JP2002044554A - Electronic program guide display controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic program guide display controller that enhances the visibility in the case of confirming date and time of a program column desirably to be checked so as to make program selection performed easily. SOLUTION: An analog clock indication C is displayed in a TV menu A, a pointing time of the analog clock indication C is controlled by controlling forward/backward cursor LC/RC(Left Cursor/Right Cursor) provided respectively corresponding to a forward/backward direction of a pointer provided to a remote controller 23 and an EPG(Electronic Program Guide) menu indication E is displayed within the display menu A corresponding to the pointer time of the analog clock indication C.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention includes a visual and play element by displaying an analog clock and a calendar when selecting a program of interest to a viewer from a multi-channel broadcast such as a digital CS broadcast. And an electronic program guide control device method characterized by the following.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a system in which television signals are digitized and transmitted and received at homes has become widespread.
It is extremely difficult to secure them all on the screen. EPG
It is difficult to display the channel information or program information included in the (Electrical Program Guide) on the screen at all times according to the specifications of the television receiver. Therefore, the program information can be obtained by performing EPG scrolling. ing. Therefore, the EPG display up to that time is to display a digital clock or to display the time in a table format corresponding to the television screen.

In the prior art, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-251496 employs a format in which a program is examined by scrolling a table-type EPG by remote control operation. The time was not shown in a separate word, but was covered by the time in the table.

[0004]

However, the EPG
Does not know how long data has been sent when scrolling to obtain information, and when checking a program several days later, it also checks the days when program information is not sent, and transmits EPG data. There is a problem that it is difficult to confirm when the time is.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is intended to enhance the visibility when confirming the date and time of a program column to be examined and to effectively promote the program selection operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a program display function for obtaining the program.

[0006]

The present invention has the following configuration to achieve the above object. A first gist of the present invention is to provide an electronic program guide display control device for outputting EPG information including a broadcast time of a multi-channel program on a display screen, displaying an analog clock display in the display screen, The time is controlled by operating a forward operation unit and a backward operation unit provided respectively corresponding to a forward direction and a backward direction of a pointer provided on the user operation unit. An electronic program guide display control device for displaying information in a display screen.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the EPG information can be scrolled in conjunction with the change of the pointer time of the analog clock display, so that the EP displayed on the display screen is displayed.
The temporal relationship of the G information can be grasped more visually, and the user can select, recognize, and judge information more quickly.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an electronic program guide according to the first aspect, wherein the time display range of the EPG information is set to a predetermined time before and after the designated analog clock display pointer time. In the display controller.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the relationship between the target EPG information and the information before the time can be understood by displaying the EPG information before the EPG information is simply performed from the designated time. , It is easier for the user to grasp the information, and there is no need to display the previous time again.
It can be easy to use.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electronic program guide display control device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the background color of the analog clock display changes in the morning and afternoon of the analog clock. is there.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the distinction between morning and afternoon, which is difficult to determine with an analog timepiece, can be visually and easily determined without providing a new display unit.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the analog timepiece display hand operation is to scroll the EPG information at a high speed by continuously operating the forward operation unit or the backward operation unit for a predetermined time. The electronic program guide display control device according to any one of the first to third aspects.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, much EPG information can be referred to at a high speed by a simple operation.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a calendar display is provided on a display screen adjacent to an analog clock display.
The date on which the G information is displayed is different in color from the other days on which no EPG information is displayed, and the date range in which EPG information can be displayed is color-coded with the date range in which EPG information cannot be displayed. The electronic program guide display control device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention is characterized in that:

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily determine the date on which the EPG information is displayed and the date range in which the EPG information can be displayed, which cannot be grasped only by analog clock display.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of an EPG display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The EPG display device has been re-confirmed the visibility of analog clocks in recent years when digitization has been progressing, and the program selection work has been performed when confirming the date and time of the program column to be examined in multi-channel broadcasting such as digital CS broadcasting. It is possible to effectively promote the simplification of the process, and also to confirm the transfer period of the EPG data, and eliminate the need to check the EPG that has not been sent again by scrolling or the like.

FIG. 1 shows a TV screen A controlled by a display control device 1 described later. The TV screen A has a program information column B of a predetermined size at the upper left of the screen,
An analog clock display C is provided on the right side of, and a calendar display D is provided on the right side of the analog clock display C. Below the program information column B, the analog clock display C, and the calendar display D, an EPG screen display E occupies approximately (を) of the space below the TV screen A.

