Interactive video distribution systems – Operator interface – Interactive product selection
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-15
2002-02-12
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Operator interface
Interactive product selection
C725S040000, C725S039000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06347400
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a receiving apparatus and a display control method and, for instance, to a receiving apparatus and a display control method which enable reception of a chargeable program and display output of information relating to the chargeable program.
In recent years, systems have spread in which a television signal is transmitted in the form of a digital signal from satellites such as a broadcast satellite and a communication satellite and such a broadcast signal is received and viewed in each home, for instance. Since such a broadcast system can secure as many as close to 150 channels, for instance, it can broadcast many more programs than existing ground wave broadcast systems, for instance.
In such broadcast systems, to allow reliable selection of a desired program from among a number of programs, it is proposed to transmit an electronic program guide (EPG) which contains programs scheduled to be broadcast. The receiving side receives and displays the EPG and selects a desired program by checking it.
Further, such broadcast systems are scheduled to broadcast, as part of broadcast programs, chargeable programs called pay-per-view programs (hereinafter abbreviated as “PPV programs”). A system for providing PPV programs is one form of what is called a video-on-demand system which allows a user to immediately view a desired program or the like upon his request.
A PPV program is transmitted from the transmission side in a scrambled state. When a user performs a procedure for purchasing a desired program by a given manipulation, the receiving apparatus side, for instance, cancels the scrambled state of a PPV program to allow viewing of the purchased program.
Generally speaking, when a user determines whether to purchase a PPV program, the most important factor is how long a PPV program that the user intends to view has been broadcast from its start time.
That is, in a state that a subject PPV program has been broadcast for only a short time or its broadcast start time has not yet occurred, a user can recognize the content of the program completely or almost completely if he purchases and starts viewing the PPV program right away. On the other hand, in a state that a subject PPV program has been broadcast for a certain time, it is difficult for the user to recognize the content of the remaining part of the PPV program if he purchases and starts viewing it at that point; it is not very meaningful for the user to purchase this PPV program.
For example, it is conceivable to display, by characters, the broadcast start and end times of each PPV program as time-related information of PPV programs in a purchase guide picture for purchasing of the PPV programs.
In this case, for example, a user determines whether to purchase a subject PPV program by recognizing how long it has proceeded in time at the present time by referring to its broadcast start and end times that are character-displayed on a purchasing picture and checking the present time. However, in this method, it is difficult for a user to recognize quickly and sensibly the degree of progress in time until the present time of a PPV program with respect to its total broadcast duration which he should recognize most appropriately. There may occur a case that a user makes an erroneous manipulation of purchasing a PPV program in spite of the fact that it has been broadcast for a certain time, with an erroneous judgment that there still remains an ample broadcast time.
In view of the above, it is preferable to improve the ease of operation of an interface that is used in purchasing a PPV program, that is, to improve a purchasing picture so that a user can recognize as sensibly as possible the degree of progress in time of a PPV program until the current time with respect to its total broadcast duration.
Further, the above-mentioned broadcast systems include systems that perform a service called “near video on demand” (hereinafter abbreviated as NVOD) as well as a PPV programs providing service. For example, the NVOD is a service in which the same broadcast program is broadcast several times with delays in start time by using a plurality of channels. With this service, even if a user fails to view, from the start, a desired program that is broadcast on a certain channel, he will be able to view it from the start with a waiting time of several minutes to tens of minutes, for instance, by selecting another NVOD channel.
Therefore, for NVOD-type PPV programs, it is preferable to construct a more effective user interface by adapting the above-mentioned purchasing picture to NVOD, that is, by adapting it so that information relating to PPV programs that are or will be broadcast on the other channels are displayed there.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a user interface that a user can use more easily in purchasing a program.
According to the invention, there is provided a receiving apparatus which receives transmitted program information of a plurality of programs together with transmitted video and audio signals thereof, comprising selecting means for selecting a desired program from among the plurality of programs; and chargeable program information display control means for displaying information relating to a chargeable program that is selected by a given manipulation from among programs that are rendered selectable by the selecting means, the chargeable program information display control means presenting a graphic display indicating progress in time of the selected chargeable program at a present time.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a display control method for a receiving apparatus which receives transmitted program information of a plurality of programs together with transmitted video and audio signals thereof and displays program information of a selected program, the display control method comprising the steps of judging whether a chargeable program has been selected by a tuner; and presenting a graphic display indicating progress in time of the selected chargeable program at a present time if it is judged that the chargeable program has been selected.
With the above constitution of the invention, the progress in time of, for instance, a PPV program (chargeable program) is graphically displayed as PPV-program-related information in a PPV program purchasing picture. Therefore, for instance, an elapsed broadcast time of the PPV program at the present time with respect to its total broadcast time can be displayed so as to be recognized visually.
Where a selected PPV program accommodates NVOD, such information as the progress in time of each of PPV programs having the same contents as the selected PPV program and to be broadcast on different channels can also be displayed in a purchasing picture, for instance.
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Kohno Tetsuya
Ohkura Yukiko
Faile Andrew
Frommer William S.
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Savit Glenn F.
Sony Corporation
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