JP4083179B2 - Program information display device, program storage device, method thereof, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal and a system for accumulating and displaying program information used for reference by a user in relation to content represented by a television program or the like.

  In recent years, with the spread of digital broadcasting, a wide variety of broadcast programs have been broadcast. In addition, with the spread of electronic program guides (hereinafter abbreviated as EPG), it is possible to confirm the schedule of programs to be broadcast in the future on a television screen. Furthermore, with the widespread use of hard disks and DVDs, it is becoming possible to easily record programs.

  Therefore, the user's preference regarding the TV program is extracted based on the contents of the reserved recording on the hard disk or the like and the browsing history of the program, and in the program to be broadcast in the future, the program that matches the user's preference is recommended. A system has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, an apparatus for selecting a program desired by a user using information on whether or not a recorded program has been browsed has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

  Conventionally, a system for detecting a more accurate audience rating by accumulating browsing operation history even for a program recorded when the audience rating is investigated and counting the information with a server has been disclosed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 3). Thus, the timing for inserting the advertisement information into the program is determined for each viewing operation of the user.

In addition, a broadcasting terminal device that can determine the resolution of a program to be recorded according to the attribute of the program or can determine the resolution (bit rate) at the time of program recording according to the user's preference is also disclosed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 4).
JP-A-11-164217 JP 2000-253325 A JP 2002-305760 A JP 2001-84220 A

  However, although the conventional technique effectively uses the EPG as a clue to know the user's preference by, for example, extracting a keyword from the EPG of a program that is reserved or recorded by the user, the EPG itself is used for the user. It does not mention how to present effectively.

  Specifically, in the current digital broadcasting system, a plurality of types of EPGs that increase in detail as the broadcast date approaches are distributed in relation to one program, but the details are obtained just before the broadcast date of the program. When EPG information is displayed on a mobile terminal such as a cellular phone, the display content may not fit on one screen and may be inconvenient. A uniform display method is a factor that impairs the good usability of the product.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a program information display apparatus and method for effectively presenting an EPG (hereinafter generally referred to as program information) to a user. For the purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, a program information display apparatus according to the present invention stores program information stored in association with program content (hereinafter also referred to as a broadcast program or simply a program depending on the context) for reference by a user. A program information display device for outputting program information storage means for storing a plurality of different program information related to one program content, and a terminal device for displaying program information from the plurality of program information Program information selection means for selecting program information to be displayed according to the amount of information that can be displayed on one screen, and program information display means for displaying the program information selected by the program information selection means on the terminal device. Prepare.

In addition, the program information display device is further stored in the program information storage unit in association with a program information acquisition unit for newly acquiring program information related to the program content and a predetermined one program content. Content difference detection means for detecting a difference between the program information acquired and the program information newly acquired by the program information acquisition means, and adding the newly acquired program information to the program information storage means if there is a difference And may be provided.

  Note that the present invention can be realized not only as such a content display device but also as a program storage device having the function of such a content display device. In addition, it can be realized as a content display method using steps as characteristic means included in such a content display device, or can be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute these steps. Such a program can be distributed via a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a transmission medium such as the Internet.

  According to the content display device of the present invention, the characteristics of the display device, the content of the program information, and the program content are selected from a plurality of program information stored in association with one program content (broadcast program). According to at least one of the browsing histories, it is possible to select and output a display target portion that is expected to be convenient for the user, so that it is possible to avoid a deterioration in the feeling of use that can occur with the conventional uniform display method.

  In today's world, where multiple types of program information can be obtained for a single broadcast program and the display environment for program information ranges from a large-screen digital TV at home to a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, the practical value of the present invention is extremely high. .

  A content display device according to the present invention is a program information display device that outputs program information stored in association with program content and used for reference by a user, and a plurality of different pieces of program information related to one program content According to at least one of the characteristics of the terminal device that displays program information, the content of the program information, and the browsing history of the program content from among the plurality of program information Program information selecting means for selecting a display target portion, and program information output means for outputting the selected display target portion of the plurality of program information.

  According to this configuration, the characteristics of the terminal device that displays program information, the content of the program information, and the browsing history of the program content are selected from a plurality of pieces of program information stored in association with one program content. According to at least one, a display target portion that is expected to be convenient for the user can be selected and output, so that it is possible to avoid a deterioration in the feeling of use that may occur due to a conventional uniform display method.

  The program information display device further includes program information acquisition means for newly acquiring program information related to the program content, program information stored in the program information storage means, and program information acquisition means. Content difference detection means may be provided that detects a difference from the newly acquired program information, and adds the newly acquired program information to the program information storage means if there is a difference.

  According to this configuration, as in the current digital broadcasting system, for example, a plurality of types of program information (EPG) that increases in detail as the broadcast date approaches in relation to one program content (broadcast program) is distributed. In this case, it is possible to accumulate EPGs with increased detail without missing them.

  The program information display device further includes a display information amount receiving unit that receives an amount of information that can be displayed at a time on a terminal device that displays the program information, and the program information selecting unit includes the plurality of program information items. One corresponding to the amount of information may be selected as the display target portion.

  The program information display device further stores display performance information representing at least one of a display resolution of a terminal device that displays program information, the number of displayable colors, and a format relating to a reproducible video or audio. A display terminal performance storage unit may be provided, and the program information selection unit may select one of the plurality of program information according to the display performance information as the display target portion.

  According to these configurations, for example, when program information is displayed on a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone that generally has low display performance, program information that has an amount of information that cannot be displayed at one time (details immediately before the broadcast date) EPG) and program information that includes video information that cannot be displayed (a format that assumes playback on a high-standard set-top box, etc.) and is expected to be the most convenient for users to browse Select and output information.

  The program information storage means stores a plurality of program information in association with each of the plurality of program contents, and the program information selection means selects the display target portion of the program information for each program content. Program information that is related to each program content and has different parts may be selected as the display target part.

  According to this configuration, for example, when program information is output to each program constituting a series, since the level of detail is low, the same content (for example, the same series title and the same star name) is used each time. The program information that is distinct (distinguishable) is presented to the user by selecting program information that is detailed enough to include different subtitles and synopses. it can.

  Further, the program content is recorded on an external content recording device and used for user browsing, and the program information display device further stores browsing history information representing a browsing history of the program content by the user. The program information selection means may select one of the plurality of program information corresponding to the browsing history information as the display target portion. Preferably, the program information storage means stores program information acquired before broadcasting the program content and program information acquired after broadcasting in association with the program content, and the program information The selection means determines whether or not the program content has been browsed by referring to the browsing history information, and if it is determined that the program content has not been browsed, excludes the program information acquired after the broadcast and displays the display A target portion may be selected.

  According to this configuration, a program that has been recorded but has not been browsed is known by referring to the browsing history, and program information obtained after the program broadcast (such as sports broadcast programs) By avoiding (sometimes even the results are shown) and presenting one piece of program information obtained before the program broadcast, the enjoyment of viewing the program is not hindered.

  Further, the program information selection means determines the number of times the program content has been browsed, the time elapsed since the last viewing time, or both with reference to the browsing history, and the higher the number of times, Alternatively, program information having a smaller amount of information as the time is shorter may be selected as the display target portion.

  According to this configuration, since there is a high possibility that the frequently viewed program or the recently viewed program remains in the user's memory, it is possible to display relatively simple program information and remain in the user's memory. It is possible to present detailed program information for a program having low characteristics.

  The program information storage means stores a plurality of program information acquired from different distribution sources in relation to the program content, and the program information display device is further acquired from the different distribution sources. Program information fusion means for generating new program information using the program information may be provided, and the program information selection means may select the generated new program information as the display target portion.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to present the content included in a plurality of program information acquired from different distribution sources to the user without missing.

  Preferably, the program information merging means uses a portion of the program information acquired from the distribution source according to the frequency with which the updated program information is obtained from each distribution source or the amount of program information obtained. The new program information may be generated using the determined used portion.

  According to this configuration, for example, information related to the broadcast time is used from the program information of the distribution source that distributes the program information updated quickly and frequently according to the change in the broadcast time of the program. By using the program content information from the program information of the distribution source to be distributed to the program information, the program information having the characteristics of each distribution source can be presented to the user.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
In recent years, services for distributing program information before being broadcasted or broadcasted via a network have been put into practical use. Along with this, a technique for storing contents acquired as program information together with a recorded program for a recorded program is also disclosed.

  However, when the user wants to list a large number of recorded programs in order to check the recorded programs, displaying all the contents acquired as program information results in a display with low listability. In this case, it is possible to display a high list by displaying only the simple contents of the recorded program. Conversely, when searching for a program recorded with a keyword input by the user, it is necessary to store not only the title of the program but also text information including the program performers and the contents of the program. The search cannot be realized.

  On the other hand, in the program information distribution service, the detailed program content is distributed as the program content approaches the broadcast day. For example, the program information distributed one month ago was only the title, but information such as performers is often included one week before the broadcast. Furthermore, if it is the previous day, the contents of the feature may be distributed as program information if it is news, or if it is a drama, the contents of the previous episode may be distributed.

  Therefore, in the present invention, such distributed program information is accumulated so that detailed contents can be displayed or an outline of only the title can be displayed in response to a presentation request from the user. An apparatus for accumulating program information is provided.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a program storage apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
The program storage device 3700 is a device that stores program information together with a program, displays program information by changing the level of detail of display content in response to a presentation request from a user, and includes a program information acquisition unit as shown in FIG. 3701, program information storage unit 3702, program information difference detection unit 3703, broadcast reception unit 3704, program recording unit 3705, program information selection unit 3706, program information display unit 3707, program storage unit 3708, instruction reception unit 3709, and display information A quantity receiving unit 3710 is provided.

  The program information acquisition unit 3701 acquires program information (EPG). The program information storage unit 3702 is a storage unit such as a hard disk that stores the program information acquired by the program information acquisition unit 3701 until the time of program broadcasting. The program information difference detection unit 3703 detects the difference between the program information stored in the program information storage unit 3702 and the program information newly acquired by the program information acquisition unit 3701, and newly acquires it when there is a difference. The program information thus stored is stored in the program information storage unit 3702. When there is no program information stored in the program information storage unit 3702, the program information difference detection unit 3703 stores the program information newly acquired by the program information acquisition unit 3701 in the program information storage unit 3702. .

  The broadcast receiving unit 3704 receives a broadcast program (content). The program recording unit 3705 records the program received by the broadcast receiving unit 3704 in the program storage unit 3708. Further, when recording a program, the program recording unit 3705 records the program information related to the program stored in the program information storage unit 3702 in association with the program storage unit 3708. The program storage unit 3708 is a storage unit such as a hard disk that stores the program recorded by the program recording unit 3705 and program information related to the program.

  An instruction receiving unit 3709 receives an instruction to display program information from the user. The display information amount receiving unit 3710 receives an information amount that can be displayed on a display device that displays program information. The program information selection unit 3706 selects program information recorded in the program storage unit 3708 based on the display instruction received by the instruction reception unit 3709 and the information amount received by the display information amount reception unit 3710. The program information display unit 3707 displays the program information selected by the program information selection unit 3706 by outputting it to an external display device.

  Since the hardware configuration in which the program storage apparatus according to the present embodiment is used is the same as that of a normal hard disk recorder for program storage, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, an operation when program information is stored in the program information storage unit 3702 of the program storage apparatus configured as described above will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when program information is stored in the program information storage unit 3702.

  First, the program information acquisition unit 3701 acquires and holds program information (EPG) (step S501). Note that the program information may be extracted from the multiplex broadcast or acquired via a network.

  3 to 5 are diagrams showing examples of program information to be distributed. FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 show program information distributed 4 weeks before, 1 week before, and 1 day before the program is broadcast, respectively. 3 to 5 show program information of the same program aired on 10 channels on October 22, but detailed information is determined as the date of airing approaches, and the program information tends to become more detailed. For example, in the case of a program such as news, the detailed broadcast content cannot be determined until the previous day. In addition, in the case of program information such as dramas that are broadcast every week, before distributing information about the contents of the next drama, information about the contents of the next drama is not distributed, and only program information about the performers is distributed. .

