JP2004080748A - Television receiver and system including same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a television receiver in which program related information associated with a television program not being watched is acquired. <P>SOLUTION: In a television receiver 100, amount information indicating the number of program related information associated with television programs is acquired from program chart information acquired from a television signal 11 or the like, and the acquired amount information is displayed on a television screen. When a user selects a television program from which program related information is acquired, the television receiver 100 acquires a URL of the program related information from an address server 200 by using a program identification code of the selected television program, acquires the program related information from an information server 300 by using the acquired URL, and displays the acquired program related information while superimposing it on television video or the like. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device having a television broadcast receiving function, such as a digital television receiver, a personal computer, and a mobile phone, and a system for providing information to a device having a television broadcast receiving function.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As one of the methods for easily selecting a television program to be recorded when performing scheduled recording of a television program or the like, a method using a G code (registered trademark) is known. G code (registered trademark) is a type of program identification information that can uniquely identify a program, and compresses and encodes a date, a channel, a program start time, and a program length required for performing scheduled recording. This is a code represented by a number of eight digits or less.
[0003]
At present, the use of the G code (registered trademark) is almost limited to reserved recording in video equipment. As another usage method, Patent Literature 1 discloses an information providing system that provides program-related information related to a television program using a G code (registered trademark).
[0004]
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information providing system disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the system shown in FIG. 17, a user terminal device 1701, an information provider terminal device 1702, and a management device 1703 are connected via a communication network 1704. The information provider associates program identification information such as G code (registered trademark) with program-related information to be provided to the user and inputs the information to the information provider terminal device 1702. The input program identification information and program-related information are transmitted from the information provider terminal device 1702 to the management device 1703, and are stored in the database of the management device 1703 while maintaining the correspondence.
[0005]
When acquiring the program-related information related to a certain television program, the user inputs the program identification information of the television program to the user terminal device 1701. The input program identification information is transmitted from the user terminal device 1701 to the management device 1703. When receiving the program identification information, the management device 1703 reads the program-related information corresponding to the received program identification information from the database, and transmits the read program-related information to the user terminal device 1701. The user terminal device 1701 displays the program-related information received from the management device 1703 on a screen. Thereby, the user can receive the provision of program-related information related to the television program.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2002-354445
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional information providing system has the following problems. First, in this system, it is necessary for a user to input program identification information such as a G code (registered trademark) with reference to a program table published in a newspaper or a magazine. For this reason, this system has a problem of forcing the user to perform a troublesome operation. In addition, this system has a problem that it is necessary to newly provide a management device that stores the program identification information and the program-related information in association with each other. Furthermore, this system does not allow the user to know whether or not there is program-related information corresponding to the program identification information until the user inputs the program identification information and receives the result transmitted from the management device. There's a problem.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to easily select a television program from which program-related information is to be acquired, and to determine whether there is program-related information related to the television program before selecting the television program. It is an object of the present invention to provide a television receiver and a system including the television receiver.
[0009]
Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention
A first invention is a television receiver for receiving a television signal and acquiring information via a communication network, wherein the television receiver obtains a television image based on the television signal, and converts the obtained television image into a television signal. TV broadcast receiving means to be displayed on the screen, quantity acquisition means for acquiring the quantity of program-related information related to the television program from the acquired program guide information, and the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means on the television screen. Information display means for displaying, quantity input means for inputting an instruction from a user, and information acquisition means for acquiring program-related information related to the television program selected using the input means via a communication network. And information display means for displaying the program-related information acquired by the information acquisition means on a television screen.
According to the first aspect, the quantity of the program-related information related to the television program is displayed on the television screen, so that the user can select the program related to the television program before selecting the television program. It is possible to recognize whether or not the related information exists. Therefore, the user can efficiently select a television program from which program-related information is to be obtained.
[0010]
In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the quantity acquisition means acquires program guide information from a television signal or via a communication network, and for each television program included in the program guide information, It is characterized by obtaining the quantity.
According to the second aspect, by acquiring the program guide information including the quantity of the program-related information, it is possible to collectively acquire the quantity of the program-related information.
[0011]
In a third aspect based on the second aspect, the quantity display means creates a program guide representing each television program included in the program guide information in a form corresponding to the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means. And displaying the created program guide on a television screen.
According to the third aspect of the invention, since each television program is represented in the program table displayed on the television screen in a form corresponding to the quantity of the program-related information, the user can select the television program. It can be easily recognized whether or not there is program-related information related to.
[0012]
In a fourth aspect based on the second aspect, the quantity display means creates a program guide including the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means based on the program guide information, and displays the created program guide on a television screen. It is characterized by the following.
According to the fourth aspect, by displaying the quantity of the program-related information on the television screen in association with the program table, the user can determine whether there is program-related information related to the television program. Can be easily recognized. In addition, by using the program guide displayed on the television screen to select a television program for which program-related information is to be acquired, the user can acquire program-related information relating to a television program that is not being viewed. can do.
[0013]
In a fifth aspect based on the fourth aspect, the quantity display means displays a program content screen including the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means on the television screen together with the reduced television image. I do.
