above three types of functions.
One television receiver may have the above three functions at the same time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a television receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing a configuration of program data received by the television receiver according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a reference table (a) used in the television receiver according to the first embodiment, together with a reference table (b) used in a conventional television receiver.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing a key arrangement of a remote controller used in the television receiver according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating C in a lock setting according to the first embodiment;
5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a PU.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a CPU when a direct channel selection operation is performed in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a CPU when a channel selection operation is sequentially performed in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining lock setting in the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an operation in a case where channel selection operations are sequentially performed after lock setting in the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example of a viewing reservation screen according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a channel lock reservation table used in the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is an exemplary flowchart showing a part of the processing procedure of a CPU for setting a lock according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 13 is an exemplary flowchart showing another part of the processing procedure of the CPU for setting the lock in the second embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an operation (channel-up operation) when a channel selection operation is sequentially performed after lock setting based on a viewing reservation in the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a view showing a display example of a viewing genre selection screen according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a processing procedure of a CPU for setting a lock according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 17 is an exemplary flowchart showing another part of the processing procedure of the CPU for setting the lock in the third embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the contents of program data for a program being broadcast at a specific time (9:30 pm).

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a configuration of program data in a modification of the second and third embodiments.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the CPU when a direct channel selection operation is performed in a modification of the second and third embodiments.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a CPU when a tuning operation is sequentially performed in a modification of the second and third embodiments.

[Explanation of symbols]

 14 Display Device 16 Data Extraction Unit 18 Display Control Device 21 Clock / Timer 20 CPU 22 EEPROM 24 RAM 26 ROM 28 Remote Control Receiver 30 Remote Controller 32 Position Key (Pos Key) Area 34 lock key 36 channel up / down key 36a UP key 36b DOWN key 100 television receiver 200 program data 210 program data with lock information 300 reference table with lock information 302 (consisting of lock ID ) Lock item 304: Lock item (consisting of lock flag) 390: Reference table (no lock information) 400: Channel lock reservation table

