JP2008005532A - Program guide display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a program guide display device for displaying a program guide with which an operator can easily compare a plurality of program contents that he/she wants to confirm. <P>SOLUTION: The program guide display device is provided with a control means 35 for reading respective program data from a RAM 37 storing two or more pieces of the program data and controlling a display means so as to change the order of the display positions of the respective program contents displayed in a list form corresponding to an input means 28, the program contents are displayed in a display order corresponding to the preference of the operator and convenience is improved. The program contents of the program of a broadcasting station that the operator wants to confirm can be arranged at an easy-to-see position of a display screen for instance, and two program contents that the operator wants to compare can be displayed adjacently for instance. Also, the need of scroll display of an image is eliminated and the plurality of program contents that the operator wants to confirm can be displayed on one screen. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a program guide display device suitably used when, for example, digital broadcast is received and electronic program guide (abbreviated as EPG) information included in the received digital broadcast is displayed.

  Compared with analog broadcasting that broadcasts video information and audio information using analog signals, digital broadcasting capable of broadcasting high-quality video and audio and capable of multi-functional broadcasting is becoming widespread. In digital broadcasting, terrestrial digital broadcasting using a terrestrial antenna is scheduled to start in 2003 following BS digital broadcasting using a broadcasting satellite started in 2000.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram showing broadcast waves that are digitally broadcast. On the broadcast wave 1 to be digitally broadcast, a program signal representing a broadcast program is multiplexed and broadcast. One broadcast wave 1 is broadcast with program data 3 for displaying electronic number guide information, in addition to audio image data 2 for transmitting audio and video of each program.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a data structure included in each program data 3. Each program data 3 indicates a broadcast time zone 4 in which the program is broadcast, a broadcast station 5 in which the program is broadcast, and program content 6. The conventional program guide display device reads the broadcast time zone 4, the broadcast station 5 and the program content 6 included in a plurality of program data, and displays the program guide of the broadcast program.

  FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a program guide 7 displayed by a conventional program guide display device. The program table 7 displays program contents 6aa to 6cc of each program, and the program contents 6aa to 6cc are sequentially arranged in a first direction 8 and a second direction 9 intersecting the first direction 8. The program contents 6aa to 6cc are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction 8 for each of the broadcasting stations 5A to 5C, and the program contents of programs broadcast from the same broadcasting station are arranged adjacent to the second direction 9 in time sequence. Is done. For example, the program contents 6aa, 6ba, 6ca of the programs broadcast from the same A broadcast station 5A are arranged in a line in the second direction 9 in the order of the broadcast time 4A to 4C, and broadcast in the same time zone 4A. The broadcast station program contents 6aa, 6ab, 6ac are arranged in a line in the first direction 8 in the order of predetermined broadcast stations 5A, 5B, 5C.

JP 2001-16519 A JP 2001-8119 A JP 2000-333085 A

  In digital broadcasting, a plurality of programs are broadcast on a single broadcast wave, and broadcasts are broadcast from more broadcasting stations than conventional analog broadcasting. As a result, the number of programs that can be viewed by the viewer increases, and all programs that can be viewed may not be displayed on one screen as a program table.

  A conventional program guide display device displays programs broadcast from each broadcasting station by displaying program contents in a predetermined display order and scrolling display images. Therefore, when the operator compares the program contents of two different programs, there is a problem that if the respective display positions where the program contents of the two programs are displayed are separated, they cannot be compared on one screen. In this case, the operator needs to remember the program content of one of the two programs to be compared, scroll the display image, and compare the program content with the other program of the two programs to be compared. However, there is a problem that the contents of two programs cannot be compared.

  Further, when the program content is not displayed on the display screen, it is necessary to scroll the display every time in order to confirm the program content, and there is a problem that the program content cannot be easily confirmed.

  Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a program guide display device of another technology different from the conventional program guide display device described above. This program guide display device lists and displays programs in the time zone selected from the time zone selection screen. The program guide display device disclosed in Patent Document 2 displays a program guide in which program data of a plurality of information providing systems are integrated. Further, the program guide display device disclosed in Patent Document 3 displays a program guide in which programs having the highest priority are arranged for each time zone in accordance with a predetermined priority order.

  When an operator does not predetermine a program to be viewed and a program to be selected, the operator determines a program after comparing program contents of a plurality of programs. Since the program guide display device disclosed in each of the above-mentioned publications displays a program guide showing the program contents of the selected program in a line, the program contents are arranged for each time zone and each broadcasting station. It is not displayed. Therefore, even if the operator looks at the displayed program guide, there is a problem that the contents of each program cannot be compared for each broadcasting station or for each time zone. There is also a problem that the display order cannot be rearranged so that two program contents to be compared are adjacent to each other.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a program guide display device that displays a program guide that allows an operator to easily compare a plurality of program contents to be confirmed.

The present invention includes a memory for storing a plurality of program data including program contents of a program broadcast from a broadcasting station and a time zone during which the program is broadcast,
Display means for displaying a plurality of program contents in a tabular format having a two-dimensional display screen and arranged side by side in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction;
Input means for outputting a command from the operator as a command signal, and in response to the command signal of the input means, reading each program data stored in the memory and displaying the display position of each program content displayed in a table format The program guide display device is characterized by comprising order changing means for controlling the display means so as to change the program.

  According to the present invention, when the program data is stored in the memory, the program content of each program is set in the first direction and the first direction based on the program content of the program indicated by each program data and the time zone during which the program is broadcast. Display on the display screen side by side in two directions. Further, the order of the display positions of the program contents displayed in a table format is changed according to the command signal output from the input means. Thereby, the program contents can be displayed in the display order according to the preference of the operator, and convenience can be improved. For example, the program contents of a broadcast station program that the operator wants to confirm can be arranged at an easy-to-view position on the display screen. Further, for example, two program contents to be compared can be displayed on one screen so as to be adjacent to each other.

In the present invention, when a signal including program data is digitally broadcast,
It further comprises receiving means for receiving digital broadcasting,
The memory stores program data received by receiving means.

  According to the present invention, the receiving means receives the digital broadcast, stores the received program data in the memory, and the display means displays the program contents in a tabular format based on the program data stored in the memory. Program data included in digital broadcasting is updated with new program data as needed. Therefore, the latest program data can be stored in the memory as compared with the case where the program data is read from the storage medium in which the program data is stored in advance. Further, it is not necessary for the operator to obtain a storage medium for storing program data, and the program data can be easily stored in the memory.

Further, according to the present invention, in the table format, the display position for displaying the program content of each broadcast program is adjacent to the first direction for each broadcasting station and adjacent to the second direction for each time zone. Arranged,
The order changing means controls the display means so as to change the order of the display positions arranged adjacent to each other in the second direction in response to a command signal from the input means.

  According to the invention, the order in which the program contents displayed in the table format are arranged in the second direction is changed by the order changing means. As a result, the order of program contents displayed side by side can be changed, and convenience can be improved. For example, the program contents of programs in the time zone that the operator wants to watch can be displayed together at an easy-to-view position on the display screen. For example, the order of program contents displayed for each time zone may be changed individually for each broadcasting station, or may be changed for a plurality of broadcasting stations collectively.

In the present invention, the table format is such that the display position for displaying the program content of each program to be broadcast is adjacent to the first direction for each broadcasting station and the second direction for each time zone in the same broadcasting station. Each adjacent to
The order changing means controls the display means so as to change the display position of each broadcasting station along the first direction in response to a command signal from the input means.

  According to the present invention, the order changing means changes the order in which the program contents displayed in tabular form are arranged along the first direction for each broadcasting station. As a result, the program contents of programs broadcast from the same broadcasting station can be changed in order along the first direction for each broadcasting station, and convenience can be improved. For example, the program contents of a broadcasting station that the operator wants to view can be displayed together at an easily viewable position on the display screen. Also, the program contents of two broadcast stations that the operator wants to compare can be displayed side by side.

