JPH09172581A - Television channel setting device and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically select a channel matching with its area by entering a postal number or a telephone toll station number so as to set the channel in the computer system having a TV function. SOLUTION: A postal number or a toll telephone station number is entered in a program 1 controlling a TV function, a TV channel retrieval section 2 is used and channel setting data for an area corresponding to the entered postal number or a toll telephone station number are retrieved from a TV channel setting database 3, a TV channel setting section 4 is used to register the television channel setting data to a television application of the system.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a television channel setting device and method, and more particularly to a method of setting a television channel in a personal computer system having a television broadcast receiving function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a method of setting channel data of a device having a television channel setting function, corresponding channel data of a region where a user uses a television is set for each station.

For example, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-365217, geographic data is used for setting channel data, and the channel data is acquired by using a navigation system capable of receiving the geographic data. It is set. Another example is a method of storing an offset amount from standard channel data and using it for subsequent channel selection.

However, generally, the user has to operate the channel setting individually for each station.

[0005]

As described above, the conventional channel data setting method is suitable for the area where the television user lives because the number of broadcasting stations, the frequency of the channel, and the channel number differ depending on the area. The channel needs to be set by the user. At that time, since it has to be set individually for each channel, the burden on the user is large.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a television channel setting device and method which reduce the burden on the user and further shorten the time required for channel setting.

[0007]

A television channel setting device according to the present invention sets a TV channel including a TV function program for controlling a receiving function of a television broadcast and channel information whose key is a receiving area of the television broadcast. A database, a TV channel search unit that searches the TV channel setting database according to the receiving area information sent by the TV function program, and sends TV channel setting data of the corresponding receiving area;
And a TV channel setting unit for registering V channel setting data in the television broadcast receiving system.

In the television channel setting device of the present invention, the reception area information is a postal code of the corresponding area.

Further, in the television channel setting device of the present invention, the reception area information is a toll telephone number of a corresponding area.

Further, in the television channel setting method according to the present invention, a postal code or an area telephone number is input as television broadcast reception area information, and channel data for each area is stored using the reception area information as a key. The TV channel setting database is searched to extract the TV channel setting data of the corresponding receiving area, and the TV channel setting data is registered in the television broadcast receiving system.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a television channel setting device is a TV function program 1 for performing a television function and its setting on a personal computer, and a TV for searching channel setting data from a database using a postal code or an area telephone number as a search key. It has a channel search unit 2, a TV channel setting database 3 having a database of channel data of each region, and a TV channel setting unit 4 for registering the channel setting data searched by the TV channel searching unit 2 in the system. ing.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the above television channel setting device. In the figure, when the channel data is set by the setting function of the TV function program 1, the user inputs the postal code or the area telephone number of the area where he / she lives (S1). Then, the TV channel search unit 2 searches for the presence or absence of data in the corresponding area, using the input zip code or toll telephone number as a search key.

When the data of the corresponding area is not found, the TV channel search unit 2 notifies the user that there is no corresponding postal code or long-distance telephone station number, and re-inputs. Request (S2, S3).

When the corresponding area is searched, the TV channel search unit 2 uses the TV channel setting database 3
Further, the TV channel setting data of the corresponding area is acquired (S4).

Finally, the TV channel setting unit 4 registers the TV channel setting data acquired as described above in the system, whereby the channel data suitable for the area is set (S5).

[0017]

According to the present invention, unlike the conventional method of individually setting each channel, a channel setting database is provided in advance, and a postal code or an area telephone number is used as a search key of the database. Allows you to set up channels in a very simple and straightforward way. Moreover, since the input data of the user is only the postal code or the area code, the burden of input operation is small,
Furthermore, since the search key is one that is familiar in daily life, it is possible to prevent confusion during operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 TV function program 2 TV channel search unit 3 TV channel setting database 4 TV channel setting unit S1 to S5 Steps showing operation procedure

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A TV function program for controlling a reception function of a television broadcast, a TV channel setting database including channel information having a reception area of the television broadcast as a key, and a reception area information transmitted by the TV function program. A TV channel setting unit for searching the TV channel setting database and transmitting TV channel setting data of a corresponding receiving area; and a TV channel setting unit for registering the TV channel setting data in a television broadcast receiving system. Television channel setting device. 2. The television channel setting device according to claim 1, wherein the reception area information is a postal code of a corresponding area. 3. The television channel setting device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving area information is a toll telephone number of a corresponding area. 4. A TV channel setting database that stores channel data for each area is searched by inputting a postal code or a long-distance telephone station number as receiving area information for television broadcasting, and is applicable. A television channel setting method comprising extracting TV channel setting data of a receiving area to be registered and registering the TV channel setting data in a television broadcast receiving system.