JP2012134928A - Recording/reproduction device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording/reproduction device capable of displaying information relevant to recording data and broadcast programs by items in a form that is easy for a user to visually recognize it.SOLUTION: The recording/reproduction device comprises: a recording part which records information; a broadcast receiving part which acquires reproduction information from a broadcast wave; a recording processing part which performs recording processing on the reproduction information to the recording part; a classification information acquisition part which acquires classification information for classifying the reproduction information according to predetermined items; an associated information generating part which generates associated information that associates management information indicating a content of the reproduction information recorded in the recording part with the classification information indicating the item to which the reproduction information belongs; and a reproduction information management part which determines the classification information associated with the management information using the associated information, and classifies and displays the management information according to the predetermined items based on a determination result when a display instruction of the management information is detected.

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording / reproducing apparatus capable of recording and reproducing images or sounds, and more particularly to a recording / reproducing apparatus having a digital broadcast receiving function.

  In recent years, VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) recorders have been used as devices for recording and reproducing information (hereinafter referred to as “reproduction information”) including images and sound processed in an image device such as a television. Recording / reproducing apparatuses such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) recorders are widely used. In addition, a multi-function machine in which a plurality of recording / reproducing apparatuses are combined into one apparatus is also widespread.

  As these recording / reproducing apparatuses, recording / reproducing apparatuses having a program information acquisition function using an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) or the like are widely used. In addition, recording / playback apparatuses having a function of displaying a list of various information related to playback information using received program information have become widespread. The user can check the content of the reproduction information, or can issue a reproduction instruction or an erasure instruction for the reproduction information, using various information displayed in a list, such as a title or recording date / time.

  In relation to the above, Patent Document 1 discloses a recording / playback apparatus capable of easily managing recorded programs using folders. The recording / playback apparatus includes: a receiving unit that receives a program; and a storage unit that stores a recorded program and a recorded program in the same folder when the recorded program name and the recorded program name include the same character string. It has.

  In relation to the above problem, Patent Document 2 discloses a recording apparatus intended to execute appropriate recording for a program for which program recording is reserved by EPG or the like. This recording apparatus records a category of a program to be recorded and a qualitative recording condition relating to the recording quality in association with each other. In addition, a program recording reservation is made in consideration of the qualitative recording conditions retrieved using the category as a key. The categories are classified based on the contents of the program, and examples include animation, drama, and sports.

  Further, in relation to the above problem, Patent Document 3 discloses a recording by content item corresponding to a predetermined content item (for example, genre distinction) related to the content information content in the recording area of the recording medium for recording the content information. A recording apparatus that performs recording by setting an area (genre-specific area) is disclosed.

JP 2008-11432 A JP-A-2005-353112 JP 2004-220696 A

  However, the above Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a process of recording reproduction information by classifying the reproduction information by a predetermined item, for example, a genre when recording, but various information related to the reproduction information. There has been no disclosure or suggestion of a technique for classifying and displaying items according to predetermined items.

  An object of the present invention is a recording / reproducing apparatus having a function of acquiring and recording reproduction information and various types of information related to the reproduction information from broadcast waves and external devices, wherein the various types of information are classified according to predetermined items. An object of the present invention is to provide a recording / reproducing apparatus capable of displaying.

  In order to achieve the above object, a recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes a recording unit that records information, a broadcast receiving unit that receives broadcast waves and acquires reproduction information including images or sound from the broadcast waves, and the recording unit In a recording / reproducing apparatus, comprising: a recording processing unit that performs recording processing of the reproduction information; and a classification information acquisition unit that acquires classification information that is information for classifying the reproduction information according to predetermined items. The management information indicating the content of the reproduction information recorded in the recording unit by the recording processing unit is acquired, and the classification information indicating the management information and the item to which the reproduction information indicated in the management information belongs A related information generating unit that generates related information associated with the management information, and when the display instruction for the management information is detected, the classification information associated with the management information is determined with reference to the related information Based on the discriminated said classification information, it is characterized in that it comprises a reproduction information managing unit that displays itemized defined the management information in advance.

  According to this, the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes a recording unit for recording information, a broadcast receiving unit for acquiring reproduction information from a broadcast wave, and a recording processing unit for recording reproduction information on the recording unit. Prepare. In addition, a classification information acquisition unit that acquires classification information for classifying the reproduction information according to predetermined items is provided. In addition, a related information generation unit is provided that generates related information that associates management information indicating the content of the reproduction information recorded in the recording unit with classification information indicating an item to which the reproduction information belongs. In addition, when a display instruction for management information is detected, a reproduction information management unit that determines classification information associated with the management information based on the related information and classifies and displays the management information according to predetermined items based on the determination result. Prepare.