Further, according to the present invention, in the table format, the display position for displaying the program content of each broadcast program is adjacent to the first direction for each broadcasting station and adjacent to the second direction for each time zone. Arranged,
The order changing means controls the display means so as to change the order of the display positions arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction in response to a command signal from the input means.

  According to the present invention, the order changing means changes the order in which the program contents displayed in the table format are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction. As a result, the order of the program contents displayed side by side for each broadcasting station can be changed, and convenience can be improved. For example, program contents in a time zone that the operator wants to view can be displayed in a line regardless of the broadcast station being broadcast. The order of program contents displayed for each broadcasting station may be individually changed for each time zone, or may be changed for a plurality of time zones collectively.

The present invention further comprises program copying means for copying the program content of at least one program from among a plurality of programs in response to a command signal from the input means,
The order changing means sets a copy display position for displaying the program contents of the program copied by the program copy means separately from the display position, and displays the display means so as to display the display position and the copy display position adjacent to each other. It is characterized by controlling.

  According to the present invention, the program content copied by the program copying means is displayed at a copy display position set at a position different from the display position. As a result, the copied program contents and the program contents displayed in a table format can be displayed side by side on one screen, and convenience can be improved. For example, the operator can compare the copied program contents with other program contents on one screen, and can simultaneously display the program contents of two programs that the operator wants to check.

In the present invention, when at least one program is selected from a plurality of programs,
Broadcast time search means for searching for a broadcast time at which the selected program is broadcast based on program data stored in the memory;
And a time arrival signal output means for outputting a time arrival signal indicating that the time at which the selected program is broadcast is reached when the broadcast time searched by the broadcast time search means is reached. .

  According to the present invention, the broadcast time of the selected program is searched, and when the broadcast time is reached, a time arrival signal indicating that the broadcast time of the selected program has been reached is output. By selecting the time arrival signal as a signal for recording a program or a signal for displaying a program, the selected program can be reserved.

  In addition, when the program selection operation is performed by the operator in a state where the program content is displayed in a table format, the program can be selected while allowing the operator to confirm each program content. Further, a table format can be displayed according to the operator's preference, and the program selection operation can be facilitated by displaying the contents of the program that the operator wants to confirm on one screen.

  The present invention is further characterized by further comprising recording means for reproducibly recording at least one of video and audio of the selected program in response to the time arrival signal output from the time arrival signal output means.

  According to the present invention, at least one of the video or audio of the program selected in response to the time arrival signal is reproducibly stored by the recording means. The operator can confirm the program desired to be recorded while confirming the display screen, and can set the program to be selected. At this time, the contents of the program to be selected can be displayed on one screen in accordance with the preference of the operator as described above, so that the program selecting operation desired to be recorded can be facilitated.

Further, according to the present invention, the order changing means sets the additional display position for displaying the program content of the selected program separately from the display position, and the display means displays the display position and the additional display position adjacent to each other. Control
The time arrival signal output means outputs a time arrival signal indicating that the time at which the selected program is broadcast has been reached.

  According to the present invention, the program content of the selected program is set separately from the display position and displayed as an additional display position, whereby the program content of the selected program is added and displayed on the display screen. It is possible to improve convenience. Since the program contents of the selected program and other program contents can be displayed on one screen, the program contents of other programs in the broadcast time zone of the selected program can be displayed for each broadcasting station. it can.

  According to the present invention, when the order changing means displays the program contents in a table format, the display area for displaying the program contents of the selected program is the display area for displaying the program contents of the unselected program. The display means is controlled to display in different display modes.

  According to the present invention, the display area for displaying the display contents of the selected program and the display area for displaying the program contents of the unselected program are displayed in different display modes. As a result, it is possible to distinguish a selected program from a program that is not selected from among a plurality of program contents displayed in a tabular format, so that an operator can be surely understood an already selected program. For example, the display color of the area where the program content is displayed, the character font, and the like may be different from the different display modes. In addition, a symbol indicating that the program is selected may be added to the display area where the content of the selected program is displayed.

In addition, the present invention counts the number of selections of a plurality of programs having the same or similar program contents and a plurality of programs having the same or similar broadcast time every other day among the selected programs. Counting means;
And selecting means for estimating and selecting the same or similar program to be broadcast when the number of times of selection is a predetermined value or more.

  According to the present invention, among the selected programs, a plurality of programs having the same or similar program contents and a plurality of programs having the same or similar broadcast time every other day are selected a predetermined number of times or more. The next same or similar program that will be selected next is estimated and selected. As a result, it is possible to select a program broadcast continuously every week, such as a series drama, without requiring an operator's selection operation. For example, the program guide display device may record the estimated program. The same program content is, for example, the case where the program title is the same, and the similar program content is, for example, the case where the broadcast program content is similar.

  Further, in the present invention, when the program contents are displayed in a table format, the order changing means displays the program contents of the selected program without estimating the display area for displaying the program contents of the estimated and selected program. The display means is controlled to display in a display mode different from the display area.

  According to the present invention, the display area for displaying the program content of the program selected by estimation and the display area for the program selected without estimation are displayed in different display modes, so that the program is selected by the operator. It can be displayed on the display screen whether the program guide display device estimates or selects the program.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the program contents of a plurality of programs can be displayed in a table format, and the display order for displaying the program contents can be changed according to the preference of the operator. Therefore, the operator can collectively display the program contents to be confirmed on a single screen for each broadcast station to be confirmed and for each time zone to be confirmed. Thus, the operator does not need to scroll the screen to display the program content of the program to be confirmed, and can easily confirm the program content. In addition, since the contents of a plurality of programs are displayed in a table format on the display screen, the operator can confirm a plurality of programs for each time zone or each broadcasting station, and confirm the contents of a plurality of programs on one screen. be able to.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the latest program data can be stored in the memory, the operator can know the latest program content, and what is the program content displayed on the display screen? It is possible to prevent programs having different program contents from being broadcast. Further, since a storage medium for storing program data is not required, the operator does not need to obtain a storage medium for storing program data as needed, and convenience can be improved.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the order of program contents displayed side by side can be changed, so that convenience can be improved. For example, the program contents of programs in the time zone that the operator wants to watch can be displayed together at an easy-to-view position on the display screen. When the operator collects the program contents to be confirmed and displays them on the display screen, the program guide display device can reliably display the program contents to be confirmed by the operator even when the display screen is small. . In addition, it is possible to make the program contents easy to see.

  Further, according to the present invention, the order of program contents of programs broadcast from the same broadcasting station can be changed, so that convenience can be improved. For example, the program contents of a broadcast station that the operator wants to view can be displayed together at an easily viewable position on the display screen. When the operator collects the program contents to be confirmed and displays them on the display screen, the program guide display device can reliably display the program contents to be confirmed by the operator even when the display screen is small. . In addition, it is possible to make the program contents easy to see.

  Further, according to the present invention, the order of program contents displayed side by side for each broadcasting station can be changed, so that convenience can be improved. For example, the program contents of a broadcast station program that the operator wants to confirm for each time period can be displayed together at an easily viewable position on the display screen. When the operator collects the program contents to be confirmed and displays them on the display screen, the program guide display device can reliably display the program contents to be confirmed by the operator even when the display screen is small. . In addition, it is possible to make the program contents easy to see.

  According to the present invention as set forth in claim 6, since the copied program content and each program content displayed in a table format can be displayed side by side on one screen, the operator can copy the copied program content and other The program contents can be displayed on one screen for comparison, and the program to be displayed can be easily determined.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the operator can select a program after confirming the contents of the program. As described above, program contents are displayed on the display screen in the order according to the preference of the operator, so that the operator can display a plurality of program contents to be confirmed on one screen and compare the plurality of programs. To select a program. Thus, the operator does not need to scroll the screen a plurality of times, and can easily perform the program selection operation.

  According to the present invention described in claim 8, the operator can select the program after confirming the contents of the program. Further, the operator does not need to scroll the screen a plurality of times, and can easily perform the program selection operation. Further, since the program guide display device can record the selected program, the operator can easily perform the recording operation of the program before broadcasting the program.