  Next, the program information difference detection unit 3703 searches for each program of the acquired program information whether there is program information stored in the program information storage unit 3702 (step S502). Specifically, a search is performed using a channel on which a program is broadcast and a date and time to search whether there is program information already stored in the program information storage unit 3702. Since the text information indicating the contents of the program may differ depending on the distribution timing, the correspondence of the program is searched using the program channel and date / time.

  If there is already program information as a result of the search (YES in step S502), the program information difference detection unit 3703 stores the program information acquired by the program information acquisition unit 3701 and the program information storage unit 3702. A difference with existing program information is detected, and it is determined whether or not the program information is the same (step S503). As a result, if the program information is the same (YES in step S503), the program information acquisition unit 3701 deletes the held program information (step S504).

  On the other hand, if the program information is not the same (NO in step S503), the program information difference detection unit 3703 stores the program information acquired by the program information acquisition unit 3701 in the program information storage unit 3702 (step S505). That is, even program information of the same program is stored as program information with different text contents. In the example of FIGS. 3 to 5, since the degree of detail differs for the information related to the same “news fountain”, it is stored as program information of “news fountain”. The program information before airing is stored in the program information storage unit 3702 until the airing ends.

  Next, an operation for recording a program in a state where program information is accumulated in the program information storage unit 3702 as described above will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when a program is recorded in the program storage device.

  When the program is broadcast, the program recording unit 3705 determines whether to record the program (step S601). Here, when the program is recorded (YES in step S601), the program recording unit 3705 records the program and associates the program information related to the program stored in the program information storage unit 3702 with the program. Recording is performed in the storage unit 3708 (step S602). That is, not only information on the program title, recording time, and channel, but also text information on the program is accumulated. For example, when “News Fountain” is recorded, all the information in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5 is recorded in the program storage unit 3708 as program information as information relating to the content. Then, the program recording unit 3705 deletes the program information related to this program stored in the program information storage unit 3702 (step S603).

  On the other hand, when the program is not recorded (NO in step S601), the program recording unit 3705 deletes the program information related to this program stored in the program information storage unit 3702 (step S603). That is, the program information about the program that was broadcast but not recorded is deleted.

  Next, an operation when displaying information of a recorded program in a state where the program is recorded as described above will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when displaying information of a program recorded in the program storage device.

  The instruction receiving unit 3709 receives a display request for program information of one or more programs (step S701). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, two programs “News Fountain” and “Blue Tower” are recorded, and a request to display program information of these two programs on one screen is received. . If there is no display request, it does not proceed to the next until there is a display request.

  Next, the display information amount receiving unit 3710 receives the amount of information that can be displayed on the display device that displays the program information (step S702). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, a request for displaying two programs “news fountain” and “blue tower” within 14 lines is accepted. Here, the number of lines is shown as the amount of program information, but the request may be received with the amount of program information such as the number of characters.

  Next, when the most detailed program information is displayed, the program information selection unit 3706 determines whether the program information can be displayed (step S703). For example, the most detailed program information amount of “News Fountain” is 9 lines. On the other hand, the most detailed program information amount of “Blue Giant Tower” is seven lines. Therefore, the most detailed program information amount of the two programs is 9 + 7 = 16 lines. Since the current amount of program information that can be displayed is 14 lines, it is impossible to simultaneously display program information of two programs.

  If display is not possible (NO in step S703), the program information selection unit 3706 selects a program with the largest program information amount from among the programs to be displayed, and lowers the level of detail of the program information. The amount of information is reduced (step S705). Here, since the amount of program information of “news fountain” is larger than the amount of program information of “blue giant tower”, the level of detail of the program information of “news fountain” is lowered as shown in FIG. Here, by using the program information one week before “news fountain” shown in FIG. 4, the program information amount of “news fountain” becomes seven lines as a result.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5, since the program information is structured and stored with the performer and the tag of the program content, if the detailed program information cannot be displayed, the title and the performer are displayed. You may make it do. Furthermore, decorations such as displaying only the title in bold and changing the color may be applied.

  Again, the program information selection unit 3706 determines whether the program information can be displayed with the level of detail of the program information being lowered (step S703). Here, the program information amount of “News Fountain” is 7 rows, the program information amount of “Blue Tower” is 7 rows, and the program information amount of the two programs is 7 + 7 = 14 rows. Since the current amount of program information that can be displayed is 14 lines, program information of two programs can be displayed simultaneously.

  On the other hand, as a result of determining whether or not the program information can be displayed (step S703), if the program information can be displayed (YES in step S703), the program information display unit 3707 is selected by the program information selection unit 3706. The program information is displayed (step S704). As a result, program information of two programs is displayed as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the difference between the program information acquired by the program information acquisition unit 3701 and the program information stored in the program information storage unit 3702 is detected, and if there is a difference, the acquired program information is updated. Therefore, it is possible to store program information recorded by the user and program information having different degrees of detail of the program recorded by the system.

  As a result, it is possible to confirm what kind of program content is in the text information without browsing the program. Furthermore, since program information with different levels of detail is accumulated, it is possible to selectively display program information according to the degree of interest of the user, the terminal that displays the program information, and the display area. For example, when displaying program information recorded by a terminal having a small display area such as a mobile phone, it is possible to display program information with simple contents. On the other hand, when displaying program information of a program recorded on a high-resolution display terminal such as a personal computer, detailed program information as shown in FIG. 5 can be displayed.

  In the present embodiment, program information is acquired using information transmitted after being multiplexed with broadcast waves, and stored in association with a recorded program. Furthermore, by specifying a URL such as the Internet for information related to a program as shown in FIG. 9, it becomes possible to store detailed information in association with each other. In addition, by accumulating trade marks A and the like related to programs on the Internet or the like, program information can be confirmed at a glance. In FIG. 9, the program information accumulated by the user inputting the URL is acquired, but information such as a URL may be included in the information multiplexed by the broadcast wave. As described above, by accumulating text information related to a program, it becomes possible to search the contents of the program by a keyword or the like. It is also possible to classify the recorded program content using text information.

  In this embodiment, the program storage device is realized by a recording device such as a hard disk recorder. It can also be realized by hardware in which a terminal for displaying program information and a device (such as a hard disk recorder or a DVD recording device) in which program information is stored are connected via a network.

  In the present embodiment, when the program information cannot be displayed in the operation for displaying the recorded program information, the program information is displayed by reducing the amount of the program information of the program having a long program information. ing. However, by accumulating the viewing history of recorded programs, the program information selection unit 3706 reduces the amount of program information because it is highly likely that the user will remember the content of programs with a large number of viewing times. In step S705, the program information may be controlled by selecting a program with a large number of viewings and reducing the program information. This makes it possible to display the stored program information in consideration of the viewing history according to the performance of the display terminal. Furthermore, by accumulating the viewing history for each user, it is possible to display the program information in consideration of the history of the user viewing the program information and the user viewing the recorded (accumulated) program. Become.

  In the present embodiment, when the program information cannot be displayed in the operation for displaying the recorded program information, the program information is displayed by reducing the amount of the program information of the program having a long program information. ing. However, using the accumulated date and time information, it is possible to display more detailed information for a program whose accumulated (recorded) date and time is closer to the current date and time. Thus, with respect to program information accumulated from the past, it is highly likely that the user has browsed the program information in the past and stored the contents, so only the program information related to the overview is displayed, and recently accumulated (recorded) The detailed program information can be displayed with respect to the program information.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the amount of program information is controlled using the amount of program information, the number of times the program has been viewed, and the date and time when the program is accumulated in order to display detailed program information. However, you may control the quantity displayed combining these information.

  In this embodiment, program information for one program information distribution is accumulated. However, when there are a plurality of program information distribution sources, a plurality of types of program information may be accumulated. Thereby, when displaying the program information, it becomes possible to display the program information more flexibly.

  In the present embodiment, program information distributed at different dates and times is selectively displayed to appropriately display program information. However, the program information can be displayed from the user's point of view using the user's program search history and reserved program registration history. Specifically, it is assumed that when a user searches for a program, the program can be searched by four items: broadcast time information, program title, program performer, and program content. At this time, it is assumed that the user has searched the program information by the program title most frequently. Therefore, the user determines that the program information is being viewed with emphasis on the program title, and the program title item is highlighted and displayed. For example, it is possible to display a program title using a font different in color from other fonts, or display a program title using a font larger than the other fonts.

  In the present embodiment, the program information storage unit 3702 and the program storage unit 3708 are configured as separate storage units, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the program information storage unit 3702 and the program storage unit 3708 can be configured as one storage unit. In this case, in the operation for recording the program, the program recording unit 3705 records the program and records the program information related to the program in association with each other (step S602), and then stores the program information in the program information storage unit 3702. It is not necessary to delete the program information related to this program (step S603). That is, the program recording unit 3705 may record the program and associate program information related to the program.

  As described above, the program storage device according to the present invention is a program storage device for recording content, and the program information acquisition means for acquiring content information related to the content and the content acquired by the program information acquisition means A difference between the program information storage means for storing information, the content information stored in the program information storage means, and the content information newly acquired by the program information acquisition means, and the difference exists Sometimes, in addition to the content information stored in the program information storage means, program information difference detection means for storing the newly acquired content information in the program information storage means, and recording the content, One or more pieces of content information related to the content stored in the program information storage means The characterized in that it comprises a program recording means for storing in association with the content.

  The program storage device further selects a piece of content information according to a display device that displays the content information from one or more pieces of the content information related to the content recorded by the program recording means. Information selection means may be provided.

  The program storage device may further include display information amount receiving means for receiving an information amount that can be displayed on the display device.

  This makes it possible to store content information with different levels of detail for content recorded by the user or system. In addition, since content information with different levels of detail is accumulated, it is possible to selectively display content information according to the degree of interest of the user, the terminal that displays the content information, and the display area.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, difference information of program information to be distributed is detected, and for one program content, program information for one month ago, program information for one week ago, program information for one day ago, The program information that is displayed in accordance with the display conditions (screen specifications, etc.) of the digital TV or the like for displaying the program information and the user's needs is described by associating the program information after the broadcast with the recorded program content.

  In the present embodiment, the program information display device further displays program information of program content recorded in the home on a small mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, and allows the user to check the program information stored in the home. Is to provide.

  FIG. 10 shows a system configuration for realizing the embodiment of the present invention. In the program information display apparatus of FIG. 10, a broadcast receiving unit 5101, a program recording unit 5102, a program storage unit 5103, a program information acquisition unit 5104, a program information difference detection unit 5105, a program information storage unit 5106, and a display terminal performance storage unit 5107. , A program information display request input unit 5108, a program information display request reception unit 5109, and a program information selection unit 5110.

  An example of a hardware configuration for realizing the system configuration shown in FIG. 10 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 11, a hard disk recorder connected to a digital television can record program contents at home, and program information related to the program contents is stored at the same time. When a large amount of program content is accumulated in the hard disk recorder in this way, the program information recorded in the home can be confirmed outdoors, or the program information recorded from other rooms even in the home. Needs to confirm come out. However, each terminal that displays program information usually has different screen specifications and multimedia contents that can be decoded. Therefore, in the home, a plurality of pieces of program information are accumulated for one recorded program content, and the program information is selected according to the terminal that displays the program information.

  Next, the operation content of each module in FIG. 10 will be described. The broadcast receiving unit 5101 receives program content through an antenna for analog broadcasting or digital broadcasting. Note that program content distributed over the Internet or the like may be received.

  The program recording unit 5102 performs processing for storing the program content received by the broadcast receiving unit 5101 in a storage medium such as a hard disk or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

  The program storage unit 5103 is a storage medium composed of a hard disk or the like, and stores the program content encoded by the program recording unit 5102 as data (moving image data). In the program storage unit, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, recording date / time, recording time, recorded channel, and ID of program information related to the recorded program content are stored. When a user views a recorded program, the program storage unit reproduces the moving image stored in a predetermined moving image storage format (such as MPEG).

