JPH11252494A - Program recording and reserving device, program reproducing device, program editing device, program recording and reserving method, program reproducing method and program editing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a method for reducing troubles at the recording of a continuous program by providing a function which extracts a program having broadcasting content with continuity to broadcasting content of a program, that undergoes recording or record reservation from program information of scheduled broadcasting and performs record reservation. SOLUTION: A continuous program deciding part 40 refers to a program table 10, decides a program having continuity in broadcasting content to a program that already undergoes record reservation by a program reserving part 30 and notifies the decided program to the part 30. First, the part 30 has a function that performs record reservation of a broadcasting program according to a user's reservation operation as its basic function. For the record reservation, it has at least either of a function in which a user inputs reservation information, such as a channel, date and hour and sets them and a function that shows prescribed information about a program of a scheduled broadcasting in a list based on the program table and automatically sets corresponding reservation information in response as to what is selected, when the user selects a desired one from among them.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a program recording reservation apparatus, a program reproducing apparatus, a program editing apparatus, a program recording reservation method, a program recording method, a program reproducing method, and a program editing method for performing recording reservation, reproduction, and editing of a broadcast program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some TV broadcast programs are broadcast in a single shot. However, drama, animation, quiz programs,
For example, various programs such as variety programs are broadcast weekly in the same time zone on the same day of the week for, for example, six months, one year or more (or a certain number of times). In addition, programs such as sports broadcasts such as the XX Cup and special programs such as culture may be completed individually, but programs with similar or related contents will be broadcast several times as a series only for a certain period of time. There is also.

In these non-single-shot programs, the story of each episode is continuous in the order of the broadcast, or the broadcast content can be more enjoyable if the user knows the content of the previous broadcast. There are many things.

[0004] Hereinafter, a program having continuous broadcast contents, that is, a program which is not a single shot but is repeatedly broadcast as the same title will be referred to as a "continuous program".

[0005] By the way, with the spread of stationary VTRs, for example, TV broadcasts are reserved for recording, and programs recorded while going out are played back and viewed after returning home. Watch or watch a desired program on a different channel at the same time.
When V-broadcasting, it is possible to record one channel while watching the other channel and then watch it later.

[0006] However, since many TV programs are configured as a continuous program as described above, even when a program is reserved for recording, it is not often the case that the recording of the continuous program is reserved for each time. In particular, in the case of a drama, such as a drama, in which a story cannot be understood if one broadcast (one episode) is overlooked, it is necessary to make a recording reservation every time.

[0007] However, it is troublesome to make a reservation operation every time, and sometimes the user misses the broadcast operation due to forgetting the reservation operation (and / or fails to save).

Therefore, some VTRs have a function of making a recording reservation on the same day of the week and the same time zone. By using this function, it is possible to make a recording reservation for a program that is regularly broadcast on a weekly basis by one reservation operation.

However, continuous programs that are broadcast on a daily basis rather than on a weekly basis, continuous programs that are not broadcast or whose time zones are shifted depending on the week, such as dramas that are broadcast during baseball broadcasts, or ballet or soccer games This function is not effective for continuous programs broadcast on various days of the week or time zones such as sports programs.

[0010] Therefore, there is a demand for a method of making a reservation for recording a continuous program by a simple operation even when the day of the week and the time zone are not constant. Next, when a continuous program is frequently recorded every time, there are cases where not only one broadcast but also several times are collectively reproduced and viewed.

[0011] At this time, each episode of a continuous program to be watched and another program are mixedly recorded on one magnetic tape, or each episode of a continuous program of a certain title is divided into several magnetic tapes. In the case of recording, for example, it is necessary to determine on which magnetic tape the desired episode of the continuous program is recorded and on which magnetic tape, and to search for the start and reproduce it.

[0012] When a continuous program is recorded discontinuously in this way, it takes a lot of trouble to continuously watch it in the order in which it was broadcast, for example, in the case of a drama in the order of the story.

[0013] Therefore, there is a demand for a method of continuously reproducing and watching a continuous program even if the continuous program is discontinuously recorded with little trouble. In addition, the point mentioned above is
The same applies to other broadcasts and other recording devices, playback devices, and editing devices, without being limited to TV broadcasts and VTRs.

[0014]

[Problems to be solved by the invention] As described above,
Many broadcast programs have continuity in broadcast content (continuous programs), and inevitably there are many cases in which these programs are reserved for recording each time. However, conventional recording functions only have a function of making a recording reservation at the same time and the same day of the week at the most. In other cases, for example, the broadcast is performed every day or the day and time are not constant. There was no way to make a recording reservation without missing a continuous program.

In addition, when a continuous program is recorded discontinuously, it takes a great deal of trouble to continuously watch them in the order of the series. This applies not only to reproduction but also to editing and recording.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a program recording reservation apparatus and a program recording reservation method which can reduce the trouble in recording a continuous program. It is another object of the present invention to provide a program reproducing apparatus and a program reproducing method which reduce the trouble when reproducing a continuous program. Another object of the present invention is to provide a program editing apparatus and a program editing method that reduce the trouble of editing and recording a continuous program.

[0017]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a video recording reservation apparatus for recording a broadcast program, wherein a program having a broadcast content that is continuous with the broadcast content of the recorded or video-recorded program is scheduled to be broadcast. And a function for making a recording reservation by extracting from the program information.

