U.S. patent application number 10/622876 was filed with the patent office on 2004-01-29 for electronic program guide feature for av system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sony Corporation, a Japanese corporation. Invention is credited to Shintani, Peter R., Yamada, Hisafumi.
Application Number | 20040019906 10/622876 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27757799 |
Filed Date | 2004-01-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040019906 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shintani, Peter R. ; et
al. |
January 29, 2004 |
Electronic program guide feature for AV system
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for displaying broadcast history
information of a plurality of episodes of a program on an
audio-visual system, which enable a viewer to select a program for
which the history information of each episode will be stored. In
response to the viewer's selection, the audio-visual system stores
the history information for the episodes of the selected program
that has been received by the audio-visual system. The audio-visual
system can display the history information when the viewer watches
the current episode of the program in a future time.
Inventors: |
Shintani, Peter R.; (San
Diego, CA) ; Yamada, Hisafumi; (San Diego,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITCH EVEN TABIN AND FLANNERY
120 SOUTH LA SALLE STREET
SUITE 1600
CHICAGO
IL
60603-3406
US
|
Assignee: |
Sony Corporation, a Japanese
corporation
Tokyo
JP
Sony Electronics Inc, a Delaware corporation
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
27757799 |
Appl. No.: |
10/622876 |
Filed: |
July 18, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10622876 |
Jul 18, 2003 |
|
|
|
09370048 |
Aug 6, 1999 |
|
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6611958 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
725/39 ;
348/E5.105; 348/E7.054; 725/46; 725/49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/431 20130101;
H04N 7/16 20130101; H04N 21/4334 20130101; H04N 21/47 20130101;
H04N 5/44543 20130101; H04N 21/84 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
725/39 ; 725/46;
725/49 |
International
Class: |
G06F 013/00; H04N
005/445; G06F 003/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic program guide (EPG) circuit comprising: a) an EPG
processor circuit, including a central processing unit (CPU),
supplied with a video signal input, a horizontal sync input, and a
vertical sync input, wherein the video signal input includes EPG
program information in electronic form describing viewable programs
which is extracted from the video signal by the EPG processor
circuit; b) a read only memory (ROM) connected to the EPG processor
circuit for storing a program used by the EPG's CPU; and c) a
random access memory supplied with the EPG program information by
the EPG processor circuit, for storing EPG program information for
a plurality of episodes of a given program.
2. An EPG circuit according to claim 1, wherein the EPG processor
circuit outputs an on screen display (OSD) signal for displaying
the history information of a selected episode of a program.
3. An EPG circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a
non-volatile memory for storing user specific information
pertaining to the EPG circuit.
4. An EPG circuit according to claim 1, wherein the EPG program
information is extended data service data contained in the vertical
blanking interval of the video signal.
5. An EPG circuit according to claim 1, wherein video signal is a
digital signal and the EPG program information is in the digital
signal's program specific information protocol (PSIP).
6. An EPG circuit according to claim 1, wherein the EPG program
information is received via the Internet.
7. An EPG circuit according to claim 1, wherein the EPG program
information is received via a public switched telephone
network.
8. An EPG circuit according to claim 1, wherein the EPG program
information is received via a cable system's out of band (OOB) data
stream.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 09/370,048
filed Aug. 6, 1999, entitled "ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE FEATURE FOR
AV SYSTEM" which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Printed television program guides can provide viewers with
program, information in a grid format. Specifically, in printed
television program guides, the channel numbers are arranged along
the vertical axis, the times are arranged along the horizontal
axis, and the programs are listed in the cross sections of the
channel axis and the time axis. Many printed television program
guides also list programs alphabetically. Recently developed
electronic program guides (EPG), in addition to having the features
provided by the printed television program guides, also allow
viewers to search a program database according to key words, such
as the names of the actors, title, theme (drama, sports, news,),
etc. Such EPGs have utility not just in televisions, but in all
audio-visual (AV) systems, which can include TVs, videocassette
recorders (VCRs), AV amplifiers, or even personal computers.
[0003] While existing EPGs can provide viewers with information
about current and future programs, they are unable to provide
information about the previous programs. This can be inconvenient
to viewers. For example, if a viewer was unable to watch one or
more previous episodes of a program, it is difficult for the viewer
to follow the current episode. Some viewers may tape the episodes
of a program they are unable to watch live. However, to know the
gist of the recorded episodes, the viewers have to go through the
tapes, and they often do not have time to do so before watching the
current episode of the program. To these viewers, it would be
desirable to display the description of the previous episodes of
the program before watching the episode or while watching the
current episode.
[0004] There is, therefore, a need for an improved EPG for an AV
system that maintains the history information about the previous
episodes of a program.
[0005] There is another need for an improved EPG for an AV system
that can interactively display the history information about the
previous episodes of a program.
[0006] There is yet a further need for an improved EPG for an AV
system that can interactively display the history information about
the previous episodes of a program while the current episode is
being displayed on the audio-visual system.