The EPG screen display E has a time column indicating time on one of the vertical axis and the horizontal axis, and a broadcast station information column indicating broadcast station information on a broadcast station broadcasting a program on the other. An EPG screen display E in which a control means 3 to be described later is in a table format in conjunction with a pointer operation of the analog timepiece C.
Scroll display is realized. In the present embodiment,
As shown in FIG. 2, a channel column E1 is provided on the vertical axis of the EPG screen display E, and a time column E2 is provided on the horizontal axis.

In the calendar display D, dates of EPG data displayed on the EPG screen display E, for example, numbers and characters, are distinguished from other dates by numbers and characters. Thus, the date and range of the displayed EPG data which cannot be grasped only by the analog clock display C can be visually and easily confirmed without providing a new display unit. This can contribute to the user's program selection.

On the TV screen A, a calendar display D is provided immediately beside the analog clock display C to display the date and time, and the EPG screen display E is mainly displayed.

In the repetition of the EPG screen display E, the pointer of the analog clock display C is operated forward and backward by a remote controller as a user operation unit, and the EPG in a table format is scrolled in conjunction with the operation.

When the analog clock display C points to 3:00 pm, the display range of the EPG screen display E is not to display the program guide at 3:00 pm but to display the target program time of 3 pm The display is made a predetermined period before the time, for example, one hour before. That is, the display is started from 2:00 pm, and the end is displayed for a total of three hours until 5:00 pm (FIG. 2). This eliminates the need for an operation of displaying the previous time anew, thereby making it easier to use.

The operation interval of the analog clock display C is 1 minute, and the EPG screen display E is displayed starting at 3:00 pm even when pointing to 3:15 pm. That is, the EPG display is the display control device 1 (FIG. 3) for displaying every hour.

If you want to check the program list many days ahead,
By pressing and holding the pointer operation button on the remote controller for a predetermined time (second) or more, the pointer is scrolled at high speed. This makes it easy to check the program list one week later, and many EPGs can be easily operated.
Information can be referenced at high speed. As long as the button is kept pressed by the pointer operation of the remote controller, EPG data is not acquired, the screen display is blacked out, and the program information at the time when the pointer operation is stopped is displayed.

Further, the range of days to which EPG data is sent can be visually distinguished by color-coded display on a calendar, for example, by using different background colors for dates. In other words, the pointer of the analog clock display C can advance to a range where no EPG data has been sent, but it indicates that no program data has been sent. Thus, the EPG that cannot be grasped only by the analog clock display C
Date range information for which information can be displayed can be supplemented without providing a new display unit.

The distinction between the morning and afternoon of the analog clock display C is made by making the background color of the analog clock display C different so that, for example, the background color is white and the morning color is morning.
Displays black color as afternoon. This makes it possible to easily provide a distinction between morning and afternoon, which is difficult to determine with an analog timepiece, without providing a new display unit.
For example, by allowing the operator himself / herself to arbitrarily change, determine, and select the display color in the morning / afternoon, a display screen that suits the personal taste can be created.

The setting of the current time of the analog clock display C is as follows.
It is assumed that the display control device 1 automatically adjusts when a power source, for example, an AC power source is turned on.

If the user wants to check the current time and the program table of the day ahead many days later while operating the analog clock display C to check the EPG many days later, an operation means such as a remote controller A display control device 1 in which a specific button, for example, a current time display button is installed in the device, and when the current time display button is pressed, the analog clock returns to the current time.
And The EPG screen display E at that time is also changed and displayed according to the current time.

The EPG display control device 1 described above has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as control means.
3, ROM (Read Only Memory) 5, RAM (Random Access Memory) 7, memory card 9,
Remote control receiver 11, NTSC (National Television
System Committ) encoder 13, VCR (Video Cass)
ette Recorder) interface 15
Each is connected via a bus (Bus) 17. A TV receiver 19 having the display screen A is connected to the NTSC encoder 13, a VCR 21 is connected to the VCR interface 15, and the TV receiver 19
A broadcast / recording signal is transmitted between the CRs 21. The remote control receiver 11 is provided with a remote control 23 using infrared rays, for example.
Receiving the control signal from the remote control.

The CPU 3 reads out and executes a program stored in the ROM 5. The RAM 7 has a CP
In addition to storing data necessary for the operation of U3, an EPG bitmap for displaying a program table is stored.