  The program information acquisition unit 5104 acquires program information such as broadcast time, title, performer, and program content related to program content via multiplexed broadcast waves and the Internet.

  The difference information of the program information acquired by the program information difference detection unit 5105 and the program information acquisition unit 5104 is detected, and if there is a difference of the program information, it is stored in the program information storage unit 5106. In general, the program information increases in content as it approaches the broadcast time of the program content, and more accurate program information is supplied. In particular, in the case of program information such as news, the program content may not be determined unless it is just before being broadcast. In the case of sports programs such as baseball and soccer, information such as extension of program broadcast time is also distributed as program information, and a difference from the previously distributed program information is detected and stored as program information if there is a difference. Let

  Similar to the program storage unit 5103, the program information storage unit 5106 is composed of a storage medium such as a hard disk, and the program information difference detection unit 5105 detects the program information related to the program content stored in the program storage unit 5103. If it does, it will accumulate. As a result, a plurality of different program information is accumulated for one program content. An example of the contents of information stored in the program information storage unit is shown in FIG. In FIG. 13, four pieces of program information “0010” to “0013” related to the program content (recorded program ID = 001) accumulated in FIG. 12 are stored. The program information “0010” to “0013” related to the program content “001” is the program information of the program content from the same company A, but the program information is different because the distribution date / time is different.

  A specific example of the distributed program information is shown in FIG. Program information IDs 0010 to 0012 are program information distributed before the program is broadcast, and program information ID 0013 is program information distributed after the program is broadcast. In each program information, there is no change in the program title and broadcast time, but the closer the broadcast date and time, the more the program content and guests are determined and more detailed program information is distributed. The program information includes information other than text such as MPEG and MP3.

  The display terminal performance storage unit 5107 stores the display performance of a terminal that displays program information. In the case of a cellular phone, the area (resolution) in which program information can be displayed, the number of colors, which format (MPEG, MPEG2, WMF, etc.) of video information can be played back, and the program Information such as which audio format (MP3, ACC, etc.) attached to the information can be reproduced is stored. As described above, the display terminal performance storage unit 5107 also stores information related to a format related to moving images or audio that can be played back on the display terminal.

  The program information display request input unit 5108 records the request on a hard disk recorder or the like installed in the home when the program information is to be displayed by a user's screen operation or the like from a terminal that displays the program information. If it is, the terminal is notified that there has been a program display request.

  The program information display request receiving unit 5109 receives the program display request input by the program information display request input unit 5108 in the apparatus in which the program information is stored. For example, a request for displaying program information of the latest recorded program is received.

  The program information selection unit 5110 displays the display terminal performance stored in the display terminal performance storage unit 5107 when a plurality of program information is displayed for one program content stored in the program information storage unit 5106. To select appropriate program information.

  The operation flow of the program information display apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. The flow for accumulating program information is the same as the flow in Embodiment 1 (see FIG. 2) and is omitted, and the flow of operations after the user inputs a request for program information to the mobile terminal is omitted. Will be explained.

  Has the program information display request receiving unit 5109 received a program information display request (S5601)? If accepted, the process proceeds to the next step. If not accepted, this step is repeated. When the program information request is received, a program content ID for identifying the program content is acquired (S5602). In this example, it is assumed that “001” is accepted as the program content ID. It is determined whether there is a plurality of pieces of program information of the received program content ID (S5603). In this example, since there are a plurality of pieces of program information “001” from “0010” to “0013”, the program proceeds to the next step. If there is only one program information, the process proceeds to S5605 and the stored program information is output.

  If there are a plurality of pieces of program information, in order to select the program information, information regarding the performance of the terminal displaying the program information stored in the display terminal performance storage unit 5107 is acquired (S5604). The number of characters that can be displayed on the display terminal of the terminal that displays the program information is acquired. In the case of this example, since the program information is displayed on the mobile terminal, the number of characters entering the display area is 50 characters. Next, it is checked whether or not there is program information of the number of characters that falls within the display area (S5606). In the case of this example, for program information of 50 characters or less, “0011” is selected because the program information ID is “0011” and the number of program information characters is 45 characters. If the program information includes additional information (additional information such as images and sounds), it is determined whether or not the additional information can be reproduced on the terminal displaying the program information (S5608). If playback is possible, the program information is selected (S5609). If playback is not possible, program information without additional information is selected (S5610). In this example, since there is no additional information in the program information “0011”, “0011”, which is only text information, is selected. The program information selected last is transmitted to the display terminal (S5612), and the program information is displayed.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 16, when the terminal for displaying program information is a small display device such as a mobile phone, it is displayed as shown in (a), and in the case of a small display at home. , (B) are displayed.

  By storing a plurality of pieces of program information in association with one program content, the program information is automatically selected according to the display performance of the terminal that displays the program information, and the program information enters one screen. It becomes possible to display at the level of detail. In particular, since the program information is information created by the information distributor, it is not necessary to perform operations such as natural language processing, and the program information can be expressed with an appropriate level of detail.

(Embodiment 3)
In the second embodiment, when one piece of program information is displayed, the degree of detail of the program information is automatically selected according to the performance of the terminal that displays the program information and displayed. Furthermore, the program information may display not only one program information but also a plurality of program information. For example, when checking a recorded program at home, the program information is displayed by displaying a list of a plurality of recorded programs. However, in the case of a drama or the like, the program information often has the same title and performer, and even if only the contents are displayed as program information, the user can identify the information only by the recording date and time. difficult.

  In particular, since the recorded program records a program that suits the user's preference, a program having the same content is often recorded. For example, it is often a favorite drama or news that is usually viewed, and the program information is often similar to each other. Further, when confirming a recorded program, the program information is often displayed on the same screen. Furthermore, when checking a program recorded on a mobile phone or the like from outside, the program information recorded on a small screen is displayed. It is difficult to identify the contents of those program contents.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when a plurality of pieces of program information are stored for one program, the contents of the program information to be displayed at the same time are referred to, and program information at a level that can identify each program is selected. The apparatus which performs is provided.

  The system configuration of the program information display apparatus is shown in FIG. 17 includes a broadcast receiving unit 5801, a program recording unit 5802, a program storage unit 5803, a program information acquisition unit 5804, a program information difference detection unit 5805, a program information storage unit 5806, and a multiple program information display request input unit. 5807, a multiple program information display request receiving unit 5808, a multiple program information selecting unit 5809, and a multiple program information display unit 5810. Since the hardware configuration of the program information display apparatus is the same as that of the second embodiment (see FIG. 11), description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the operation of each module in FIG. 17 will be described. However, since the modules 5801 to 5806 perform the same operations as those in the second embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  The multiple program information display request input unit 5807 receives a request for display of multiple program information from the user. For example, a request for a plurality of program information such as news and dramas already recorded is input from a user at a mobile terminal outside the office.

  The multiple program information display request receiving unit 5808 receives a display request for program information of a plurality of programs input from the multiple program information display request input unit 5807.

  The multi-program information selection unit 5809 searches the program information storage unit 5806 for the program information received by the multi-program information display request receiving unit, and if the program information is partially the same, selects the program information having a different part. To do. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, it is assumed that program information distributed one month before the start of broadcasting, program information distributed one week ago, and program information distributed one day ago are accumulated. At this time, when displaying the program information of “red allegations” on October 22 and “red allegations” on October 15, the program information distributed one month ago has the same title and performer. Therefore, when displayed simultaneously, it becomes impossible to distinguish between programs. On the other hand, if the program information distributed one week ago is used, in addition to the title and performer of “red allegations”, the title of the content of the program of the day, “Speech at Special Diet”, “Crisis of Lawyer Office”, etc. Therefore, the program can be distinguished from the user. Thus, when there is a display request for program information of the same title, the level of detail that distinguishes each program is automatically determined and selected as program information.

  The multiple program information display unit 5810 displays the program information selected by the multiple program information selection unit 5809. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, when a display request for a program with the same title is made, program information is selected at a level of detail at a level where the program can be distinguished as shown in (a). On the other hand, when different programs have different titles, program information with a simple level of detail is sufficient as shown in FIG.

  As described above, when program information with a plurality of levels of detail is stored for one program content, the user can select each program information according to the program information to be displayed at the same time. The program can be identified.

  The above operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when the multiple program information display request receiving unit 5808 receives a display request for multiple program information, the process proceeds to the next step (S6101). If a display request for a plurality of program information is not accepted, this step is repeated. When a plurality of program information display requests are received by the multiple program information display request receiving unit 5808, the plurality of program information IDs are acquired (S6102). The program information can be identified from the recorded date and time and the channel. It is determined whether or not the oldest program information acquired for the program acquired by the program information acquisition unit is different (S6103). In the example of FIG. 18, it is determined whether or not the program information acquired one month ago is the same. In this example, since the program information received one month ago is the same, the process proceeds to S6104. On the other hand, if the oldest program information is different, the plurality of programs for which the request for displaying the program information is received are determined to be programs having different program titles, and each piece of program information is output (S6106). In S6104, since the program information of one month ago is the same, the next oldest one week of program information is selected (S6104), and it is determined whether the program information is the same (S6105). In the case of this example, since the program information of one week ago is different program information, the program information is output. If the program information of the previous week is the same, and if the program information of the previous day is also the same, it is determined that these programs are rebroadcast (S6107), and the same program information is obtained. Output.

  As a result of the above operation, when a plurality of pieces of program information are displayed, the program information can be presented with a level of detail that allows the difference in program contents to be identified as shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the program information displayed is the program information distributed one week before the broadcast, but only different portions may be displayed. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, only the contents of the program are displayed. Moreover, you may display only a different part from a title.

In the present embodiment, whether or not more detailed program information is necessary is determined based on whether or not each piece of program information is the same for a plurality of pieces of program information for which program information is requested. However, as the program information, for example, the programs “continuous drama red allegations (1) performers: Aida △△, Oda XX” and “continuous drama red allegations (2) performers: Aida △△, Oda XX” are selected. In this case, almost all of the program information is the same program information. When such program information is displayed on a terminal having only a small display area such as a mobile phone, program information with a small difference is displayed. Therefore, in the program information difference detection unit 5805, the character amount of the portion where the program information is different from the whole program information is the program difference rate = (number of characters in which the program information is different) / (total amount of program information)
If this value is small, it is determined that the program information is similar, and more detailed program information is selected and displayed. As a result, in the case of program information that differs only in the number of broadcasts of dramas and the like, more detailed program information is selected, and it becomes easier for the user to identify the recorded program.

(Embodiment 4)
In Embodiments 1, 2, and 3, by using a plurality of program information corresponding to each program content in a characteristic manner, the user can select program information according to the performance of the display terminal and the number of program information to be displayed. The display was made so that it was easy to browse. However, not only program information before broadcasting but also program information may be provided for one program content after broadcasting the program. For example, in the case of a professional baseball program, information about the result of the game may be included after the broadcast. At this time, if the program information is browsed in order to confirm the information of the recorded program, the result of the game may be known and there may be no enjoyment of browsing.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when pre-broadcast and post-broadcast program information is stored for the program content, a program information display for selecting appropriate program information from the browsing history for the program content to the user A device is provided.

  The system configuration of this program information display apparatus is shown in FIG. 22 includes a broadcast receiving unit 6201, a program recording unit 6202, a program storage unit 6203, a program information acquisition unit 6204, a program information difference detection unit 6205, a program information storage unit 6206, and a recorded program browsing operation reception unit 6207. , A recorded program display control unit 6208, a recorded program browsing history storage unit 6209, a program information selection unit 6210, and a program information display unit 6211.

  Next, the operation of each module in FIG. 22 will be described. However, since the modules 6201 to 6206 perform the same operations as those in the second and third embodiments, the description thereof is omitted.

