JP5135734B2 - Program information display apparatus and method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a program information display device and method, a program, and a recording medium, and more particularly, to a program information display device and method, a program, and a recording medium that allow a desired program to be reliably reserved in a short time.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a technique for making a program recording reservation using an electronic program guide such as an EPG (Electric Program Guide) has become widespread. In such a recording reservation, for example, a keyword or the like is designated and a desired program is searched from an electronic program guide and presented.

When a search result of a program is presented, if there are a large number of hit programs, it takes time to search for a desired program title. In order to perform an efficient search here, the searched programs are sorted in order of date and time, title name, genre, etc., and also in order from the highest number of times the same phrase as the specified keyword exists Display has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-179827 A

  However, even if the search result programs are sorted and displayed by the conventional technique, the number of programs to be displayed does not change as long as the number of displayed programs itself is large. It was not alleviated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and makes it possible to reliably reserve a desired program in a short time.

One aspect of the present invention is a search means for searching for a program that matches a preset condition based on data in a program guide, and a classification for classifying a program as a search result of the search means to be displayed on a screen. And a display control means for controlling display of the list of programs as the search result based on the classification result of the search result classification means, the search result classification means including the program as the search result as the program. When a representative program is extracted from a plurality of programs with the same title and the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on different broadcasting stations, the plurality of programs with the same title are If the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast in the same broadcast time zone of the same broadcasting station, the plurality of programs with the same title are classified into a second group, When a plurality of programs of one title are broadcast on the same broadcast station on the same day, the plurality of programs of the same title are classified into a third group, and the display control means The program information display device displays a representative program on a screen and displays a program other than the representative program in the group in a hierarchical manner .

  The display control means can display a program having the same title as the program together with the image of the program.

One aspect of the present invention is a search means for searching for a program that matches a preset condition based on data in a program guide, and a classification for classifying a program as a search result of the search means for display on a screen And a display control means for controlling display of a list of programs as a search result based on a classification result of the search result classification means, the program information display method of a program information display device, wherein the search result classification The means classifies the program as a search result for each title of the program, extracts a representative program from a plurality of programs with the same title, and the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast by different broadcasting stations. When the plurality of programs with the same title are classified into a first group, and the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast in the same broadcasting time zone of the same broadcasting station, the same title When the plurality of programs of the same title are broadcast on the same broadcast station on the same day, the plurality of programs of the same title are classified into a third group, The display control means includes a step of displaying a representative program for each group as a search result on the screen and displaying a program other than the representative program in the group in a hierarchical manner.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer searches for a program that matches a preset condition based on data in a program guide, and displays a program as a search result of the search unit on a screen. Classification means for classifying; and display control means for controlling display of a list of programs as the search result based on a classification result of the search result classification means, wherein the search result classification means If the representative program is extracted from a plurality of programs with the same title by classifying each program title, and the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on different broadcasting stations, the plurality of programs with the same title When a program is classified into a first group and the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast in the same broadcast time period of the same broadcasting station, the plurality of programs with the same title are classified into the second group. And when the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on the same broadcast station on the same day, the plurality of programs with the same title are classified into a third group, and the display control means As a program that displays a representative program for each group on the screen and functions as a program information display device that displays programs other than the representative program in the group in a hierarchical manner .

In one aspect of the present invention, a program that matches a preset condition is searched based on data in a program guide, and the search result program of the search means is classified to be displayed on a screen, and the classification result The display of the list of programs as the search result is controlled based on the above. In addition, the search result program is classified for each title of the program, a representative program is extracted from a plurality of programs with the same title, and the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on different broadcasting stations. If the plurality of programs with the same title are classified into a first group and the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast in the same broadcast time zone of the same broadcasting station, the plurality of programs with the same title are When a plurality of programs having the same title are broadcast on the same broadcast station on the same day, the plurality of programs having the same title are classified into a third group, and the group is obtained as the search result. Each time a representative program is displayed on the screen, programs other than the representative program in the group are displayed in a hierarchical manner.

  According to the present invention, a desired program can be reliably reserved in a short time.

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

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example according to an embodiment of a recording / reproducing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

  In the figure, the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 records, for example, predetermined data transmitted by broadcast distribution through a network such as the Internet, or records a television broadcast program in accordance with a set recording reservation. It is made to do.