  In order to achieve the above object, the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes a setting unit that receives a recording reservation or a viewing reservation of the reproduction information acquired by the broadcast receiving unit and generates reservation information indicating the content of the reservation. The related information generation unit generates related information associating the reservation information with the classification information indicating an item to which the reproduction information to be reserved in the reservation information belongs, and the recording / reproducing apparatus includes: When the display instruction for the reservation information is detected, the classification information associated with the reservation information is determined with reference to the related information, and the reservation information is determined in advance based on the determined classification information. And a reservation information management unit for displaying each item.

  According to this, the recording / reproducing apparatus includes a setting unit that accepts a recording reservation or a viewing reservation and generates reservation information indicating reservation contents. The related information generation unit generates related information by associating the reservation information with the classification information indicating the item to which the reproduction information to be reserved belongs. The recording / reproducing apparatus also includes a reservation information management unit. When the reservation information management unit detects a reservation information display instruction, the reservation information management unit discriminates the classification information associated with the reservation information based on the related information, and classifies and displays the reservation information for each predetermined item based on the determination result.

  Further, in order to achieve the above object, the related information generation unit provided in the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes history information indicating a reproduction history of the reproduction information, and an item to which the reproduction information indicated in the history information belongs. Related information associated with the classification information shown, and when the recording / reproducing apparatus detects the history display instruction, the recording / playback apparatus refers to the related information to determine the classification information associated with the history information. A history information management unit is provided for determining and displaying the history information for each predetermined item based on the determined classification information.

  According to this, the related information generation unit generates related information by associating history information indicating the reproduction history of the reproduction information with classification information indicating the item to which the reproduction information indicated in the history information belongs. The recording / reproducing apparatus also includes a history information management unit. When the history information management unit detects a history display instruction, the history information management unit determines classification information associated with the history information, and classifies and displays the history information according to predetermined items based on the determination result.

  In order to achieve the above object, the classification information acquisition unit provided in the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes, as items for classifying the reproduction information, a genre of the reproduction information, a broadcast date / time of the reproduction information, or the reproduction It is characterized by using the contents of viewing restrictions imposed on information.

  According to this, the classification information acquisition unit uses the genre of the reproduction information, the broadcast date and time of the reproduction information, or the contents of viewing restrictions applied to the reproduction information as items for classifying the reproduction information.

  In order to achieve the above object, the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention includes an operation unit that receives an operation instruction and a communication unit that is connected to a communication network and performs communication, and the classification information acquisition unit is connected to the communication unit. Obtaining the classification information from information obtained via a communication network or information obtained from broadcast waves by the broadcast receiving unit, the reproduction information management unit, the reservation information management unit, or the history information management unit, The display instruction is received via an operation unit, and the management information, the reservation information, or the history information is displayed in a tab display or a tree structure according to predetermined items.

  According to this, the recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention is provided with the operation part which receives an operation instruction, and the communication part which is connected to a communication network and communicates. The classification information acquisition unit acquires the classification information from information obtained by the communication unit via the communication network or information obtained from the broadcast wave. In addition, the reproduction information management unit, the reservation information management unit, and the history information management unit receive a display instruction via the operation unit. Each information is displayed by tab display or tree structure display for each predetermined item.

  According to the present invention, management information of reproduction information, recording reservation, or viewing history is classified and displayed by predetermined item, for example, by program genre, based on the classification information. Thereby, when the user confirms the management information of the reproduction information, the recording reservation, or the viewing history, it is easy to confirm the desired information, and the convenience can be improved.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the function part of the recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention. It is a screen figure which shows the recording reservation screen of the recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention. It is a screen figure which shows the recording reservation screen of the recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the video recording process which the recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention implements. It is a flowchart which shows the display process which the recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention implements. It is a screen figure which shows the recording list screen of the recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the function part which concerns on 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the display process which concerns on 2nd embodiment. It is a screen figure which shows the reservation list screen which concerns on 2nd embodiment.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment shown here is an example and this invention is not limited to embodiment shown here.

<1-1. Internal configuration>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the compatible recorder 1 (= recording / reproducing apparatus) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 indicate the flow of image / audio data. Moreover, the straight line without an arrow has shown the communication bus for the control part 11 to transmit / receive the control signal etc. with respect to each apparatus.