According to the fifth aspect, by displaying the quantity of the program-related information together with the reduced television image, the user can watch the television program while viewing the program related to the currently viewed television program. It is possible to recognize whether or not the related information exists.
[0014]
In a sixth aspect based on the first aspect, the quantity obtaining means obtains the quantity of the television program displayed as a television image.
According to the sixth aspect, the user can instruct acquisition of the program-related information after recognizing whether or not the program-related information related to the television program being viewed exists.
[0015]
In a seventh aspect based on the sixth aspect, the quantity display means superimposes and displays a banner corresponding to the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means on the television image.
According to the seventh aspect, by displaying a banner corresponding to the number of program-related information on the television screen, the user can determine whether there is program-related information related to the television program being viewed. Can be easily recognized.
[0016]
In an eighth aspect based on the sixth aspect, the quantity display means displays a program content screen including the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means on the television screen together with the reduced television image. I do.
According to the eighth aspect, by displaying the quantity of the program-related information together with the reduced television image, the user can watch the television program while viewing the program related to the television program being viewed. It is possible to recognize whether or not the related information exists.
[0017]
A ninth aspect of the present invention is based on the first aspect, further comprising program identification information acquiring means for acquiring program identification information capable of uniquely identifying a television program from the program guide information, wherein the information acquiring means comprises a program identification information acquiring means. The present invention is characterized in that desired program-related information is obtained via a communication network using the program identification information obtained in (1).
According to the ninth aspect, by accessing the information server using the program identification information instead of the address information of the program-related information, the data amount of the program guide information can be reduced.
[0018]
In a tenth aspect based on the ninth aspect, the information acquisition means is communicably connected using the program identification information acquired by the program identification information acquisition means, and associates the program identification information with the program-related information. By accessing the stored information server, desired program-related information is obtained.
According to the tenth aspect, by storing the program identification information and the program-related information in the information server in association with each other, the television receiver can transmit the program-related information from the information server using the program identification information. Can be obtained.
[0019]
In an eleventh aspect based on the ninth aspect, the information acquisition means is communicably connected using the program identification information acquired by the program identification information acquisition means, and the program identification information and the address information of the program-related information are combined. Access to the address server that stores the program-related information, and uses the address information of the program-related information obtained from the address server so as to be communicably connected and to correspond to the program-related information and the address information of the program-related information. It is characterized in that desired program-related information is obtained by accessing an information server that is additionally stored.
According to the eleventh aspect, by storing the program identification information and the address information of the program-related information in the address server in association with each other, the television receiver can operate even when the existing information server is used as it is. , The program-related information can be obtained from the information server using the program identification information.
[0020]
In a twelfth aspect based on the eleventh aspect, the information display means displays address information of the program-related information acquired from the address server on the television screen before the information acquisition means accesses the information server. And
According to the twelfth aspect, the user can select the program-related information to be acquired after confirming the address information of the program-related information displayed on the television screen.
[0021]
A thirteenth invention is characterized in that, in the ninth invention, the program identification information is encoded information including a channel on which a television program is broadcast and a date and time.
According to the thirteenth aspect, a television program can be correctly and uniquely identified.
[0022]
In a fourteenth aspect based on the thirteenth aspect, the program identification information is a G code (registered trademark).
According to the fourteenth aspect, a television program can be correctly and uniquely identified by using an existing technology.
[0023]
In a fifteenth aspect based on the ninth aspect, the program identification information is encoded information including a broadcasting station on which the television program is broadcast and the date and time.
According to the fifteenth aspect, a television program can be correctly and uniquely identified with high certainty.
[0024]
A sixteenth invention is a system for providing information from an information server to a television receiver, comprising a television receiver and an information server communicably connected, wherein the television receiver receives the received television. A television broadcast receiving means for obtaining a television image based on the signal and displaying the obtained television image on a television screen, and a quantity for obtaining the quantity of program-related information related to the television program from the obtained program guide information Acquisition means, program identification information acquisition means for acquiring program identification information that can uniquely identify a television program from program table information, and quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means, quantity display means for displaying the quantity on the television screen, An input unit for inputting an instruction from a user; and an information server relating to a television program selected using the input unit. Information acquisition means for acquiring the program-related information obtained by the program, and information display means for displaying the program-related information acquired by the information acquisition means on a television screen. The information server associates the program identification information with the program-related information. In addition, when the program identification information is received from the television receiver, the program-related information corresponding to the received program identification information is transmitted to the television receiver.
According to the sixteenth aspect, the quantity of the program-related information related to the television program is displayed on the television screen, so that the user can select the program related to the television program before selecting the television program. It is possible to recognize whether or not the related information exists. Therefore, the user can efficiently select a television program from which program-related information is to be obtained. In addition, by accessing the information server using the program identification information instead of the address information of the program-related information, the data amount of the program guide information can be reduced.
[0025]
In a seventeenth aspect based on the sixteenth aspect, the quantity acquisition means acquires program guide information from a television signal or via a communication network.
According to the seventeenth aspect, by acquiring the program guide information including the quantity of the program-related information, it is possible to collectively acquire the quantity of the program-related information.