The present invention relates to a program reproducing apparatus for reproducing a recorded broadcast program, wherein a designated program and a program having a broadcast content continuous with the broadcast content of the program are connected and reproduced. It has a function to perform.

The present invention relates to a program editing apparatus for editing a recorded broadcast program, which edits a specified program by connecting a program having a broadcast content continuous with the broadcast content of the program. It has a function of recording.

The present invention relates to a recording reservation apparatus for reserving recording of a broadcast program, wherein the recording or recording reservation is made on the basis of the continuous program information of the recorded or reserved program and the continuous program information of the program to be broadcast. And a means for successively obtaining a broadcast-scheduled program that is continuous with the obtained program, and a means for making a recording reservation for the obtained broadcast-scheduled program.

[0021] The present invention relates to a program reproducing apparatus for reproducing a recorded broadcast program, the first being a current reproduction target.
Means for determining a second program following the first program as a next playback object based on the continuous program information of the first program and the continuous program information of the recorded program; Means for continuously playing back the second program.

The present invention relates to a program reproducing apparatus for reproducing a recorded broadcast program, wherein the reproduction instruction is given based on the continuous program information of the program whose reproduction is instructed and the continuous program information of the recorded program. Means for obtaining a program following the program, and means for connecting and reproducing the program instructed to be reproduced and the obtained subsequent program.

The present invention relates to a program editing apparatus for editing and recording a recorded broadcast program, wherein a continuous program of a first program currently being edited and recorded among programs recorded on a predetermined recording medium. Based on the information and the continuous program information of the program recorded on the predetermined recording medium, a second program following the first program is selected from among the programs recorded on the predetermined recording medium. And a means for editing and recording the second program after the editing and recording of the first program on a predetermined recording medium is completed.

The present invention relates to a program editing apparatus for editing and recording a recorded broadcast program. The program editing apparatus edits and records a broadcast program on the basis of continuous program information of a program instructed to be edited and recorded and continuous program information of a recorded program. Means for obtaining a program following the selected program, and means for editing and recording the program instructed to be edited and recorded and the determined subsequent program.

The present invention relates to a recording reservation method for reserving a broadcast program, characterized in that a reservation is made for a program having a broadcast content that is continuous with the broadcast content of the recorded or reserved program. I do.

According to the present invention, there is provided a program reproducing method for reproducing a recorded broadcast program, wherein a plurality of programs having continuous broadcast contents are connected and reproduced. The present invention relates to a program editing method for editing a recorded broadcast program, wherein a plurality of programs having continuous broadcast contents are connected to each other for editing and recording.

The present invention relating to the apparatus is also realized as an invention relating to a method, and the present invention relating to a method is also realized as an invention relating to an apparatus. Further, the present invention according to an apparatus or a method has a function of causing a computer to execute a procedure corresponding to the present invention (or causing a computer to function as means corresponding to the present invention, or a computer having a function corresponding to the present invention). The present invention is also realized as a computer-readable recording medium on which a program (for realizing the program) is recorded.

According to the program recording reservation apparatus and the program recording reservation method according to the present invention, it is possible to make a recording reservation for one time / one episode of a continuous program and to automatically make a recording reservation for another time. Become.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of making a recording reservation for a program having continuous broadcast contents. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the program reproducing apparatus and the program reproducing method which concern on this invention, it is possible to reproduce | regenerate another recorded time automatically only by instruct | indicating reproduction | regeneration of one time / one episode of a continuous program.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of reproducing a program having continuous broadcast contents. ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the program editing apparatus and the program editing method concerning this invention, it is possible to automatically edit and record the other recorded time only by instructing edit / recording of one time / one episode of a continuous program. Become. Therefore, according to the present invention, the trouble of editing and recording a program having continuous broadcast contents can be greatly reduced.

[0031]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the present embodiment, roughly, a program having continuity in broadcast content is extracted from a program table for a continuous program that has already been reserved for recording, and recording is automatically reserved.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a program recording reservation device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the program recording reservation device includes a program reservation section 30, a continuous program determination section 40, and a program recording execution section 50.

The program table (10) includes information on each program to be broadcasted (to be broadcast). For each program, continuous program information (at least information that can uniquely identify the program, , If there is a continuous program, and information for identifying the program)), for example,
The information includes a broadcast channel, a broadcast date, a broadcast start time, a broadcast end time, and various information as needed.

Although there are various supply forms of the program table (10), here, as an example, a program table relating to a plurality of broadcast channels is collected as one program table and is different from the program broadcast (20). Or multiplexed on the same route and supplied as appropriate. Note that the present invention is not limited to this supply mode. For example, each broadcast channel may supply only a program table related to the broadcast channel (multiplexed with the program). In any case, in the present embodiment, the supply of the program guide (10) and the supply of the program are not necessarily synchronized.

The continuous program determining section 40 refers to the program table (10), determines a program which has continuity in broadcast contents with respect to the program already reserved for recording by the program reservation section 30, and determines the determined program. To the program reservation section 30.