  The compatible recorder 1 includes at least a control unit 11, a memory 12 (= recording unit), an operation unit 13, an HDD 14 (= recording unit), a VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) 15, an optical disc drive 16, a broadcast receiving unit 17, and a signal processing unit 18. , An OSD (On-Screen Display) processing unit 19 and an external connection terminal 20 (= communication unit). A display 2 exists as a display device connected by the external connection terminal 20.

  The control unit 11 controls the driving of each member of the compatible recorder 1 so as to perform overall control of image / sound reproduction processing, recording processing, output processing, and the like. For example, the control unit 11 includes a plurality of microprocessors. Further, the control unit 11 includes a recording processing unit 11a to a recording data management unit 11d (FIG. 1), which will be described later, as functional units realized by executing a program on the arithmetic processing device provided in the control unit 11.

  The memory 12 is a medium for temporarily recording various data held by the compatible recorder 1, and is configured by, for example, a writable RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 12 has a role as a buffer memory for temporarily recording, for example, processing data when various kinds of information processing are performed by the control unit 11 and instruction commands received from the user.

  The operation unit 13 is used by the user to instruct the compatible recorder 1 to record an image / audio, a reservation recording instruction, or the like. The operation unit 13 includes, for example, a plurality of buttons provided on the housing of the compatible recorder 1, a remote controller (not shown), a remote control signal receiver, and the like. The operation unit 13 receives user operations using these devices. When a user operation is accepted, the control unit 11 performs a reproduction process, a recording process, and the like based on the operation content.

  The HDD 14 is a magnetic recording medium that records digital data. The HDD 14 records and reads data by moving a head by an actuator while rotating a plurality of magnetic disks. In the present embodiment, it is mainly used for recording recording data (= reproduction information) generated from image / audio data included in a broadcast wave. The HDD 14 is used for so-called dubbing processing for recording image / audio data output from the VCR 15 described later.

  The VCR 15 is a recording / reproducing function unit for recording / reproducing image / audio data to / from the video cassette. The VCR 15 is configured to include a plurality of microcomputers and cassette slots. The cassette slot is a device for mounting a video cassette so that data can be recorded / reproduced. The cassette slot includes a roller for rotating the magnetic tape, a magnetic head for recording / reproducing data, and the like.

  The image / sound reproduced by the VCR 15 is sent to the signal processing unit 18. Then, it is converted into an image signal and given to the OSD processing unit 19 and the external connection terminal 20. Alternatively, it can be recorded on the HDD 14 by being converted into a digital signal by the signal processing unit 18.

  The optical disk drive 16 is an optical device for optically reading various data from an optical disk such as a CD (Compact Disc) medium or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) medium. The optical disk drive 16 controls an optical pickup (not shown) to irradiate the optical disk with a light beam and read various information such as audio information and image information recorded on the optical disk. At this time, various controls such as drive control, focus control, and tilt control of the optical pickup are performed.

  The broadcast receiving unit 17 is connected to an external antenna (not shown) and performs digital / analog broadcast tuning, reception, frequency conversion, amplification, demodulation, and the like. The broadcast receiving unit 17 is configured to include an analog tuner, an intermediate frequency amplifier circuit, a demodulator circuit, an amplifier circuit, and the like in the case of an analog system. In the case of a digital system, a digital tuner, an error correction unit, and the like are included.

  For example, when receiving a digital broadcast, a digital tuner included in the broadcast receiving unit 17 performs amplification and detection of the intermediate frequency signal. Thereby, TS (= Transport Stream) which is a digital signal of the MPEG2 system is acquired. Note that the TS is an audio PES (Packetized Elementary Stream), an image PES, and additional information of a plurality of programs divided into fixed-length TS packets and connected. The signal is supplied to the signal processing unit 18 and converted into an image / audio signal. It is also possible to record the TS in the HDD 14 without converting it. In this case, the signal processing unit 18 only performs TS through.

  The signal processing unit 18 receives the TS generated by the broadcast receiving unit 17 and the digital data read from the optical disc by the optical disc drive 16 and separates it into an audio digital signal containing audio information and an image digital signal containing image information. A demultiplexing unit. Specifically, for example, the TS generated by the broadcast receiving unit 17 is divided into TS packets. Then, by recombining the TS packets, an audio / image PES is generated.

  Then, the ES (Elementary Stream = encoded audio / image data) is generated by combining the PES. Further, the signal processing unit 18 decodes the ES and converts it into various digital signals. The digital signal obtained by the decoding is given to the HDD 14 when recording. Further, when outputting to the display 2 or the like, it is given to the external connection terminal 20.

