JP3738540B2 - Recording reservation device and recording reservation system using the same - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a recording reservation apparatus comprising a recording reservation apparatus having a function of holding program data for a certain period and updating it, and an apparatus for sending program data to this apparatus. apparatus About.
The recording reservation apparatus according to the present invention is configured to directly make a recording reservation by program name, and can respond to requests such as every time up to the final round, irregular broadcasting, and change of broadcast date and time. .
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a method for making a recording reservation for a television broadcast using a recording apparatus such as a VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) currently being performed, the user designates a recording date, a start date / time, an end date / time, and a channel. The recording reservation apparatus automatically performs recording at the designated date and time by adjusting the tuner to a desired channel and starting and stopping the VCR and the like. In addition, the recording reservation device accepts designations such as Monday to Friday at the same time on the same day of the week as well as a one-time recording reservation in order to make a reservation for recording a continuous program, and records multiple times. A method is also possible.
[0003]
However, for general users, the specific designation method of these recording reservations is complicated, and there are actually many people who cannot use them.
For this reason, various proposals for reducing the burden on the user have been made. For example, a method of proceeding while displaying a barcode input, a voice input, a display on a television screen, and a method called a G code are practical. It has become.
In the barcode method, a recording date, a start date / time, an end date / time, and a channel are described by a barcode, and a recording date, a start date / time, an end date / time, and a channel are traced by a barcode reader. A display method is also possible in which they are combined in advance according to the broadcast date and time of the program, displayed side by side with the program name, and then traced.
[0004]
In the audio input method, the user designates the recording date, start date / time, end date / time, and channel by voice, and makes a recording reservation.
The method of using the TV screen is to make the display easy to see, and instructing the recording date, start date / time, end date / time, and channel is the same as in the past.
The G code method is affiliated with the TV column of newspapers, TV guide magazines, etc., and displays a number of several digits for each program here, and the user who sees this only inputs this number to the recording reservation machine. This is a method that greatly reduces the user's burden of completing the recording reservation.
In this way, each method has succeeded in devising the input method and burdening the user to make a recording reservation, but all methods specify the recording date and time and channel directly or indirectly in common There was no change in what was recorded, and at the time of recording reservation, the recording date and time, the channel, and whether the recording was once or multiple times were determined.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When making a recording reservation for a television broadcast using a recording device, the user designates the date and time of the broadcast and the channel, but the user is trying to record by designating the program to be recorded. The channel itself is not the original purpose. Users who make recording reservations are not interested in which date and on which channel the program they want to record is broadcast, but are interested in the program that they want to record. It's just a way to do it.
However, in any conventional recording reservation method, a program is not specified, but a date and a channel are specified.
[0006]
The barcode method, G code method, etc. can be thought of as one of the methods that allow the user to specify and reserve the program itself without being aware of the date / time and channel, in cooperation with the program guide etc., but this is not perfect . This is because these systems give the user the feeling of specifying the program itself during the recording reservation work, but the input code is uniquely converted to the date / channel on the spot, and the recording reservation device such as the VCR As information, recording reservations are accepted as the date / time and channel as before.
For this reason, in the conventional recording reservation method, for example, when the broadcast date / time is changed for the convenience of the broadcasting station after the recording reservation is made, the recording is performed at the initially specified date / time which means the code input at the time of recording reservation. In this case, the desired program could not be recorded.
[0007]
In addition, in the conventional recording reservation method, it is possible to schedule recording of continuous programs by specifying every week or every day from Monday to Friday, etc., but the original purpose of the user is also the continuous program itself Information such as every week or every day from Monday to Friday is often only a means for realizing it.
For example, a user originally wants to record the first to the last drama of a series, wants to record an English conversation program every time until the end of the course, or wants to record from the first day of sumo wrestling to Chiaki Raku, etc. Since such designation is impossible with the conventional method, designation is performed by such means.
The user originally wants to record the continuous program itself, but there is no method that satisfies this desire. Also, it is impossible to cope with an irregular case such as a special broadcast that is 30 minutes long only in the last round. Furthermore, the conventional recording reservation method cannot cope with a case where the broadcast date and time is changed only once due to an extension of the baseball broadcast or the like.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In view of these circumstances, the present invention makes a recording reservation by designating a program itself to be recorded, which is a desire originally possessed by a user, not a recording date and time and a channel, and a date and time when the program is actually broadcast. The video recording is performed.