The program reservation section 30 has, as a basic function, a function of making a recording reservation of a broadcast program in accordance with a reservation operation by a user. For this recording reservation, a function for the user to input and set reservation information such as channel and date and time, and a list of predetermined information on programs scheduled to be broadcast based on the program table are displayed. When a desired one is selected, it has at least one of a function of automatically setting the corresponding reservation information according to the selection.

The program reservation section 30 also has a function of making a recording reservation for a series of programs (including one program) notified by the continuous program determination section 40. Program recording execution unit 5
0 executes recording of a program reserved by the program reservation unit 30.

The recording medium for recording the program includes a DV
A recording medium that can be accessed randomly, such as D, or a recording medium that can be accessed sequentially, such as a video tape, may be used.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a first configuration example of the continuous program information added to the program table (10). For each program in the program table, title (101),
Information of a continuation flag (102) and a series number (103) are added.

The title (101) is the title of the program. The continuation flag (102) indicates whether or not the program is a continuation program. For example, if the program is a continuation program, the continuation flag is set to 1, and if not, the continuation flag is set to 0.

The series number (103) is a serial number for each broadcast when the program is a continuous program. If the continuation flag indicates that the program is not a continuation program, this field shall not be referenced.

FIG. 3 shows a specific example of the contents of the format of the continuous program information illustrated in FIG. The serial program information in FIG. 3 is a serial program with a program title “Drama A”,
It indicates that it is the 55th episode (the 55th broadcast in drama A). Here, the continuous flag indicating the continuous program is set to 1.

As a modification of FIG. 2, an ID code uniquely corresponding to the title may be used instead of the title. In this case, it is preferable to add a title for presentation to the user.

In FIG. 2 and its modifications, the continuous flag may be omitted and the series number may be set to, for example, 0 for non-continuous programs. In this case, whether or not the series number is 1 or more or 0 can be known as a continuous program.

FIG. 4 shows a second example of the structure of the continuous program information added to the program table (10). Information of a program ID (111) and a series number (103) is given to each program in the program table. That is, in this example, the program ID (111) is used instead of the title and the continuation flag in the example of FIG.

Here, the program ID (111) indicates a range of a program ID value to be assigned to a program that is a continuous program and a range of a value of a program ID to be assigned to a program that is not a continuous program.
It shall be determined (exclusively) in advance. The program recording reservation device can know whether or not the program is a continuous program depending on which range the value of the program ID belongs to.

For example, if a program ID of up to 200 is assigned to a non-continuous program and a program ID of 201 or more is assigned to a continuous program, the continuous program information having the contents shown in FIG. (The series number is assumed to be 0), and the continuous program information having the content shown in FIG. 5B indicates that the program is a continuous program and is the first broadcast.

In this case, it is preferable to add a title for presentation to a user. FIG. 6 shows a third configuration example of the continuous program information added to the program guide (10). For each program in the program table, the program ID (12
1) Information of the next program ID (122) is added.

In the examples shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, linking of consecutive programs is performed by the series number. In this example, however, the program ID (121) of the program corresponds to the program ID corresponding to the next broadcast program. Is added as the next program ID (122) to perform linking.

In the examples of FIGS. 2 and 4, each broadcast is individually specified by a set of a title, a program ID, and a series number. In this example, however, each broadcast is specified by a program ID. Individually specified (ie, the program I here)
D has a different value if the broadcast title is different even for the same title.)

Note that the next program ID of the program other than the serial program and the last episode of the serial program is "No applicable program".
May be inserted as a specific value (for example, -1). Further, when it is necessary to distinguish between a program other than a continuous program and the last episode of the continuous program, the next program ID may be set to a different specific value (for example, −1 or −2, respectively).

In this case, it is preferable to add a title for presentation to the user. Below,
Scheduled recording using the program recording reservation device according to the present embodiment will be described with a simple example.

Here, it is assumed that the format of the continuous program information shown in FIG. 2 is used. First, when receiving an input from a user through a predetermined input / output device (not shown), the program reservation unit 30 sets recording reservation of a corresponding program. For example, if the recording of the program corresponding to FIG.
Recording reservation as illustrated in FIG. 7 is performed.

Next, the continuous program judging section 40 sets the program table (1
The “title” and the “series number” of the program reserved for recording are specified from the continuous program information in 0) and the recording reservation information as shown in FIG. Further, based on the "title" and "series number" of the program, a program having continuous broadcast contents is determined from the continuous program information. This determination is performed in a chain.

FIG. 8 shows an example of continuous program information corresponding to the determined program. In this example, the continuous program is determined up to one week ahead, but it may be determined only the next time. Further, the number of programs to be determined and the period may be designated.

Next, when the program reservation unit 30 receives the continuous program information to be added to the recording reservation from the continuous program determination unit 40, based on this and the program table (10), the recording reservation information for the added sequence is recorded. Generate For example, it receives the continuous program information to be added to the recording reservation as shown in FIG. 8, and generates the recording reservation information as shown in FIG. In this specific example, seven recording reservations are made by one user's recording reservation operation.

The program recording unit 50 records a program according to the recording reservation information shown in FIG. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of making a recording reservation for a program having continuous broadcast contents.