  Hereinafter, video and audio processed by the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 such as video and audio of a television program and predetermined data received via a network are referred to as content as appropriate.

  The recording / reproducing apparatus 100 reproduces content stored in the storage unit 115 and content recorded on a predetermined recording medium, and the resulting video signal and audio signal are displayed on a monitor such as a television receiver, a speaker, and the like. And so on.

  Furthermore, as will be described later, the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 retrieves and presents information on a predetermined program from the electronic program guide based on an operation from the user, and accepts a recording reservation setting based on the presented information. Has been made.

  In the recording / reproducing apparatus 100, the tuner 111 receives a broadcast signal (for example, a terrestrial analog broadcast signal, a BS analog broadcast signal, a terrestrial digital broadcast signal, a BS digital broadcast signal, etc.), and a video signal of a television program obtained as a result. The audio signal is output to the CODEC 112. Further, the tuner 111 receives EPG data included in the broadcast signal and outputs it to the control unit 123 via the bus 114.

  The CODEC 112 encodes the digital video signal and audio signal input from the tuner 111 in accordance with a compression encoding method such as the MPEG method at the time of recording, and stores the encoded data obtained as a result via the bus 114 115 or the recording / reproducing unit 116. Further, the CODEC 112 decodes encoded data read from the recording medium 117 by the storage unit 115 or the recording / reproducing unit 116 and inputted via the bus 114 at the time of reproduction, and the resulting video signal and audio The signal is output to the signal processing unit 113. Note that encoding (encoding) and decoding (decoding) by the CODEC 112 may be omitted.

  The signal processing unit 113 performs predetermined signal processing on the video signal and audio signal input from the CODEC 112 and outputs the result to a monitor such as a television receiver, a speaker, or the like. In addition, the signal processing unit 113 performs predetermined signal processing on the video signal of the predetermined display screen input from the control unit 123, and receives a television image as a screen image such as a user interface, an electronic program guide, and a program search result. Output to the monitor.

  The storage unit 115 includes, for example, a hard disk drive and the like. The encoded data input from the CODEC 112 via the bus 114 and the corresponding metadata (recording date / time, last playback date / time, title, performer, genre, broadcast channel, etc.) Attribute information) and the like. In addition, the storage unit 115 stores program data and the like input from the communication unit 121 via the bus 114. Also, the stored encoded data, program data, and the like are read and output to the CODEC 112 or the control unit 123 via the bus 114.

  The recording / playback unit 116 stores encoded data input from the CODEC 112, encoded data read from the storage unit 115 and input via the bus 114, and the like on a magnetic disk (including a flexible disk), an optical disk (CD-ROM ( Recording is performed on a removable recording medium 117 such as a compact disc-read only memory (DVD) (including a digital versatile disc), a magneto-optical disc (including an MD (mini disc)), a magnetic tape, or a semiconductor memory. Further, the recording / reproducing unit 116 reads the encoded data recorded on the recording medium 117 and outputs the encoded data to the CODEC 112 via the bus 114. Further, the recording / reproducing unit 116 reads out program data and the like recorded on the recording medium 117, and outputs them to the control unit 123 via the bus 114.

  For example, the communication unit 121 is connected to a predetermined server via a network (not shown) such as the Internet, and acquires predetermined data (HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) data, program data, EPG data, etc.).

  The operation input unit 122 includes, for example, a remote commander, buttons provided on the main body, and the like. The operation input unit 122 generates an operation signal corresponding to an operation from the user and outputs the operation signal to the control unit 123 via the bus 114. The control unit 123 controls each unit of the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 in response to an operation signal input from the operation input unit 122 via the bus 114.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of software used when the control unit 123 performs processing for searching for and presenting information on a predetermined program based on an operation from a user.

  In the figure, a program guide acquisition / generation unit 201 acquires EPG data supplied from the tuner 111 or the communication unit 121 and generates an electronic program guide.

  For example, the search execution unit 202 searches the electronic program guide generated by the program guide acquisition and generation unit 201 based on keywords, genres, and the like input by the user via the operation input unit 122, and the program name of each program Etc., the degree of matching with a keyword or a program belonging to a specified genre is evaluated according to a predetermined standard, and information on a program having a high evaluation value is output as a search result.