Recording reservation apparatus of the present invention In Holds the data in which the program name is associated with the date / time, and the recording reservation information designated by the user is not the recording date / time and the channel but the program name.
[0009]
As a program name input method, program data is used, and a display simulating a television column of a newspaper is displayed on a TV monitor, and the user selects this. The recording reservation device uses the stored program data and converts the program name into the actual date / time and channel, thereby enabling designation with a program name substantially equivalent to the G code, etc. It is possible to specify a program name including a complicated specification.
Further, the program data is updated regularly using the communication means, and temporarily when there is a change in the broadcast program or broadcast date and time. The conversion from the program name to the date / time is not decided once it is performed, but if it is affected by the update of the program data, the conversion is performed again. This makes it possible to make a recording reservation for the program itself, which is the original desire of the user.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
【Example】
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a recording reservation apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, CON is a main control unit.
INP is an input device, DSP is a display device, and UIF is a user interface unit. LIN is a communication line, CMC is a communication control unit, TME is a clock unit, VCR is a video cassette recorder, and VCC is a control unit of the video cassette recorder. BDB is a program database, and RID is a recording reservation database.
[0011]
The input device INP is connected to the main control unit CON via the user interface unit UIF. The display device DSP is connected to the user interface unit UIF. The main control unit CON is connected to the communication line LIN via the communication control unit CMC. The video cassette recorder VCR is connected to the main control unit CON via the control unit VCC of the video cassette recorder. The clock unit TME, the program database BDB, and the recording reservation database RID are each connected to the main control unit CON.
[0012]
The operation of the recording reservation apparatus of the present invention configured as described above will be described as follows.
In the present invention, the recording reservation device stores data in which the program name is associated with the date / time and the channel, and the recording reservation information designated by the user is not the recording date / time and the channel, but the program name is directly specified. The As a program name input method, program data is used, and a display simulating a television column of a newspaper is displayed on a TV monitor, and the user selects this. The recording reservation device stores the ID of the designated program and uses the stored program data to convert the program name to the actual date / time, thereby enabling designation by the program name. It is possible to specify a program name including a complicated specification that is not found in conventional devices.
[0013]
Further, the program data is updated regularly using the communication means, and temporarily when there is a change in the broadcast program or broadcast date and time. The conversion from the program name to the date / time is not decided once it is performed, but if it is affected by the update of the program data, the conversion is performed again. This makes it possible to make a recording reservation for the program itself, which is the original desire of the user.
When making a recording reservation, the user directly designates the program name. In the case of continuous programs, the user selects the program all times or any designated time only once.
The program name and time designation entered by the user is stored in the recording date and time and channel by the program data and conversion function of the device as well as the program ID and time, and enters the recording reservation standby as in the conventional method. Recording starts at the recording reservation start date and time, and recording ends at the recording reservation end date and time.
When the program data is updated by the communication function, nothing is performed in a state where the recording reservation is not made. However, when the recording is in standby or recording, the stored program name ID and identification ID are stored. The recording schedule is updated by converting the recording date / time and channel again.
[0014]
The operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 will be specifically described.
1. Explanation of operation for one-time recording
* Reservation method
In the program database BD of the recording reservation apparatus of the present invention, there is a fixed period in the future. while Minutes of program data is retained. The program data includes at least a program name, a program start date / time, an end date / time, and a channel. The main control unit CON extracts data on the date specified by the user from the data in the program database BD, and processes it into data simulating a television column of a newspaper. An example of program data processed by the main control unit CON is shown in FIG.
[0015]
An example of the structure of program data is given below.
“Category ID, Category Text, Subcategory ID, Subcategory Text, Program Name ID, Program Name Text, Class ID, Total Number, Channel, Start Date, End Date, Commentary Text”
Here, the category ID is a symbol or a numerical value given for each category such as movie, drama, and baseball. Programs belonging to the same category have the same value. The category text is text data such as “movie” and “drama”.
The subcategory ID is an ID for classifying, for example, the same baseball even if it is a giant game, ORIX battle, or even if it is the same movie, a love thing, an action thing, etc., and those belonging to the same category are the same ID. It becomes. The subcategory text is text data such as “giant war”, “love thing” and the like.
[0016]
The program name ID is a symbol or a numerical value that is different for each program. Another in the same drama Times Etc., the program name ID has the same value.
In the program name text, the program name itself is entered as text data. A subtitle or the like may be entered. In this case, the program name text may be different even if the program name ID is the same.