  A recorded program browsing operation receiving unit 6207 receives a browsing operation of a program recorded in the program storage unit 6203 from the user. For example, a recorded program content is selected and browsed by a reproduction operation, a fast-forwarding operation, a pause operation, or the like.

  The recorded program display control unit 6208 controls the display of the recorded program in response to the browsing operation received by the recorded program browsing operation receiving unit 6207.

  The recorded program browsing history storage unit 6209 stores a history of user browsing operations on the recorded programs stored in the program recording unit 6202 received by the recorded program browsing operation receiving unit 6207. For example, as shown in FIG. 23, a program browsing history is accumulated. It should be noted that a normal playback rate (also referred to as a browsing concentration level) indicating a ratio of browsing by normal playback in program content playback is also stored as a part of this browsing history. The configuration for calculating the normal reproduction rate and the calculation method thereof will be described in detail later in Embodiments 6 and 7. In the example of FIG. 23, “Professional Baseball Golden Knight” is recorded on October 22, 2003, and is viewed by the user on the 25th.

  The program information selection unit 6210 selects the program information stored in the program information storage unit 6206 according to the browsing history of the program recorded in the recorded program browsing history storage unit 6209 by the user. In the program information storage unit 6206, program information before the program broadcast and program information after the program broadcast are stored for the program content stored in the program recording unit 6202. And about the program which the user is not browsing regarding the recorded program, the program information delivered before the program was broadcasted is selected. Conversely, as the program information related to the recorded program viewed by the user, the program information acquired after the program is distributed is selected. As shown in FIG. 24, it is assumed that two types of program information are stored in the program information storage unit as the program information of the professional baseball golden night game. In FIG. 24, program information as a result of professional baseball scores is distributed in the program information after broadcasting. At this time, as shown in FIG. 23, when the user is browsing the professional baseball golden night game, the one containing the baseball result information distributed after the broadcast is selected.

  The program information display unit 6211 displays the program information selected by the program information selection unit 6210. For example, as shown in FIG. 25A, after viewing a recorded program, program information distributed after the end of broadcasting is displayed. On the other hand, in the case before browsing, as shown in FIG. 25B, information that does not include information on the result of baseball is displayed.

  The above operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, this step is repeated until a program information display request is received. When a program information request is received, the process proceeds to the next step (S6601). The program ID for which program information is requested is acquired (S6602). With respect to the program content of the program ID, the recorded program browsing history storage unit 6209 searches for the presence or absence of a program browsing history (S6603). If the recorded program has been browsed, the process proceeds to S6605. If the recorded program has not been browsed, the process proceeds to S6606. If the program has been browsed, the program information before the program broadcast is output (S6605), and if the program has not been browsed, the program information after the program broadcast is output (S6606). Finally, the output program information is displayed on the terminal (S6607).

  As a result of the above operation, program information corresponding to each program can be appropriately selected from the browsing history of the recorded program. In particular, with respect to a program before browsing, displaying program information acquired before broadcasting does not hinder the enjoyment of browsing the program.

  In the present embodiment, program information is selected depending on whether or not browsing is performed. Furthermore, the viewing concentration of the recorded program may be calculated, the user's preference for each program may be calculated, and the detail level of the program information may be changed according to the interest. In addition, for a program with a large number of browsing times, it is expected that the user can remember the content only by looking at the title in the content. Therefore, when displaying information on a program having a large number of browsing times, the simplest program information can be selected. Further, the detail level of the program information may be changed from the browsing history of the recorded program stored in the browsing history storage means according to the time until the previous browsing. As a result, recently viewed programs are likely to remain in the user's memory, so that the redundant program information is not displayed and the program information that is unlikely to remain in the user's memory is detailed. Program information can be provided.

(Embodiment 5)
In the second to fourth embodiments, examples in which program information is distributed from a single supplier have been described. However, there are a plurality of service companies that distribute program information, and each program information may have a characteristic. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when there are a plurality of program information providing sources, a program information display device that presents program information optimal for the user by selecting or merging the program information is provided. Is.

  FIG. 27 shows the system configuration of the program information display apparatus. 27 includes a broadcast receiving unit 6701, a program recording unit 6702, a program storage unit 6703, a first program information acquisition unit 6704, a second program information acquisition unit 6705, a program information difference detection unit 6706, a program An information storage unit 6707, a program information fusion unit 6708, a program information display request receiving unit 6709, a program information selection unit 6710, and a program information display unit 6711 are included.

  Next, the operation of each module in FIG. 27 will be described. However, although the modules 6701 to 6707 have two program information acquisition units, they basically perform the same operations as those in the second, third, and fourth embodiments, and will not be described.

  The program information fusion unit 6708 fuses the program information acquired by the first program information acquisition unit and the program information acquired by the second program information acquisition unit to generate new program information. In the second to fourth embodiments, a plurality of program information is stored for a certain recorded program content. In the present embodiment, program information from a plurality of distribution sources is stored for a certain recorded program content. Therefore, new program information is generated by combining a plurality of pieces of program information with different distribution sources associated with a certain program content.

  The program information often has characteristics depending on the distribution source. For example, there is program information distribution characterized in that certain program information is frequently updated when the broadcast time of the program is changed due to an extension of baseball broadcasting or the like. On the other hand, there is a program information distribution in which the information about the contents of the program is abundant although the program information is not frequently updated. The program information fusion unit 6708 fuses the acquired program information to generate new program information.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 28, it is assumed that there are company A and company B that distribute program information, and both pieces of program information have been acquired. At this time, a new program can be obtained by using the information related to the broadcast time of the program distribution source with a high program information update frequency and the program content information of the program distribution source having a large amount of program information. It becomes possible to synthesize information. The program information described in the second to fourth embodiments can be provided using the program information generated in this way. Note that the operations of the modules 6709 to 6711 are the same as those described in Embodiments 2 to 4, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  The flow of processing of the part for merging program information of the above program information display device will be described with reference to FIG. First, when program information is acquired from a plurality of distribution sources, the update frequency of the program information is calculated for each distribution source (S6901). The program broadcast time information with the shortest program information update frequency is selected (S6902). Next, a distribution source having a large amount of program information for the same program is selected, and the program information is selected (S6903). New program information is generated by fusing the information related to the broadcast time of the program selected in S6902 and the information related to the program content selected in S6903, and is registered in the program information storage unit.

  As a result of the above operation, when a plurality of program distribution sources exist, new program information can be generated by fusing those program information.

(Embodiment 6)
As described above, program viewing history (channel selection history) is accumulated, user preferences are extracted using text information and metadata information of each selected program, and each user is extracted from future programs. A technique for recommending a program in response to the above is disclosed. However, even when a channel is selected and a program is broadcast on the television, for example, when the television is kept on, the user does not always browse the television. For this reason, the user's preference may not be sufficiently expressed only from the channel selection history.

  Also, with the widespread use of hard disks and DVDs, programs can be easily stored and accessed randomly. In view of this, a technique for extracting user preferences from information about what programs are scheduled to be recorded using a recording history by the user is disclosed. In this case, since reserved program recording is performed by the user's intention, it is possible to extract an accurate preference as compared with the case of using a television channel selection history. However, if the user's preferences are to be extracted only from the reserved recording history, if the recording is mistakenly reserved or the recording is reserved but the program is not so favorite, the erroneous preference is extracted. .

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the browsing operation of the recorded program is accumulated as a history, whether or not the user is interested in the recorded program is estimated, and from the estimation result A program selection apparatus that selects a program to be recommended from a newly obtained program table by extracting the user's preferences will be described.

FIG. 30 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a program selection device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.
The program selection device 1100 is a device for selecting a program according to the user's preference. As shown in FIG. 30, a broadcast receiving unit 1101, a program recording unit 1102, a recorded program browsing unit 1103, a browsing operation receiving unit 1104, A browsing operation history storage unit 1105, a browsing concentration calculation unit 1106, a preference extraction unit 1107, a program information acquisition unit 1108, a program selection unit 1109, a program recording reservation unit 1110, a program storage unit 1111, and an operation history storage unit 1112 are provided. Yes.

  The broadcast receiving unit 1101 receives a broadcast program (content). The program recording unit 1102 records the received program in the program storage unit 1111. The program storage unit 1111 is a storage unit such as a hard disk that stores programs recorded by the program recording unit 1102. The recorded program browsing unit 1103 reproduces the program (recorded program) recorded by the program recording unit 1102 and stored in the program storage unit 1111. The browsing operation reception unit 1104 receives a browsing operation for controlling the reproduction of the recorded program by the recorded program browsing unit 1103 from the user. The browsing operation history storage unit 1105 stores the browsing operation history received by the browsing operation reception unit 1104 in the operation history storage unit 1112. The browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 calculates the browsing concentration level for the user's program from the browsing operation history accumulated in the operation history storage unit 1112. The preference extraction unit 1107 extracts the user's preference based on the browsing concentration level calculated by the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106. The program information acquisition unit 1108 acquires program information (EPG). The program selection unit 1109 selects a program that meets the preference extracted by the preference extraction unit 1107 from the program table in the acquired EPG. The program recording reservation unit 1110 performs reserved recording of the program selected by the program selection unit 1109.

  FIG. 31 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration in which the program selection device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention is used. This system includes a digital television 1201 that displays a broadcast program on a screen, a hard disk recorder 1202 having a program selection device, a home gateway 1203 that connects a home device and an outdoor communication device, and a portable recording that can be remotely recorded from outside. A browsing remote controller 1205 for controlling reproduction of the telephone 1204 and the hard disk recorder 1202 is provided.

  An outline of the operation of this system will be described. The hard disk recorder 1202 stores programs reserved for recording by the user, and the user views the program using the digital television 1201. When browsing (reproducing) a program, the browsing remote controller 1205 is used to fast-forward scenes that are not of interest, and scenes of interest are browsed many times. A history of such browsing operations is accumulated for each accumulated program, the degree of interest in each program is calculated, and user preferences are extracted. For example, a user who repeatedly views a baseball program determines that he / she is interested in baseball, and can automatically record if there is a program related to baseball from the next time onward. On the other hand, users who have not accumulated a baseball program even after one month from the date of accumulation have accumulated a baseball program, but have determined that they are less interested in baseball, It is necessary not to recommend the program.

  Next, the operation when extracting the user's preference in the program selection device configured as described above will be described. FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations when extracting user preferences in the program selection device.

  The program recording unit 1102 records, in the program storage unit 1111, a program that has been reserved for recording by setting a G code, a scheduled broadcast time, and a channel by the user (step S 101). Further, when recording a program, the program recording unit 1102 simultaneously stores information related to the program in the program storage unit 1111 from the EPG or the like acquired by the program information acquisition unit 1108. Here, for example, it is assumed that programs as shown in FIG. 33 are accumulated. In this case, for example, regarding “news fountain” in FIG. 33, as information on the program, performers of “news fountain” and information on the contents of the program are also accumulated as shown in FIG. .

  When each program recorded by the user is viewed, the device control operation history when each program is viewed is accumulated (step S102). That is, the browsing operation history accumulation unit 1105 accumulates, in the operation history storage unit 1112, browsing history such as fast forward and rewind received by the browsing operation reception unit 1104.

  35, 36, 37, 38, and 39 are diagrams showing examples of browsing operations when a recorded program is browsed. (A) A diagram schematically showing the browsing operation, and (b) corresponding to each program. It is a figure which shows the example of the log | history letting it be accumulated in the operation log | history memory | storage part 1112. FIG. 35 shows an example of a program having a CM in a recorded program. In the example shown in FIG. 35, from 00 to 20 minutes after the start of the program is viewed by normal playback, and since it was a CM from 20 to 23 minutes, the user skipped by fast-forward playback, and the CM was up to 22 minutes, but too much 23 minutes, so we ’re back from 23 to 22 minutes. Thereafter, from 22 minutes to 30 minutes, it indicates that browsing was performed by normal reproduction. Here, it is assumed that the program stored in the program storage unit 1111 is preliminarily provided with information on the classification of whether it is program content or CM for each frame on the broadcast transmission side. Note that the CM section may be detected based on whether the broadcast is stereo broadcast.