[0026]
In an eighteenth aspect based on the sixteenth aspect, the quantity obtaining means obtains the quantity from the program guide information for the television program displayed as the television image, and the program identification information obtaining means obtains the quantity as the television image. For the displayed television program, program identification information is obtained from program table information.
According to the eighteenth aspect, the user can instruct acquisition of the program-related information after recognizing whether or not the program-related information related to the television program being viewed exists.
[0027]
In a nineteenth aspect based on the sixteenth aspect, the program identification information and the address information of the program-related information are stored in association with each other, and when the program identification information is received from the television receiver, the program identification information is added to the received program identification information. An address server for transmitting the address information of the corresponding program-related information to the television receiver is further provided. The information server stores the address information of the program-related information in association with the program-related information instead of the program identification information. The information obtaining means accesses the address server using the program identification information obtained by the program identification information obtaining means, and accesses the information server using the address information of the program-related information obtained from the address server, thereby providing a desired information. It is characterized by acquiring program-related information.
According to the nineteenth aspect, by storing the program identification information and the address information of the program-related information in the address server in association with each other, even when the existing information server is used as it is, the television receiver can be used. , The program-related information can be obtained from the information server using the program identification information.
[0028]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(1st Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The system shown in FIG. 1 includes a broadcasting station device 10, a television receiver 100, an address server 200, a plurality of information servers 300, and a communication network 20. Among them, the television receiver 100, the address server 200, and the information server 300 are communicably connected via the communication network 20. The broadcast station device 10 and the address server 200 are always connected by a dedicated line. Although FIG. 1 shows only one television receiver 100, the system shown in FIG. 1 actually includes many television receivers 100.
[0029]
The broadcasting station device 10 is a device managed by a television broadcasting company. The broadcasting station device 10 transmits the television signal 11 to the television receiver 100. The television receiver 100 has a television receiving function. That is, the television receiver 100 receives the television signal 11 transmitted from the broadcasting station device 10, obtains a television image based on the received television signal 11, and displays the obtained television image on a television screen. I do. The television broadcasting performed by the television broadcasting company is typically a digital television broadcasting, but may be an analog television broadcasting.
[0030]
The information server 300 is a server that stores information related to a television program (hereinafter, referred to as program-related information). The program-related information is, for example, when there is a television program that introduces a dish provided at a restaurant, information on how to cook, information on the restaurant, information on tableware used when the dish is provided. And so on. As described above, the television receiver 100 is communicably connected to the information server 300 via the communication network 20. Thus, the television receiver 100 accesses the information server 300 via the communication network 20 and acquires program-related information from the information server 300. The television receiver 100 superimposes the program-related information acquired from the information server 300 on the television image, or displays the information on the television screen together with the television image.
[0031]
The address server 200 is a server managed by a company that creates and provides a program guide of a television program (hereinafter, referred to as a program guide provider). The program guide provider creates a program guide for the television program, converts the generated program guide into program guide information in a format usable by the television receiver 100, and transfers the obtained program guide information to the address server 200. input. The address server 200 transmits the input program guide information to the broadcasting station device 10 connected via a dedicated line. The broadcast station device 10 transmits the program guide information 12 received from the address server 200 to the television receiver 100 while including the program guide information 12 in the television signal 11.
[0032]
During normal operation, the television receiver 100 displays a television image based on a television signal on a television screen. In addition, the television receiver 100 creates a program guide recognizable by the user based on the program guide information included in the television signal 11, and superimposes the created program guide on the television image in accordance with an instruction from the user. Or on the television screen together with the television image.
[0033]
Also, the program guide provider seeks, for each television program included in the program guide, program identification information capable of uniquely identifying the television program, and provides a program guide including program identification information corresponding to each television program. create. Here, the program identification information is, for example, at least a channel on which a television program is broadcast and a date and time (a set of a program start date and time and a program end date and time, or a set of a date and a program start time and a program length). And more preferably encoded information including the channel on which the television program is broadcast and the date and time.
[0034]
When the program identification information including the channel and the date and time is used, it is not possible to distinguish different television programs performed in different regions on the same channel at the same date and time. For this reason, in order to uniquely specify a television program using the above-described program identification information, area information for distinguishing a broadcast area is further required. Generally, a postal code or an area code is used as the area information, but the area defined by these area information does not always match the broadcast area. For this reason, even if the program identification information including the channel and the date and time is used, and the region information is further used, the program may not be uniquely identified in some cases. In such a case, encoded information including at least the broadcasting station that broadcasts the television program and the date and time when the television program is broadcast may be used as the program identification information. When the program identification information including the broadcast station and the date and time is used, the television program can be identified with higher certainty than when the program identification information including the channel and the date and time is used. As the program identification information, for example, a G code (registered trademark) provided by US Gemstar can be used. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, coded information including a broadcast station and a date and time is used as program identification information, and this information is referred to as a program identification code.