  According to the present invention described in claim 9, since the program content of the selected program can be additionally displayed, the operator can view the time zone and the selected program by looking at the display screen. You can check the broadcasting station. Also, in the selection operation, since the program contents of the already selected program are displayed, it is possible to prevent two programs broadcasted in the same time zone from being selected twice.

  Further, according to the present invention, the display area for displaying the display contents of the selected program and the display area for displaying the program contents of the unselected program are displayed in different display modes. The operator can distinguish the selected program at a glance. As a result, it is possible to easily confirm the selection mistake and the selected program, and the convenience is improved.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the program guide display device estimates and selects a program that will be selected next, it is possible to select a program that the operator has forgotten to select. This makes it possible to reliably select programs that are continuously broadcast every week, such as a series drama.

  According to the present invention of claim 12, the display area for displaying the program content of the program selected by the operator is different from the display area for displaying the program content of the program selected by the program display device. Is displayed. As a result, the operator can check the program selected by the operator and the program selected by the program guide display device from the display screen. For example, if the program estimated by the program display device can be easily confirmed as to whether or not the program to be selected is desired, and the program display device does not want to select the program, the program estimated by the program display device Can be deselected.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a program guide display device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The program guide display device 20 receives a digital broadcast, extracts program data included in the digital broadcast, and displays the program contents of the digital broadcast program from the extracted program data as a program guide. The program display device 20 displays the display order of each program content displayed as a program guide in a changeable manner.

  The program data includes a broadcast time zone during which the program is broadcast, a broadcast station where the program is broadcast, and the program content of the program. The program content includes information such as a program title, category, performer, and outline. The program table is a table format in which a plurality of program contents are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction and the second direction intersecting the first direction.

  The program guide display device 20 constitutes, for example, a digital broadcast television receiver, and the digital broadcast television receiver extracts the video data and audio data of each program that is digitally broadcast, and the extracted video data and The audio data synchronizes the video and audio, displays the video of the program, and emits the audio of the program.

  The program guide display device 20 includes an antenna 21 that captures a digital broadcast wave transmitted from a broadcasting satellite and a ground antenna, a display 23 that has a two-dimensional display screen and displays an image, a speaker 24, a digital It has a display control device 22 that extracts a plurality of program data from broadcast waves and displays a program guide on the display 23, and switches 25 a and 25 b for transmitting an operator command to the display control device 22. The switches 25a and 25b include a display switch 25a disposed at a position close to the display 23, and a remote controller capable of wireless communication with the display control device 22, that is, a remote control switch 25b provided in a so-called remote controller.

  The display control device 22 includes a receiving unit 26 that receives program data, a control unit 27 that controls the display 23 so that the program table is displayed on the display 23, and an input unit 28. The input means 28 outputs a command signal corresponding to the operation of the switches 25 a and 25 b by the operator, and gives the command signal to the control means 27.

  The receiving means 26 includes a tuner 29 that selects and receives a digital broadcast wave of one channel from a plurality of digital broadcast waves captured by the antenna 21, a demodulator 30 that demodulates the digital broadcast wave of the selected channel, and a demodulator 30 includes a transport stream (abbreviated as TS) decode 31 for extracting a signal including program data from the signal demodulated by 30 and a program data decode 42 for generating program data from the signal including program data.

  Further, the receiving means 26 includes an audio decode 32 for generating audio data from the program signal and a video decode 33 for generating image data from the program signal in order to display and emit the video and audio of the digitally broadcast program. Have.

  The control means 27 includes a central processing unit 35 (abbreviated as CPU) that controls the display 23 and a read only memory 36 (abbreviated as ROM) in which a display program related to the display 23 is stored in advance. ), An optional read / writeable memory 37 (Random Access Memory, abbreviated as RAM) for writing the calculation result of the CPU 35 and reading the written calculation result, and the display 23 receiving a signal related to the display output from the CPU 35 A presentation processing unit 34 for controlling The RAM 37 stores a plurality of program data and display order data indicating the order in which program contents are displayed.

  The presentation processing unit 34 has a display VRAM 38 (Video Random Access Memory, abbreviated as VRAM) for storing image data for one screen to be displayed on the display 23, and all program contents in a table format according to the display order data. A development processing VRAM 56 for storing development processing image data indicating image data when displayed is provided. The presentation processing unit 34 reads the image data from the display VRAM 38 and causes the display 23 to display an image for one screen.

  Each switch 25a, 25b is connected to the input means 28. The input means 28 is an interface for transmitting an operator's instruction to the control means 27. When the switches 25a and 25b are operated by the operator, the input means 28 outputs and outputs a command signal corresponding to the operator's command. A command signal is given to the control means 27.

  The display control device 22 further includes a communication modem 39 for connecting to a telephone communication line, and can access a network connected to a telephone communication line such as the Internet. The display control device 22 is realized by a hard disk or the like, and further includes a recording unit 41 that records received image data and audio data.

  When the operator operates the switches 25a and 25b to instruct display of the program guide, the input means 28 outputs a program guide display instruction signal for instructing display of the program guide, and the program guide display instruction signal is sent to the control means 27. give. Upon receiving the program guide display command signal, the control means 27 gives the program guide display command signal to the receiving means 26 so as to generate program data.

  The TS decode 31 of the receiving means 27 extracts a signal including program data from the signal demodulated by the demodulator 30 and provides the signal including the program data to the program data decode. In the program data decoding, program data is generated from a signal including program data. The RAM 37 stores a plurality of program data generated by the program data decoding without being processed.

  The CPU 35 reads a plurality of program data and display order data from the RAM 37. The CPU 35 determines the display position of each program content in accordance with the display order data, creates development processing image data indicating the program content in a table format, and stores the created development processing image data in the development processing VRAM 56. .

  The presentation processing unit 34 reads the image data for expansion processing stored in the expansion processing VRAM 56, writes the image data for one display screen of the expansion processing image data into the display VRAM 38, and displays the program guide for one screen. It is displayed on the display 23.

  Further, when the operator operates the switches 25a and 25b so as to change the display order of the program contents, the input means 28 outputs a command signal for changing the display order and gives it to the control means 27. The CPU 35 of the control means 27 updates the display order data stored in the RAM 37 and rewrites the development processing image data in the development processing VRAM 56.

  As a television receiver, the program guide display device 20 receives a broadcast program, displays a program image, and emits sound. Specifically, when the operator operates the switches 25a and 25b to instruct display of a program, the input means 28 outputs a program display instruction signal for instructing display of the broadcast program, and outputs the program display instruction signal. This is given to the control means 27. Upon receiving the program display command signal, the control means 27 gives the program display command signal to the receiving means 26 so as to generate image data and audio data.

  The tuner 29 of the receiving means 26 receives a digital broadcast wave including a program to be displayed from the broadcast waves supplemented by the antenna 21, and gives the received digital broadcast wave to the demodulator 30. The demodulator 30 demodulates the digital broadcast wave given from the tuner 29 and gives the demodulated signal to the TS decode 31. The TS decode 31 extracts a program signal of a program to be displayed and gives the program signal to the audio decode 32 and the video decode 33. Video decoding generates video data from the program signal, and audio decoding generates audio decoding from the program signal.

  The presentation processing unit 34 of the control unit 27 receives the image data generated by the video decoding 33 and the audio data generated by the audio decoding 32. The presentation processing unit 34 stores the image data for one screen in the display VRAM 38 and displays the image on the display 23 so that the image of the program and the sound are synchronized. The speaker 24 receives audio data from the audio decoder 32 and emits audio.

  FIG. 2 is a front view showing the display 23. The display 23 displays the program contents of each program in a table format. The program content of each program is displayed in program content display areas 44aa to 44hd provided for each program. In FIG. 2, the subscripts aa to hd of the program content display areas 44aa to 44hd may be partially omitted for easy understanding.