  FIG. 36 shows an example where the recorded program is a program such as news. In the example shown in FIG. 36, from 00 minutes to 13 minutes at the start of the program, browsing is performed by normal playback, and during 13 minutes to 19 minutes, for example, news that is not interesting, the user skips by fast-forward playback, and from 19 minutes to 24 minutes. It is viewed by normal reproduction, and since it was news that was not interesting again from 24 minutes to 26 minutes, it is shown that the user skipped by fast-forward reproduction and then browsed by normal reproduction from 26 minutes to 30 minutes.

  FIG. 37 shows an example where the recorded program is a program such as a movie. In the example shown in FIG. 37, it is shown that the program is viewed by normal playback from 00 minutes to the last 30 minutes. 38 and 39 are examples of programs in which the recorded program is not of interest, for example. In the example shown in FIG. 38, it is shown that browsing is performed by normal playback from 00 minutes to 02 minutes from the start of the program, and the user skips from 02 minutes to 30 minutes by fast forward playback. In the example shown in FIG. 39, it is shown that browsing is performed by normal playback from 00 minutes to 02 minutes from the start of the program, the user skips by fast-forward playback from 02 minutes to 04 minutes, and then browsing is ended.

  Next, the preference extraction unit 1107 determines whether or not the number of programs viewed by the user has reached a predetermined number (step S103). Unless a certain number of programs (for example, 10 programs) are browsed by the user, it is difficult to extract preferences from the user's browsing operation. Therefore, when the predetermined number of programs is not reached (NO in step S103), the program recording and / or browsing operation history accumulation is repeated.

  When the browsed program reaches the predetermined number of programs (YES in step S103), the preference extracting unit 1107 stores the recorded program in the program storage unit 1111 as shown in FIG. A keyword that characterizes the program is extracted from the information about the program (step S104). For example, in the case of a program such as “News Fountain” shown in FIG. 34, “news” “document” as genre information and “Tanaka ΔΔ” “Suzuki XX” as performer information as keywords characterizing the program. Then, keywords such as “Japan series”, “Minister of Foreign Affairs”, and “Girl murder case” are extracted as content information. In this keyword extraction, tag information given in advance to the program may be used, or a processing method such as morphological analysis may be used from text information describing the contents of the program. Further, a keyword characterizing a program may be determined using keyword frequency statistical information such as the TF-IDF method.

  Next, the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 calculates a browsing concentration level indicating the degree of interest in the user's program from the browsing operation history accumulated in the operation history storage unit 1112 (step S105). In the present embodiment, the normal playback rate indicating the proportion of time played in normal playback is calculated as the browsing concentration level for the program without using operations such as fast-forwarding in each program. In the example shown in FIG. 35, since there is a time during which normal playback is not performed for 2 minutes out of 30 minutes, the normal playback time is 28 minutes, and the normal playback rate is 28/30 × 100 = 93.3%. . When the normal playback rate is calculated for each program viewed as in the examples shown in FIGS. 35 to 39, 93.3%, 73.3%, 100%, and 6.7%, respectively, as shown in FIG. 6.7%. Thus, the normal playback rate for each program viewed as shown in FIG. 40 expresses the degree of interest in each program.

  Next, the preference extraction unit 1107 calculates the importance of the keyword as a user preference based on the browsing concentration calculated by the browsing concentration calculation unit 1106 for the extracted keyword (step S106). For example, if the viewing concentration of a program having information related to the program as shown in FIG. 34, that is, the normal playback rate is 93.8%, the program keyword extracted from the information related to the program shown in FIG. The importance for keywords such as “news”, “document”, “Tanaka △△”, “Suzuki XX”, “Japan series”, “foreign minister”, “girl murder case” is 0.938. . In this way, the preference extraction unit 1107 obtains the importance for each keyword for each recorded program that has been viewed. Then, the preference extraction unit 1107 calculates the sum of importance for each keyword, and creates a correspondence table between keywords and importance as shown in FIG. 41, for example.

  Next, an operation of the program selection device when a program recommendation request is made in a state where user preferences are extracted as described above will be described. FIG. 42 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when a program recommendation is requested in the program selection device.

  The program selection unit 1109 selects a program based on the importance of the keyword calculated by the preference extraction unit 1107 from the program table in the EPG acquired by the program information acquisition unit 1108 (for example, from now until one week later). A number is selected (step S201). That is, the program selection unit 1109 sequentially selects a predetermined number of programs with the highest importance of keywords included in the text data of the program guide. For example, if a program includes the keywords “news” and “Suzuki OO”, the total importance of the keywords for the program is 10.2 + 7.2 = 17.4. In this way, the program selection unit 1109 can select programs that the user is likely to be interested in. Note that the total importance of keywords is calculated as a simple sum, so that the probability that a program with a large amount of text will be selected increases.

  The program recording reservation unit 1110 detects whether or not the program selected by the program selection unit 1109 is set for recording reservation (step S202). If all the programs selected by the program selection unit 1109 have been set for recording reservation (YES in step S202), the process ends. Whether or not the recording reservation is set can be determined by comparing the channel number, recording date and time, and time in a hard disk recording device or a DVD recording device, for example.

  On the other hand, if even one of the programs selected by the program selection unit 1109 has not been set for recording reservation (NO in step S202), the program recording reservation unit 1110 selects among the programs selected by the program selection unit 1109. A program that is not reserved for recording is displayed as a recommended program on a screen of a television or mobile phone (step S203). For example, the recommended program is displayed on the television screen as shown in FIG. If the screen is a screen of the mobile phone 1204 or the like, the recommended program is displayed as shown in FIG.

  The program recording reservation unit 1110 determines whether or not recording of the displayed recommended program has been selected by the user (step S204). Here, if the recording is not selected by the user (NO in step S204), the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when recording is selected by the user (YES in step S204), the program recording reservation unit 1110 performs recording reservation setting for the recommended program whose recording is selected by the user (step S205). For example, when the recording reservation setting is performed by the mobile phone 1204, the recording reservation setting is performed remotely by notifying the hard disk recorder 1202 by e-mail or the like via the home gateway 1203 or the like.

  As described above, since the user's preference is extracted using the browsing operation history of the program recorded by the user, it becomes possible to select a program that meets the user's preference. For example, unlike a conventional apparatus that extracts user preferences using only a recording reservation history, a program that is close to a program that is not liked as a result of browsing is not set as a recording reservation. Also, as in the case of a conventional device that extracts user preferences using only the television channel selection history, a television channel is selected, but there is an appropriate preference when there is a program that no one is watching. It is possible to solve the problem that the program cannot be extracted and appropriate program recommendation cannot be performed.

  In this embodiment, the history of operations using the remote controller attached to the hard disk recorder is accumulated, but a remote controller using infrared communication of a mobile phone may be used, for example. In this case, a user can be specified, and a program can be recommended for each user.

  In this embodiment, the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 uniformly calculates the normal playback rate indicating the percentage of time played in normal playback as the browsing concentration level for the program, but this is not limitative. It is not a thing. For example, in the case of a news program or the like, only the news that the user likes is browsed, and in the case of a drama or the like, all scenes are usually reproduced. Therefore, a method of calculating the degree of program concentration according to the program genre (news, drama, etc.) may be used. For example, in the case of news or the like, it is judged that the player is sufficiently interested in the normal playback rate of 70%, and in the case of a genre such as drama, it is interested if there is no normal reproduction rate of 90%. A function that is not determined to be present may be set for each program genre. In addition to the genre, the viewing concentration may be calculated by distinguishing between a channel that contains advertisements (CM) and the like, a channel that does not contain advertisements (CM), and a program recorded using the CM removal function. Thereby, the browsing concentration degree according to a genre and a channel is calculated, and the program selection suitable for a user preference is attained. Further, for example, when the same program is browsed twice, the browsing concentration degree may be added or set to the highest value because the importance of the user is high.

  In the present embodiment, the technology for recommending a new program using the operation history of the content stored in the hard disk used by the family has been described. However, the hard disk is logically divided, By associating users, it is possible to recommend programs for each user. For example, for a 120-Gbyte hard disk, a 40-Gbyte hard disk is allocated to each of three families “dad”, “mother”, and “child”, and preferences are extracted for each recorded program stored in each area. This makes it possible to recommend programs for each family member. Moreover, by using a terminal such as a mobile phone of each person instead of a television screen as a terminal for displaying recommended program information, it is possible to recommend a program in consideration of privacy among family members.

  In this embodiment, the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 calculates the normal playback rate indicating the percentage of time played in normal playback as the browsing concentration level for the program, but the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 may calculate the browsing concentration level for a program using the number of browsing operations such as fast-forwarding and reversing. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 45, the browsing concentration level may be set in advance according to the number of fast forwards and rewinds operated in one program.

  Further, the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 may measure the time from when the program is recorded until it is browsed, and calculate the browsing concentration level for the program using this time. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 46, it is possible to determine that a program to be browsed early after recording the program is an important program for the user, and to increase the degree of viewing concentration on the program.

  Further, the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 may measure the time from when one program is recorded until the program is deleted, and calculate the browsing concentration level for the program using this time. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 47, a program that is recorded and deleted once once viewed may be determined as a program that is not very important for the user. Conversely, if a recorded program is stored for many years, it can be determined that the program is important.

  In addition, if it is recorded on a holiday, it is possible to view the recorded program immediately, but it is difficult to view the recorded program immediately on weekdays. Therefore, it may be determined whether the program is important for the user in consideration of the calendar information and the time from when the program is recorded until it is viewed. Also, the viewing time varies depending on the individual lifestyle, such as students, housewives, office workers, self-employed workers, etc., so a time zone that can be viewed for each user was set, and multiple programs were recorded during that time zone In this case, the program that is viewed from which program may be used to determine a program that is important for the user.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the browsing concentration degree for the program is calculated from the history of operations when browsing the recorded program. Further, after browsing the recorded program, as shown in FIG. The importance of the program may be input by allowing the user to select whether or not to check the related program. Moreover, you may make it input not only whether it is interested but a preference degree.

  In addition, the normal playback rate of the above program, the number of operations during browsing, the time from recording to browsing, the time from recording to deletion, the number of browsing times from recording to deletion, As for the degree of interest input, the browsing concentration level may be calculated by combining them instead of calculating the browsing concentration level by only one.

  Further, in this embodiment, a program that the user is interested in is recommended by accumulating the browsing operation history of the recorded program. On the other hand, when the capacity of the hard disk increases, many programs can be stored. However, on the other hand, programs that have been stored but are not often viewed may remain stored. Therefore, by accumulating the viewing history of the recorded program, the user may be advised to delete the program that has been accumulated and is not viewed for a certain period of time in order to ensure the capacity of the hard disk. it can. It is also possible to encourage the user to change the resolution and compress and store.