  The search result classification unit 203 analyzes the search result by the search execution unit 202, checks whether there is a program of the same title (same program name), etc., and sets each program output as the search result in advance. Classify into multiple types of broadcast patterns. Here, the broadcast pattern is a search result program, for example, a program that is broadcast alone, a program that is broadcast regularly continuously, a program that is broadcast continuously on a day, or a non-periodically continuous program. The identifier is set based on the classified result.

  The display control unit 204 displays information about each program as a search result output from the search execution unit 202 based on the classification result by the search result classification unit 203 in a display method corresponding to the classification result. Generate image data.

  Next, a broadcast pattern setting process for setting a broadcast pattern for a program described in the electronic program guide will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is executed, for example, after the search execution unit 202 described above searches for a predetermined program from the electronic program guide based on the user's operation.

  In step S101, the search result classification unit 203 extracts a program broadcast most recently from the programs output as a search result by the search execution unit 202, and whether there is a program with the same title as the extracted program. Determine whether or not. Here, the determination of whether or not they are the same title is not necessarily performed based on whether or not the titles of the two programs are completely the same. For example, the LCS (Longest Common Subsequence) of the two program titles is used. Is calculated, and it is determined that programs having a predetermined similarity are the same title.

  LCS indicates a common partial sequence in which one or more character strings appear in the same order between two program titles. For example, when the LCS of two program titles is calculated and the LCS is larger than a predetermined value, it is determined that the two programs have the same title.

  If it is determined in step S101 that there is no program having the same title as the program, the process proceeds to step S102, the program is set as a representative program, and broadcast pattern 1 is set (set) in the program.

  Here, the representative program is, for example, a program that is always displayed on a search result display screen, which will be described later. For example, an identifier or the like indicating the representative program is displayed in the memory inside the control unit 123. By storing the program in association with the program, the program is set as a representative program. The broadcast pattern 1 represents a program that is broadcast independently (hereinafter referred to as a single program as appropriate) among a plurality of broadcast patterns, for example, a memory inside the control unit 123, etc. In addition, an identifier representing the broadcast pattern 1 is stored in association with the program, so that the broadcast pattern of the program is the broadcast pattern 1.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S101 that there is a program having the same title as the program, the process proceeds to step S103, and the same title program classification process described later with reference to FIG. 4 is executed.

  Here, the details of the same title program classification process in step S103 of FIG. 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the processing from here, each program determined (detected) as a program of the same title in the process of step S101 is compared with the program extracted as the program broadcast most recently in the process of step S101. Is called.

  In step S201, the search result classification unit 203 sets the program extracted as the program to be broadcast most recently in the process of step S101 as a representative program.

  In step S202, the search result classification unit 203 determines whether or not the program having the same title as the program is a program broadcast on the same broadcast station as the program, and the program having the same title is broadcast as the program. If it is determined that the program is not broadcast on the station, the process proceeds to step S203, and the broadcast pattern of the program and the program with the same title is set to broadcast pattern 2. The broadcast pattern 2 represents a program that is broadcast as a program with the same title at different broadcast stations from among a plurality of broadcast patterns. For example, the broadcast pattern 2 is stored in a memory inside the control unit 123. By storing an identifier or the like associated with the program, the broadcast pattern of the program is broadcast pattern 2.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S202 that the program with the same title is a program broadcast on the same broadcast station as the program, the process proceeds to step S204.

  In step S204, the search result classification unit 203 determines whether or not the program with the same title as the program is a program broadcast in the same time zone as the program, and the program with the same title has the same time as the program. If it is determined that the program is broadcast on the band, the process proceeds to step S205.

  It should be noted that the determination of whether or not the broadcast is being performed in the same broadcast time period is not necessarily performed based on whether or not the broadcast start time and the broadcast end time of the two programs are completely the same. If the difference between the broadcast start time and the broadcast end time of the two programs is within a preset threshold (for example, one hour), it is determined that the two programs are broadcast in the same broadcast time zone. .

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a drama X broadcast from 21:00 to 22:00 and a drama X (final episode) whose broadcast time frame is expanded from the normal time have a broadcast start time and a broadcast end time. Although different from each other, in the process of step S204, it is determined that the drama X and the drama X (final episode) are programs broadcasted in the same time zone.