  The display 23 displays the program contents adjacent to the main scanning direction H for each broadcast station to be broadcast, and displays the program contents adjacent to the sub-scanning direction V for each broadcast time slot. The display 23 arranges the categories of programs to be broadcast for each broadcasting station and for each time zone, and displays them in the program content display areas 44aa to 44hd, respectively. The time zone is divided, for example, every hour.

  In the program content display areas 44aa to 44hd, information other than the category of the broadcast program may be displayed, and any information such as the program name of the broadcast program, the synopsis of the program, and the performer may be displayed. . Moreover, the time slot | zone of the program displayed on each program content display area 44aa-44hd should just be a predetermined time slot | zone, and a time slot | zone may be divided every 30 minutes.

  In addition to the program content display areas 44aa to 44hd, the display 23 displays time zone display areas 46A to 46C for displaying a time slot for broadcasting each program, and a broadcast station display for displaying a broadcast station for broadcasting each program. Areas 45A to 45D are displayed. The time zone display areas 46A to 46C and the broadcast station display areas 45A to 45D are arranged at positions corresponding to the program contents in the program contents display areas 44aa to 44hd.

  For example, the time zone display areas 46A to 46C are displayed adjacent to one line in the sub-scanning direction V for each time sequence, and the broadcast station display areas 45A to 45D are adjacent to one line in the main scanning direction H for each predetermined order. Is displayed.

  The CPU 35 determines the main-scanning and sub-scanning direction dimensions of the program content display areas 44aa to 44hd according to the time zones in which a plurality of programs are broadcast, program titles, and program contents, and each program content display area 44aa to 44hd. Are displayed in a rectangular shape with the same dimensions. Further, the main scanning direction dimensions of the program content display areas 44aa to 44hd and the broadcast station display areas 45A to 45D are both formed to the same dimension L2. Further, the main scanning direction dimensions of the program content display areas aa to hd and the time zone display areas 46A to 46C are all formed to the same dimension L3.

  In the vicinity of the display screen 43 of the display 23, a switch 25b for changing the display order of the program guide is provided. The switch 25b includes a cursor movement key 48 for moving the cursor 49 displayed on the display screen 43, a determination key 47 for determining a program, and an order conversion key 52 for changing the display order of the program contents of the determined program. Provided. Furthermore, an order pattern selection key 57 for specifying an order change pattern of program contents and a reservation key 162 for timer recording of the selected program are provided. The order pattern selection key 57 includes switches 58 to 61 for designating a change pattern of the display order of program contents to be described later.

  The cursor movement key 48 includes a first movement key 48a for moving the cursor 49 in one of the sub-scanning directions V, a second movement key 48b for moving in the other of the sub-scanning directions V, and a third movement for moving in one of the main scanning directions H. A key 48c and a fourth movement key 48d for moving in the main scanning direction H.

  The display 23 displays the program content display areas 44aa to 44hd displayed in a table format so that the cursor 49 moves in accordance with the operation of each of the first to fourth movement keys 48a to 48d. Further, the display 23 displays the program content display area 44cb in a portion where the cursor 49 is displayed (indicated by the hatched area 50 in FIG. 2) by changing the display mode.

  The operator moves the cursor 49 with the cursor movement key 48, and presses the decision key 47 in a state where the program content display area in which the program content to be changed is displayed is selected with the cursor 49, the order is changed. Decide which program you want to change. The input means 28 outputs a signal indicating the program selected by the movement of the cursor 49 and transmits a signal indicating the selected program to the CPU 35.

  Further, by continuing to operate the first to fourth movement keys 48a to 48d, the cursor 49 moves in the main scanning direction H and the sub scanning direction V, and the display image scrolls in the direction corresponding to each movement key 48a to 48d. Move. By scrolling the display image, the contents of the program that could not be displayed are displayed on one screen.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a procedure for changing the display order of program contents arranged in each time zone, and the operation proceeds in the order of FIGS. 3 (1) to 3 (3). FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 35 when changing the display order of the program contents arranged in each time zone. When changing the display order of the program contents arranged for each time zone, the CPU 35 changes the display position order of the program contents displayed side by side in the sub-scanning direction V by executing a program stored in the ROM 35. It becomes order change means.

  In step a1, the display 23 is controlled so that a plurality of program contents are displayed in the program display areas 44aa to 44cc in a table format corresponding to the display order stored in the expansion processing VRAM 56. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (1), the program content of each broadcast station broadcast in the same time zone is adjacent to the display 23 in the main scanning direction H, and the program content of each program broadcast from the same broadcast station is displayed. The images are displayed adjacent to each other in the sub-scanning direction V in time sequence.

  Next, when the operator presses the order pattern selection switch 58 for changing the order of the program contents for each time zone, the input means 28 outputs a command signal for changing the order of the program contents in the sub-scanning direction V. To the CPU 35. When a signal is input from the input means 28, the CPU 35 proceeds to step a2 and starts a program content order changing operation.

  In step a2, the corresponding time zone display areas 46aa to 46cc are displayed for each of the program content display areas 44aa to 44cc. As shown in FIG. 3 (2), the CPU 35 converts the time zone display areas 46aa, 46ba, 46ca; 46ab, 46bb, 46cb; The display 23 is controlled so as to display adjacent to 44 cc. CPU35 displays the time slot | zone when the program of the program content displayed on adjacent program content display area | region 44aa-44cc is broadcast to each time slot | zone display area 46aa-46cc. When the time zone display areas 46aa to 46cc are thus added for each program, the process proceeds to step a3.

  In step a3, the cursor 49 is moved according to the output signal of the input means 28 based on the operator's switch operation. Further, after the cursor 49 is moved to the program content display area 44cb selected by the operator and the enter key 47 is pressed, the CPU 35 receives a signal indicating the selected program from the input means 28, and the operator selects it. The program content display area 44cb for displaying the program content of the selected program and the corresponding time zone display area 46cb are set as the selection area 51, the display 23 is controlled to change the display mode, and the process proceeds to step a4.

  In step a4, the operator operates the movement key 48 while pressing the order conversion key 52. The CPU 35 updates the display order data in accordance with the output signal from the input means 28 and changes the order of the display positions for displaying the program contents and the time zone displayed in the selection area 51 in the sub-scanning direction V.

  For example, when the operator operates the movement key 48 to move the cursor 49 in the sub-scanning direction V indicated by the arrow F1 in FIG. 3B after selecting the selection area 51, the cursor 49 is displayed in the selection area 51. The program content and the time zone are displayed in the program content display area and the time zone display area in the direction of the arrow F1. When the display order is changed in this way, the process proceeds to step a5.

  In step a5, it is determined whether or not the order change is continued. If it is determined that the order change operation is performed, the process returns to step a3 and the order change operation is performed again. By performing the order changing operation a plurality of times, the program contents of programs broadcast in different time zones can be displayed for the program contents arranged in the main scanning direction H as shown in FIG. In step a5, when the sequential operation is completed, the process proceeds to step a6, and the operation ends.

  For example, in step a2, the dimensions of the display areas 44aa to 44cc, 45A to 45C, 46A to 46D may be changed and displayed, and the dimensions are easy for the operator to see according to the additional display of the time zone display areas 46aa to 46cc. It may be set. For example, even if the time zone display areas 44aa to 46cc are added and displayed, the main scanning direction of the program content display areas 44aa to 44cc in step a2 is prevented so that the program contents that can be displayed on one screen are reduced. The sum (L4 + L5) of the H dimension L5 and the main scanning direction H dimension L4 of the time zone display areas 46A to 46C may be smaller than the main scanning direction dimension L2 of the program content display areas 44aa to 44cc in step a1.