[0035]
Further, for each television program included in the program guide, the program guide provider determines the number of program-related information related to each television program (hereinafter referred to as quantity information), and the program including the determined quantity information Create a table. However, the quantity information is obtained by counting only the program-related information stored in the information server 300 whose address information is stored in the address server 200 in association with the program identification code. As a result, the program table information 12 including the program identification code and the quantity information is transmitted from the address server 200 to the broadcasting station apparatus 10 using the dedicated line, and the program information is transmitted from the broadcasting station apparatus 10 to the television receiver 100. A television signal 11 including program guide information including an identification code and quantity information is transmitted using a broadcast network.
[0036]
In the following description, the television receiver 100 acquires the program guide information from the received television signal 11, but instead acquires the program guide information via the communication network 20. Is also good. For example, the television receiver 100 may appropriately communicate with the address server 200 and acquire program guide information from the address server 200.
[0037]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the television receiver 100. The television receiver 100 includes a tuner 101, a separating unit 102, a decoder 103, an OSD (On Screen Display) processing unit 104, a synthesizing unit 105, a display unit 106, a control unit 111, a communication unit 112, an input unit 113, and program guide information. A storage unit 114 and a storage unit 115 are provided.
[0038]
The tuner 101 extracts a signal in a frequency band selected by the user from the television signal 11 transmitted from the broadcast station device 10 and outputs the signal as a transport stream. The separation unit 102 separates the transport stream output from the tuner 101 into a digital video signal, a digital audio signal, and a control signal. The decoder 103 obtains an analog video signal and an analog audio signal based on the encoded digital video signal and digital audio signal output from the separation unit 102. The OSD processing unit 104 outputs an OSD display signal based on the OSD control signal output from the control unit 111. The synthesizing unit 105 synthesizes the analog video signal output from the decoder 103 with the OSD display signal output from the OSD processing unit 104. The display unit 106 displays the analog video signal output from the synthesizing unit 105 on a screen. Note that the analog audio signal output from the decoder 103 is output from an audio output unit (not shown).
[0039]
The control unit 111 performs various controls related to the television receiver 100. The communication unit 112 transmits and receives data to and from the address server 200 and the information server 300 connected to the communication network 20 under the control of the control unit 111. The input unit 113 is an input device for inputting a command from a user. The input unit 113 outputs a command input signal to the control unit 111 according to a command input from the user.
[0040]
The program guide information storage unit 114 and the storage unit 115 store work data of the control unit 111. The control signal separated by the separation unit 102 includes the program guide information transmitted from the broadcast station device 10. Program table information of the work data of the control unit 111 is stored in the program table information storage unit 114. Since the program guide information broadcasted from the broadcast station device 10 includes the program identification code and the quantity information of each television program included in the program guide, the program identification code and the quantity information are also set as shown in FIG. Are stored in the program guide information storage unit 114. Data other than the program guide information among the work data of the control unit 111 is stored in the storage unit 115. The storage unit 115 stores, for example, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the program-related information as address information of the program-related information. In the above description, the television receiver 100 includes the program guide information storage unit 114 and the storage unit 115 separately, but it goes without saying that both may be configured as one storage unit.
[0041]
In the television receiver 100, when a screen other than a television image is displayed on a television screen, the control unit 111 generates an OSD control signal for generating a screen other than the television image, and generates the generated OSD control signal. Is output to the OSD processing unit 104. As a result, a program guide, a banner, a command input screen, and the like are displayed on the television screen so as to be superimposed on the television image or together with the television screen.
[0042]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a program table used in the television receiver 100. The program guide indicates when each television program is broadcasted from which broadcasting station (or on which channel) and when. In the program table shown in FIG. 3, broadcasting stations (or channels) are arranged in the horizontal direction, and television programs broadcast from each broadcasting station (or in each channel) are arranged in the vertical direction in chronological order. Each television program included in the program guide is associated with a title, a program identification code, and quantity information. In FIG. 3, the data displayed as items TITLE, PCODE, and INFNO are the title, the program identification code, and the quantity information of the television program, respectively. In the program table shown in FIG. 3, for example, the title of the television program broadcasted from 19:00 to 20:00 by the B broadcast is “seasonal cuisine”, the program identification code is “356678349”, and the quantity information is “3”. It is.
[0043]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the address server 200. The address server 200 includes an input unit 201, a first communication unit 202, a second communication unit 203, a control unit 204, and a storage unit 205. The input unit 201 is an input device for inputting data to the address server 200. The program guide provider (the administrator of the address server 200) converts the program guide including the program identification code and the quantity information into program guide information in a format usable by the television receiver 100, and obtains the obtained program guide. Information is input using the input unit 201. The first communication unit 202 transmits the input program guide information to the broadcast station device 10 connected via a dedicated line.
[0044]
The program guide provider uses the input unit 201 to input the URL and title of the program-related information related to the television program for each television program included in the program guide, together with the program table information. At this time, when there are a plurality of pieces of program-related information related to one television program, the program guide provider inputs a plurality of URLs and a plurality of titles for one television program. The URL and the title input from the input unit 201 are stored in the storage unit 205 in association with the program identification code of the television program corresponding to the URL.