  The OSD processing unit 19 is a functional unit that generates an image signal. The OSD processing unit 19 converts information to be output by the compatible recorder 1 into image data that can be visually recognized by the user, and generates an image signal for displaying the converted image data on the display 2. The generated image signal is output from the external connection terminal 20.

  The external connection terminal 20 is an interface composed of a plurality of input / output terminals including, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) terminal and a universal serial bus (USB) terminal. The external connection terminal 20 uses these input / output terminals to connect the compatible recorder 1 and an external device such as the display 2 to input / output digital signals or analog signals.

  When an analog signal is input, analog image data and audio data can be converted into digital data and input using an A / D converter (Analog Digital Converter) (not shown).

  The external connection terminal 20 includes a physical interface for connecting the compatible recorder 1 to a communication network. Specifically, for example, it is configured to include a LAN cable connector for connecting to a wired LAN compliant with the IEEE 802.3 standard. As a result, it is possible to perform mutual communication with an external apparatus connected via a communication network, for example, an information processing apparatus (not shown), and acquire program information and the like.

The display 2 is a display device including a display unit, an operation unit, a control unit, and a connection unit (not shown). For example, the display 2 receives a digital signal including an image / sound via an HDMI cable connected to an HDMI terminal included in the connection unit. Then, the digital signal is combined and the image / sound is output.
<1-2. About the configuration of the function section>

  Here, the relationship of each functional unit for the compatible recorder 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention to perform the information management process will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. In addition, the broken-line arrow line in FIG. 1 has shown the flow of the control signal.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information management process of the present invention includes a recording processing unit 11a (= recording processing unit), an EPG acquisition unit 11b (= classification information acquisition unit), a related information generation unit 11c, and recorded data included in the control unit 11. This is implemented by the management unit 11d (= reproduction information management unit) and the setting unit 11e.

  The recording processing unit 11 a performs image / sound recording / playback processing using the HDD 14. The recording processing unit 11a performs a reserved recording process, a dubbing process, and the like based on the setting content received by the setting unit 11e described later.

  For example, when performing the scheduled recording process, the recording processing unit 11a controls the broadcast receiving unit 17 to receive the broadcast program set for reservation when the scheduled recording time accepted by the setting unit 11e has arrived. Recording data (= reproduction information) to which management information including a title and recording date / time is added is generated from the image / sound included in the broadcast wave, and is recorded in the HDD 14.

  The EPG acquisition unit 11b acquires program information for displaying an EPG by analyzing the PSI / SI acquired by the signal processing unit 18 from the TS. The acquired program information is recorded in the HDD 14. Alternatively, the EPG acquisition unit 11b may acquire program information from an information processing apparatus or the like connected to the communication network using the external connection terminal 20.

  Specifically, for example, a program name, broadcast date and time, broadcast content, etc. included in an EIT (Event Information Table) which is a kind of PSI / SI are acquired as program information. The program information includes genre information (= classification information) indicating whether the genre (= item) of each program corresponds to sports, drama, animation, or the like.

  Alternatively, the EPG acquisition unit 11b may be configured to acquire program information using a program information distribution service provided by a predetermined communication provider, such as G-GUIDE. In this case, the genre information indicating the genre for each program is distributed in accordance with the information distribution format defined by the carrier, so that the genre information can be acquired more reliably.

  When the recording processing by the recording processing unit 11a is performed, the related information generating unit 11c acquires genre information indicating the genre of the program to be recorded from the program information. Then, related information associating the recording data generated by the recording process with the genre information of the recording data is generated and recorded in the memory 12 or the like.

  Specifically, for example, a management table in which identification information for identifying recording data and acquired genre information are associated one-to-one is used as related information. As the identification information, for example, a program title, recording date and time, broadcast channel, and the like are used. Alternatively, a management number that does not overlap inside the apparatus may be generated and added to the recording data so that the management number is used as identification information.

  When the recording data management unit 11d detects management information of recording data, for example, a list display instruction such as a title and recording date and time, the recording data management unit 11d refers to the related information and determines the genre of each recording data. Then, based on the determined genre, the management information of each recorded data is classified and displayed by a predetermined genre. The details of the process performed by the recording data management unit 11d will be described later.

  The setting unit 11e receives various settings from the user via the operation unit 13 for the recording processing unit 11a to perform recording processing and dubbing processing. The setting unit 11e receives setting information necessary for the recording processing unit 11a to perform recording processing, for example, designation of a recording time, a recording channel, a recording mode (= image quality at the time of recording), and the like via the operation unit 13.