When the format of FIG. 4 is used as the continuous program information, if the program ID is as shown in FIG. 10, the information corresponding to FIG. 8 is as shown in FIG. When the format shown in FIG. 6 is used as the continuous program information, assuming that the program ID is as shown in FIG. 12, the information corresponding to FIG. 8 is as shown in FIG. In any case, the recording reservation information as shown in FIG. 9 is obtained.

It is preferable to add key information such as a title or a program ID or continuous program information itself to the recording reservation information as shown in FIG. .

In the case where a program table containing updated contents (for example, a change in broadcast date / time) may be supplied to a program for which a program table has already been supplied, the program table may be supplied accordingly. It is preferable to have a function of updating the corresponding contents of the program table already held. Further, when information (for example, a change in broadcast date / time) that affects the recording reservation of a program for which recording has been reserved may be changed, the information may be changed when receiving a program table or when At a predetermined timing before the execution, it is preferable to have a function of checking the recording reservation contents of the program reserved for recording and updating the contents to new contents if necessary.

In the above example, when the user makes a program reservation, a continuous program is determined and a program to be reserved for recording is added. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the recording of the program reserved by the user is completed, the next time of the continuous program may be automatically determined, and the recording reservation may be made. In this way, even when the number of programs to be reserved for recording is limited, it is possible to cope with the limitation. Also, it is possible to easily cope with a case where the program guide is updated on the way.

Also, whether or not to use the function of automatically making a recording reservation by the continuous program judging unit 40 judging a program whose broadcast content has continuity with respect to the program reserved for recording by the program reservation unit 30 It is preferable that the user can set the setting. The switching of the setting can be realized by, for example, operating a switch or a remote controller.

In the above description, all information on each program is included in the program table. However, some information (eg, series number) including key information (eg, program ID) is added to the program table. , And other information (particularly, fixed information; for example, a broadcast channel, a default value of a broadcast day, a default value of a broadcast time zone, etc.) can be searched from information provided in advance based on the key information. It may be.

Further, it is preferable to add continuous program information or other necessary information to a recorded program, for example, in a header portion thereof, since it can be used as an index. Alternatively, a plurality of programs may be collectively recorded in a predetermined area of a recording medium such as a head portion of a video tape.

By the way, although the same program and the same series number may be broadcast (ie, rebroadcasted) a plurality of times, in the present embodiment, no distinction is made as to whether or not the program is a rebroadcast as continuous program information. Shall be. For example, the period for which a continuous program is to be determined is the next one week, and the first broadcast and the rebroadcast of the continuous program having the same title and the same series number are performed within the next one week, or the rebroadcast is performed on the same day. If performed, a plurality of pieces of continuous program information having the same title and the same series number exist in the program table. In such a case, in this embodiment, for example, the broadcast date / time is earlier. It is assumed that control is performed such as making a recording reservation with priority given to the object (only). Also, if another program is already scheduled for recording at the broadcast time, although the broadcast date / time is earlier, then the recording schedule is given priority (only) with the next broadcast date / time earlier (only). May be performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a flag indicating whether the broadcast is a rebroadcast or not may be provided in the continuous program information or another field in the program guide.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of making a recording reservation for a program having continuous broadcast contents. In the above description, the program reservation unit 3
0, when the continuous program information to be added to the recording reservation as shown in FIG.
9), the recording reservation information as shown in FIG. 9 for the added sequence is generated. For example, the continuous program information as shown in FIG.
Such a function as to generate additional recording reservation information as shown in FIG. 9 from such recording reservation information may be adopted. This can be used, for example, as a function for automatically reserving a program to be broadcast at a fixed time every day except Sunday.

Next, another configuration example of the program recording reservation device according to the present embodiment will be described. In the above-described embodiment, a program having continuity in broadcast content is automatically extracted from a program table for a continuous program that has already been scheduled for recording, and recording is automatically scheduled for recording. A program having continuity in broadcast content with respect to an already recorded continuous program is extracted from a program table, and recording is automatically reserved.

The following description focuses on differences from the above-described embodiment. FIG. 14 shows a configuration example of a program recording reservation device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the program recording reservation device includes a program reservation unit 30, a continuous program determination unit 41, and a program recording execution unit 51.

The program table (10) and the continuous program information are the same as described above. The continuous program determination unit 41 refers to the program table (10), determines a program having continuity in broadcast content with respect to the program recorded by the program recording execution unit 51, and assigns the determined program to the program reservation unit. Notify 30.

The program reservation section 30 has a function of making a recording reservation of a broadcast program in accordance with a user's reservation operation, and a function of making a recording reservation of a series (including one) of programs notified by the continuous program determination section 41. Have.

The program recording execution section 51 executes recording of the program reserved by the program reservation section 30 and notifies the continuous program determination section 41 of the recorded program. As a recording medium for recording a program, a recording medium that can be accessed randomly, such as a DVD, or a recording medium that can be accessed sequentially, such as a video tape, may be used.

Here, it is assumed that at least information (for example, continuous program information) that can specify the recorded program is also recorded. Then, the above determination by the continuous program determination unit 41 is performed based on this information.

The recording reservation and recording procedure for a series of continuous programs using the continuous program information are basically the same as those in the first embodiment. A program having continuity in the broadcast content with respect to the recorded program is extracted from the program guide, and recording of the extracted program is reserved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to determine a program having continuity in the broadcast content and automatically make a reservation for a program that has been manually recorded, instead of a recording reservation. become.