[0045]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating data stored in the storage unit 205 of the address server 200. As shown in FIG. 5, the storage unit 205 stores the URL and title of the program-related information in association with the program identification code. The data shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the program guide shown in FIG. In the program table shown in FIG. 3, the program identification code of the television program broadcasted by broadcast A between 20:00 and 21:00 is “98765”, and the quantity information is “1”. In response to this, as shown in FIG. 5, the storage unit 205 stores the URL and the title of the program-related information related to the television program having the program identification code “98765”, one by one. I have. In addition, the program identification code of the television program broadcasted from 19:00 to 20:00 by the B broadcast is “346678349”, and the quantity information is “3”. Correspondingly, the storage unit 205 stores three URLs and three titles of program-related information related to the television program whose program identification code is “346678349”.
[0046]
Referring back to FIG. 4, the second communication unit 203 transmits and receives data to and from the television receiver 100 connected via the communication network 20. The second communication unit 203 receives the program identification code from the television receiver 100. The control unit 204 searches the storage unit 205 using the program identification code received by the second communication unit 203. The second communication unit 203 transmits the URL and the title searched by the control unit 204 to the television receiver 100.
[0047]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a URL providing process by the address server 200. The control unit 204 of the address server 200 executes the following processing when the second communication unit 203 starts communication with the television receiver 100.
[0048]
The control unit 204 waits until the address server 200 is accessed from the television receiver 100 (that is, until the second communication unit 203 starts communication with the television receiver 100) (step S601). . When the address server 200 is accessed from the television receiver 100 (YES in step S601), the control unit 204 receives the program identification code from the television receiver 100 using the second communication unit 203 (step S601). S602).
[0049]
Next, the control unit 204 searches for a URL and a title corresponding to the received program identification code (step S603). More specifically, the control unit 204 searches the storage unit 205 using the program identification code received in step S602, and reads out the URL and title corresponding to the program identification code from the storage unit 205.
[0050]
Next, the control unit 204 uses the second communication unit 203 to transmit the URL and the title read in Step S603 to the television receiver 100 that has accessed the address server 200 (Step S604). Thus, address server 200 transmits the URL and the title corresponding to the received program identification code to television receiver 100.
[0051]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an information acquisition process by the television receiver 100. The process shown in FIG. 7 is executed when the user acquires the program-related information using the program guide displayed on the television screen. Before the processing shown in FIG. 7 is executed, the program table information including the program identification code and the quantity information is stored in the program table information storage unit 114 of the television receiver 100. Storage unit 205 stores a program identification code, a URL of program-related information, and a title.
[0052]
First, the control unit 111 performs control to display a program guide on a television screen based on the program guide information stored in the program guide information storage unit 114 (step S701). At this time, the control unit 111 performs control to display each television program included in the program table in a manner according to the quantity information of each television program. For example, the control unit 111 may perform control to display a television program included in the program guide in a darker color as the quantity information is larger and in a lighter color as the quantity information is smaller. Alternatively, the control unit 111 displays the television program having the program-related information (that is, the television program having the quantity information of 1 or more) using a background color different from that of the television program having no program-related information. Control may be performed. Alternatively, the control unit 111 displays each television program after adding a specific character string or symbol according to the quantity information of each television program, or adding the quantity information of each television program as it is. Control may be performed.
[0053]
Next, the control unit 111 reads out the quantity information of the television program currently tentatively selected by the user from the program guide information storage unit 114 (step S702). Next, the control unit 111 performs control to display a confirmation screen including the quantity information read in step S702 (step S703).
[0054]
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state where a confirmation screen is displayed on the television screen. The program table shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the television screen 801 shown in FIG. The television screen 801 displays the title and quantity information of each television program, and the program identification code is not displayed to make the program table easy to see. Further, in order to allow the user to easily recognize whether or not the program-related information exists, the television program having the program-related information is emphasized using a different background color from the television program having no program-related information. Is displayed. For example, on the television screen 801, a television program whose title is “seasonal cuisine” and a television program whose title is “drama” are highlighted. If each television program included in the program guide is displayed in a different manner depending on whether or not the program-related information exists, the quantity information of each television program is displayed on the television screen. It does not have to be displayed.
[0055]
If the user has temporarily selected a television program whose title is “seasonal cuisine”, a confirmation screen 802 shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the television screen 801. According to the program table shown in FIG. 3, the quantity information of the television program whose title is “seasonal cuisine” is “3”. That is, the address server 200 stores three URLs of program-related information related to the television program in association with the program identification code of the television program. In order for the user to recognize this, the control unit 111 sets the quantity information of the television program (three in this example) and a confirmation button (in this example) for asking the user whether the current selection is acceptable. Then, control is performed to display on the television screen a confirmation screen 802 including "yes" and "no" buttons).
[0056]
Returning to FIG. 7, next, the control unit 111 determines whether or not a URL acquisition request has been input from the user (step S704). Until a URL acquisition request is input from the user (that is, while step S704 is NO), control unit 111 repeatedly executes the processing of steps S702 to S704. When a URL acquisition request is input from the user (YES in step S704), control unit 111 acquires a program identification code of the television program selected by the user from program table information storage unit 114 (step S705).