The memory card 9 is connected to an EPG reproducing terminal, and stores an EPG including information (each channel information and time information) sent from a broadcasting station (not shown). The memory card 9 has the latest E
The PG is stored, and information that is periodically delivered is displayed on the memory card 9.

Analog clock displays C and E on the display screen A
The scrolling of the PG display E is realized by the CPU 3 reading the program column from the RAM 7 and outputting it to the television receiver 19 for display.

The remote control receiver 11 receives the infrared ray transmitted from the remote controller 23, photoelectrically converts it, and
Output to PU3. The NTSC encoder 13 converts the signal input thereto into a signal conforming to the NTSC system, and outputs the signal to the television receiver 19 for display. The VCR interface 15 is controlled by the CPU 3 and controls the VCR 21.

As shown in FIG. 3, the remote controller 23 has a left cursor LC and a right cursor RC for the analog clock C.
When the left cursor LC is operated, the clock hand reverses, and when the right cursor RC is operated, the clock hand is advanced, and the corresponding infrared ray is output. The current time display button (now) 25 is provided on the remote controller 23, and when the current time display button (now) 25 is pressed, the analog clock display C returns to the current time, and the EPG screen display E also displays the current time. Return to

The EPG display control device 1 having each of the above structures
The operator can perform each process by repeatedly operating the remote controller 23. When the power of the system is turned on, the CPU 3 reads the contents of the memory stored in the ROM 5, reads the EPG information stored in the memory card 9, and displays the current time. In the EPG display, time or channel information is created in a table format on the vertical axis or the horizontal axis and stored in the RAM 7.

When the cursor keys RC and LC of the remote controller 23 are operated by the user, infrared rays are
And received by the remote control receiver 11. The remote control receiver 11 receives infrared rays from the remote control 23,
The signal is further photoelectrically converted and output to the CPU 3. The CPU 3 operates the hands of the analog clock display C according to the signal supplied from the remote control receiver 11. When the pointer of the analog clock display C is operated, the CPU 3 reads the EPG information of the operated time from the RAM 7 and outputs it to the television receiver 19 via the NTSC encoder 13 for display. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is of course not limited to this.

[0037]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the EPG information can be scrolled in conjunction with the change of the pointer time of the analog clock display, so that the EPG information is displayed on the display screen. The temporal relationship of the EPG information can be grasped more visually, and the user can select, recognize, and judge information more quickly.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the relationship between the target EPG information and the information before that time can be understood by displaying the EPG information before the EPG information is simply executed from the designated time. , It is easier for the user to grasp the information, and there is no need to display the previous time again.
It can be easy to use.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the distinction between morning and afternoon, which is difficult to determine with an analog timepiece, can be visually and easily determined without providing a new display unit.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, many pieces of EPG information can be referred to at a high speed by a simple operation.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily determine the date on which EPG information is displayed and the date range in which EPG information can be displayed, which cannot be grasped only by analog clock display.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a TV screen controlled by a display control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an EPG display according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a display control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A TV screen B Program information column C Analog clock display D Calendar display EEPG screen display 1 Display controller 3 CPU 9 Memory card 19 TV receiver 23 Remote controller LC Left cursor RC Right cursor

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An E including broadcast time of a multi-channel program
An electronic program guide display control device that outputs PG information to a display screen, wherein an analog clock display is displayed in the display screen, and the hand time of the analog clock display is set in a forward direction and a backward direction of a pointer provided in a user operation unit. An electronic program guide display control device which controls by operating a forward operation unit and a reverse operation unit provided correspondingly to each other, and displays EPG information on a display screen according to the guide time of the analog clock display. 2. The electronic program guide display control device according to claim 1, wherein the time display range of the EPG information is a predetermined time before and after the designated analog clock display hand time as an axis. 3. The electronic program guide display control device according to claim 1, wherein the background color of the analog clock display changes between morning and afternoon of the analog clock. 4. The analog clock display hand movement according to claim 1, wherein the EPG information is scrolled at a high speed by continuously operating a forward operation unit or a backward operation unit for a predetermined time. Electronic program guide display control device. 5. A calendar display is provided on the display screen adjacent to the analog clock display, and a date displayed by the EPG information is different in color from other days on which the EPG information is not displayed. 5. The electronic program guide display control device according to claim 1, wherein a date range in which EPG information can be displayed is color-coded with a date range in which EPG information cannot be displayed.