  In the present embodiment, the browsing operation history of the recorded program is described as an example of a browsing operation such as fast forward and rewind. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, the editing work of the recorded program may be accumulated as an operation history for the program, and the degree of interest in the editing work may be calculated. For example, it is determined that a user is sufficiently interested in a program and its genre in which a CM part is deleted from a recorded program and only the program content part is connected. Can do. In addition, when a program stored on a hard disk is copied to a medium that can be carried around, such as a DVD, or to a medium that can be stored permanently without depending on the capacity of the hard disk, the user is sufficiently interested in the program. You can judge that you have it. Furthermore, even when a program stored on a hard disk or the like is copied to a medium such as a DVD at the same resolution (compression rate), it is determined that the user is sufficiently interested in the program. May be. Furthermore, it is also possible to measure the time from browsing a recorded program to erasing it and calculating the browsing concentration according to that value. For example, a program that has been deleted immediately after browsing and a program that may be viewed again after browsing or that has not been deleted in order to encourage other users in the family to view it. And the degree of importance is different. It is possible to extract the viewer's preference for the program by accumulating the time from the end of browsing the program to the time of deletion as the browsing operation history.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, the user's preference with respect to a program was extracted from the browsing history of the program, and the program was selected automatically. By storing the automatically selected programs in the hard disk or the like in this way, the user can automatically record a large number of programs without a recording reservation operation. It will be accumulated. When ranking the programs to be browsed from among a large number of programs, the browsing history for each program may be used for program classification.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, the user's preference with respect to a program was extracted from the browsing history of the program, and the program was selected automatically. Furthermore, by using the recorded program browsing history, it is possible to measure the actual browsing time of the program, which is different from the program broadcast time. For example, even for a 55-minute drama, it may actually be possible to view in 40 minutes by playing and browsing the first theme song part or the CM part in the middle. Therefore, when the time that can be browsed by the user is set, it is possible to determine which program is to be browsed by using the browsing history for the program. For example, even if 55 minutes of news has been accumulated, the viewer has viewed only the first part of the news accumulated in the past, and the history that has been browsed in 10 minutes has been accumulated. To do. At this time, even if the time spent for browsing by the user is 15 minutes, this news program can be selected as a program that can be browsed. In particular, it is effective when selecting a program that can be viewed within a predetermined time from a large number of programs recorded between transportations such as between meetings and by trains and buses.

  In the present embodiment, the browsing history for each program is accumulated, but the browsing order of programs may be further accumulated. Thereby, it becomes possible to extract the tendency with respect to the browsing order of the viewer. For example, for a program accumulated for one month, user A who browses the programs in the order in which they were broadcast, and a user who browses the news on Wednesday after browsing all the 9 o'clock dramas on Monday from the accumulated programs Suppose B exists. At this time, when selecting a program to be browsed from a large amount of accumulated programs, the display order of the accumulated programs is changed by referring to the browsing order of past users, and the programs in which the user is accumulated It is also possible to make selection easier. Further, when browsing of a certain stored program is finished, the next program that is likely to be browsed may be recommended together with a message such as “Would you like to browse XXX next time”? This is particularly effective when a large amount of programs are accumulated by an automatic recording function or the like.

  In addition, the viewing history of the program stored in Patent Document 3 is collected via the network, and the viewing history is collected not only for the program being broadcast in real time but also for the stored program, so that the user can watch The technology to grasp the area in the program you want to do at the center is disclosed. In particular, when an operation such as fast-forwarding or rewinding is performed on a program, it is intended to detect an area where a CM or the like is inserted into the program by detecting that portion. Therefore, it is an object to detect a scene that the user normally reproduces.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, not only browsing operations such as fast-forward and rewind of recorded programs, but also the time until the recorded programs are viewed from the recorded date and time, and the viewing of recorded programs User's operation information on recorded programs, such as the number of times and information on the viewed terminal, and information such as program category and contents, etc. are used to extract the user's interests and select an interesting program from a large number of programs. Or to record a program. Therefore, not only the browsing operation of the recorded program but also information regarding the recorded program content is essential, and the user's interest is estimated using this information.

(Embodiment 7)
In the seventh embodiment, an apparatus for selecting a program that suits the user's preference from the recorded program browsing operation history has been described. Furthermore, when the user selects a program that the user likes, and when the selected program is stored, it is necessary to determine the resolution for storing the program. For example, if browsing with a mobile phone or the like, the resolution is not so high, so when recording, it is sufficient to record at a lower resolution. On the other hand, if you browse your favorite programs carefully in a home theater or the like, you should store them at a high resolution.

  Conventionally, Patent Document 4 describes that the resolution of a program to be recorded is determined according to the attribute of the program and the resolution (bit rate) at the time of program recording is determined according to the user's preference. However, sufficient preferences cannot be extracted only from the user's program selection history or the like, and it is necessary to extract preferences from the recorded program browsing operation history. Moreover, it cannot be judged only from a user's interest to lower the resolution when storing a program. For example, a user who is browsing a favorite drama program on a regular work vehicle may find it convenient to have a small capacity in order to transfer the program stored at home to the in-vehicle display device. Therefore, even if a program is viewed daily, if the capacity of the program stored at a high resolution is increased, it is inconvenient to bring the program out of the home via a network or mobile media.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the resolution for storing a program is determined using not only the browsing history of the program of the user but also the history of resolution at the terminal being viewed.

  FIG. 49 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a program selection device according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. Note that portions similar to those of the program selection device shown in FIG. 30 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The program selection device 1300 is a device for determining the resolution at the time of storing a program, and as shown in FIG. 49, a broadcast receiving unit 1101, a program recording unit 1102, a recorded program browsing unit 1103, a browsing operation receiving unit 1104, A browsing operation history storage unit 1301, a browsing concentration calculation unit 1302, a program information acquisition unit 1108, a program recording reservation unit 1303, a program storage unit 1111, an operation history storage unit 1112, a browsing terminal information detection unit 1304, and a writing unit 1305 are provided. ing.

  The browsing terminal information detection unit 1304 detects terminal information where the recorded program is browsed. The browsing operation history accumulating unit 1301 accumulates, in the operation history storage unit 1113, browsing history received by the browsing operation receiving unit 1104 and information related to the browsing terminal detected by the browsing terminal information detection unit 1304. The browsing concentration level calculation unit 1302 calculates the browsing concentration level for the user's program from the browsing operation history stored in the operation history storage unit 1112 and information related to the browsing terminal. The program recording reservation unit 1303 determines the resolution for accumulating programs based on the browsing concentration level calculated by the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1302. The writing unit 1305 copies or moves a program (recorded program) stored in the program storage unit 1111 to a portable medium.

  FIG. 50 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration in which the program selection device according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention is used. This system includes a digital television 3001 that displays a broadcast program on a screen, a hard disk recorder 3002 having a program selection device, a home gateway 3003 that connects home devices and outdoor communication devices, and programs recorded on the hard disk recorder 3002 to other terminals. However, with portable media (for example, SD card) 3004 to be taken out for viewing, mobile phone 3005 that can be used for remote scheduled recording from outside and programs taken out with portable media, and a display device mounted on a vehicle or the like An in-vehicle display 3006 that can reproduce programs stored in the portable medium 3004 is provided.

  An outline of the operation of this system will be described. The hard disk recorder 3002 stores programs reserved for recording by the user, and browses the programs using the digital television 3001. Programs stored in the hard disk recorder 3002 can be taken out by the portable medium 3004 and can be browsed by the mobile phone 3005 or the vehicle-mounted display 3006. The portable media 3004 stores programs recorded by the hard disk recorder 3002. At the same time, when a program is viewed on the mobile phone 3005 or the in-vehicle display 3006, the browsing history and information on the viewed terminal are displayed. It is configured to accumulate. Using the browsing history stored in the portable medium 3004, when storing the next related program, it is possible to determine at which resolution the program should be stored.

  Unlike the sixth embodiment, this embodiment has a configuration in which browsing is possible not only on a television terminal in the home but also on a mobile phone or an in-vehicle display using the portable medium 3004. Therefore, in addition to the browsing operation history information of the sixth embodiment, information indicating which terminal has browsed (reproduced) is stored in the portable medium 3004. FIG. 51 is a diagram showing data stored in the portable medium 3004. As shown in FIG. 51, the portable medium 3004 includes information on the “viewing terminal”, “program title”, and “viewing start time”, and the storage medium of the “viewing history” in the portable medium 3004. The address is listed. Furthermore, the browsing history is described in the address as “browsing history” as in the sixth embodiment.

  In addition, ID registration is previously performed regarding the browsing terminal, and browsing terminal ID may be accumulate | stored. In addition, only information such as the screen size of the viewing terminal may be recorded. For example, only a size of 32 inches may be recorded for a home TV and 3 inches for a mobile phone. Further, the screen may be divided into large, medium, and small sizes, and the resolution may be recorded as 600 × 480, for example. In other words, any information that can identify the performance and screen size of the terminal may be used.

  Next, the operation for calculating the browsing concentration level in the program selection apparatus configured as described above will be described. FIG. 52 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations when calculating the browsing concentration in the program selection device. Since the process from the program recording process (step S101) to the process for determining whether or not the predetermined number of programs has been reached (step S103) is the same as that in the sixth embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  If it is determined in the determination process (step S103) whether or not the predetermined number of programs has been reached (YES in step S103), the browsing concentration calculation unit 1106 The browsing concentration indicating the degree of interest in the user's program is calculated from the browsing operation history stored in the operation history storage unit 1112 (step S301). In the present embodiment, the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 uses a preset correspondence table between the browsing terminal and the browsing concentration level as shown in FIG. 53, for example, and the browsing concentration for the program according to the browsed terminal. Calculate the degree. Here, for example, when browsing on a home DVD, it is determined that the degree of concentration of the user on the program is high, and the browsing concentration level is set to 5. On the other hand, when browsing on a vehicle-mounted display, it is estimated that browsing was performed while driving, so it was determined that the program was not concentrated so much and the browsing concentration level was set to 1.

  For example, in a program such as a continuous drama, the average of the browsing concentration calculated for each time of the program is calculated and calculated as the average browsing concentration. FIG. 54 is a diagram showing an example of the average browsing concentration calculated for each program.

  In the example shown in FIG. 54, the average viewing concentration of the drama “Youth Shadow” is 4.2. This is mainly a result of browsing on a DVD in the home. Compared to this, in the case of a drama “red allegation”, the average viewing concentration is 1.5 because it is viewed on a mobile phone or on-vehicle display. Generally, content such as news tends to have a low average browsing concentration because the image quality and resolution are not particular when browsing a program. On the other hand, content such as movies is often viewed at home because it is desired to be stored as a saved version, and the average viewing concentration tends to be high. In addition, in the case of dramas and the like, if the favorite actor (actress) appears, the average browsing concentration is often high, and if it is a drama where only the story is to be confirmed, the average browsing concentration Is often low.

  Next, the operation of the program selection device when there is a program recording reservation in the state where the browsing concentration level for the program is calculated as described above will be described. FIG. 55 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when there is a program recording reservation in the program selection device.

  The program recording reservation unit 1303 determines whether or not the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1302 has calculated the browsing concentration level or the average browsing concentration level for a program for which a recording reservation has been set (step S401). As a result of this determination, when the browsing concentration level or the average browsing concentration level is calculated (YES in step S401), the program recording reservation unit 1303 resolves the resolution for accumulating the program according to the average browsing concentration level. Is determined (step S402). Here, for example, the program recording reservation unit 1303 sets the highest resolution (XP) when the average browsing concentration is 4 or more, sets the standard resolution (SP) when it is 2 or more and less than 4, and sets the resolution to less than 2 Is determined to be low resolution (EP). On the other hand, as a result of the determination, if the browsing concentration level or the average browsing concentration level has not been calculated (NO in step S401), the resolution set in advance or the currently set resolution is determined (step S403). ).

  As described above, since the resolution for recording the program is determined using the history of what kind of terminal the stored program has been browsed, the program can be displayed at a resolution that meets the user's needs. It becomes possible to record. Further, even when the user sets the resolution at the time of recording reservation, it is possible to give a guide as to which resolution should be stored. In particular, when the system selects a program and reserves recording, the resolution is determined using the average browsing concentration value, which is effective for recording the program at a resolution that meets the user's needs. .

  In addition, when browsing on a large screen in the home, it is necessary to accumulate with sufficient image quality for browsing, but for content viewed on a mobile phone or in-vehicle display, the resolution may be low Judgment can be made. As a result, the resolution of the content to be browsed on mobile can be lowered, and the content can be efficiently stored even when the portable media has a limited capacity. Further, even when browsing through a network, the content can be downloaded at high speed by accumulating at a low resolution for the content to be browsed on a mobile phone or on-vehicle display.