The setting unit 11e performs display control of various setting screens, for example, a reservation screen 70 (FIG. 3) used for recording reservation. The setting screen is generated by the OSD processing unit 19 and output to the display 2 or the like via the external connection terminal 20 to be displayed.
<1-3. About the reservation screen>

  Next, an example of the reservation screen 70 on which the EPG is displayed is shown in FIG. The image for displaying the reservation screen 70 is generated by the OSD processing unit 19 in accordance with an instruction from the setting unit 11e. The reservation screen 70 shown in FIG. 3 is configured to include at least an EPG 71, a cursor 72, and a message display unit 73.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, four channels of 4Ch to 10Ch and program information for five hours from 6:00 to 10:00 are displayed. On the right side of each channel column, the program name of the scheduled broadcast program is displayed. FIG. 3 shows the EPG 71 in a state where no recording reservation is made by the user.

  In the initial state, the background color of all program columns is displayed in the normal color (= white). In this state, when the user presses an operation key, a determination key, or the like, an operation for moving the cursor 72 and an operation for determining a program to be reserved for recording are performed.

  When the enter key is pressed while the cursor 72 is over a predetermined program, a message “Do you want to reserve recording of this program?” And a selection button are displayed on the message display section 73. When the selection button “Yes” is selected, a recording reservation is made and the state shown in FIG. 4 is obtained.

  FIG. 4 shows the EPG 71 when a recording reservation is made for “soccer” broadcast from 9 o'clock in 8Ch. As a result, the background color of “soccer” is changed and highlighted. In addition, reservation information indicating a program reserved for recording is recorded in a memory or the like.

  The program for which the recording reservation is set as described above is automatically recorded when the broadcast start time arrives. At this time, the related information generating unit 11c generates related information in which the recording data generated by the recording processing unit 11a and the genre information acquired from the EPG are related, and records the related information in the memory 12 or the like.

For example, in the above example, since the program for which the recording reservation has been made is “soccer”, “sport” that is the genre of this program is acquired from the EPG. Then, the recording data generated by the recording reservation is associated with the genre information of “sports”, and the related information is generated.
<1-4. Information management process>

  Here, the information management process which the compatible recorder 1 which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention implements is demonstrated, using the flowchart of FIG. Note that the processing shown in FIG. 6 is started at an arbitrary time point in a state where the compatible recorder 1 is energized. In addition, if it is an energized state, it can be started in any of the standby state / start-up state.

  After the start of this processing, in step S110, the related information generation unit 11c acquires program information related to the program for which recording reservation has been made from the EPG acquired by the EPG acquisition unit 11b. If the EPG has not been acquired or if the EPG is older than a predetermined time, the EPG acquisition unit 11b is controlled to acquire the EPG.

  Next, in step S120, the recording processing unit 11a determines whether the scheduled recording time has come. If it has not arrived, the process proceeds to step S120 again to continue monitoring. If it has arrived, the recording processing unit 11a performs the recording process of the program specified in the recording reservation in step S130.

  Next, in step S140, the related information generation unit 11c generates related information in which the recording data for which the recording process has been completed and the genre information acquired in advance are associated with each other. Then, the related information is recorded in the memory 12 or the like, and this process is terminated.

  Next, recording data list display processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The process shown in FIG. 6 is started when an instruction to display a list of recorded data is detected while the compatible recorder 1 is energized. This display instruction is issued, for example, when a recording list button included in the operation unit 13 is pressed.

  After the start of this process, the recorded data management unit 11d reads related information indicating the genre of each recorded data from the memory 12 in step S210. Next, in step S220, the recorded data management unit 11d determines whether or not the distribution display of all the recorded data indicated in the related information has been completed.

  If completed, that is, if there is no unallocated recording data, this process is terminated. If not completed, that is, if unrecorded recording data exists, the recorded data management unit 11d determines whether or not the genre is sport for one recorded data that is not displayed in step S230. To do. The subsequent genre determination is performed by referring to related information.

  When the genre is sports, the recorded data management unit 11d displays the management information of the one recorded data, for example, the title, in the display area divided by the sports tab in step S231. At this time, if the sports tab is not active, that is, if the front display is not instructed, the background display is performed. The information displayed in the background is displayed on the display 2 when the tab used to classify the information is activated.

  If the genre is not a sport, the recorded data management unit 11d determines in step S240 whether or not the genre is an animation with respect to one recorded data that has not been distributed and displayed.

  When the genre is animation, the recording data management unit 11d displays the management information of the one recording data in the display area divided by the animation tab in step S241. At this time, if the animation tab is not active, the background display is performed.

  If the genre is not an animation, the recorded data management unit 11d determines in step S250 whether the genre is a drama with respect to one recorded data that is not sorted.

