JP2003230081A - Program reservation apparatus for digital broadcast receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a program reservation apparatus for a digital broadcast receiver with which a user knowing only fragmentary information about a program can make video recording reservation while saving labor. <P>SOLUTION: The digital broadcast receiver for receiving a digital broadcast program including electronic program guide data includes: a communication line interface 11 making communication with an external line; and a function of searching programs on the basis of key information and is configured so that the communication line interface 11 transmits a program searching result when receiving the key information and program search command from the communication line and the receiver makes reservation of the program when receiving a reservation command of a program designated from the communication line interface 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital receiver, and more particularly to a program reservation means for the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, electronic program guide data (hereinafter referred to as E
Digital broadcasting including PG data) has become widespread. It is also known to communicate with a mobile phone via a communication line interface and make a program reservation from the mobile phone.

When making a program reservation from a mobile phone, the mobile phone communicates with a digital broadcast receiver, and first, data of channels that can be selected from the digital broadcast receiver is downloaded to carry the mobile phone as shown in FIG. Display the selectable channels on the display device of the telephone.

Next, by setting the cursor on the display device of the mobile phone to, for example, "5chBS Asahi" and pressing the select key, the receiving channel is specified in the digital broadcast receiver. When the digital broadcast receiver receives the command, the EPG data of "5chBS Asahi" is downloaded from the digital broadcast receiver to the mobile phone, and the mobile phone displays the data on the display device as shown in FIG. 5 (b). . Next, the cursor of the display device of the mobile phone is set to, for example, the program name "Midori Kaori without a face" and the reservation key is pressed to cause the digital broadcast receiver to reserve recording of the program.

When there is no program to be reserved in the designated channel, the channel change is selected on the screen of FIG. 5B to return to the display state of FIG. 5A and the receiving channel is designated again.

[0006]

The reason for making a program recording reservation from a mobile phone rather than from the receiver main body is when the user forgets to make a reservation and makes a reservation from a destination, and the program to be reserved is often known. . In that case, it is time-consuming and inconvenient to download the EPG data and search for a program like a conventional digital broadcast receiver.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the invention is to receive a digital broadcast in which recording reservation can be made without any trouble by only knowing fragmentary information about a program. It is to provide a program reservation device for a machine.

[0008]

A program reservation device for a digital broadcast receiver according to the present invention is a digital broadcast receiver for receiving a digital broadcast including data of an electronic program guide, and a communication line interface and a key for communicating with an external line. When a program search command is received from a communication line by receiving the key information and a program search command from the communication line, the program is searched for and the result is sent out from the communication line interface, and then from the communication line interface. When you receive a reservation command for the specified program,
It is configured to make a reservation for the program.

Further, in the program reservation device of the digital broadcast receiver, the communication line interface is an interface for communicating with a mobile phone.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A digital broadcast receiver which is an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a digital broadcast receiver which is an embodiment of the present invention. A signal received by the antenna 1 shown in FIG. 1 is selected by a tuner 2, and additional information such as program information and electric signals of video and audio from the station are output from the tuner 2 to the control unit 3.

The control unit 3 decodes the additional information from the electric signal and outputs it to the program information extraction unit 5, and also decodes the video / audio information based on a command from the operation unit 6 including a key and a remote controller. It is output to the audio image processing unit 4.

The audio / image processing unit 4 converts the decoded video / audio information into a viewable video / audio signal and outputs the video / audio signal to the display unit 10 including a speaker and a display to display the video. generate.

The program information extracting section 5 extracts program information from the additional information and stores it in the program information database 7 which is a storage device. The program display generation unit 8 is controlled by the control unit 3 based on a command from the operation unit 6, and communicates with a mobile phone via the communication line interface 11 to receive a command from the mobile phone and transmit information to the mobile phone. .

Then, the program display generation unit 8 obtains necessary data from the program information database 7 and acquires the electronic program guide (EP
G). The program display control unit 9 converts the configured electronic program guide into a video signal and displays it on the display unit 10. Further, when the program display generation unit 8 receives the key information about the program from the mobile phone via the communication line interface 11, the program display generation unit 8 searches the program based on the key information, and the search result is sent via the communication line interface 11. And send it to the mobile phone.

When the program display generation unit 8 receives a reservation command for a program from the mobile phone via the communication line interface 11, the program display generation unit 8 stores the reserved program, and the controller 3 is illustrated at the time of the reserved program. Have the recorder not record the program. The recorded program can be reproduced and displayed on the display unit 10 at any time by operating the operation unit 6.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the operation of reserving a program by the mobile phone will be described. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation in the mobile phone, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation in the digital broadcast receiver, and FIG. 4 is a view showing a display screen of the display device of the mobile phone.

2 and 3, when the key designated for program reservation of the mobile phone is pressed in step S1,
In step S2, the search condition input screen shown in FIG. 4A is displayed. Therefore, in step S3, when the information "bare face" and the broadcast date and time "arbitrary" that are the key relating to the program are input on the screen and the search is designated, the information is transmitted to the digital broadcast receiver.

When the digital broadcast receiver receives the search command information in step S4, it receives the EPG data in step S5, and then searches the program based on the key information in step S6. Then, the program information obtained by the search is transmitted to the mobile phone in step S7.

When the mobile phone receives the program information in step S8, the search result is displayed on the display device in step S9 as shown in FIG. 4 (b). In step S10, the user determines whether or not there is a target program in the displayed programs, and if there is a target program, the target program, for example, "Kotono Kaori without a face" is selected in step S11. Then, the “reservation” command is transmitted to the digital broadcast receiver.

When the user determines that the displayed program does not include the desired program, the user transmits an instruction to end the reservation process to the digital broadcast receiver in step S12, and reserves the mobile phone and the digital broadcast receiver. The processing operation is ended.

When the digital broadcasting receiver receives the "reservation" command in step S13, it determines in step S14 whether or not there is a reservation, and if there is a reservation, the mobile phone is already in step S17. The fact that there is a reservation, the reserved program and the time information thereof are transmitted. In this case, the mobile phone can transmit a command for ending the reservation process or a command for canceling the already reserved program.

If it is determined in S14 that there is no reservation in that time zone, the digital broadcast receiver executes reservation of the instructed program in step S15, and transmits reservation end information to the mobile phone in step S16 to make a reservation. The operation ends.

Although the embodiment is configured as described above, the invention is not limited to this. For example, the reservation operation may be performed by personal computer communication.

[0024]

According to the program reservation apparatus for digital broadcast reception of the present invention, the program reservation can be made without trouble by only knowing the fragmentary information about the program.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a digital broadcast receiver that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a program reservation operation of the mobile phone in the digital broadcast receiver.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a program reservation operation in the digital broadcast receiver.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a display unit at the time of program reservation of the mobile phone in the digital broadcast receiver.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a display unit at the time of program reservation of a mobile phone in a conventional digital broadcast receiver.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 antenna 2 tuner section 3 control unit 4 Audio image processing unit 5 Program information extraction unit 6 Operation part 7 Program information database 8 Program display generator 9 Program display controller 10 Display 11 Communication line interface

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 7/03 7/035

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A digital broadcast receiver for receiving a digital broadcast including data of an electronic program guide, having a communication line interface for communicating with an external line and a function for searching a program by key information, and the key from the communication line. When the information and the program search command are received, the program is searched and the result is sent out from the communication line interface. Then, when the program reservation command designated from the communication line interface is received, the program is reserved. A program reservation device for a digital broadcast receiver configured as described above. 2. The program reservation device for a digital broadcast receiver according to claim 1, wherein the communication line interface is an interface for communicating with a mobile phone.