  In step a4, the program contents are changed in order, as shown in FIG. 3 (3), the display areas 44ab, 44bb, 44cb; 46ab including the selection area 51 and displayed in a line in the sub-scanning direction V. , 46bb, 56cb may be slid in the sub-scanning direction V. Further, the program content and time zone displayed in the selected selection area 51 may be extracted and moved in the sub-scanning direction V.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a procedure for changing the display order of program contents arranged for each broadcasting station, and the operation proceeds in the order of FIGS. 5 (1) to 5 (3). FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 35 when changing the display order of program contents arranged for each broadcasting station. When changing the display order of the program contents arranged for each broadcasting station, the CPU 35 changes the display position order of the program contents displayed side by side in the main scanning direction H by executing a program stored in the ROM 35. It becomes order change means. Hereinafter, in order to facilitate understanding, the subscripts of the program content display areas 44aa to 44cc in which the program content of each program is displayed may be omitted.

  In step b1, as in step a1 described above, the display of a plurality of program contents is displayed in each program display area 44 in a predetermined table format as shown in FIG. 23 is controlled.

  Next, when the operator presses an order pattern selection switch 59 for changing the order of program contents for each broadcasting station, the input means 28 outputs a command signal for changing the order of program contents in the main scanning direction H. To the CPU 35. When a signal is input from the input means 28, the CPU 35 proceeds to step b2 and starts a program content order changing operation.

  In step b2, the broadcast station display areas 45A, 45B, and 45C are deleted, and each program content display area is individually displayed including the broadcast station name. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 (2), each program content display area 44 is further divided into two, the broadcast station name is displayed in one partitioned area 145, and the other partitioned display area 144 is partitioned. The program content may be displayed. When the display is completed, the process proceeds to step b3.

  In step b3, the cursor 49 is moved according to the output signal of the input means 28 based on the operator's switch operation. Further, after the cursor 49 is moved to the program content display area selected by the operator and the enter key 47 is pressed, the CPU 35 sets the program content display area selected by the operator as the selection area 53, and its display mode. And the process proceeds to step b4.

  In step b4, the operator operates the movement key 48 while pressing the order conversion key 52. The CPU 35 updates the display order data in accordance with the output signal of the input means 28, and changes the order of the display positions for displaying the program contents and broadcast station names displayed in the selection area 53 in the main scanning direction H.

  For example, when the operator selects the selection area 53 and operates the movement key so as to move the cursor 49 in the main scanning direction H indicated by the arrow F2 in FIG. 5B, the program displayed in the selection area 53 is displayed. The content and the broadcast station name are displayed in the program content display area in the direction of arrow F2. When the display order is changed in this way, the process proceeds to step b5.

  In step b5, it is determined whether or not the order change is continued. If it is determined that the order change operation is performed, the process returns to step b3 and the order change operation is performed again. By performing the order changing operation a plurality of times, the program contents of programs broadcast from different broadcasting stations can be displayed for the program contents arranged in the sub-scanning direction V as shown in FIG. In step b5, when the sequential operation is completed, the process proceeds to step b6 and the operation is terminated.

  For example, in step b2, the dimensions of the display areas 44, 45A to 45C, 46A to 46C may be changed in step b2, and the operator can change the size of the broadcasting station displayed in the program content display area 44. You may set to a dimension that is easy to see. Specifically, the main scanning and sub-scanning dimensions L2 and L3 of the program content display area displayed in step b1 are enlarged, and the main scanning and sub-scanning dimensions L8 and L8 of the set content display area displayed in step b2 By setting L9, even if the broadcast station name is displayed in the program content display area, the program content can be easily viewed without being reduced.

  Further, in step b4, the program content order is changed, as shown in FIG. 5 (3), each program displayed in the program content display area including the selection area 53 and displayed in a line in the main scanning direction H. The contents and the broadcast station name may be slid in the main scanning direction H. Further, the program content and the broadcast station name displayed in the selection area 53 may be extracted and moved in the main scanning direction H.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a procedure for changing the order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged, and the operation proceeds in the order of FIG. 7 (1) to FIG. 7 (2). FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 35 when changing the order of broadcasting stations. When changing the order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged, the CPU 35 executes a program stored in the ROM 36, thereby changing the order of program contents displayed for each broadcasting station in the main scanning direction H. .

  In step c1, similarly to step a1 described above, a display is provided so that a plurality of program contents are displayed in each program display area 44 in a predetermined table format as shown in FIG. 23 is controlled.

  Next, when the operator presses the order pattern selection switch 60 for changing the order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged, the input means 28 outputs a command signal for changing the order of the program contents displayed for each broadcasting station. It gives to CPU35. When the signal is input from the input means 28, the CPU 35 proceeds to step c2 and starts an operation for changing the order of program contents.

  In step c2, the cursor 49 is moved according to the output signal of the input means 28 based on the operator's switch operation. In addition, after the cursor 49 is moved to the program content display area selected by the operator and the enter key 47 is pressed, the CPU 35 sets the program content display area selected by the operator as the selection area 54 and the display mode thereof. And change to step c3. For example, the program content display area for each of a plurality of broadcasting stations may be combined into the selection area 54.

  In step c3, the operator operates the movement key 48 while pressing the order conversion key 52. The CPU 35 updates the display order data in accordance with the output signal of the input means 28 and changes the order of display positions for displaying the program contents for each broadcasting station displayed in the selection area 54 in the main scanning direction H.

  For example, when the operator selects the selection area 54 and then operates the movement key to move the cursor 49 in the main scanning direction H indicated by the arrow F3 in FIG. 7A, the program displayed in the selection area 54 is displayed. The content is displayed in the program content display area in the direction of the arrow F3. When the display order is changed in this way, the process proceeds to step c4.

  In step c4, it is determined whether or not the order change is continued. If it is determined that the order change operation is performed, the process returns to step c2, and the order change operation is performed again. When the sequential operation is completed, the process proceeds to step c5 and the operation is terminated.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a procedure for changing the order in which the broadcasting stations of the program contents are changed, and further changing the order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged for each time slot. The CPU 35 changes the display order of the program contents for each broadcasting station as shown in FIG. 9 (1) according to the operation shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. 8, and further follows the operation shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in 2), the display order of the contents of each program can be changed in the sub-scanning direction V. Details of this operation can be achieved by a combination of the operations shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a procedure for copying program contents, adding them to a table format, and displaying them, and the operation proceeds in the order of FIGS. 10 (1) to 10 (3). FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 35 when the program content is copied and added to the table format for display. The CPU 35 serves as a program copying means for copying the program contents and adding them to a table format for display by executing a program stored in the ROM 36.

  In step d1, as in the above-described step, the display 23 displays the contents of a plurality of programs in each program display area 44 in a predetermined table format as shown in FIG. To control.

  Next, when the operator depresses the order pattern selection switch 61 for copying the program contents, the input means 28 outputs a command signal for copying the program contents to the CPU 35. When a signal is input from the input means 28, the CPU 35 proceeds to step d2 and starts a program content copying operation.

  In step d2, the CPU 35 performs the same operation as in step b2 shown in FIG. 6, displays the broadcast station name in each program content display area, and proceeds to step d3 when the display is completed.

  In step d3, the cursor 49 is moved according to the output signal of the input means 28 based on the operator's switch operation. Further, after the cursor 49 is moved to the program content display area selected by the operator and the enter key 47 is pressed, the CPU 35 sets the program content display area selected by the operator as the selection area 56, and the display mode thereof. And change to step d4.

  In step d4, the operator operates the movement key 48 while pressing the order conversion key 52 as shown in FIG. The CPU 35 newly adds a copy display position for displaying the program content displayed in the selection area 56 to the table format, and displays the program content of the program displayed in the selection area 56 at the copy display position.

  Specifically, a copy program content display area 57 for displaying the program content of the selected program is added to one end portion in the main scanning direction of the tabular format shown in step a3, and the copy program content display area 57 is displayed. The contents of the program displayed in the selection area 56 are displayed. When the copy display is completed, the process proceeds to step d5.

  In step d5, it is determined whether or not the program content is to be continuously copied. If it is determined that the program copying operation is performed, the process returns to step d3 and the program copying operation is performed again. When the program copying operation is completed, the process proceeds to step d6 and the operation is terminated.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 35 for changing the order of the program guide. The CPU 35 performs display control shown in FIGS. 3 to 11 according to the output signal of the input means 28 according to the switch operation of the operator.