[0057]
Next, the control unit 111 transmits the program identification code acquired in step S705 to the address server 200 using the communication unit 112 (step S706). Upon receiving the program identification code from the television receiver 100, the address server 200 executes the processing shown in FIG. As a result, the URL and the title of the program-related information corresponding to the program identification code transmitted by the television receiver 100 are transmitted from the address server 200 to the television receiver 100.
[0058]
Next, the control unit 111 uses the communication unit 112 to receive the URL and the title transmitted from the address server 200 (Step S707). FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating data received by the television receiver 100 from the address server 200. FIG. 9 shows a state where the data shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the storage unit 205 of the address server 200 and the television receiver 100 transmits the program identification code “346678349” to the address server 200. The URL and the title transmitted from 200 to the television receiver 100 are shown. In this example, there are three pieces of program-related information corresponding to the program identification code “346678349”, and there are three URLs and titles of the program-related information. Therefore, data received by the television receiver 100 from the address server 200 includes three URLs and three titles.
[0059]
Next, the control unit 111 performs control to display the URL and the title received from the address server 200 on the television screen (step S708). FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state where the received URL and title are displayed on the television screen. The program table shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the television screen 1001 shown in FIG. In addition, on the television screen 1001, a URL display screen 1002 indicating the three URLs and the three titles received in step S707 in association with each other is displayed so as to be superimposed on the program guide.
[0060]
Next, the control unit 111 waits until the user selects a URL (step S709). When a certain URL is selected by the user (YES in step S709), control unit 111 uses communication unit 112 to acquire program-related information from the selected URL (step S710). More specifically, the control unit 111 uses the communication unit 112 to access the information server 300 corresponding to the selected URL. When receiving the URL from the television receiver 100, the information server 300 transmits the program-related information corresponding to the received URL to the television receiver 100.
[0061]
Next, using the communication unit 112, the control unit 111 performs control to display the program-related information acquired from the URL selected by the user on a television screen (step S711). FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a manner in which program-related information is displayed on the television screen of the television receiver 100. On a television screen 1101 shown in FIG. 11, television images of several buildings are displayed. In addition, on the television screen 1101, a program-related information screen 1102 indicating program-related information is displayed so as to be superimposed on the television image. The program-related information screen 1102 is displayed when the user selects the program-related information whose title is “cooking recipe” in a situation where the URL display screen 1002 shown in FIG. 10 is displayed on the television screen. As described above, when the control unit 111 executes the processing shown in FIG. 7, the user can select a superimposed television image on the television screen instead of the television image or together with the television image. The displayed program-related information is displayed.
[0062]
As described above, the system according to the present embodiment includes a television receiver, an address server, and an information server communicably connected. In addition to having a television broadcast receiving function, the television receiver acquires quantity information indicating the quantity of the program-related information from the program guide information, and displays the acquired quantity information on a television screen. Thus, the user can recognize whether or not there is program-related information related to the television program before selecting the television program. Therefore, the user can efficiently select a television program from which program-related information is to be obtained.
[0063]
In addition, by using the program guide displayed on the television screen to select a television program for which program-related information is to be acquired, the user can acquire program-related information relating to a television program that is not being viewed. can do. In addition, by displaying the quantity of the program-related information on the television screen in association with the program guide, or displaying each television program in the program guide in a form corresponding to the quantity of the program-related information, the user can use the television program. It is possible to easily recognize whether or not there is program-related information related to the John program.
[0064]
Further, by accessing the information server using the program identification information instead of the address information of the program-related information, the amount of data of the program guide information can be reduced. Also, by storing the program identification information and the address information of the program-related information in the address server in association with each other, even when the existing information server is used as it is, the television receiver can use the program identification information to store the information in the information server. Can acquire program related information.
[0065]
(Second embodiment)
In the second embodiment of the present invention, a television receiver for acquiring program-related information related to a television program being viewed and a system including the television receiver will be described. The television receiver 100 according to the present embodiment performs two processes: a banner display process and an information acquisition process.
[0066]
Since the configuration of the system according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description is omitted here (see FIG. 1 and the description thereof). Also, the configuration of the television receiver, the configuration of the program guide, the configuration of the address server, the data stored in the storage unit of the address server, and the processing in the address server according to the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the description is omitted here (see FIGS. 2 to 6 and the description thereof).
[0067]
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing banner display processing by the television receiver 100. The process shown in FIG. 12 is executed to make the user recognize that there is program-related information related to the television program being viewed.
[0068]
The banner display process is executed when the screen display key is pressed. For this reason, the control unit 111 waits until the user presses the screen display key (step S1201). If the user presses the screen display key (YES in step S1201), control unit 111 reads out information on the number of television programs displayed on the television screen from program table information storage unit 114 (step S1202). Next, the control unit 111 performs control to display a banner corresponding to the quantity information read in step S1202 on the television screen (step S1203). For example, the control unit 111 may perform control to display a banner indicating the read quantity information on a television screen. Alternatively, when the read quantity information is 1 or more, the control unit 111 displays a banner indicating that the program-related information is present on the television screen, and when the read quantity information is 0, Control for not displaying the banner on the television screen may be performed.