  In the present embodiment, the browsing concentration is calculated according to the title of each program, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 56, the viewing concentration is calculated for the genre information of each program such as “news”, “drama”, “movie”, etc., and the resolution for recording is determined based on this viewing concentration. May be. Further, by using the information of the EPG, the viewing concentration degree may be calculated for each performer appearing in each program, and the resolution at the time of program recording may be determined according to the performer.

  In this embodiment, the resolution for recording a program is determined using information on the viewing terminal. However, as in the case of Embodiment 6, it is used when recommending a program using a browsing operation history. Also good. For example, when recommending a program, the resolution for recording is determined according to the viewing concentration level of the recommended program, and the determined resolution is shown together with the title, date, etc. of the recommended program as shown in FIG. Can be displayed as a “mode”. Further, even in the case of a mobile phone or the like, the resolution can be similarly determined, and the determined resolution can be displayed together with the title of the program to be recommended as shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the browsing concentration of the program is calculated using the information on the browsing terminal, but the browsing operation history (program normal playback rate used in the sixth embodiment, etc.) at each terminal is used. The resolution of the program may be determined. As a result, for example, a program (or its genre) browsed by fast-forward to confirm only a story or the like can be stored with a low resolution. Further, in order to effectively use the capacity of the program storage unit 1111 such as a hard disk, it is possible to set recording at a low resolution in advance for a program (genre) that is compressed and stored after recording. is there.

  On the other hand, in Patent Literature 3, when an operation such as fast-forwarding is performed on a recorded program, it is determined that the user is not interested in the program. However, there is a case where fast-forward playback of a program is performed in order to grasp only the main points of the program. In particular, for digital contents (programs) recorded on a hard disk recorder or DVD, the speed of fast-forward playback can be controlled, and it is possible to fast-forward and playback program images with audio that the user can hear. It has become. Therefore, in the present invention, it is also possible to determine that the user is interested in a fast-played program, and to determine that the program should be recorded.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the browsing concentration of the program is calculated using the information on the browsing terminal, but the resolution of the program may be determined using the browsing terminal information and the browsing operation history at each terminal. . In this case, the browsing concentration level calculated in the sixth embodiment is multiplied by the browsing concentration level corresponding to the browsed terminal calculated using the correspondence table between the browsing terminal and the browsing concentration level shown in FIG. Thus, the browsing concentration level may be calculated. For example, if a program whose browsing concentration degree calculated in the sixth embodiment is 0.7 is being browsed on a DVD player, the browsing concentration level is calculated as 3.5 for this program at 0.7 × 5. As a result, the resolution can be determined not only according to the information of the browsing terminal but also according to the browsing operation history such as browsing to confirm only the story. It becomes possible to accumulate programs.

  In the present embodiment, the browsing concentration of the program is calculated using the information of the browsing terminal, but the browsing concentration is calculated using the resolution when the program was previously recorded, and the program to be recorded is recorded. The resolution may be determined. In this case, the browsing concentration level calculation unit 1106 uses the correspondence table between the resolution (recording rate) and the browsing concentration level when the program was previously recorded as shown in FIG. What is necessary is just to calculate the browsing concentration degree with respect to a program according to the resolution. Thereby, since the resolution can be determined according to the resolution at the time of program recording previously set by the user, the user's preference can be reflected more.

  In the present embodiment, the resolution of the program when recording is determined based on the browsing concentration level, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the writing unit 1305 may determine the resolution when copying or moving the recorded program to the portable medium 3004 based on the browsing concentration level. If the resolution is high when creating a copy, it is determined that the program is important, and recording is performed with a high resolution even when automatic recording is performed. Considering the time from recording to duplicating / moving the program, the time from broadcasting the program to duplicating / moving, and the time from viewing to duplicating / moving the program, You may decide.

  In this embodiment, the example of determining the resolution when automatically recording a program has been described. However, the resolution may be determined according to the stored program and the capacity of the stored medium. Is possible. Conventionally, when the capacity of the medium to be stored is not sufficient, the program to be recorded may be stored at a low resolution (with a high compression rate). However, by using this technology, it is possible to estimate the degree of preference of the viewer for each program. Therefore, it is possible to accumulate programs that the viewer is estimated to be more important than programs that have already been recorded. If it is necessary, the program already recorded can be compressed and the program to be recorded can be automatically stored at a high resolution.

(Embodiment 8)
In the future, multi-channel broadcasting will be performed, and a certain program will be broadcast on multiple channels. Furthermore, the same program will be aired on the same channel at different times. In such a situation, the program reserved for recording by the user may be broadcast on another channel or another time zone.

  However, even if it is the same program, information such as CMs will differ if the broadcast channel and time zone differ. In addition, there may be a channel where the program can be clearly received and a channel where the program cannot be clearly viewed in a place where the recording apparatus is installed (generally a home). In general, users tend to view many broadcasts on channels that can be clearly viewed.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the EPG is used to search for whether or not the program reserved for recording by the user is to be broadcast in another channel or in another time period, so that The present invention provides an apparatus for accumulating programs that are usually viewed by a user by preferentially accumulating programs in a time zone.

FIG. 60 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a program storage apparatus according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention.
The program storage device 4700 is a device that preferentially stores programs in channels and time zones that the user normally watches, and as shown in FIG. 60, a program information acquisition unit 4701, a program information storage unit 4702, and a recording reservation setting. A section 4703, the same program selection section 4704, a viewing history acquisition section 4705, a recording reservation correction section 4706, and a viewing history storage section 4707.

  The program information acquisition unit 4701 acquires program information from a network or multiple waves of broadcasting and stores it in the program information storage unit 4702. The program information storage unit 4702 is a storage unit such as a hard disk that stores the program information acquired by the program information acquisition unit 4701. The recording reservation setting unit 4703 receives the recording reservation setting via the remote controller, the interface of the recording apparatus, or the like, and performs the recording reservation setting. The same program selection unit 4704 searches and selects whether the program set by the recording reservation setting unit 4703 is broadcast on a channel for which no recording reservation is set or a time slot for which no recording reservation is set. The viewing history acquisition unit 4705 acquires a history of viewing a program by a device that browses the program, and accumulates it in the viewing history storage unit 4707. The viewing history storage unit 4707 is a storage unit such as a hard disk that stores the viewing history acquired by the viewing history acquisition unit 4705. The recording reservation correcting unit 4706 corrects the contents of the recording reservation based on the program selected by the same program selecting unit 4704 and the viewing history stored in the viewing history storage unit 4707.

  Since the hardware configuration in which the program storage apparatus according to the present embodiment is used is the same as that of a recording apparatus having a function of receiving program information, description thereof is omitted.

  Next, an operation when a program recording reservation is performed in the program storage apparatus configured as described above will be described. FIG. 61 is a flowchart showing an operation flow when a program recording reservation is made in the program storage device.

  The program information acquisition unit 4701 acquires program information via broadcast wave multiplexing or the Internet, and accumulates the program information in the program information storage unit 4702 (step S801).

  The recording reservation setting unit 4703 determines whether there is a program recording reservation by the user (step S802). Here, when there is no recording reservation (NO in step S802), program information is accumulated (step S801).

  On the other hand, if there is a recording reservation (YES in step S802), the recording reservation setting unit 4703 performs the recording reservation setting and notifies the same program selection unit 4704 that the recording reservation has been made (step S803). .

  The same program selection unit 4704 searches the program information acquired by the program information acquisition unit 4701 to determine whether or not the program reserved for recording by the recording reservation setting unit 4703 is being broadcast on another channel (step S4). S804). Here, in the program information, whether or not the programs have the same contents is determined based on the airing time of the program, the title of the program, and the like. FIG. 62 shows an example of a program reserved for recording. Here, “Youth” is reserved for recording on 24 channels.

  As a result of this search, when the program reserved for recording is broadcast on another channel (YES in step S804), the recording reservation correcting unit 4706 determines the past from the viewing history stored in the viewing history storage unit 4707. Calculate the total viewing time for each channel you were browsing. When a program set for recording reservation is broadcast on a channel whose total viewing time is longer than the channel set for recording reservation, the recording reservation correction unit 4706 displays, for example, on a screen as shown in FIG. Encourage switching to recording reservations on channels with a lot of total viewing time. When the user designates a change, the recording reservation correction unit 4706 changes the content of the program recording reservation to the recording reservation in the channel having the total viewing time longer than the channel for which the recording reservation is set (step S805). FIG. 63A shows an example of the total viewing time calculated for each channel. In this example, as shown in FIG. 62, the user has reserved recording of “Youth” in 24 channels. However, as shown in FIG. 63A, the total viewing time of 24 channels is 13.5 hours. is there. Since the total viewing time other than 2 channels is longer than 24 channels, the user mainly browses channels other than 24 channels. Therefore, when a program of “youth era” is broadcast on channels other than 2 and 24, a screen as shown in FIG. 63B is displayed and prompted to change. In addition, when a program reserved for recording is broadcast on channels other than 24, but the total viewing time of the channel is less than 24 channels, the recording reservation correction unit 4706 ends the process without changing the reservation content. To do.

  On the other hand, as a result of the search, if the program reserved for recording is not broadcast on other channels (NO in step S804), the recording reservation correction unit 4706 broadcasts the same program at different times on the same channel. Whether or not (step S806). As a result of this search, when the program reserved for recording is broadcasted in a different time zone of the same channel (YES in step S806), the recording reservation correction unit 4706 stores the viewing history stored in the viewing history storage unit 4707. Thus, the total number of viewing times in each time zone is calculated. When a program set for recording reservation is broadcast in a time slot in which the total number of viewings is larger than the time slot set for recording reservation, the recording reservation correction unit 4706 displays, for example, on a screen as shown in FIG. Then, it is urged to change to a recording reservation in a time zone with a large total number of viewing times. When the user designates a change, the recording reservation correction unit 4706 changes the content of the program recording reservation to the recording reservation in the time zone where the total number of viewing times is larger than the time zone set for the recording reservation (step S807). FIG. 64A is a diagram showing an example of the number of viewing times calculated for each hour. In this example, as shown in FIG. 62, the user made a recording reservation for “youth era” in the time zone from 8:00 to 9:00, but as shown in FIG. The total number of times of viewing in the time zone of 0:00 is two. Since the total number of times of viewing in other time zones is greater than the total number of times of viewing times of 8:00 to 9:00, when a program of “youth era” is aired outside of the time zone of 8:00 to 9:00 Then, a screen as shown in FIG. 64B is displayed and prompted to be changed. In addition, when a program reserved for recording is broadcast in a different time zone, but the total number of times of viewing in that time zone is less than the time zone of 8:00 to 9:00, the recording reservation correction unit 4706 makes a reservation. The process ends without changing the contents.

  On the other hand, as a result of the search (step S806), if the program reserved for recording is not broadcasted in a different time zone of the same channel (NO in step S806), the process is terminated.

  Since the total viewing time for each channel and the total number of viewing times in each time slot shown in FIGS. 63A and 64A are daily viewing histories, in this example, the user prefers to view 8 channels. Therefore, there is a high possibility that a favorite CM or the like is being broadcast in the time zone from 20:00 to 21:00. When the same program is aired, it is highly possible that a user-friendly CM is aired by selecting these channels and time zones.

  As described above, when a user makes a recording reservation and the same program is being aired in another channel or at another time, the user's previous viewing history is used to normally view the program. It becomes possible to preferentially reserve recording of programs in the current time zone and programs of channels that are normally viewed.

  In this embodiment, the recording change of the reserved program is performed using the user's viewing history. However, when the program is broadcast earlier than the time reserved by the user, the user is prompted to change to the earlier time zone. As a result, the user can record at an early timing, and can quickly view the recorded program.