  First, the CPU 35 shifts to a state in which the order of the program guide can be changed in step e1, and proceeds to step e2 to start an operation of changing the order of the program guide. In step e2, it is determined whether or not the output signal from the input means 28 is a command for changing the display order of the program contents arranged for each time zone, and if it is a command for changing the time zone order, Proceed to step e3, otherwise proceed to step e4. In step e3, the operations of steps a1 to a6 shown in FIG. 4 are performed, the order of arrangement for each time zone is changed, and the process proceeds to step e12.

  In step e4, it is determined whether or not the output signal from the input means 28 is a command for changing the display order of program contents arranged for each broadcasting station. , Go to step e6, otherwise go to step e5. In step e5, the operations in steps b1 to b6 shown in FIG. 6 are performed to change the order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged, and the process proceeds to step e12.

  In step e6, it is determined whether or not the output signal from the input means 28 is an instruction to change the order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged. If the instruction is to change the order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged, the process proceeds to step e7. Otherwise, go to step e8. In step e7, the operations of steps c1 to c5 shown in FIG. 8 are performed, the order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged is changed, and the process proceeds to step e12.

  In step e8, it is determined whether or not the output signal from the input means 28 is an instruction to add and display a copied program. If the instruction is to add a copied program, the process proceeds to step e9. Otherwise, go to step e10. In step e9, the operations of steps d1 to d6 shown in FIG. 11 are performed, the program content of the copied program is added, and the process proceeds to step e12.

  In step e10, it is determined whether or not the output signal from the input means 28 is a command for redisplaying a program table in which the program contents are arranged in a predetermined order, that is, in a predetermined order. Proceed to step e11, otherwise proceed to step e12. In step e11, a program table in which program contents are arranged in a predetermined order is displayed, and the process proceeds to step e12.

  In step e12, the CPU 35 determines whether or not a signal for completing the display setting is input from the input unit 28. When the signal for completing the display setting is input, the process proceeds to step e13. If no signal for completing the display setting is input, the display setting is continued and the process returns to step e2. In step e13, the operation for changing the order of the program guide is terminated.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 35 for storing the selected program. The program guide display device 20 allows the operator to select, for example, reserve a program by operating the switches 25a and 25b based on the display screen in a state where the display order of the program contents is changed.

  When the timetable for broadcasting the program selected by the operator is reached, the program guide display device 20 outputs a time arrival signal indicating that the time for broadcasting the selected program has been reached. By giving this time arrival signal to the receiving means 26, the control means 27, and the recording means 41, the program selected by the operator can be displayed or recorded in the broadcast time zone. The CPU 35 becomes a broadcast time search means for searching for the time at which the program selected by the operator is broadcast by executing a program stored in the ROM 36.

  When the CPU 35 displays and records the selected program, the CPU 35 performs an operation of storing information on the selected program. First, in step f1, the CPU 35 displays the program contents in a table format in which the display order is changed by the operation shown in FIG. 12, and when a signal indicating that the operation of selecting a program is started is given from the input means 28, The operation for storing the information of the selected program is started, and the process proceeds to step f2.

  In step f2, when the operator confirms the display screen and selects the program content display area of the program to be selected with the cursor 49, the input means 28 sends a signal indicating the program content display area selected by the operator to the CPU 35. give. When the CPU 35 receives information on the program content display area selected by the operator in response to the input means 28, the CPU 35 proceeds to step f3.

  In step f3, the display order data is read from the RAM 36, and the program selected by the operator is searched from the program data stored in the RAM 37 based on the acquired program content display area information and the display order data. When the search for the program selected by the operator is completed, the process proceeds to step f4.

  In step f4, information indicating the broadcast station and time zone of the program selected by the operator is acquired, the broadcast station and time zone of the program selected by the operator are stored in the RAM 37, and the process proceeds to step f5. In step f5, a flag is set in the program data corresponding to the program selected by the operator, and the process proceeds to step f6.

  In step f6, an output signal from the input means 28 is received to determine whether or not the program selection setting has been completed. If the program selection is continued, the process returns to step f2 to perform the program selection operation. . When the program selection setting is completed, the process proceeds to step f7. In step f7, the program contents are displayed again in a predetermined display order on the display screen to be displayed, and the process proceeds to step f8. In step f8, the CPU 35 ends the program selection operation.

  When the selection operation is completed in this way, the program contents are displayed again in a predetermined display order. Therefore, even if the display order is rearranged in order to select a program, the program contents are returned to an orderly display order. There is no need to restore the display order. For example, as a predetermined display order, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a display order in which the broadcasting stations are arranged in the main scanning direction H and broadcast from the same broadcasting station, and the broadcasting times are arranged in the sub-scanning direction V in time order. Is set.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 35 for recording the selected program. The CPU 35 becomes a time arrival signal output means for outputting that the time when the program selected by the operator is broadcast is executed by executing a program stored in the ROM 36. After the operation of storing the selected program shown in FIG. 13 is performed, the CPU 35 performs an operation of recording the selected program.

  First, in step g1, when the selected program is stored in the RAM 37, the CPU 35 proceeds to step g2 and starts the recording operation of the selected program. In step g2, the current time is acquired and the process proceeds to step g3.

  In step g3, it is searched whether the current time is the broadcast start time of the selected program stored in the RAM 37, and the process proceeds to step g4. In step g4, it is determined whether or not the current time is a broadcast start time at which broadcasting of the selected program is started. If the current time is a broadcast start time at which the selected program is broadcast, A time arrival signal indicating that the time at which the program selected by the operator is broadcast is reached is output to the receiving means 26.

  The CPU 35 further gives a signal to the receiving means 26 so as to generate image data and audio data of the selected program, and the image data and audio data generated from the receiving means 26 are recorded by a so-called hard disk or the like. 41 is reproducibly stored.

  When the broadcast end time at which the broadcast of the selected program ends is reached, a command signal to end reception is given to the receiving means 16 and the process proceeds to step g6. In step g6, the operation for recording the selected program is terminated.

  The above-described operation is an operation for recording the selected program. However, when the time when the selected program is broadcast is reached in another embodiment, the selected program is displayed in response to the time arrival signal. May be. In response to the time arrival signal, the operator may be notified by the speaker and the display that the time at which the selected program is broadcast has been reached.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a part of a table format displayed in a state where the selected program is stored in the RAM 37. When the selected program selected by the operator is stored in the RAM 37, the CPU 35 displays a program content display area 58 in which the program contents of the selected program are displayed and a program table area 59 in which the program contents of programs other than the selected program are displayed. Are displayed in different display modes, for example, different display colors. Thus, by distinguishing and displaying the selected program and other programs by changing the display mode, the operator can grasp the selected program in a short time, and the convenience can be improved.

  Further, the CPU 35 sets an additional program display position for displaying the program content of the selected program with respect to the program table on which the program content of each program is displayed, and displays the additional program content display for displaying the program content of each program. An area 61 is added to the program guide. For example, the additional program content display area 61 is divided into two areas, one of the divided areas 59 displays the broadcast station of the selected program, and the other divided area 60 displays the contents of the program. .

  The CPU 35 displays the program display area 59 and the additional program display area 61 adjacent to each other. Specifically, the program content display area 59 and the additional program content display area 61 arranged in the main scanning direction H display program contents of programs broadcast in the same time zone. As a result, the program content of the selected program and the program content of other programs in the time zone in which the selected program is broadcast are arranged in the main scanning direction H, so that the operator can easily compare the two program contents. It can be carried out.

  16 is a diagram showing a part of the table format when the display screen is scroll-displayed from the state shown in FIG. 15, and FIG. 17 shows the program table represented by the image data stored in the expansion processing VRAM 56. FIG. In FIG. 17, the display of the program content is omitted, and a two-dot chain line hatched area 62 is an area displayed on the display 23 before scroll display. In FIG. 17, solid hatched areas 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d, An area 63e is displayed on the display 23 after scrolling.