  Returning to FIG. 4, in step S205, the search result classification unit 203 associates the program with the same title with the program (that is, the representative program), and sets the broadcast pattern of the representative program and the program with the same title as the broadcast pattern. Set to 3.

  Here, the program associated with the representative program is, for example, a program that is not necessarily displayed on the search result display screen described later. For example, in the memory inside the control unit 123, By storing information specifying the representative program in association with the program, the program is associated with the representative program. The broadcast pattern 3 represents a program that is broadcast continuously among a plurality of broadcast patterns. For example, an identifier representing the broadcast pattern 3 is displayed in the memory of the control unit 123 or the like. Is stored in association with the broadcast pattern 3 of the program.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S204 that the program with the same title is not a program broadcast in the same time zone as the program, the process proceeds to step S206.

  In step S206, the search result classification unit 203 determines whether or not the program with the same title as the program is broadcast on the same day as the program, and the program with the same title is on the same day as the program. If it is determined that the program is broadcast, the process proceeds to step S207.

  In step S205, the search result classification unit 203 associates the program with the same title with the program (that is, the representative program), and sets the broadcast pattern of the representative program and the program with the same title in the broadcast pattern 4. The broadcast pattern 4 represents a program that is broadcast continuously for one day among a plurality of broadcast patterns. For example, an identifier representing the broadcast pattern 4 is stored in a memory in the control unit 123 or the like. Is stored in association with the program, so that the broadcast pattern of the program is the broadcast pattern 4.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S206 that the program with the same title is not a program broadcast on the same day as the program, the process proceeds to step S208.

  In step S208, the search result classification unit 203 associates the program with the same title with the program (that is, the representative program), and sets the broadcast pattern of the representative program and the program with the same title in the broadcast pattern 5. The broadcast pattern 5 represents a program that is broadcast continuously irregularly among a plurality of broadcast patterns. For example, an identifier representing the broadcast pattern 5 is stored in a memory inside the control unit 123 or the like. Etc. are stored in association with the program, so that the broadcast pattern of the program is the broadcast pattern 5.

  As described above, the process shown in FIG. 4 is performed for each program determined (detected) as a program of the same title in the process of step S101. Therefore, for example, when there are a plurality of programs determined to have the same title as the program (the program) that has been set as the representative program in the process of step S201, the processes of steps S202 to S208 are actually determined to be the same title. It will be repeated for all the programs that have been made.

  After the process of step S203, S205, S207, or S208, the process proceeds to step S104 in FIG.

  In step S104, the search result classification unit 203 determines whether there is an unprocessed program. For example, if there is a program for which a broadcast pattern has not yet been set, the program is determined to be an unprocessed program, the process returns to step S101, and the program determined to be an unprocessed program in the process of step S104 The program is extracted as a new program, and the processes after step S101 are executed.

  In this way, the broadcast pattern of each program is set. Note that the processing described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 is an example, and is not necessarily executed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In short, the broadcast patterns 1 to 5 may be appropriately set for each of the search result programs.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen that displays each program set with a broadcast pattern through the processing described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Note that such a screen is displayed based on the image data generated by the display control unit 204 as described above. Here, for example, a program corresponding to the genre “drama” broadcast within a predetermined period is searched by the user, and the search result is displayed through the processing described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Indicates.

  In the figure, each program set with a broadcast pattern is displayed in an area 301. In the first line of the area 301, “Tomorrow”, “1:55 AM”, “Escape”, and “Continuous program (time indefinite)” are displayed. This is because the program whose title is “Escape” is broadcast from 1:55 tomorrow morning, and the broadcast pattern of the program is “continuous program (time indefinite)”, that is, a program corresponding to the above-described broadcast pattern 5. It represents something. Therefore, the program described in the first line of the area 301 (the broadcast from tomorrow 1:55 am) is a representative program, and the search result includes the same title associated with this program. There will be other programs.

  In addition, a symbol in which characters such as “character” and “su” displayed before and after the program title are surrounded by a rectangle is a symbol determined by the display rules of the electronic program guide, for example, It is a symbol indicating that subtitles are displayed in a program.