The classification ID is a numerical value indicating the number of times of broadcasting such as a continuous drama or an English conversation program. The total number of times is the number when the number of broadcasts is determined in advance, 1 for a non-continuous one-time program, and undecided when the number of broadcasts is undecided (for example, an impossible number 0). The comment text is any text data such as a program performer or commentary.
[0017]
In FIG. 2, TI is a program time display section, which displays 7 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 9 o'clock broadcast times. CH1, CH2, and CH3 are broadcast channel display fields that display the broadcast channels of 1-channel NHK general broadcast, 3-channel NHK educational broadcast, and 4-channel Nippon Television Broadcasting. BS11, BS12, BS13... BS31, BS32, BS33 show the contents of programs broadcast from the respective broadcast channels in each time zone. For example, the program broadcast from the NHK general broadcasting in the broadcast time zone at 7 o'clock indicates that the program 7: News from 7 o'clock and feast tonight from 7:40 will be broadcast.
[0018]
The user interface unit UIF displays the program data processed by the main control unit CON as shown in FIG. 2 on the monitor screen of the display device DSP and waits for a user input. Using INP such as a remote controller, the user moves the cursor to the target program name on the monitor screen of the display device DSP and instructs recording reservation. User interface Ye The host unit UIF receives the coordinates on the screen of the monitor designated by the user, determines which program is designated, and records the recording reservation logical database RID using the program ID and the classification ID as reservation data. In Remember. Then, the main control unit CON refers to the program database BDB from the reservation logical data, converts it into reservation physical data, that is, the channel start and end date and time, and the recording reservation physical database. RID To remember.
[0019]
The main control unit CON and the user interface unit UIF may process and display the data by imitating a list by genre such as a TV guide magazine as shown in FIG. 3 instead of FIG. FIG. 3A shows an example of a list of programs in which the category text in the program data is “drama” and the category ID is a symbol or a numerical value corresponding to a drama. FIG. 3B shows an example of a list of programs in which the category text in the program data is “professional baseball” and the category ID is a symbol or numerical value corresponding to professional baseball.
The user interface unit UIF displays this on the monitor screen of the display device DSP and waits for user input. The user uses INP, such as a remote controller, to place a cursor on the target program name on the screen of the display device DSP and instruct a recording reservation. The user interface unit UIF receives coordinates on the screen of the monitor designated by the user, determines which program is designated, and uses the program name ID and the round ID as reservation logical data (the round ID is the start round). And is stored in the recording reservation logical database RID.
Then, the main control unit CON refers to the program database BDB from the reservation logical data, converts it into reservation physical data, that is, the channel, start, end date and time, and the recording reservation physical database. RID To remember.
[0020]
The reservation data includes reservation logical data and reservation physical data. Reservation logical data holds the ID of a program designated by the user, the ID of a designated time, etc., and represents information indicating which program is desired to be recorded. It does not hold which channel is actually broadcast, and when is the broadcast date and time. On the other hand, the reserved physical data stores the channel, the start date / time, and the end date / time as in the conventional recording reservation.
An example of the structure of the reservation logical data is given below.
“Program name ID, category ID, subcategory ID, start time ID, end time ID”
[0021]
Here, each ID is the same as that described in the program data. The start time ID and the end time ID indicate from what number of broadcasts to what number of broadcasts. When the start round ID and the end round ID match, this indicates a one-time recording reservation, and when the program ends recording, the reservation data is deleted from the reservation logical database.
If the start time ID and the end time ID are different, it means that a continuous program has been reserved, and even after the program has been recorded, it is not deleted from the reservation logic database until the broadcast time matches the end time. If a program whose broadcast times are undetermined is to be recorded up to the final time, it is stored as “undecided” in the end-time ID.
The reserved physical data is converted from the reserved logical data by referring to the program database BDB by the main control unit CON.
[0022]
* When recording is performed as it is
The main control unit CON receives the date / time data from the time measuring unit TME, and when this is the start date / time in the reservation data of the recording reservation database RID, instructs the start of recording. The VCR control unit VCC receives an instruction from the main control unit CON and actually records the VCR. Further, when the date and time data of the time measuring unit TME reaches the end date and time, the main control unit CON instructs the VCR control unit VCC to end the recording, and the VCR control unit stops the VCR.