  When the number of broadcast stations to be received is large, the program guide display device 20 displays a part of the program contents of all time zones and broadcast stations as a program guide, and the cursor 49 is moved by the cursor movement key 48. Scroll the display screen. When the image is scroll-displayed, the CPU 35 displays the program content display area 59 in the scroll area 63d in which the program content display area 59 is continuously arranged in the main scanning direction H and the sub-scanning direction V and the program content display area 59 constituting the scroll area 63d. The corresponding additional program content display area 63b, each time zone display area 63e, and each broadcasting station display area 63c are displayed on the display screen. Each additional program content display area 63b and each time zone display area 63e are adjacent to the scroll area 63d in the main scanning direction H. Each broadcast station display area 63c is adjacent to the scroll area 63d in the sub-scanning direction V.

  When the image is scroll-displayed, the program content corresponding to each program content display area 59G-59N constituting the scroll area 63d is displayed in each additional program content display area 61G-61N and each time zone display area 46G-46N. The For example, in each program content display area 59G to 59N and each additional program content display area 61G to 61N arranged in the main scanning direction H, the program contents of a program broadcast in the same time zone are displayed.

  The time zone display regions 46G to 46N arranged in the main scanning direction H in the program content display regions 59G to 59N display the time zone in which the program content programs displayed in the program content display regions 59G to 59N are broadcast. . Also, in each of the broadcast display areas 45D to 45G arranged in the program content display areas 59G to 59N in the sub-scanning direction V, broadcast stations on which the program contents displayed in the program content display area 59 are broadcast are displayed.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the additional program content display area 61H arranged in the main scanning direction H is selected at 16:00 with respect to the program content display area 59H displaying the program content of the program broadcast at 16:00. The program content and broadcast station of the program to be played are displayed, and the time zone display area 46H arranged in the main scanning direction H is displayed as 16:00. In contrast to the program content display area for displaying the program content of a program broadcast by E broadcast, E broadcast is displayed in the broadcast station display area 45E arranged in the sub-scanning direction V.

  Thus, even if the image is scrolled, the program contents displayed in the program content display areas 59G to 59N constituting the scroll area 63d are displayed, and the program contents of the selected program corresponding thereto are displayed. It can be displayed in the additional program content display area 63b.

  Thus, the operator does not need to learn the program content of the selected program, and can compare the program content of each program displayed in the scroll display area 63d with the program content of the selected program. Further, since the image data for expansion processing is stored in the expansion processing VRAM 56, the CPU 35 does not need to sequentially generate image data based on the program data and the display order data at the time of scroll display, and smooth scroll display is possible. It can be performed.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an operation in which the CPU 35 selects a selected program based on the selection history. The program guide display device 20 stores in the RAM 37 the day and time of the program selected during a predetermined period, the program name, and the program content, and stores a plurality of programs broadcast every other day such as a continuous drama. When selected, the CPU 35 estimates a program to be selected next and selects the program according to the selection history.

  When the selected program is stored in the RAM 37 in step h1, the CPU 35 proceeds to step h2 and starts a program selection operation based on the selection history. In step h2, the CPU 35 reads the selected program from the RAM 37 and proceeds to step h3. In step h3, it is determined whether there is an identical or similar program among the selected programs. For example, if the program titles of two programs are the same, it is determined that the two programs are the same. If the program contents of the two programs are similar, it is determined that the selected program is a similar program. .

  The CPU 35 checks whether or not the program determined to be the same or similar program is broadcast every other day in the same time zone. The CPU 35 counts the number of times the program determined to be the same or similar program is selected in the same time zone, and if the count is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the program needs to be selected next time. If it is not, the process proceeds to step h4. If not, the process proceeds to step h6.

In step h4, the CPU 35 selects a program determined to be selected next time, stores it in the RAM 37, and proceeds to step h5. In step h5, the display form of the program content display area for displaying the program content of the program determined to be selected next time is changed, and the process proceeds to step h6. In step h6, the program selection operation based on the selection history is terminated.

  FIG. 15 shows a program display area 64 for displaying the program selected by the CPU 35 by hatching. The display 23 is different in display mode between a program content display area 58 for displaying the program contents of the program selected by the CPU 35 and a program content display area 64 for displaying the program contents of the program selected by the operator's selection operation. Display in display mode. For example, the change of the display mode is achieved by changing the display color of the program content display area. Thus, the operator can easily determine whether the program is selected by the operator or the program selected by the CPU 35.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a program table in which selected programs are collected. The program guide display device 20 further includes a selected program display key (not shown) for creating a program guide in which the selected programs are collected. When the operator operates the selected program display key, the CPU 35 reads the selected program stored in the RAM 37 and controls the display 23 to display a program table on which the selected programs are collected on the display screen.

  By collecting and displaying the selected programs, the operator can grasp the program contents of the selected programs in a short time. For example, since the number of programs displaying the program content displayed on one screen is reduced, more detailed information on the program content of each selected program can be displayed on the display screen.

  In the present embodiment, the CPU 35 executes a program stored in the ROM 36, thereby changing the order of the display 23 so as to change the display position of each program content in response to a command signal from the input means 28. And a program copying means for copying the program contents of the program, a program selecting means for selecting a program, a broadcast time searching means for searching for a broadcast time during which the selected program is broadcast, and the selected program Is a time arrival signal output means for outputting a time arrival signal indicating that the broadcast time has been reached, and among the selected programs, a plurality of programs having the same or similar program contents and a broadcast time zone It becomes a counting means for counting the number of times of selecting a plurality of programs that are the same or similar every other day. The program guide display device 20 may have each of these means individually.

  As described above, according to the program guide display device 20, a plurality of program contents of a plurality of programs are arranged in the main scanning direction H and the sub-scanning direction V and displayed in a table format, and the display order of the program guide is changed. Therefore, it is possible to display the program guide in the display order according to the preference of the operator on the display 23, and the convenience can be improved.

  For example, when comparing the program contents of two different programs, the program contents of the two programs can be compared by changing the display order of the program contents so that the program contents of the two programs are displayed on one screen. it can. Thus, the operator does not need to scroll the screen to display the program content of the program to be confirmed, and can easily confirm the program content. In addition, since the contents of multiple programs are displayed in a tabular format on the display screen, the operator can check multiple programs for each time slot or broadcast station, and easily grasp the contents of multiple programs. Can do.

  Even if the number of broadcast stations that can be viewed increases, and all the programs that can be viewed cannot be displayed on a single screen as a program table, the program of the time zone and broadcast station programs that the operator wants to check The contents can be collected and displayed on one screen, and the trouble of scrolling the display image can be omitted.

  Further, since the program data can be received, the latest and accurate program data can be stored in the RAM 37, and the operator does not need to perform a special operation for acquiring the program data.

  In addition, by copying and displaying the selected program, the operator can display and compare the copied program content and other program content on one screen, and the program can be compared without changing the order of the table format. The contents can be compared.

  In addition, since the display order of the program contents can be changed as described above and the program can be selected by moving the cursor 49 on the display screen, the operator can display a plurality of program contents to be confirmed on one screen. Thus, a program can be selected by comparing a plurality of programs. Thus, it is not necessary to scroll the screen every time a program is selected, and mistakes in selecting a program can be reduced.

  In addition, the CPU 35 can record and display the selected program by operating the receiving means 26 and the display 23 in response to the selected program arrival signal during the time period when the selected program is broadcast. By adding and displaying the selected program, the operator can grasp the already selected program at a glance. Also, in the selection operation, since the program contents of the already selected program are displayed, it is possible to prevent two programs broadcasted in the same time zone from being selected twice. Since the display area 58 for displaying the display contents of the selected program and the display area 59 for displaying the program contents of the unselected program are displayed in different display modes, the operator can select the program to be selected. You can tell at a glance.