  In the second line of the area 301, “8:15 AM”, “Wind Dolphin”, and “Continuous Program (regular)” are displayed. This is because a program whose title is “Kaze no Dolphin” is broadcast from 8:15 am tomorrow, and the broadcast pattern of the program is “continuous program (regular)”, that is, a program corresponding to the above-described broadcast pattern 3 It represents that. Therefore, the program (broadcast from tomorrow 8:15 am) described in the second row of the area 301 is a representative program, and the search result includes the same title associated with this program. There will be other programs. Although “Tomorrow” is not displayed in the second line, “Tomorrow” is displayed in the first line, so that the program in the second line is also a program to be broadcast tomorrow. Yes. If the program is to be broadcast after tomorrow, the broadcast date is displayed on the leftmost side of the line.

  Furthermore, “9:55 AM” and “Children's Drama” are displayed in the third row of the area 301. This indicates that a program whose title is “Children's Drama” will be broadcast from 9:55 am tomorrow. Also, unlike the case of the first row or the second row, the information representing the broadcast pattern is not displayed on the third row. When the broadcast pattern of the program is a program corresponding to the above-described broadcast pattern 2, information representing the broadcast pattern is not displayed on the display screen. Therefore, in the search result, there is a program of the same title that is not associated with the program described in the third line of the area 301 (the broadcast from tomorrow 9:55 am), There will be other programs that will be broadcast on different broadcast stations.

  In the fourth line of the area 301, “10:30 AM”, “Hacchobori”, “Continuous program (regular time)” are displayed. As in the case of the second line, a program whose title is “Hacchobori” is broadcast from 10:30 tomorrow morning, and the broadcast pattern of the program is “continuous program (regular)”, that is, It represents that the program corresponds to the broadcast pattern 3 performed. Therefore, the program described in the fourth line of the area 301 (the broadcast from tomorrow 10:30 am) is a representative program, and the search result includes the same title associated with this program. There will be other programs.

  Further, in the fifth line of the area 301, “11:35 AM”, “catch book”, and “single program” are displayed. This is because the program whose title is “Catchbook” is broadcast from 11:35 am tomorrow, and the broadcast pattern of the program is a “single program”, that is, a program corresponding to the above-described broadcast pattern 1. Represents. Therefore, the program (broadcast from tomorrow 11:35 am) described in the fifth line of the area 301 is a representative program, but the same title associated with this program is included in the search results. There will be no other program.

  In the sixth line of the area 301, “0:45 PM”, “Wind Dolphin”, and “Broadcast at once” are displayed. This is a program whose title is “Wind Dolphin” will be broadcast tomorrow at 0:45 pm and the broadcast pattern of the program is “continuous at once”, that is, the above-mentioned broadcast pattern 4 Represents that. Therefore, the program described in the sixth line of the area 301 (the broadcast from tomorrow at 0:45 pm) is a representative program, and the search result includes the same title associated with this program. There will be other programs.

  Note that the title “Wind Dolphin” is also displayed in the second line of the area 301. In the second line, the broadcast pattern was “continuous program (regular)”. In the case of the sixth line, the broadcast pattern is “continuous broadcast at once”. As described above, even if the programs have the same title, if the set broadcast patterns are different, the representative programs of those programs are displayed separately.

  The area 302 is, for example, an area for displaying detailed information regarding the program in the line where the cursor is located in the area 301. In this example, it is assumed that the cursor is positioned on the first line of the area 301, and the broadcast time (from November 28 (Tue) 1:55 AM to 3:56 AM), broadcast station for the program with the title "Flee" (TCS), subtitles and themes of the broadcast times, and the names of performers are displayed.

  Note that buttons and the like used as GUI (Graphical User Interface) for various operations are displayed below the area 302 as necessary.

  When displaying the same title program associated with the representative program on the screen, the user designates one of the representative programs shown in the area 301 of FIG. 6 with the cursor as the representative program, for example. An operation for displaying a program having the same title is made.

  FIG. 7 shows a screen when an operation for designating the program on the second line in the area 301 in FIG. 6 and displaying a program of the same title associated with the program (representative program) is performed. It is a figure which shows the example of a display.