[0023]
* When the broadcast date / time is changed
This apparatus has a function of receiving program data from a program data management center (not shown in the figure) via the communication line LIN and updating the data in the program database BDB. When the communication control unit CMC receives data from the communication line LIN, the main control unit CON updates the data in the program database BDB with this data. Further, the main control unit CON refers to the category ID, the sub category ID, the program name ID, and the program time ID for each reservation data registered in the recording reservation logical database RID. In the recording reservation logical database, The program start date / time and end date / time are updated using a new database.
As a result, even if the base date broadcast extension or extra news enters before the scheduled recording date and time, and the coarse broadcast date is changed, the program initially reserved by the user is recorded.
[0024]
2. Explanation of operation when recording a continuous program
After designating a program using the TV column of the newspaper described above or a list simulating the genre of the TV guide magazine, the main control unit CON examines all slots in the program data. If it indicates that the program is not a one-time program, that is, since it is a continuous program, it is displayed on the display device DSP via the user interface unit UIF. limit “Every time after that / after that time” is displayed to prompt the user to input. The user designates this with the remote control INP. The main control unit CON interprets this signal sent from the user interface unit and determines whether it is a one-time reservation or a reservation.
[0025]
Among these, if it is a one-time reservation, the operation as described above is performed.
Further, if the reservation is made every time after that time, the main control unit CON stores the program name ID in the reservation logical data, and the round ID is a program in which the total number is recorded in the start round ID. The end time ID is stored in the end time ID. Then, the main control unit CON refers to the program database BDB when converting the reservation logical data to the reservation physical data, and searches for all the program name IDs that match and the round ID is the specified number of times before and after the specified number of times. These channels, the start date and time, and the end date and time are written in the reserved physical database. Thereby, continuous recording reservation is possible. At this time, even if the broadcast time and time are different every broadcast time, the data stored in the reserved physical database is retrieved from the program database, so that a desired program is reserved for recording. Needless to say.
[0026]
For example, when complicated designations such as episodes 3 to 5 and episodes 7 to all are performed, this specific input method repeats display on the display unit DSP and input from the remote controller. This is realized. Then, the main control unit CON creates and stores reservation logical data having the same program name ID in the reservation logical database, the start turn ID 3 and the end turn ID 5 from the input information. . In addition, reservation logical data is created and stored with the same program name ID, a start ID of 7 and an end ID of the last time (if it is not yet determined). Then, the main control unit CON converts these reservations into reservation physical data by the same method as described above, and stores them.
[0027]
The reservation method of multiple times is not limited to this. For example 3b Figure 3 a Similarly, a list by genre is imitated, where CT1 indicates a category name and CT2 indicates a subcategory name. BD1-3 are program data. Figure 3b Then, the cursor position which the user put together is “giant battle”, that is, the subcategory one person CT2. In this case, all programs belonging to the category are set as recording reservation targets.
In this case, the main control unit CON receives the category ID and the subcategory ID from the user interface unit UIF, and stores only the category ID and the subcategory one ID in the reservation logic database. When converting the reservation logical data to the reservation physical data, the program database BDB is searched for a match between the category ID and the subcategory ID, and each is stored in the reservation physical database. As a result, all programs belonging to the subcategory are reserved.
[0028]
After this, if there is a change in the broadcast date, etc., or if the broadcast date, etc. that could not be known by the program data for a certain period of time that is currently known, When the program database is updated, conversion from the reservation logical database to the reservation physical database is performed again, so that a desired continuous recording reservation can be made.
In this update operation, if there is a reservation logic database for which the end round ID is undetermined, the program database updated with the program name ID is searched, and the end round ID is determined. Also, work to replace with that number.
For example, in the case where all the times are undetermined and all the reservations are made up to the final time, the end-class ID in the reservation logical data is undetermined. While the end round ID is undecided, it is not erased from the reservation logical database, but the program database is updated and the end round ID in the reservation logical data is determined when the broadcast times are determined. . Then, the reservation physical data is updated, and at this time, the reservation is deleted when the broadcast times coincide with the end-time ID.
[0029]
3. Explanation about the center
In order to realize the functions described above, it is necessary to periodically update the program database. This periodic program data update is possible, for example, when a continuous program whose number of consecutive times is undetermined is started all times, or a program whose broadcast date and time is different every broadcast time and it is desired to record it all times.
Also, in order to record the originally intended program without fail even when the broadcast date / time changes, it is necessary to temporarily update the program database.
The program data management center provides this program data. The center creates program data, that is, program name ID, program ID, channel, start date / time, end date / time, etc. for each program and constructs a database. Then, from this database, data corresponding to a certain period in the future is provided to each home.