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A tuner extracts a signal of a desired channel selected from a plurality of receivable channels based on an operation of a viewer as a desired signal from a received signal, and extracts a program broadcast on the desired channel. A television receiver for displaying an image on a display means using the desired signal, the television receiver selecting one of a plurality of receivable channels as a designated channel based on a first operation by the viewer. Station operation means; program data acquisition means for acquiring program data indicating the receivable programs broadcast on the plurality of channels and the channel and broadcast time zone of each program from a received signal; Each program is either a locked state or an unlocked state, which are two states that each program can take. Rewritable storage means for storing lock information indicating whether or not, based on a second operation by the viewer, select one or more programs from among the programs broadcast on the plurality of receivable channels, Lock setting means for rewriting the lock information so as to indicate that the selected program is in a locked state; and, based on the lock information, whether a designated program which is currently being broadcast on the designated channel is in a locked state or not. Determining means for determining whether the specified program is in a locked state; and when the specified program is determined to be in an unlocked state, causing the tuner to extract the signal of the specified channel as the desired signal, and the specified program is in a locked state. Is determined, the signal of any one channel other than the channel broadcasting the locked program is transmitted to the desired signal. Television receiver, characterized in that and a tuner control means for extracting the tuner to. 2. The method according to claim 2, wherein the channel selection operation means includes a plurality of keys operated by the viewer, each of the plurality of keys corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined channels; When one of the keys is operated, a direct tuning operation means for selecting a channel corresponding to the operated key as the designated channel, wherein the tuner control means is selected by the direct tuning operation means. 2. The television according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the designated program broadcast on the designated channel is in a locked state, the tuner continuously extracts a signal of the desired channel at the present time. 3. Receiving machine. 3. The channel selecting operation means includes: a predetermined key operated by the viewer; and a sequential selection for sequentially switching the designated channel between a plurality of predetermined channels in a predetermined order each time the predetermined key is operated. Station operation means, the tuner control means, when it is determined that the designated program broadcast on the designated channel selected by the sequential channel selection operation means is in a locked state, the locked program The tuner extracts a signal of a channel other than the channel being broadcast and which is the closest channel selected by the sequential tuning operation unit after the designated channel based on the predetermined order, as the desired signal. The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein: 4. The lock setting means, if the second operation is performed by the viewer while an image of a program being broadcast on the desired channel is being displayed on the display means, the lock setting means sets the lock on the desired channel. The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein the lock information is rewritten so as to indicate that a program being broadcast is in a locked state. 5. A program display control means for displaying, on the display means, a program table of receivable programs broadcasted on the plurality of channels based on the program data; And a viewing reservation means for making a viewing reservation of one or a plurality of programs to be broadcast among the programs to be broadcast, wherein the lock setting means comprises: The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein the lock information is rewritten so as to indicate that a program other than the program is in a locked state. 6. A program display control means for displaying, on the display means, a program table of programs receivable on the plurality of receivable channels based on the program data, wherein the lock setting means comprises: A lock selection operation means for selecting one or a plurality of programs from programs scheduled to be broadcast appearing in the program table based on an operation, and indicating that the program selected by the lock selection operation means is in a locked state. And a lock information rewriting means for rewriting the lock information.
The television receiver according to claim 1. 7. A genre display control means for displaying, on the display means, a genre of programs receivable on the plurality of channels based on the program data, and the genre display control means based on a predetermined operation of a viewer. From among the genres displayed on the display means,
Viewing genre selecting means for selecting one or a plurality of genres as viewing genres, wherein the lock setting means belongs to the viewing genre among programs scheduled to be broadcast or programs being broadcast indicated in the program data. The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein the lock information is rewritten so as to indicate that a program other than the program is in a locked state. 8. A genre display control means for displaying, on the display means, a genre of a receivable program broadcasted on the plurality of channels based on the program data, wherein the lock setting means comprises: And a rock genre selection operation means for selecting one or a plurality of genres from the genres displayed on the display means by the genre display control means. And a lock information rewriting means for rewriting the lock information so as to indicate that a program belonging to the genre selected by the lock genre selection operation means is in a locked state. The television receiver according to claim 1. 9. The system further comprises an automatic unlocking unit, wherein the program data includes a program identifier for identifying each of the programs, and the storage unit is identification data associated with each receivable channel. The identification data set to a specific value in advance for each channel is stored as the lock information, and the lock setting means, when selecting a program to be set to the lock state based on the second operation, A program identifier, which is an identifier of the selected program, is acquired from the program data, and the identification data stored in the storage unit in association with the channel on which the selected program is broadcast is replaced with the acquired program. Rewriting into an identifier, the determination unit acquires identification data stored in the storage unit in association with the designated channel, and If the different data is the specific value, it is determined that the specified program is in an unlocked state. If the obtained identification data is a program identifier, the program identified by the program identifier is broadcast. Is determined based on the program data, and when the program identified by the program identifier is being broadcast, the designated program is determined to be in a locked state, and the program identified by the program identifier is broadcasted. When the program is not in the middle, it is determined that the designated program is in the unlocked state. When the broadcast of the program in the locked state ends, the automatic lock release means stores the program in association with the channel on which the program in the locked state was being broadcast. The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein the identification data stored in the means is rewritten to the specific value. 10. The storage means stores a channel lock reservation table for registering a broadcast start time and a broadcast channel in association with each other for a program to be broadcast, and wherein the lock setting means performs the second operation. Lock reservation operation means for selecting one or more programs from among the programs scheduled to be broadcast indicated in the program data as a lock reservation program, based on the program start time and a broadcast channel for the lock reservation program. Broadcast information acquisition means for acquiring from the data, registration means for associating the broadcast start time and the broadcast channel obtained by the broadcast information acquisition means with each other and registering them in the channel lock reservation table; Timer interrupt generating means for generating an interrupt at a given broadcast start time; When the broadcast start channel is registered, the broadcast start channel determining means for determining, as the broadcast start channel, the broadcast channel corresponding to the broadcast start time substantially equal to the current time among the broadcast start times registered in the channel lock reservation table; Once obtained, a program identifier obtaining means for obtaining, from the program data, an identifier of a program whose broadcast is started on the broadcast start channel from the program data as a broadcast start program identifier, and when the broadcast start program identifier is obtained, 10. The television receiver according to claim 9, further comprising: rewriting means for rewriting the identification data stored in the storage means in association with the broadcast start program identifier.