  When the genre is drama, the recorded data management unit 11d displays the management information of the one recorded data in the display area divided by the drama tab in step S251. At this time, if the drama tab is not active, the background display is performed.

  If the genre is not a drama, the recorded data management unit 11d displays the management information of one recorded data that has not been sorted and displayed in the display area divided by the other tabs in step S260, and then proceeds to step S220. At this time, if other tabs are not active, background display is performed.

  Through the above processing, the recorded data list screen 80 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display 2. An image signal for displaying the recorded data list screen 80 is generated by the OSD processing unit 19 based on the above distribution result. As shown in FIG. 7, the recorded data list screen 80 is configured to include at least a tab 81.

  In the example of FIG. 7, among the tabs included in the tab 81, the display color of the sports tab changes so as to be different from the other tabs. A tab with a different display color is an active tab. Accordingly, recorded data whose genre is sport, for example, “soccer” and “major league” are displayed in a list in the lower direction of the tab screen.

  On the other hand, the display color of the animation tab, drama tab, and other tabs has not changed. Such a tab is a non-selected (= inactive) tab. Therefore, the list of recorded data of these genres is not displayed on the screen. However, since the list of recorded data of these genres is also displayed in the background, it is displayed on the screen when the tab becomes active.

  In the above-described embodiment, classification display is performed using genres such as animation, drama, and sports as an example. However, as long as it is a genre that can be acquired from the EPG, classification display using other genres is also possible. Good. If there are a wide variety of genres that can be acquired, a genre with a large number of recorded data may be preferentially displayed in a tab, and genres with a small number of recorded data may be displayed together on other tabs. As a result, the genre to be displayed in the tab can be dynamically changed.

According to the present embodiment described above, the management information and the genre information acquired from the EPG are recorded in association with each other about the recording data generated by the recording process. Then, on the recording data list display screen, each recording data is displayed in a classified manner using tabs based on the genre. Thereby, it is possible to improve convenience when the user confirms the title or the like of the recorded data.
[Embodiment 2]

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
<2-1. Internal configuration>

Since it is the same structure as 1st embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.
<2-2. About the configuration of the function section>

  Although the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, a recording reservation management unit 11f (= reservation information management unit) is provided instead of the recording data management unit 11d. In addition, the function of the related information generation unit 11c is partially different.

  When the recording reservation is accepted by the setting unit 11e, the related information generation unit 11c of the present embodiment acquires genre information indicating the genre of the program that is the reservation target from the program information. Then, related information in which the recording reservation information indicating the recording reservation contents and the genre information indicating the genre of the program to be reserved is associated in units of programs is generated and recorded in the memory 12 or the like.

  When the setting reservation unit 11e receives a recording reservation, the recording reservation management unit 11f acquires the genre information of the broadcast program for which the recording reservation has been made from the EPG acquired by the EPG acquisition unit 11b. Then, the recording reservation information and the genre information are related in units of programs and recorded in the memory 12 or the like as related information.

  Specifically, for example, a management table in which identification information for identifying a recording reservation for each program and acquired genre information are associated one-to-one is used as related information. As the identification information, for example, a reserved program title, scheduled recording date and time, a broadcast channel, and the like are used. Alternatively, a management number that does not overlap in the apparatus may be generated and added to the recording reservation so that the management number is used as identification information.

Furthermore, when the recording reservation management unit 11f detects an instruction to display a list of recording reservation information, the recording reservation management unit 11f refers to the related information and determines the genre of the program targeted by each recording reservation. Based on the determined genre, each recording reservation information is classified and displayed according to a predetermined genre. The details of the reservation display process performed by the recording reservation management unit 11f will be described later.
<2-3. About the reservation screen>

Since it is the same structure as 1st embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted.
<2-4. About reservation display processing>

  Here, the reservation display process which the compatible recorder 1 which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention implements is demonstrated, using the flowchart of FIG. The process shown in FIG. 9 is started when a reservation list display instruction is detected in a state where the compatible recorder 1 is energized. This display instruction is issued, for example, when a reservation confirmation button included in the operation unit 13 is pressed.

  After the start of this process, the recording reservation management unit 11f reads related information indicating the genre of each recording reservation from the memory 12 in step S310. Note that this related information is generated in advance by the related information generation unit 11c at the time of recording reservation.

  Next, in step S320, the recording reservation management unit 11f determines whether or not the distribution display of all the recording reservation information indicated in the related information has been completed.

  If completed, that is, if there is no unallocated recording reservation information, this process ends. If not completed, that is, if there is unallocated recording reservation information, the recording reservation management unit 11f determines in step S330 whether or not the genre is sport for one recording reservation information that is not distributed. Determine. The subsequent genre determination is performed by referring to related information.