It is to be noted that the same modification as described above can be applied to this other configuration example. For example,
The user sets whether or not to use the function of automatically making a recording reservation by the continuous program judging section 41 judging a program having continuous broadcast contents with respect to the program recorded by the program recording executing section 51. It is preferable to be able to do so.

Note that both the automatic recording reservation function based on the program reserved for recording and the automatic recording reservation function based on the recorded program described above may be provided. (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the present embodiment, roughly, it is determined whether or not a program to be broadcasted is a program having continuity in broadcast contents with respect to a previously recorded continuous program, and the program having continuity is determined. If it is determined that the recording is scheduled, the recording reservation is automatically made.

The following description focuses on the differences from the first embodiment. Here, a program table including information of one program is called an individual program table. The contents of the program table are the same as the contents corresponding to one program in the program table described in the first embodiment. Further, the continuous program information is the same as in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the individual program guide of a certain program is supplied immediately before the program on the same broadcast channel as the program (ie, for example, multiplexed with the previous program) or on another specific broadcast channel. It is assumed that

FIG. 15 shows a configuration example of a program recording reservation device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the program recording reservation device includes a program reservation unit 30, a continuous program determination unit 4
4. A program recording execution unit 51 is provided.

When receiving the individual program table, the continuous program determining section 44 refers to the continuous program information of the program for which recording reservation has already been made by the program reservation section 30, and the program relating to this individual program table is transmitted to the program reservation section 30. Then, it is determined whether or not the program for which recording reservation has already been made is a program having continuity in broadcast content, and the determined program is notified to the program reservation unit 30.

The program reservation unit 30 has a function of making a recording reservation of a broadcast program in accordance with a user's reservation operation and a function of making a recording reservation of a series (including one) of programs notified by the continuous program determination unit 44. Have.

The program recording execution section 51 executes recording of the program reserved by the program reservation section 30 and notifies the continuous program determination section 44 of the recorded program. Here,
At least information that can specify the recorded program (for example, continuous program information) is also recorded. And
The above determination by the continuous program determination unit 44 is performed based on this information.

The recording reservation and recording procedure for a series of continuous programs using the continuous program information are the same as those described as another configuration of the first embodiment. Since the individual program guide of the program is supplied immediately before the above, processing for updating the program guide becomes unnecessary.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to determine a program having continuity in broadcast contents and make an automatic recording reservation. It should be noted that modifications similar to those described in the first embodiment can be applied to this embodiment. For example, the user determines whether or not to use the function of automatically making a recording reservation by the continuous program determination unit 44 determining a program having continuous broadcast content with respect to the program recorded by the program recording execution unit 51. Is preferably set.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Schematically, a program having continuity in broadcast content is linked (reproduced) to a reproduced continuous program (or being reproduced or to be reproduced) and reproduced.

FIG. 16 shows an example of the configuration of a program reproducing apparatus according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the program playback device includes a program storage unit 60, a continuous program determination unit 42, and a program playback unit 70.

The continuous program information is the same as in the first embodiment. The program storage unit 60 stores a recorded program and continuous program information of the program. In addition, in the recording medium,
A randomly accessible recording medium such as a DVD may be used, or a sequentially accessible recording medium such as a video tape may be used.

The program reproducing section 70 reproduces the program in the program storage section 60 and notifies the continuous program judging section 42 of the end of the reproduction. Further, the series of programs (including one program) notified by the continuous program determination unit 42 are reproduced in a chain.

When the program reproduced by the program reproducing unit 70 is a continuous program, the continuous program judging unit 42 determines that the program storage unit 60
Is determined from the programs stored in the program, and the result of the determination is notified to the program reproducing unit 70. This determination is made according to the continuous program information in the program storage unit 60.

A simple example of reproducing a program using the program reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, it is assumed that the format of the continuous program information shown in FIG. 2 is used. The program storage unit 60 stores recorded programs and programs corresponding to FIG.
Is stored. In the case of a recording medium for sequential access such as a video tape, it is preferable to record the information on an easy-to-read portion such as a head portion or a plurality of portions including the head portion. It is preferable to add other necessary information in addition to the continuous program information because it can be used as an index or the like to be presented to the user.

[0092] The continuous program judging section 42 specifies the "title" and "series number" of the recorded program from the continuous program information in the program storage section 60. For example, program 1 has a title of "Drama X", a continuation flag of "1" (that is, a continuation program), and a series number of "5".

Here, it is assumed that the program 1 is reproduced first by a user operation or the like. Simultaneously with the end of playback, the program playback unit 70
Notifies the end of reproduction to the continuous program determination unit 42.
In the continuous program determination unit 42, from the continuous program information in FIG.
Program 1 is determined to be a continuous program, and determination of a program following program 1 is started. Then, based on the title and series number of the program, program 4 is determined to be a program following program 1, and
Notify 0.

The program reproducing section 70 starts reproducing the program 4 according to the notification. Similarly, when the reproduction of the program 4 ends, the reproduction of the program 2 starts. In this example, every time the reproduction is completed, the notification of the next consecutive program to be reproduced is sequentially performed. However, at the beginning of reproduction or during reproduction, the determination of the next consecutive program to be reproduced is performed in advance. Is also good.