[0069]
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a manner in which a banner relating to program-related information is displayed on a television screen. On a television screen 1301 shown in FIG. 13, a television image obtained by shooting a classical concert is displayed. When the user inputs a screen display key using the input unit 113, a banner 1302 representing basic information (date and time and title) on the television program is displayed on the television screen 1301 so as to be superimposed on the television image. You. At this time, when there is program-related information related to the television program displayed on the television screen (that is, the television program being viewed), a banner 1303 indicating that the program-related information exists is displayed. It is displayed superimposed on the television image. In the example shown in FIG. 13, it is assumed that the banner 1303 is displayed when the program-related information exists, and is not displayed when the program-related information does not exist.
[0070]
The user of the television receiver 100 sees the banner 1303 and recognizes that there is program-related information related to the television program displayed on the television screen.
[0071]
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an information acquisition process by the television receiver 100. However, among the information acquisition processing by the television receiver 100 according to the present embodiment, the same portions as the information acquisition processing by the television receiver according to the first embodiment are not described.
[0072]
When the user is interested in the program related information, the user presses the program content display key. The information acquisition process is executed when the program content display key is pressed. Therefore, the control unit 111 waits until the user presses the program content display key (step S1401). When the user presses the program content display key (YES in step S1401), control unit 111 reads out the quantity information of the television program displayed on the television screen from program table information storage unit 114 (step S1402). Next, the control unit 111 performs control to display the quantity information read in step S1402 and the URL acquisition request button on the television screen (step S1403).
[0073]
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a manner in which program contents of a currently viewed television program are displayed on the television screen. On a television screen 1501 shown in FIG. 15, a television image 1502 obtained by photographing a classical concert is reduced and displayed. In addition, in portions other than the reduced television image 1502, basic information (date and time and title) of the displayed television program, program outline, program detailed information, and program related information are displayed by OSD. In the program-related information portion, quantity information 1503 (three in FIG. 15) of the displayed television program and a confirmation button 1504 for asking the user whether to acquire the program-related information are displayed. You.
[0074]
Returning to FIG. 14, the control unit 111 determines whether the user has pressed the URL acquisition request button (step S1404). In the example illustrated in FIG. 15, the control unit 111 determines that the URL acquisition request button has been pressed when the “Yes” button of the confirmation buttons 1504 has been pressed, and determines that the “No” button has been pressed when the “No” button has been pressed. It is determined that the URL acquisition request button has not been pressed.
[0075]
When the URL acquisition request button is pressed (YES in step S1404), control unit 111 proceeds to step S705 shown in FIG. In this case, the television receiver 100 acquires the program-related information selected by the user by accessing the address server 200 and the information server 300 as in the first embodiment, and acquires the acquired program-related information. Is displayed on the television screen. On the other hand, when the URL acquisition request button has not been pressed (NO in step S1404), the television receiver 100 ends the information acquisition process without acquiring the program-related information.
[0076]
As described above, the television receiver according to the present embodiment displays the quantity information of the television program being viewed on the television screen. Thus, the user can instruct acquisition of the program-related information after recognizing whether or not the program-related information related to the television program being viewed exists. In addition, by displaying a banner corresponding to the number of program-related information on the television screen, the user can easily recognize whether or not there is program-related information related to the television program being viewed. . Further, by displaying the quantity of the program-related information together with the reduced television image, the user can check whether there is program-related information related to the television program being viewed while watching the television program. Can be recognized.
[0077]
In the systems according to the above-described first and second embodiments, instead of performing the two-stage access to the address server and the information server, the television receiver stores the storage unit 1602 as shown in FIG. The program-related information may be acquired by accessing once the information server 1601 that stores the program identification code and the program-related information in association with each other. Further, the address server may be formed integrally with the broadcasting station device and managed by a television broadcasting company.
[0078]
Further, the television receiver according to the second embodiment displays the program content screen including the quantity information of the television program being viewed on the television screen together with the reduced television image. Alternatively, the television receiver may display a program content screen including a television program which has not been viewed on the television screen together with the reduced television image. For example, when the television receiver receives a television program A and presses a program content display key designating a television program B that is not being received, the television receiver displays a program content screen including the quantity information of the television program B. May be displayed on the television screen together with the reduced television image of the television program A (or the reduced still image of the television program B).