  Furthermore, since the CPU 35 estimates and selects a program that will be selected next, it is possible to select a program that the operator forgot to select. This makes it possible to reliably select programs that are continuously broadcast every week, such as a series drama. Since the display area 58 for displaying the program content of the program selected by the operator and the display area 64 for displaying the program content of the program selected by the program display apparatus are displayed in different display modes, the program display apparatus It is possible to easily confirm whether or not the program selected by estimating is a program to be selected.

  Such a program guide display device 20 may be used for in-vehicle use, for example. When used for in-vehicle use, even if the display screen 43 of the display 23 is small, the program content of the program to be confirmed can be displayed in a table format by the operator changing the display order, and the program content is unclear. In addition, it is possible to prevent the operator from grasping the program contents without the need for scroll display.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a part of a table format showing another display example. It is only necessary to change the display mode of the program content display area representing the selected program. In addition to changing the display color of the program content display area, the display mode may include symbols 66 and 67 indicating that the program content display area is selected. Providing symbols in this way also allows the operator to grasp the program selected and the program not so in a short time.

  The symbols described above may be different from the symbol 66 displayed in the program content display area for displaying the program selected by the operator and the symbol 67 displayed in the program content display area for displaying the program selected by the CPU 35. Good. Further, the display mode of the time zone in which the program is selected may be changed. Thus, the operator can easily determine whether the program is selected by the operator or the program selected by the CPU 35.

  The above-described embodiments are merely examples of the invention, and the configuration can be changed within the scope of the invention. For example, the program guide display means 20 includes a recording medium reading means 40 for reading program data stored in a recording medium that can be taken out from the program guide display device 20 such as a compact disc (CD). In addition to acquiring the program data from the receiving means 26, the program data may be read from a storage medium in which the program data is stored. Further, the program data may be read by accessing a network connected to a telephone communication line such as the Internet via the communication modem 39, and an acquisition unit for acquiring the program data may be provided.

  Further, as the program guide, the program contents are displayed in the main scanning direction H for each broadcasting station and displayed in the sub-scanning direction V for each time zone, but the vertical and horizontal directions may be reversed. The predetermined program content display order is set as a default, and the CPU 35 stores the changed display order in which the operator has changed the program content display order in the ROM 37 so that the display order is predetermined. The display order of program contents may be used.

  The operator can select a program according to the display screen, and may use a switch 25a provided on the remote control in addition to the cursor movement key 48 provided in the vicinity of the display 23. Further, the switches 58 to 61 for designating various display order change patterns may not be provided, and a menu screen may be displayed and a display order change pattern may be set by the cursor movement key 48 based on the menu screen.

It is a block diagram which shows the program schedule display apparatus 20 which is one Embodiment of this invention. 4 is a front view showing a display 23. FIG. It is a figure which shows the procedure which changes the display order of the program content arranged for every time slot | zone. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of CPU35 in the case of changing the display order of the program content arranged for every time slot | zone. It is a figure which shows the procedure which changes the display order of the program content arranged for every broadcast station. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of CPU35 in the case of changing the display order of the program content arranged for every broadcast station. It is a figure which shows the procedure which changes the order in which a broadcasting station is arranged. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of CPU35 in the case of changing the order in which a broadcasting station is arranged. It is a figure which shows the procedure which changes the order which arranges for every time slot | zone, in the state which changed the order which the broadcasting station of program content arranged. It is a figure which shows the procedure which copies and displays the program content, adds it to a table format. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of CPU35 when copying the content of a program, and adding and displaying it to a table format. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which changes the order of the program schedule of CPU35. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of CPU35 which memorize | stores the selected program. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of CPU35 which records the selected program. It is a figure which shows a part of table format displayed with the selection program memorize | stored in RAM37. It is a figure which shows a part of table format at the time of making an image scroll-display from the state shown in FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an image represented by image data stored in a development processing VRAM 56. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which CPU35 selects a selection program based on selection history. It is a figure which shows the program schedule which collected the selection program. It is a figure which shows a part of table format which shows another example of a display.

It is a figure which shows the broadcast wave digitally broadcast. It is a figure which shows the data structure contained in each program data. It is a figure which shows the program schedule 7 displayed by the conventional program schedule display apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Program guide display apparatus 22 Display control apparatus 23 Display 25a, 25b Switch 26 Receiving means 27 Control means 28 Input means 34 Presentation processing part 35 CPU
36 ROM
37 RAM
38 VRAM for display
56 Processing RAM for development
43 Display screen 44, 51, 53, 54, 55 Program content display area 45 Broadcast station display area 46 Time zone display area

Claims (12)

A memory for storing a plurality of program data including a program content of a program broadcast from a broadcasting station and a time zone during which the program is broadcast;
Display means for displaying a plurality of program contents in a tabular format having a two-dimensional display screen and arranged side by side in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction;
Input means for outputting a command from the operator as a command signal, and in response to the command signal of the input means, reading each program data stored in the memory and displaying the display position of each program content displayed in a table format A program guide display device comprising: an order changing unit that controls the display unit to change the program. When a signal containing program data is digitally broadcast,
It further comprises receiving means for receiving digital broadcasting,
2. The program guide display device according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores program data received by the receiving means. In the table format, display positions for displaying the program contents of each broadcast program are arranged adjacent to the first direction for each broadcasting station and adjacent to the second direction for each time zone, respectively.
The order changing means controls the display means so as to change the order of the display positions arranged adjacent to each other in the second direction in response to a command signal from the input means. Or the program guide display apparatus of 2 description. In the table format, the display position for displaying the program content of each broadcast program is adjacent to the first direction for each broadcasting station and adjacent to the second direction for each time zone at the same broadcasting station. Arranged,
The said order change means controls a display means so that a display position may be changed to the order along a said 1st direction for every broadcasting station in response to the command signal of an input means. The program guide display device according to any one of the above. In the table format, display positions for displaying the program contents of each broadcast program are arranged adjacent to the first direction for each broadcasting station and adjacent to the second direction for each time zone, respectively.
The order changing means controls the display means so as to change the order of the display positions arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction in response to a command signal from the input means. The program guide display apparatus in any one of -4. In response to a command signal from the input means, the apparatus further comprises program copying means for copying the program content of at least one of the plurality of programs.
The order changing means sets a copy display position for displaying the program contents of the program copied by the program copy means separately from the display position, and displays the display means so as to display the display position and the copy display position adjacent to each other. The program guide display device according to claim 1, wherein the program guide display device is controlled. If at least one program is selected from multiple programs,
Broadcast time search means for searching for a broadcast time at which the selected program is broadcast based on program data stored in the memory;
And a time arrival signal output means for outputting a time arrival signal indicating that the time at which the selected program is broadcast is reached when the broadcast time searched by the broadcast time search means is reached. The program guide display apparatus in any one of Claims 1-6.   8. The program according to claim 7, further comprising recording means for reproducibly recording at least one of video and audio of the selected program in response to the time arrival signal output from the time arrival signal output means. Table display device. The order changing means sets an additional display position for displaying the program content of the selected program separately from the display position, and controls the display means to display the display position and the additional display position adjacent to each other.
9. The program guide display device according to claim 7, wherein the time arrival signal output means outputs a time arrival signal indicating that the time at which the selected program is broadcast has been reached.   When the program contents are displayed in a table format, the order changing means displays the display area for displaying the program contents of the selected program in a display mode different from the display area for displaying the program contents of the unselected program. The program table display device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the display means is controlled to do so. A counting means for counting the number of selections of a plurality of programs having the same or similar program contents and a plurality of programs having the same or similar broadcast time every other day among the selected programs;
The program according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising selection means for estimating and selecting the same or similar program to be broadcast when the number of times of selection is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Table display device.   When the program contents are displayed in a table format, the order changing means is different from a display area for displaying the program contents of the program selected by estimation and a display area for displaying the program contents of the selected program without estimation. The program guide display device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the display means is controlled to display in a display mode.

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