  If the genre is sport, the recording reservation management unit 11f displays the one recording reservation information in the display area divided by the sports tab in step S331. At this time, if the sports tab is not active, that is, if the front display is not instructed, the background display is performed.

  If the genre is not a sport, the recording reservation management unit 11f determines in step S340 whether or not the genre is an animation for one recording reservation information that is not distributed.

  If the genre is animation, the recording reservation management unit 11f displays the one recording reservation information in the display area divided by the animation tab in step S341. At this time, if the animation tab is not active, the background display is performed.

  If the genre is not an animation, the recording reservation management unit 11f determines whether or not the genre is a drama with respect to one recording reservation information that is not distributed and displayed in step S350.

  If the genre is a drama, the recording reservation management unit 11f displays the one recording reservation information in the display area divided by the drama tab in step S351. At this time, if the drama tab is not active, the background display is performed.

  If the genre is not a drama, the recording reservation management unit 11f displays one recording reservation information that has not been sorted and displayed in the display area divided by the other tabs in step S360, and then proceeds to step S320. At this time, if other tabs are not active, background display is performed.

  Through the above processing, the recording reservation list screen 90 shown in FIG. 10 is displayed on the display 2. An image signal for displaying the recording reservation list screen 90 is generated by the OSD processing unit 19 based on the distribution result. As shown in FIG. 10, the recording reservation list screen 90 is configured to include at least a tab 91.

  In the example of FIG. 10, among the tabs included in the tab 91, the display color of the sports tab is different from other tabs. A tab with a different display color is an active tab. Therefore, recording reservation information whose genre is sports, for example, “soccer” or “major league” is displayed in a list in the lower direction of the tab screen.

  On the other hand, the display color of the animation tab, drama tab, and other tabs is not changed and is inactive. Therefore, the recording reservation list of these genres is not displayed on the screen. However, since these recording reservation information is also displayed in the background, a list is displayed on the screen when the tab becomes active. As in the first embodiment, the classification display may be performed using a genre other than the above.

According to the present embodiment described above, the recording reservation information generated by the recording reservation process and the genre information acquired from the EPG are recorded in association with each other. Then, on the recording reservation information list display screen, each recording reservation information is displayed in a divided manner using tabs based on the genre. Thereby, the convenience at the time of a user confirming the content of a video recording reservation can be improved.
[Other embodiments]

  The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments and examples. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea. be able to.

  Therefore, the present invention can also be applied to the following embodiments.

  (A) In the above embodiment, the compatible recorder 1 is given as an example of the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention. However, if the recording / reproducing apparatus is connected to a broadcast network or a communication network and can acquire reproduction information, Other embodiments may implement the present invention. For example, a form using a DVD recorder, a television device, an STB (Set Top Box), or the like may be used.

  (B) In the above embodiment, each function unit related to the information management process and reservation display process of the present invention is realized by executing a program on an arithmetic processing unit such as a microprocessor. It may be realized by a plurality of circuits.

  (C) In the above-described embodiment, the recording data and the recording reservation information are described as examples of the information for performing the segment display based on the genre. However, other information may be used for the segment display. For example, the related information generating unit 11c generates related information in which history information indicating the history of recorded data viewed by the user is associated with the genre of each recorded data indicated in the history information. The control unit 11 may include a history information management unit (not shown) that refers to the related information and tab-displays the user's viewing history by genre. Thereby, the convenience at the time of a user confirming the content of viewing history can be improved.

  (D) In the embodiment described above, the recording reservation information is described as an example of the reservation information that the recording reservation management unit 11f performs the segment display. However, the viewing reservation information generated when the user makes a viewing reservation is described. The display may be in the form of a division display based on the genre.

  (E) In the above embodiment, genre information is used as information for distributing the recording data and the recording reservation information. However, the distribution may be performed using information other than this. For example, based on the broadcast date and time included in the EPG, the broadcast day may be assigned as a unit. Further, the recording data on which the viewing age restriction is imposed is distributed based on the type of viewing age restriction, for example, “Unable to watch under 18 years old”, “Unable to watch under 15 years old”, “Unable to watch under 12 years old”, etc. Form may be sufficient.