When the program being reproduced is determined to be a continuous program, all subsequent programs may be determined and notified. In the above example, at the stage of reproducing the program 1, the program 4 and the program 2 may be collectively notified as the following programs.

A program having continuity in broadcast content with respect to a program reproduced (or being reproduced or to be reproduced) by the program reproducing unit 70 is determined by the continuous program determining unit 4.
It is preferable that the user can set whether or not to use the function of automatically playing back by making the determination in 2. This switching setting can be realized by, for example, operating a switch or a remote controller.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of reproducing a program having continuous broadcast contents (continuous program). By the way, in the present embodiment, it is preferable to support a user operation using a graphical user interface (GUI).

As an example, assume that a program (B (25) → B (28)) is recorded on a video tape as shown in FIG. Here, programs A and B are continuous programs, programs C and D are non-continuous programs, and the number in parentheses indicates the number of broadcasts of the program (0 if not a continuous program).

Here, in response to a user's explicit operation or the like, the continuous program information or the like is read from the target recording medium, and this is grouped for each continuous program and displayed as a list. For example, this program reproducing apparatus is configured as a single unit,
When a TV and a remote controller are used for I, a list as illustrated in FIG. 19 is displayed on the TV screen, and the user can input the list by operating the remote controller.

For example, when the present program reproducing apparatus is configured using a computer and the display device and the mouse are used in the GUI, a list as shown in FIG. Input is possible by operating the mouse.

Here, it is assumed that a title is stored in association with a program. Now, if the user
When the user selects and inputs a desired program (in the case of a continuous program, selects up to the number of broadcasts) on the GUI screen illustrated in FIG. 20, the selected program is reproduced. For example, if the user selects the first time of the program A, the second time and the third time are successively reproduced, and if the user selects the 27th time of the program B, the second time and the third time are successively reproduced. Will be played, and
As described above, continuous programs are determined by the continuous program determination unit 42 and are reproduced one after another.

It is also possible to receive a batch selection of all broadcasts of a continuous program or an individual selection of a desired broadcast, and broadcast all the selected broadcasts continuously. When information is recorded in addition to the continuous program information as described above, other information such as the individual recording time of the program, the genre of the program,
Information such as performers may also be presented together.
Further, when the user selects a continuous program, the time for all reproduction stations may be presented.

By the way, one continuous program is often recorded in a distributed manner on a plurality of recording media. Therefore, a user operation in such a case may be supported.
Here, it is assumed that an identification number (MID) for distinguishing each video tape is given by a predetermined means (it is written in a predetermined area of each video tape).

As an example, as shown in FIG.
Program on video tape with ID = 1 (a (1) → a (3))
Are recorded, and as shown in FIG. 21B, MID =
It is assumed that the program (a (4) → d (0)) is recorded on the video tape No. 2.

Here, program a and program b are continuous programs, program c and program d are non-continuous programs, and the number in parentheses indicates the number of broadcasts of the program (0 and 0 for non-continuous programs). Do).

Here, in response to a user's explicit operation or the like, continuous program information or the like is read from the target recording medium, and the information is grouped for each continuous program and displayed as a list. In this case, if only one video tape driving unit is provided, the user performs an operation of replacing the other video tape when reading of the continuous program information on one video tape is completed. I do.

When the reading of the continuous program information on the target recording medium is completed, for example, a list as shown in FIG. 22 is displayed, and the user can input the list by operating the remote controller or the mouse.

Now, when the user enters the GUI shown in FIG.
When a desired program (in the case of a continuous program, select up to the number of broadcasts) is selected and input on the screen, the selected program is reproduced. Thereafter, as described above, continuous programs are determined by the continuous program determination unit 42 and are reproduced one after another. However, if the program to be reproduced next is recorded on a video tape that is not currently mounted, If you have, for example, a GUI
A message such as "Please mount the video tape No. XX" is displayed on the screen, and when the user sets the video tape, the reproduction of the next program is resumed.

For example, when the user instructs reproduction of the continuous program a from the first time, the MID =
Although the video can be played back on the first video tape, since the fourth and subsequent programs are recorded on the video tape of MID = 2, a message such as "Please attach the second video tape." When the user sets the second video tape, the reproduction of the program can be resumed from the fourth time.

Note that the above-described GUI is merely an example, and various GUIs can be considered. (Fourth Embodiment) A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the present embodiment, generally, a plurality of programs having continuity in broadcast contents are connected and edited and recorded. FIG. 23 shows a configuration example of the program editing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 23, the program editing apparatus includes a first program storage unit 80, a continuous program determination unit 42, a program reproduction unit 70, and a second program storage unit 81.

The continuous program information is the same as in the third embodiment. The first program storage unit 80 is similar to the program storage unit 60 in the third embodiment, and stores a recorded program and at least continuous program information of the program.

The program reproducing section 70 has a first program storing section 80
The reproduction of the current program is performed, and the end of the reproduction is notified to the continuous program determination unit 42. Further, the continuous program judging section 42
, A series of programs (including one program) notified by the program are reproduced in a chain.

