Interactive video distribution systems – Operator interface – To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-03-27
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Operator interface
To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
C725S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209131
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an apparatus and method for displaying program guide information in a display device, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for processing additional information in a display device, which are capable of when a scheduled program has been changed, automatically detecting such a situation and notifying a viewer of the change.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Television (TV) broadcasting stations transmit program guide information as well as programs. The program guide information is called electronic program guide (EPG) information, which is additional information for allowing a viewer to view a TV more conveniently. Namely, using the EPG information, the viewer can obtain information regarding current and future broadcast programs directly on a screen of the TV, with no need for a newspaper or other guide media.
The EPG information includes information about programs by channels and times and detailed information about broadcast programs served on channels, such as a broadcast time, program description, rating, pay-per-view condition and copy protection condition. In particular, each broadcasting station basically transmits information regarding a start time and play time of each program id further a program identifier (ID) of each program at the same time.
Accordingly, a display device such as a TV or set-top box is able to receive the above program guide information and provide detailed information regarding programs to the viewer.
FIG. 1
shows an example of a conventional EPG information displayed on a screen in a full grid mode, wherein channel names and program names are displayed in grids, respectively. In this drawing, a vertical axis represents channels and a horizontal axis represents time, typically, in a 30-minute unit. The program names are shown in the corresponding grids, which are arranged in the time axis to the channels. Each of the grids has a width corresponding to a broadcast time of the associated program.
On the other hand, a scheduled program may be canceled or postponed for various unexpected reasons. However, when the scheduled program is actually canceled or postponed, the associated broadcasting station does not transmit program information containing such a situation. The broadcasting station transmits only information regarding a program substituted for the scheduled program. As a result, the following problems are caused.
Firstly, because an EPG information containing only information about programs by channels and times, transmitted from broadcasting stations, is displayed on the screen, the viewer cannot recognize that a scheduled program has been changed. As a result, the viewer becomes confused when information about certain program other than the scheduled program suddenly appears on the EPG information.
Secondly, in the case where the broadcast schedule for a specific program is changed under the condition that it is reserved for recording on the EPG information, a quite unexpected program is recorded.
Thirdly, when a reminder function has been selected, the viewer gets confused with the fact that the broadcast schedule for a reserved program is changed without any prior notice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for processing additional information in a display device, which are capable of, when a scheduled program has been changed, automatically detecting such a change and providing both program information before change and program information after change to a viewer.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by providing an additional information processing apparatus comprising information extraction means for decoding a received broadcast signal to extract program guide information therefrom; first storage means for storing the extracted program guide information in a database form; second storage means including a channel storage area for storing the program guide information by channels, a cancel time storage area for managing play times of previous changed programs, and a change information storage area consisting of a cancel item for storing information on previous redundant programs and a substitute item for storing information on new programs to be substituted for the previous changed programs; and control means for reading the program guide information from the first storage means to detect whether a certain program among the program guide information is a substituted program and controlling data storage into the second storage means in accordance with the detection result.
Preferably, the channel storage area may store information associated with each program and information on the entire play time of programs scheduled on each channel.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, in a display device which has a memory for storing various additional information received from a broadcasting station, there is provided a method for processing the additional information, comprising the steps of a) comparing additional information newly received from the broadcasting station with previously received additional information to determine whether they are different from each other; b) detecting whether the newly received additional information is a substitute for the previously received additional information, if the newly and previously received additional information are different from each other; c) updating previous redundant additional information stored in the memory to the newly received additional information if the newly received additional information is the substitute for the previously received additional information; and d) providing a visual indication of the additional information updated at the step c) to a viewer.
Preferably, the additional information may be program guide information.
The above step a) may include the step of comparing the newly received additional information with the previously received additional information on the basis of an additional information list stored in the memory.
The above step b) may include the steps of b-1) detecting whether the newly received additional information is present in an additional information list stored in the memory and then detecting whether a play time of an input program associated with the newly received additional information is within the range of a channel play time, if the newly received additional information is not present in the additional information list; and b-2) retrieving a previous redundant program having a time redundancy with the play time of the input program from the additional information list, if the play time of the input program is within the range of the channel play time.
The above step c) may include the steps of c-1) deleting the previous redundant program information from the additional information list; c-2) adding the deleted previous redundant program information to a cancel item of a change list stored in the memory; c-3) adding information regarding a play time of the previous redundant program to a cancel time list stored in the memory; c-4) adding information regarding the input program to a substitute item of the change list; c-5) deleting information regarding the play time of the input program from the cancel time list; and c-6) adding the input program information to the additional information list.
The above step b) may further include the step of b-3) detecting whether the information regarding the play time of the input program is present in the cancel time list, if the play time of the input program is not within the range of the channel play time.
The above step c) may further include the steps of c-7) adding the input program information to the substitute item of the change list if the information regarding the play time of the input program is present in the cancel time list; c-8) deleting th
Cho Sung A
Chung Sang Won
Kim Jae Ryong
Lee Mun Youl
Sohn Se Jung
Faile Andrew
LG Electronics Inc.
Vu Ngoc
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