  In the figure, the display of the area 301 is different from the case of FIG. That is, “Tomorrow”, “8:15 AM”, “Wind Dolphin” are displayed in the first line of the region 301 in FIG. 7, and “29 (Wed)”, “8:15 AM” and “Wind Dolphin” are displayed, and “30 (Thu)”, “8:15 AM”, and “Wind Dolphin” are displayed in the third row. That is, the “Wind Dolphin” broadcast from 8:15 am tomorrow (28th day in the present case) is displayed on the first line and is a program associated with the representative program. "Wind Dolphin" broadcast from 8:15 am on the 29th and "Wind Dolphin" broadcast from 8:15 am on the 30th are displayed in the second and third lines, respectively. .

  It should be noted that “the number of detected cases is 3” is displayed on the upper side outside the frame of the area 301, and this represents the number of programs displayed in the area 301.

  In FIG. 7, it is assumed that the cursor is positioned on the first line of the area 301, and the broadcast time (November 28 (Tuesday) 8: 15AM or 8:30 AM), broadcasting station (MHK general), and performer name are displayed.

  As described above, in the recording / reproducing apparatus 100 of the present invention, when searching for information on a predetermined program from the electronic program guide based on an operation from the user and displaying the search result, only the representative program is displayed first. Further, when a predetermined operation input is made by the user, a program with the same title associated with the representative program is displayed.

  For example, when displaying all search results (all the search result programs) from the beginning when displaying the search results, even if the search result programs are sorted and displayed, the number of programs displayed itself However, since the number of programs that need to be confirmed does not change, the load on the user is not greatly reduced.

  On the other hand, according to the present invention, only the representative program is displayed first, and then the program with the same title associated with the representative program is displayed. In other words, the search results are displayed in a hierarchical manner. As a result, the user can more easily find a desired program from the search results.

  Further, for example, it is also possible to make a recording reservation for a continuous program at once based on the screen shown in FIG. When an operation input for batch recording reservation is made from the state shown in FIG. 7, for example, a screen as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed.

  In the area 321 of FIG. 8, “This program is scheduled to be recorded” is displayed, and the title “Wind Dolphin” of the program displayed in the area 301 of FIG. 7 is displayed below it. Yes. Further, in the area 323 in FIG. 8, information for three lines displayed in the area 301 in FIG. 7 is described.

  In this state, when the button 324 is pressed, the recording reservation is confirmed, and when the button 325 is pressed, the reservation operation is stopped, and the screen returns to the display screen of FIG.

  In addition, various kinds of additional information are displayed in an area 322 in FIG. “Recording destination” is information indicating a recording medium on which a recording reservation is confirmed and a program is actually recorded. In this example, “recording destination” is “HDD (hard disk drive)”. “Update” is information indicating whether or not overwriting is permitted in the recording medium designated as “Recording destination”. When overwriting is permitted, “On” is indicated. When overwriting is not permitted, “Off” is indicated. " In this example, it is “OFF”.

  “Recording every time” is information indicating whether or not to record every time when the program displayed in the area 322 is a continuous program. When recording every time, “On” is set. " Therefore, when “every time recording” is set to “off”, only three recordings displayed in the area 323 are reserved for recording, but when “on” is set, “wind-like” broadcasted after 30 days is recorded. Dolphin "will be automatically reserved for recording.

  “Extension” is information indicating whether or not to record until the end of the broadcast when the broadcast time of the program to be recorded is extended. When “Automatic” is set, the broadcast is automatically performed without any user operation. If it is recorded until the end and “manual” is selected, the extended recording will not be performed unless there is a particular operation. In this example, “automatic” is set.

  “Mode” and “mark” are information representing the image quality and genre of the program, respectively, and predetermined symbols, marks, and the like are appropriately displayed.

  In this way, the user can easily make a recording reservation for a continuous program.

  In the description with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, only the representative program is displayed first as shown in FIG. 6, and then the program of the same title associated with the representative program is displayed as shown in FIG. Although described as being displayed, for example, a program having the same title associated with the representative program may be displayed on the screen shown in FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another display example of the area 301 in FIG. In the figure, some displays such as the broadcast date and time of the program and marks before and after the title are omitted. In this example, a display example of the area 301 when the user moves the cursor to the title “Wind Dolphin”, which is the program in the second line of the area 301 in FIG. A program of the same title associated with a representative program, “Wind Dolphin” broadcast from 8:15 on Wednesday (AM) and “AM Dome” broadcast from 8:15 on Thursday (AM) Wind dolphin "is displayed.