[0114] The continuous program judging section 42 is the same as the third embodiment. When the program reproduced by the program reproducing section 70 is a continuous program in accordance with the reproduction end notified by the program reproducing section 70, From the programs stored in the first program storage unit 80, the next successive program is determined, and the determination result is notified to the program reproduction unit 70. This determination is made according to the continuous program information in the first program storage unit 80.

The second program storage unit 81 stores the program reproduction unit 70
Execute the recording of the program reproduced in. Note that the first program storage unit 80 and the second program storage unit 81 have D
A recording medium that can be accessed randomly, such as VD, or a recording medium that can be accessed sequentially, such as a video tape, may be used.

A simple example of program playback using the program playback apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, it is assumed that the format of the continuous program information shown in FIG. 2 is used. First
The program storage section 80 stores recorded programs and continuous program information as shown in FIG. 17 corresponding to the programs.

[0117] The continuous program determination section 42 specifies the "title" and "series number" of the recorded program from the continuous program information in the first program storage section 80. Here, a case in which the program 1 is sequentially played back and edited and recorded will be considered.

[0118] The program 1 reproduced by the program reproducing section 70 by a user operation or the like is recorded in the second program storage section 81. Simultaneously with the end of the reproduction of the program 1, the program reproduction unit 70
The end of reproduction is notified to the continuous program judging section 42.

The continuous program determining section 42 determines that the program 1 is a continuous program from the continuous program information shown in FIG. 17, and starts a determination subsequent to the program 1. Then, based on the title and the series number of the program, the program 4 is determined to be the program following the number 1, and the program 4 is notified to the program reproducing unit 70.

The program reproducing section 70 starts reproducing the program 4 in accordance with the notification. In the second program storage section 81, recording of the reproduced program 4 is started. Hereinafter, similarly,
When the reproduction of the program 4 ends, the reproduction of the program 2 starts,
Recording of program 2 is started.

When editing and recording are performed according to the above procedure,
In the second program storage unit 81, the edited and recorded result as shown in FIG. 24 is finally obtained. The present embodiment is particularly effective when a recording medium such as a magnetic tape that is accessed sequentially is used for the second program storage unit 81.

In this example, when the reproduction is completed, the notification of the continuous program to be reproduced next is sequentially performed.
As in the first embodiment, the determination of the continuous program to be reproduced next may be made at the beginning of the reproduction or during the reproduction.

When the program being reproduced is determined to be a continuous program, all subsequent programs may be determined and notified. In the above example, at the stage of reproducing the program 1, the program 4 and the program 2 may be collectively notified as the following programs.

The program reproducing unit 70 automatically edits a program having continuity in broadcast contents with respect to a program (or a program being reproduced or to be reproduced) by judging the program by the continuous program judging unit 42. It is preferable that the user can set whether or not to use the recording function. This switching setting can be realized by, for example, operating a switch or a remote controller.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of editing a program having continuous broadcast contents (continuous program). If you add other necessary information to the recorded program in addition to the serial program information,
It is preferable because it can be used as an index. These pieces of information may be recorded, for example, as a header portion thereof,
A plurality of programs may be collectively recorded in a predetermined area of the recording medium.

When a randomly accessible recording medium such as a DVD is used for the first program storage section 80, a plurality of programs having continuity in broadcast contents are linked to the second program storage section 81. Instead of editing and recording, sequence data of information indicating a storage position of a program to be continuously played back is created and recorded in the second program storage unit 81 or the first program storage unit 80, and the like. At the time of reproduction, the continuous program may be sequentially taken out from the first program storage unit 80 by referring to the series data and reproduced continuously.

In the present embodiment, as in the third embodiment, it is preferable to use a GUI to support user operations. Note that the GUI is the same as that of the third embodiment, and the reproduction in the third embodiment merely replaces the editing and recording, and a description thereof will be omitted.

Next, another configuration example of the program editing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the program reproducing unit is omitted from the above-described embodiment. In the following, a description will be given mainly of points different from the above-described embodiment.

FIG. 25 shows another configuration example of the program editing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 25, the program editing device includes a first program storage unit 80, a continuous program determination unit 43, and a second program storage unit 82.

The first program storage section 80 is the same as that in FIG. The second program storage unit 82 records the program in the first program storage unit 80, and notifies the end of the recording to the continuous program determination unit 43. Further, the continuous program judging unit 4
3 is recorded.

In accordance with the end of recording notified by the second program storage section 82, the continuous program determination section 43 stores the first program storage when the program recorded by the second program storage section 82 is a continuous program. The next successive program is determined from the programs stored in the section 80, and the determination result is notified to the second program storage section 82.

This determination is made based on the continuous program information in the first program storage section 80. The procedure for recording a continuous program according to the above determination is the same as that described above.

Similarly to the above-described embodiment, it is determined whether or not to use the function of the continuous program determination unit 43 for determining the program recorded by the second program storage unit 82 and the program having continuous broadcast contents. It is desirable that the user can set.

As described above, it is possible to determine a program having continuous broadcast contents and perform automatic editing without reproducing the program. As in the above-described embodiment, when a randomly accessible recording medium such as a DVD is used for the first program storage unit 80, a plurality of programs having continuity in broadcast contents are stored in the second program storage unit 82. Instead of linking and editing and recording programs, it creates sequence data of information indicating storage locations of programs to be continuously played back and records the data in the second program storage unit 82 or the first program storage unit 80 or the like. In this case, at the time of reproduction, the continuous programs may be sequentially taken out from the first program storage unit 80 by referring to the series data and reproduced continuously.