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a system according to first and second embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a television receiver according to first and second embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a program table used in the television receiver according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an address server according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a table stored in an address server according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a URL providing process by an address server according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating information acquisition processing by the television receiver according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state where a confirmation screen is displayed on the television receiver according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing data received by the television receiver from the address server according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a view showing a state where the received URL is displayed on the television receiver according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which program-related information is displayed on the television receiver according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing banner display processing by the television receiver according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a view showing a state in which a banner relating to program-related information is displayed on the television receiver according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing information acquisition processing by the television receiver according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which program contents of a currently viewed television program are displayed on the television receiver according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing another configuration of the system according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional information providing system.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Broadcast station device
11 ... television signal
12… Program guide information
20 ... communication network
100 ... television receiver
101 ... Tuner
102 ... Separation unit
103 ... Decoder
104 OSD processing unit
105 ... Synthesis unit
106 ... Display unit
111 ... Control unit
112 ... communication unit
113 ... Input unit
114: Program guide information storage unit
115 storage unit
200 ... Address server
300, 1601 ... Information server

Claims (19)

A television receiver for receiving a television signal and acquiring information via a communication network,
Television broadcast receiving means for obtaining a television image based on the television signal and displaying the obtained television image on a television screen;
A quantity acquisition unit for acquiring the quantity of program-related information related to the television program from the acquired program guide information;
The quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means, quantity display means for displaying on the television screen,
An input unit for inputting an instruction from a user,
Information acquisition means for acquiring program-related information related to the television program selected using the input means via the communication network;
A television receiver, comprising: information display means for displaying the program-related information acquired by the information acquisition means on the television screen. The quantity obtaining means obtains the program guide information from the television signal or via the communication network, and obtains the quantity for each television program included in the program guide information. The television receiver according to claim 1, characterized in that: The quantity display means creates a program table representing each television program included in the program guide information in a form corresponding to the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means, and displays the created program table on the television program. The television receiver according to claim 2, wherein the television receiver is displayed on a screen. The said quantity display means produces the program table containing the quantity acquired by the said quantity acquisition means based on the said program table information, and displays the produced program table on the television screen. 3. The television receiver according to 2. The said quantity display means, The program content screen containing the quantity acquired by the said quantity acquisition means is displayed on the said television screen with the said reduced television picture, The claim 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Television receiver. The television receiver according to claim 1, wherein the quantity acquisition unit acquires the quantity for a television program displayed as the television image. 7. The television receiver according to claim 6, wherein the quantity display means displays a banner corresponding to the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means so as to be superimposed on the television image. The method according to claim 6, wherein the quantity display means displays a program content screen including the quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means, together with the reduced television image, on the television screen. Television receiver. A program identification information acquisition unit configured to acquire program identification information capable of uniquely identifying a television program from the program table information;
2. The television according to claim 1, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires desired program-related information via the communication network using the program identification information acquired by the program identification information acquisition unit. Receiving machine. The information acquisition unit accesses an information server that is communicably connected and stores the program identification information and the program-related information in association with each other, using the program identification information acquired by the program identification information acquisition unit. 10. The television receiver according to claim 9, wherein desired program-related information is obtained. The information acquisition means is an address server communicably connected using the program identification information acquired by the program identification information acquisition means and storing the program identification information and the address information of the program-related information in association with each other. Using the address information of the program-related information obtained from the address server, and communicatively connected to the information server storing the program-related information and the address information of the program-related information in association with each other. The television receiver according to claim 9, wherein desired program-related information is acquired by accessing. The method according to claim 11, wherein the information display means displays, on the television screen, address information of the program-related information acquired from the address server before the information acquisition means accesses the information server. The television receiver as described. The television receiver according to claim 9, wherein the program identification information is encoded information including a channel on which a television program is broadcast and a date and time. 14. The television receiver according to claim 13, wherein the program identification information is a G code (registered trademark). 10. The television receiver according to claim 9, wherein the program identification information is encoded information including a broadcasting station on which the television program is broadcast and a date and time. A system for providing information from an information server to a television receiver,
Comprising a television receiver and an information server communicably connected,
The television receiver,
Television broadcast receiving means for obtaining a television image based on the received television signal and displaying the obtained television image on a television screen;
A quantity acquisition unit for acquiring the quantity of program-related information related to the television program from the acquired program guide information;
A program identification information acquisition unit for acquiring program identification information capable of uniquely identifying a television program from the program table information;
The quantity acquired by the quantity acquisition means, quantity display means for displaying on the television screen,
An input unit for inputting an instruction from a user,
From the information server, information acquisition means for acquiring program-related information related to the television program selected using the input means,
Information display means for displaying the program-related information acquired by the information acquisition means on the television screen,
The information server stores the program identification information and the program-related information in association with each other, and when receiving the program identification information from the television receiver, stores the program-related information corresponding to the received program identification information into the television. A system for transmitting to a receiver. 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the quantity acquisition unit acquires the program guide information from the television signal or via the communication network. The quantity acquisition unit, for a television program displayed as the television image, acquires the quantity from the program guide information,
17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the program identification information acquiring unit acquires the program identification information from the program guide information for a television program displayed as the television image. The program identification information and the address information of the program-related information are stored in association with each other, and when the program identification information is received from the television receiver, the address information of the program-related information corresponding to the received program identification information is stored in the television. Further comprising an address server for transmitting to the John receiver,
The information server stores the address information of the program-related information in association with the program-related information instead of the program identification information,
The information obtaining means accesses the address server using program identification information obtained by the program identification information obtaining means, and accesses the information server using address information of program-related information obtained from the address server. 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein desired program-related information is obtained by the following.

Images