Television – Diverse device controlled by information embedded in video...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-10
2001-06-26
Kostak, Victor R. (Department: 2711)
Television
Diverse device controlled by information embedded in video...
C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06252629
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timer-recording controller for use in a programmed recording apparatus performing a timer-recording or a programmed recording of a video signal which will be broadcast later. More specifically, the present invention relates to a timer-recording controller for controlling a timer-recording apparatus used to record an audio signal, a video signal, or a data signal being broadcast.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, a plan is being prepared to start a service of transmitting program list information composed of information showing contents of individual programs scheduled to be broadcast (hereinafter referred to as program information), in the multiplexed form, during the vertical retrace line interval by utilizing teletext. The use of this service allows users to obtain program information such as broadcast station, date, starting time, ending time, genre, and the like of broadcast-scheduled programs by decoding the program list information multiplexed with broadcast wave on the receiving side. Accordingly, users can automatically record desired programs (hereinafter referred to as timer recording) by storing the program information in advance and setting recording apparatus to start recording the desired programs at the beginning of broadcast (hereinafter referred to as scheduling of a timer-recording or programming of a timer-recording) on the basis of the stored program information.
In the program information, broadcasting time information representing the broadcasting time of programs includes broadcast starting time and broadcast ending time. When a timer-recording is programmed by utilizing the broadcasting time information, a preceding program started prior to the broadcast starting time of the program scheduled to be recorded (hereinafter referred to as a timer-recording scheduled program) may be prolonged over its broadcast ending time, as is often the case with sports game programs, for example.
When a program started prior to the timer-recording scheduled program (hereinafter referred to as a preceding program) is thus prolonged over the broadcast ending time, the timer-recording scheduled program is started after a time delay corresponding to the extension of the broadcasting time. That is to say, the broadcasting time period of the timer-recording scheduled program is shifted by the time for which the preceding program was prolonged.
However, with such recording apparatus as shown above, the scheduled recording starting time and the scheduled recording ending time of the timer-recording scheduled program are not updated in accordance with an extension of preceding programs. As a result, if a preceding program is prolonged as in the case of a sports game program, the timer-recording scheduled program is not recorded in the period of the extension.
An object of the present invention is to provide a timer-recording controller which can, when scheduling a timer-recording of a program, prolong the recording ending time of the timer-recording scheduled program for a given time in accordance with a decision of a user when a program broadcast prior to the timer-recording scheduled program may possibly be prolonged over its original broadcast ending time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first aspect of the present invention relates to a timer-recording controller receiving a broadcast signal multiplexed with program information containing information representing broadcast sources, broadcast starting times, broadcast ending times, and genres of a plurality of programs scheduled to be broadcast, for controlling a recorder on the basis of the program information to timer-record at least one particular program among the plurality of programs.
According to the first aspect, the timer-recording controller comprises:
a timer-recording controlling device for causing the recorder to start recording of the broadcast signal from the broadcast source of the particular program at the broadcast starting time of the particular program and end the recording at the broadcast ending time of the particular program;
a first program detector for detecting a program which may delay the broadcast time of the particular program from among the plurality of broadcast-scheduled programs; and
a timer-recording control correction controller which can delay the time at which the recorder ends the recording by a desired time on the basis of the result detected by the first program detector.
As stated above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when scheduling a timer-recording of a desired program whose broadcast starting time may be delayed due to a program broadcast earlier, the scheduled timer-recording time can be prolonged by a desired time in accordance with contents of the preceding broadcast program so that the desired program can be timer-recorded to the end.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the desired time includes zero.
As stated above, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the scheduled timer-recording time can be set without being prolonged.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the first program detector detects, from the program information, a program in a particular genre broadcast from the same broadcast source as the particular program at a broadcast starting time earlier than the broadcast starting time of the particular program.
As stated above, according to the third aspect of the present invention, a search can be made on the basis of a particular program genre to detect programs whose broadcasting time may probably be prolonged.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the timer-recording controller further comprises a display for displaying the result detected by the first program detector.
As stated above, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a user can decide whether to prolong the scheduled timer-recording time while checking a program which is scheduled to be broadcast before the timer-recording scheduled program and whose broadcasting time may be prolonged.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, the timer-recording controller further comprises an input device for inputting an arbitrary time, which allows a user to input the arbitrary time as the desired time while checking the detected result displayed in the display.
As stated above, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a user can input a prolonging time for the scheduled timer-recording time which is decided while checking a program scheduled to be broadcast before the timer-recording scheduled program and whose broadcast time may be prolonged.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the timer-recording controller comprises a second program detector for detecting a program scheduled to start at a broadcast starting time earlier than the recording end time delayed by the given time from among the particular programs.
As stated above, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to check a following timer- recording scheduled program whose recording may be disrupted when the recording time for a preceding timer-recording scheduled program is prolonged.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the second program detector detects only a program broadcast from a broadcast source different from the broadcast source of the particular program which is delayed by the given time from among the detected programs.
As stated above, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, programs from the same broadcast station which are probably prolonged when the broadcast time of a preceding program is prolonged are excluded from the objects of the detection to narrow down programs to be detected.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the timer-recording controller further compr
Kostak Victor R.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wenderoth Lind & Ponack, LLP.
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