  In FIG. 9, a program with the same title associated with the representative program is displayed slightly to the right of the display position of the representative program. Further, a program with the same title associated with the representative program is displayed from the representative program. It is displayed in a small space. Therefore, since the user can accurately recognize the representative program (upper hierarchy) and the program of the same title (lower hierarchy) associated with the representative program, the search result is again hierarchized. As a result, the user can more easily find a desired program from the search results.

  Alternatively, if there is a program with the same title associated with the representative program, the area 301 in FIG. 6 may be displayed as shown in FIG. 9 from the beginning.

  Alternatively, it is also possible to display a representative program and a program having the same title associated with the representative program using a GUI different from the screens (GUI) shown in FIGS. It is.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which a representative program and a program having the same title associated with the representative program are displayed using a GUI different from the screens (GUI) shown in FIGS. It is. This figure shows an example in which a representative program and a program having the same title associated with the representative program are displayed by XMB (Xross Media Bar: registered trademark). In XMB, the user operates the remote control, etc., moves the cursor to the predetermined box position indicated by the rectangular frame in the figure, and presses the cross key provided on the remote control, etc., to perform the user's desired operation. Is called.

  That is, the box group 341 in FIG. 10 is a group of boxes displayed as the first hierarchy. For example, when the user moves the cursor to the “EPG” box and presses the cross key, the boxes in the second hierarchy are displayed. A group 342 is displayed. In this example, boxes of “escape”, “wind dolphin”, “child drama”,... Are displayed as the box group 342, respectively. In this case, each box in the box group 342 represents the representative program described above with reference to FIG. 6 or FIG.

  Then, for example, when the user moves the cursor to the “Wind Dolphin” box in the box group 342 and presses the cross key, the box group 343 as the third hierarchy is displayed. In this example, as the box group 343, boxes of “wind dolphin (moon)”, “wind dolphin (fire)”, “wind dolphin (water)”, “wind dolphin (tree)”, and so on, respectively. Is displayed. This represents programs of the same title broadcast on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,... Respectively, and the box group 343 is associated with a representative program that is a box selected from the box group 342. Are displayed as programs with the same title. In FIG. 10, the display is omitted, but information representing the above-described broadcast pattern may be displayed together.

  In this way, the program may be displayed.

  Alternatively, a program with the same title can be displayed on the screen while watching the program. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when a video of a program is displayed on the screen 351, the program being viewed is displayed in a partial area 371 of the screen 351, and a program with the same title is displayed in the area 372. You may be made to do.

  In the example of FIG. 11, it is assumed that “Wind Dolphin”, which is a program displayed in the second row of the area 301 in FIG. 6, is currently being viewed, and the title of the program currently being viewed is displayed in the area 371. In addition, the broadcast start time (8:15) is displayed. In this example, for example, the title of the program being viewed is specified based on the electronic program guide, and the search execution unit 202 automatically searches for the program with the title of the program being viewed, and the search result classification unit 203. Thus, the processing described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 is automatically executed.

  In the area 372 of FIG. 11, a program having the same title as the currently viewed program and having a different broadcast pattern from the currently viewed program is displayed. In this example, in the area 372, the program title (“Wind Dolphin”) of the program displayed in the sixth line of the area 301 in FIG. Yes.

  By doing in this way, the user can know that a program with the same title is being processed by another broadcast pattern while viewing the program.

  The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware, or can be executed by software. When the above-described series of processing is executed by software, a program constituting the software executes various functions by installing a computer incorporated in dedicated hardware or various programs. For example, a general-purpose personal computer 700 as shown in FIG. 12 is installed from a network or a recording medium.

  In FIG. 12, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 701 executes various processes according to a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 702 or a program loaded from a storage unit 708 to a RAM (Random Access Memory) 703. To do. The RAM 703 also appropriately stores data necessary for the CPU 701 to execute various processes.

  The CPU 701, ROM 702, and RAM 703 are connected to each other via a bus 704. An input / output interface 705 is also connected to the bus 704.

  The input / output interface 705 includes an input unit 706 including a keyboard and a mouse, a display including a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and an LCD (Liquid Crystal display), an output unit 707 including a speaker, and a hard disk. A communication unit 709 including a storage unit 708, a network interface card such as a modem and a LAN card, and the like is connected. The communication unit 709 performs communication processing via a network including the Internet.