It should be noted that the first embodiment, the embodiment described as another configuration example, the second embodiment, the third embodiment,
The embodiment described as the fourth embodiment and another configuration example thereof can be implemented in any combination.

Each of the above functions can also be realized as software. Further, the present embodiment is a computer-readable computer that records a program for causing a computer to execute a predetermined procedure (or for causing the computer to function as predetermined means, or for causing the computer to realize a predetermined function). It can also be implemented as a recording medium. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications within the technical scope.

[0137]

According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically make a recording reservation for another episode simply by making a recording reservation for one episode / one episode of a continuous program. Therefore, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of making a recording reservation for a program having continuous broadcast contents.

According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically reproduce another recorded episode simply by instructing reproduction of one episode or episode of a continuous program. Therefore, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of reproducing a program having continuous broadcast contents.

According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically edit and record another recorded episode simply by instructing editing and recording of one episode / episode of a continuous program. Therefore, it is possible to greatly reduce the trouble of editing and recording a program having continuous broadcast contents.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a program recording reservation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first configuration example of continuous program information;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of continuous program information;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second configuration example of continuous program information;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of continuous program information;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third configuration example of continuous program information;

FIG. 7 shows an example of program reservation.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of continuous program information corresponding to a continuous program to be additionally reserved;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of program reservation including a serial program;

FIG. 10 shows a specific example of a program ID.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of continuous program information corresponding to a continuous program to be additionally reserved;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a specific example of a program ID;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of continuous program information corresponding to a continuous program to be additionally reserved.

FIG. 14 is an exemplary view showing another configuration example of the program recording reservation device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a program recording reservation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a program reproduction device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a list of continuous program information;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a recording example of a program.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI screen.

FIG. 20 illustrates an example of a GUI screen.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a recording example of a program.

FIG. 22 illustrates an example of a GUI screen.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a program editing device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of editing a program.

FIG. 25 is an exemplary view showing another configuration example of the program editing device according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 30 program reservation unit 40-44 continuous program determination unit 50, 51 program recording execution unit 60 program storage unit 70 program playback unit 80 first program storage unit 82 second program storage unit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Toru Imai 1 Toshiba R & D Center, Komukai Toshiba-cho, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture (72) Inventor Tetsuya Yamane Toshiba Komukai-shi, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa (72) Inventor Shigeru Koyanagi Shizuoka-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 1st place, Toshiba R & D Center

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A recording reservation apparatus for recording a broadcast program, comprising extracting a program having broadcast contents that are continuous with the broadcast contents of a program recorded or scheduled from a program information to be broadcast. A program recording reservation device having a function of making a recording reservation by using a program. 2. A program reproducing apparatus for reproducing a recorded broadcast program, the function of linking and reproducing a designated program and a program having a broadcast content continuous with the broadcast content of the program. A program reproducing apparatus comprising: 3. A program editing apparatus for editing a recorded broadcast program, comprising: connecting and instructing a designated program and a program having broadcast contents continuous with the broadcast contents of the program. A program editing device having a function. 4. A recording reservation apparatus for recording and recording a broadcast program, the program being recorded or reserved for recording on the basis of continuous program information of a program that has been recorded or reserved for recording and continuous program information of a program to be broadcast. A program recording reservation device, comprising: means for sequentially obtaining a program scheduled to be broadcast continuously; and means for making a recording reservation for the determined program scheduled to be broadcast. 5. A program reproducing apparatus for reproducing a recorded broadcast program, wherein the program reproducing apparatus reproduces a broadcast program based on continuous program information of a first program to be reproduced and continuous program information of a recorded program. A program comprising: means for obtaining a second program subsequent to a first program as a next reproduction target; and means for reproducing the second program following reproduction of the first program. Playback device. 6. A program editing apparatus for editing and recording a recorded broadcast program, wherein the program editing apparatus comprises a program editing apparatus for editing continuous program information of a first program currently being edited and recorded among programs recorded on a predetermined recording medium; Based on the continuous program information of the program recorded on the predetermined recording medium, a second program subsequent to the first program is edited from among the programs recorded on the predetermined recording medium by the next editing. A program editing apparatus, comprising: means for obtaining a recording target; and means for editing and recording the second program after editing and recording of the first program on a predetermined recording medium. 7. A program editing device for editing and recording a recorded broadcast program, the program editing device being adapted to perform the reproduction instruction based on the continuous program information of the program instructed to be edited and recorded and the continuous program information of the recorded program. A program editing apparatus comprising: means for obtaining a program following a program; and means for editing and recording the program for which editing and recording has been instructed and the obtained subsequent program. 8. A recording reservation method for reserving a broadcast program, comprising reserving a program having a broadcast content that is continuous with the broadcast content of the recorded or reserved program. Recording reservation method. 9. A program reproducing method for reproducing a recorded broadcast program, wherein a plurality of programs having continuous broadcast contents are connected to each other and reproduced. 10. A program editing method for editing a recorded broadcast program, wherein a plurality of programs having continuous broadcast contents are connected and edited and recorded.