[0030]
In the case of regular distribution, this may be recorded and distributed on a package medium, or may be uploaded to a specific site as a database and actively downloaded by the user. Further, the center side may actively distribute to each home via the communication line LIN. In this case, a home having an apparatus according to the present system and desiring data distribution is registered in the in-center user information database and automatically distributed to the home.
In the case of temporary distribution, it is distributed to the home registered in the user information database each time it is uploaded to the site.
[0031]
In the above description, as an example of the recording reservation method, reference was made to a model imitating a television column of a newspaper and a list according to genre of a TV guide magazine. This is a function of a user interface unit, and the essence of the present invention. This is independent of the reservation method. Of course, it is possible to use other user interfaces for this reservation method.
A reserved program designation method is a method in which a user uses a remote control or the like to place a cursor on a target program name on the monitor screen of the display device DSP and instruct a recording reservation. In As described above, the method for specifying the reserved program is not limited to this, and any method may be selected from text input, 50-sound order list display / genre display / display simulating a television column of a newspaper, and the like.
The program data and reservation data used in the description are merely examples. For example, rather than having program name text, category text, subcategory text, commentary text, etc. for each program record, each program record has only an ID and a separate ID / text correspondence table. Also good. The category ID, category text, total number of times, commentary text, etc. are not essential data, and the minimum functions that are essential parts of the present invention can be realized without these data. In addition, the data structure is not limited to that described.
[0032]
The structure of the program database, the structure of the reservation data, or the updating method in the case of continuous recording is merely an example, and another configuration that can have an equivalent function can be easily considered. For example, instead of updating every recording, reservation data for a plurality of times is created in advance.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, in the recording reservation device of the present invention and the recording reservation system using the same, the recording reservation is performed by directly specifying the program to be recorded, not the recording date and time and the channel, and actually Recording is performed at the date and time when the program is broadcast. For this reason, in the present invention, the recording reservation device holds data in which the program name is associated with the date / time and the channel, and the recording reservation information designated by the user is directly specified with the program name. The recording reservation device uses the stored program data and converts the program name into the actual date / time and channel, thereby enabling designation with a program name substantially equivalent to the G code, etc. It is possible to specify a program name including a complicated specification.
[0034]
Further, the program data is updated regularly using the communication means, and temporarily when there is a change in the broadcast program or broadcast date and time.
For this reason, a program to be recorded may fail to be recorded even when, for example, a baseball broadcast is extended, an extraordinary news is entered, the broadcast date is deferred, or the broadcast time is extended only for the last episode. Is prevented.
Further, according to the present invention, such a recording mistake cannot be made in principle in order to designate the program itself, rather than designating the recording date and time, time and channel as in the prior art.
The original desire of the user was not to specify the date and time, the day of the week such as Monday to Friday, or every week, but to "record this program". Nevertheless, he was forced to input information such as non-essential times and weekly information. In the present invention, this original desire of the user can be satisfied straight.
In addition, the present invention can completely satisfy the common request of “I want to record the entire drama from the first time to the end of the technique”.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a recording reservation apparatus of the present invention and a recording reservation system using the same.
FIG. 2 shows an example of program data processed by a main control unit CON.
FIG. 3 shows an example of program data processed by the main control unit CON into data simulating a list by genre such as a television guide magazine.
[Explanation of symbols]
CON ... main control unit, INP ... input device, DSP ... display device, UIF ... user interface unit, LIN ... communication line, CMC ... communication control unit, TME ... clock , VCR ... Video cassette recorder, VCC ... Control unit of video cassette recorder, BDB ... Program database, RID ... Recording reservation database

Claims (1)

Program data input means for inputting the program name, channel, broadcast start date / time and broadcast end date / time of each program as program data, program data holding means for holding program data for a certain period, A recording reservation program specifying means for specifying and recording a program, and a recording reservation data holding means for storing reservation data such as the ID of the specified recording reservation program and the ID of the specified time in the reservation database and registering the recording reservation; In a recording reservation apparatus comprising a communication means, having the function of inputting program data corresponding to the program broadcast schedule through this communication means and updating the data in the program data holding means,
If there is an end-of-designation ID in the reservation database that has not yet been determined, the program database updated by the communication means is searched and the end-of-use ID is determined. If it is, the recording reservation device is characterized in that it is replaced with the numerical value.

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