  A drive 710 is also connected to the input / output interface 705 as necessary, and a removable medium 711 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory is appropriately mounted, and a computer program read from them is loaded. It is installed in the storage unit 708 as necessary.

  When the above-described series of processing is executed by software, a program constituting the software is installed from a network such as the Internet or a recording medium such as a removable medium 711.

  The recording medium shown in FIG. 12 is a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk (registered trademark)) on which a program is recorded, which is distributed to distribute the program to the user separately from the apparatus main body. Removable media consisting of optical disks (including CD-ROM (compact disk-read only memory), DVD (digital versatile disk)), magneto-optical disks (including MD (mini-disk) (registered trademark)), or semiconductor memory It includes not only those configured by 711 but also those configured by a ROM 702 storing a program, a hard disk included in the storage unit 708, and the like that are distributed to the user in a state of being incorporated in the apparatus main body in advance.

  The steps of executing the series of processes described above in this specification are performed in parallel or individually even if they are not necessarily processed in time series, as well as processes performed in time series in the order described. It also includes processing.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example which concerns on one Embodiment of the recording / reproducing apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structural example of the software performed in the control part of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining a broadcast pattern setting process. It is a flowchart explaining the same title program classification | category process. It is a figure explaining the example of the broadcast time of the program classified into the broadcast pattern 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the screen which displays the search result of a program. It is a figure which shows the example of the screen which displays the program of the same title matched with the representative program. It is a figure which shows the example of the screen which performs batch recording reservation. It is a figure which shows another example of a display of the area | region which displays a program in FIG. It is a figure which shows another example of the screen which displays the program of the same title matched with the representative program. It is a figure which shows the example of a screen in case the program of the same title is displayed during viewing of a program. And FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a personal computer.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Recording / reproducing apparatus, 111 tuner, 113 Signal processing part, 115 Memory | storage part, 122 Operation input part, 123 Control part, 201 Program schedule acquisition production | generation part, 202 Search execution part, 203 Search result classification part, 204 Display control part

Claims (5)

Search means for searching for a program that meets a preset condition based on data in the program guide;
Classification means for classifying the search result program of the search means for display on a screen;
Display control means for controlling display of a list of programs as the search result based on the classification result of the search result classification means;
The search result classification means includes:
The search result program is classified for each program title, and a representative program is extracted from a plurality of programs with the same title,
When the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on different broadcasting stations, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a first group,
When the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast in the same broadcast time zone of the same broadcasting station, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a second group,
When a plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on the same day at the same broadcasting station, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a third group,
The display control means displays a representative program for each group as a search result on a screen, and displays a program information display device that stratifies and displays programs other than the representative program in the group . The display control means includes
The program information display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a program having the same title as the program is displayed together with an image of the program. Search means for searching for programs that meet preset conditions based on data in the program guide, classification means for classifying the search result programs of the search means for display on a screen, and the search result classification A program information display method for a program information display device, comprising: display control means for controlling display of a list of programs as a search result based on a classification result of the means,
The search result classification means is
The search result program is classified for each program title, and a representative program is extracted from a plurality of programs with the same title,
When the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on different broadcasting stations, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a first group,
When the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast in the same broadcast time zone of the same broadcasting station, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a second group,
When a plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on the same day at the same broadcasting station, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a third group,
The display control means is
A program information display method including a step of displaying a representative program for each group as a search result on a screen and displaying a program other than the representative program in the group in a hierarchical manner. Computer
Search means for searching for a program that meets a preset condition based on data in the program guide;
Classification means for classifying the search result program of the search means for display on a screen;
Display control means for controlling display of a list of programs as the search result based on the classification result of the search result classification means;
The search result classification means includes:
The search result program is classified for each program title, and a representative program is extracted from a plurality of programs with the same title,
When the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on different broadcasting stations, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a first group,
When the plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast in the same broadcast time zone of the same broadcasting station, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a second group,
When a plurality of programs with the same title are broadcast on the same day at the same broadcasting station, classify the plurality of programs with the same title into a third group,
The display control means displays a representative program for each group as a search result on the screen, and functions as a program information display device that displays a program other than the representative program in the group in a hierarchical manner . A recording medium on which the program according to claim 4 is recorded.

Images