  As described above, the program storage apparatus according to the present invention is a program storage apparatus for recording content, and program information acquisition means for acquiring content information related to the content, and recording reservation setting for setting recording reservation for the content Means for acquiring a history of viewing of the content, and using the content information, the first content set for recording reservation by the recording reservation setting means is a channel of the recording reservation setting or The same program selecting means for searching for a channel or a time slot that is different from the time zone, and selecting a second content to be aired in a different channel or time zone, the second content and the viewing history acquisition means Based on the viewing history acquired in step (b), the recording for which the recording reservation setting is corrected by the recording reservation setting means is recorded. Characterized in that it comprises a reservation modifying means.

  In addition, when the first content and the second content have different channels, the recording reservation correcting unit calculates a viewing time for each channel based on the viewing history, and views the channel of the first content. When the viewing time of the second content channel is longer than the time, the recording reservation setting of the first content may be modified to the second content.

  Further, the recording reservation correcting means calculates the number of times of viewing in a predetermined time unit based on the viewing history when the first content and the second content are different in time zone, When the number of times of viewing the second content in the time zone is greater than the number of times of viewing in the time zone, the recording reservation setting of the first content may be modified to the second content.

  As a result, when a user makes a recording reservation and the same content is being aired on another channel or at another time, the user's previous viewing history can be used for normal viewing. It becomes possible to modify the recording reservation for the program of a certain time zone and the content of the channel that is normally browsed.

  As described above, the content information display device according to the present invention can display content information in a manner that improves user convenience. For example, the content information display device can display content information on devices such as a hard disk recorder, DVD recorder, mobile phone, and in-vehicle display. Useful for display.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program storage apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of accumulating program information in a program information storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of the program information delivered 4 weeks before a program is aired. It is a figure which shows an example of the program information delivered one week before a program is aired. It is a figure which shows an example of the program information delivered one day before a program is aired. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of recording a program in a program storage apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of displaying the information of the program recorded in the program storage apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the display of program information, (a) When the most detailed program information is displayed, (b) The case where the detail level of program information is reduced is shown. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example which acquires the information relevant to a program from URLs, such as the internet, and matches and accumulate | stores detailed information. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program information display apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions by which the program selection apparatus concerning Embodiment 2 of this invention is used. It is a figure which shows an example of the content of the information memorize | stored in the program memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of the content of the information memorize | stored in the program information storage part. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the delivered program information. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement after a user inputs the request | requirement of program information with respect to a portable terminal in a program information display apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of (a) program information displayed on small display apparatuses, such as a mobile telephone, and (b) program information displayed on a small display in a home, respectively. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program information display apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the program information delivered at different time. It is a figure which shows an example of the program information respectively displayed in the case of (a) program information of the same title, (b) in the case of program information of a different title. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the operation | movement which presents program information by the detail level of the level which can identify the difference in program content in a program information display apparatus. It is a figure which shows another example of the program information displayed. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program information display apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the browsing history of the program accumulate | stored in the recorded program browsing history memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows the example of two types of program information memorize | stored in the program information storage part. (A) It is a figure which shows an example of the program information respectively displayed after browsing a program, and before browsing (b) a program. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the operation | movement which shows program information according to before or after program browsing in a program information display apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program information display apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the program information acquired from each of two program information delivery sources. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the operation | movement which unites and shows the program information acquired from each of two program information delivery sources in a program information display apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program selection apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions by which the program selection apparatus concerning Embodiment 6 of this invention is used. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of extracting a user's preference in a program selection apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the program accumulate | stored in the program memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of program information. It is a figure which shows the example of browsing operation at the time of a recorded program being browsed, (a) The figure which showed browsing operation typically, (b) The log | history accumulated in the operation history memory | storage part corresponding to each program It is a figure which shows an example. It is a figure which shows the example of browsing operation at the time of a recorded program being browsed, (a) The figure which showed browsing operation typically, (b) The log | history accumulated in the operation history memory | storage part corresponding to each program It is a figure which shows an example. It is a figure which shows the example of browsing operation at the time of a recorded program being browsed, (a) The figure which showed browsing operation typically, (b) The log | history accumulated in the operation history memory | storage part corresponding to each program It is a figure which shows an example. It is a figure which shows the example of browsing operation at the time of a recorded program being browsed, (a) The figure which showed browsing operation typically, (b) The log | history accumulated in the operation history memory | storage part corresponding to each program It is a figure which shows an example. It is a figure which shows the example of browsing operation at the time of a recorded program being browsed, (a) The figure which showed browsing operation typically, (b) The log | history accumulated in the operation history memory | storage part corresponding to each program It is a figure which shows an example. It is a figure which shows an example of the normal reproduction rate with respect to each browsed program. It is a figure which shows an example of the correspondence table of a keyword and importance. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of the program selection request | requirement in a program selection apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of a display which displays a recommendation program on a television screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a display which displays a recommendation program on a mobile telephone. It is a figure which shows an example of a response | compatibility with the frequency | count of browsing operation and browsing concentration. It is a figure which shows an example of a response | compatibility with the time from recording a program until it is browsed, and browsing concentration. It is a figure which shows an example of a response | compatibility with the time from recording a program until it erases the program, and a browsing concentration degree. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the selection screen of whether a related program is checked. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program selection apparatus concerning Embodiment 7 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions by which the program selection apparatus concerning Embodiment 7 of this invention is used. It is a figure which shows the data accumulate | stored in the portable medium. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of calculating a browsing concentration degree in a program selection apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the corresponding | compatible table with a browsing terminal and browsing concentration degree. It is a figure which shows an example of the average browsing concentration degree calculated with respect to each program. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of a program recording reservation in a program selection apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the browsing concentration calculated with respect to the genre information of each program. It is a figure which shows the example of a display which displays a recommendation program on a television screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a display which displays a recommendation program on a mobile telephone. It is a figure which shows an example of the conversion table of the resolution (recording rate) at the time of a program having been recorded before, and a browsing concentration degree. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the program storage apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 8 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of the program recording reservation being performed in the program storage apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the program by which recording reservation was carried out. (A) It is a figure which shows an example of the total viewing time calculated for every channel, (b) It is a figure which shows the example of a display which prompts the change of a video recording reservation. (A) It is a figure which shows an example of the frequency | count of viewing calculated for every hour, (b) It is a figure which shows the example of a display which prompts the change of a video recording reservation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1100, 1300 Program selection apparatus 1101 Broadcast receiving part 1102 Program recording part 1103 Recorded program browsing part 1104 Browse operation reception part 1105, 1301 Browse operation history storage part 1106, 1302 Concentration calculation part 1107 Preference extraction part 1108 Program information acquisition part 1109 Program selection unit 1110, 1303 Program recording reservation unit 1111 Program storage unit 1112 Operation history storage unit 1201 Digital TV 1202 Hard disk recorder 1203 Home gateway 1204 Mobile phone 1205 Remote control for browsing 1300 Program selection device 1301 Browsing operation history storage unit 1302 Browsing concentration calculation Unit 1303 program recording reservation unit 1304 viewing terminal information detection unit 1305 writing unit 3001 digital television 3002 hard disk recorder 3003 Toei 3004 Portable media 3005 Mobile phone 3006 In-vehicle display 3700, 4700 Program storage device 3701, 4701 Program information acquisition unit 3702, 4702 Program information storage unit 3703 Program information difference detection unit 3704 Broadcast reception unit 3705 Program recording unit 3706 Program information selection unit 3707 Program information display unit 3708 Program storage unit 3709 Instruction reception unit 3710 Display information amount reception unit 4703 Recording reservation setting unit 4704 Same program selection unit 4705 Viewing history acquisition unit 4706 Recording reservation correction unit 4707 Viewing history storage unit 5101, 5801, 6201, 6701 Broadcast receiving unit 5102, 5802, 6202, 6702 Program recording unit 5103, 5803, 6203, 6703 Program storage unit 5104, 5804, 6204, 6704, 6705 Information acquisition unit 5105, 5805, 6205, 6706 Program information difference detection unit 5106, 5806, 6206, 6707 Program information storage unit 5107 Display terminal performance storage unit 5108 Program information display request input unit 5109 Program information display request reception unit 5110 Program information selection Section 5807 Multiple program information display request input section 5808 Multiple program information display request reception section 5809 Multiple program information selection section 5810 Multiple program information display section 6207 Recorded program viewing operation reception section 6208 Recorded program display control section 6209 Recorded program browsing history storage section 6210 Program information selection unit 6211 Program information display unit 6708 Program information fusion unit 6709 Program information display request reception unit 6710 Program information selection unit 6711 Program information display unit

Claims (7)

A program information display device that outputs program information stored in association with program content and used for user reference,
Program information storage means for storing a plurality of different program information related to one program content;
Program information acquisition means for newly acquiring program information related to the program content;
The difference between the program information already stored in the program information storage means and the program information newly acquired by the program information acquisition means is detected in relation to one predetermined program content, and if there is a difference Program difference detection means for adding the newly acquired program information to the program information storage means;
Display information amount receiving means for receiving an amount of information that can be displayed on one screen of a terminal device that displays program information;
When displaying the program information of the predetermined program content on the terminal device , according to the amount of information received by the display information amount receiving means from among the plurality of program information stored by the program information storage means Program information selecting means for selecting program information to be displayed,
A program information display device comprising: program information display means for displaying the program information selected by the program information selection means on the terminal device.   When the information amount received from the display information amount receiving unit is smaller than the total information amount of a plurality of program information items to be displayed on the terminal device, the program information selection unit includes the plurality of program information items. Instead of program information with the largest amount of information, program information with a smaller amount of information related to the same program content as the program content with which the program information is related is selected.
  The program information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   When the information amount received from the display information amount receiving unit is smaller than the total information amount of a plurality of program information items to be displayed on the terminal device, the program information selection unit includes the plurality of program information items. Instead of program information having the highest number of times of viewing related program content, program information with a smaller amount of information related to the same program content as the related program content is selected.
  The program information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   When a plurality of program information to be displayed on the terminal device is program information related to recorded program content,
  When the information amount received from the display information amount receiving unit is smaller than the total information amount of the plurality of program information to be displayed on the terminal device, the program information selection unit is configured to store the plurality of program information items. Among them, instead of the program information whose related program content is recorded closest to the current date and time, the program information related to the same program content as the related program content is selected.
  The program information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   A program storage device that stores program content for user browsing and outputs program information stored in association with the program content for user reference,
  Program information storage means for storing a plurality of different program information related to one program content;
  Program information acquisition means for newly acquiring program information related to the program content;
  The difference between the program information already stored in the program information storage means and the program information newly acquired by the program information acquisition means is detected in relation to one predetermined program content, and if there is a difference Program difference detection means for adding the newly acquired program information to the program information storage means;
  Display information amount receiving means for receiving an amount of information that can be displayed on one screen of a terminal device that displays program information;
  When displaying the program information of the predetermined program content on the terminal device, according to the amount of information received by the display information amount receiving means from among the plurality of program information stored by the program information storage means Program information selecting means for selecting program information to be displayed,
  Program information display means for displaying program information selected by the program information selection means on the terminal device;
  A program storage device comprising:   A method of displaying program information stored in association with program content and used for user reference,
  The display method is performed with reference to program information storage means storing a plurality of different program information related to one program content,
  A program information acquisition step for newly acquiring program information related to the program content;
  The difference between the program information already stored in the program information storage means and the program information newly acquired in the program information acquisition step is detected in relation to one predetermined program content, and if there is a difference A program difference detection step of adding the newly acquired program information to the program information storage means;
  A display information amount receiving step for receiving an amount of information that can be displayed on one screen of a terminal device that displays program information;
  When displaying program information of a predetermined program content on the terminal device, according to the information amount received in the display information amount receiving step from the plurality of program information stored in the program information storage means A program information selection step for selecting program information to be displayed;
  A program information display step for displaying the program information selected in the program information selection step on the terminal device;
  A program information display method comprising:   A computer-executable program for realizing a program information display device that displays program information stored in association with program content and provided for user reference,
  A program for causing a computer to execute the steps included in the program information display method according to claim 6.

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