  (F) In the above embodiment, the distribution process for displaying a list of recording data or recording reservation information is performed at the time when a list display instruction for recording data or recording reservation information is detected. It is also possible to use the embodiment. For example, every time a recording process is executed, a sorting process based on the genre is performed in advance to create list display image data, and an image signal is generated from the list display image data when a display instruction is detected. The output may be in the form of

  (G) In the above embodiment, EPG acquisition using the broadcast receiving unit 17 is described as an example of a method for acquiring program information including genre information, but genre information is acquired by other methods. The form to do may be sufficient. For example, the external connection terminal 20 may be used to acquire from a wide area communication network such as the Internet.

  (H) In the above embodiment, the tab display is described as an example of the recording data and recording reservation division display method. However, the division display may be performed using other display modes. For example, it may be displayed in a format similar to a tree display used for hierarchically managing files on a computer or the like. In this embodiment, a folder is created for each genre, recording data is stored in each folder based on the genre, and the relationship between the folders and the recording data included in each folder are displayed in a tree.

  (I) In the above embodiment, the tab display mode is not particularly defined, but the tab display mode may be changed according to the state of information included in each tab. For example, a tab of a genre in which recorded data in an unplayed state exceeds a predetermined number may be displayed with a different display color, or a tab in which recorded data in an unplayed state exceeds a predetermined period may be highlighted. . Alternatively, when new recorded data is recorded and the recorded data list is updated, a landmark image such as a pop-up icon may be superimposed on the tab of the genre whose list is updated. Accordingly, the user can recognize the state of the information displayed in the background because the tab is inactive to some extent.

  (J) In the above embodiment, the recording data that does not correspond to the predetermined genre is distributed to the other tabs, but when the recording data that does not correspond is detected, to which genre the recording data is distributed. A selection screen for selection may be generated and displayed by the setting unit 11e. In this case, the recording data is distributed based on the user operation received using the selection screen.

1 Compatible recorder (recording and playback device)
11 Control Unit 11a Recording Processing Unit (Recording Processing Unit)
11b EPG acquisition unit (classification information acquisition unit)
11c related information generation unit 11d recording data management unit (reproduction information management unit)
11e setting part
11f Recording reservation manager (reservation information manager)
12 Memory (Recording part)
13 Operation unit 14 HDD (Recording unit)
15 VCR
16 Optical disk drive 17 Broadcast receiving section 18 Signal processing section 19 OSD processing section 20 External connection terminal (communication section)

Claims (5)

A recording unit for recording information;
A broadcast receiving unit that receives broadcast waves and obtains reproduction information including images or sounds from the broadcast waves;
A recording processing unit for performing recording processing of the reproduction information on the recording unit;
In a recording / reproducing apparatus including a classification information acquisition unit that acquires classification information that is information for classifying the reproduction information according to predetermined items,
Management information indicating the content of the reproduction information recorded in the recording unit is acquired by the recording processing unit, the management information, and the classification information indicating the item to which the reproduction information indicated in the management information belongs A related information generating unit for generating related information associated with
When the display instruction of the management information is detected, the classification information associated with the management information is determined with reference to the related information, and the management information is determined in advance based on the determined classification information. A recording / reproducing apparatus comprising: a reproduction information management unit for displaying each item. The recording / reproducing apparatus includes a setting unit that accepts a recording reservation or a viewing reservation of the reproduction information acquired by the broadcast receiving unit and generates reservation information indicating the content of the reservation,
The related information generating unit generates related information associating the reservation information with the classification information indicating an item to which the reproduction information to be reserved in the reservation information belongs,
When the recording / reproducing apparatus detects an instruction to display the reservation information, the recording / reproducing apparatus refers to the related information to determine the classification information associated with the reservation information, and based on the determined classification information, The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a reservation information management unit that displays reservation information for each predetermined item. The related information generating unit generates related information associating history information indicating a reproduction history of the reproduction information with the classification information indicating an item to which the reproduction information indicated in the history information belongs,
When the recording / reproducing apparatus detects the history display instruction, the recording / reproducing apparatus refers to the related information to determine the classification information associated with the history information, and based on the determined classification information, the history The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a history information management unit that displays information according to predetermined items. The classification information acquisition unit uses, as an item for classifying the reproduction information, a genre of the reproduction information, a broadcast date and time of the reproduction information, or content of viewing restriction applied to the reproduction information. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 3. The recording / reproducing apparatus includes an operation unit that receives an operation instruction, and a communication unit that is connected to a communication network and performs communication.
The classification information acquisition unit acquires the classification information from information obtained by the communication unit via a communication network, or information obtained from a broadcast wave by the broadcast reception unit,
The reproduction information management unit, the reservation information management unit, or the history information management unit receives the display instruction via the operation unit, and determines the management information, the reservation information, or the history information in advance. 5. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a tab display or a tree structure display is performed for each item.

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