[0007] The present invention provides an improved EPG for an AV
system to meet these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] To overcome the shortcomings in the available art, the
present invention provides a novel method for displaying
information on a AV system by receiving history information in
electronic form regarding a program, storing the history
information in the AV system, and interactively displaying the
history information on the AV system at a distant future time,
e.g., a few days later. Preferably, the history information
includes a description of the program.
[0009] Where the program includes a plurality of episodes, the
method includes receiving history information in electronic form by
means of the AV system regarding a previous one of the episodes of
the program, storing the history information for the previous
episode in the AV system, receiving by means of the AV system a
current episode at a time subsequent to the previous episode, and
displaying, for a viewer of the AV system, the history information
for the previous episode. The current episode may be displayed on
the AV system while the history information for the previous
episode is also being displayed on the AV system. The history
information can include a description of the previous episode.
[0010] Another embodiment of the invention is a method for
receiving and displaying history information on a AV system
regarding a program having a plurality of episodes and includes the
steps of receiving both a broadcast of a particular episode of the
program and history information, in electronic form, regarding the
particular episode, determining whether any previous episodes of
the program were stored in the AV system, and, if any previous
episodes were stored in the AV system, automatically storing the
history information for the particular episode in the AV system. In
this embodiment, a current one of the episodes is received at a
time subsequent to receiving the particular episode and the history
information for the particular episode is displayed on the AV
system. Further included can be the step of displaying the current
episode on the AV system, while the history information regarding
the particular episode is being displayed on the AV system. In this
embodiment, the history information includes a description of the
particular episode.
[0011] The invention is also embodied in an apparatus for
displaying information on a AV system, comprising a receiver for
receiving history information in electronic form regarding a
program, a display screen, a memory for storing the history
information, a controller for controlling the receiver, the display
screen, and the memory, and a user activated controller for
interactively causing the controller to display the history
information on the display screen at a time chosen by the user.
Preferably, the history information is a description of the
program.
[0012] Where the program has a plurality of episodes, the apparatus
according to the invention includes a receiver for receiving
history information in electronic form by means of the AV system
regarding a previous one of the episodes of the program and
including receiving a current episode at a time subsequent to the
previous episode, a memory for storing the history information for
the previous episode in the AV system, a display screen for
selectively displaying, for a viewer of the AV system, the history
information for the previous episode, and a controller for
controlling the receiver, the memory and the display screen. The
controller preferably causes the display screen to display the
current episode on the display screen while the history information
for the previous episode is also being displayed on the display
screen. The history information includes a description of the
previous episode.
[0013] Still another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus
for receiving and displaying history information on a AV system
regarding a program having a plurality of episodes, comprising a
receiver for receiving both a broadcast of a particular episode of
the program and history information, in electronic form, regarding
the particular episode, a display screen for displaying the program
and the history information, a memory for storing the received
history information, and a controller for controlling the receiver,
the display screen and the memory. The controller determines
whether any previous episodes of the program were stored in the AV
system, and, if any previous episodes were stored in the AV system
automatically stores the history information for the particular
episode in the memory. When the receiver receives a current one of
the episodes, the controller can cause the display screen to
display the history information for a previous episode. The
controller also can also cause the display screen to display the
current episode while the history information regarding the
particular episode is being displayed on the display screen. The
history information includes a description of the particular
episode.
[0014] In the preferred embodiments, the AV system is a television
system.
[0015] The present invention further encompasses an electronic
program guide (EPG) circuit which includes an EPG processor
circuit, including a central processing unit (CPU), supplied with a
video signal input, a horizontal sync input, and a vertical sync
input. The video signal input includes EPG program information in
electronic form describing viewable programs which is extracted
from the video signal by the EPG processor circuit. The EPG circuit
further includes a read only memory (ROM) connected to the EPG
processor circuit for storing a program used by th EPG's CPU, and a
random access memory supplied with the EPG program information by
the EPG processor circuit, for storing EPG program information for
a plurality of episodes of a given program. The EPG can further
include a non-volatile memory for storing user specific information
pertaining to the EPG circuit.
[0016] The EPG processor circuit outputs an on screen display (OSD)
signal for displaying the history information of a selected episode
of a program.
[0017] The EPG program information can be derived from any suitable
source. It can be extended data service data contained in the
vertical blanking interval of the video signal or a cable system's
out of band (OOB) data stream. Where the video signal is a digital
signal, the EPG program information is in the digital signal's
program specific information protocol (PSIP). The EPG program
information can also be received via the Internet or a public
switched telephone network.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages
of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration
of the following detailed description of certain preferred
embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows an audio-visual system, in accordance with the
present invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows the EPG (electronic program guide) of FIG. 1 in
detail, in accordance with the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart illustrating a process of
displaying history information for the episodes of a program that
are previously broadcast, in accordance with the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] To overcome the shortcomings in the existing art, the
present invention provides a novel method and apparatus for
displaying program history information on an AV system.
[0023] FIG. 1 shows an audio-visual system 100, in accordance with
the present invention. It is to be understood that the audio-visual
system 100 is merely one example of an AV system in which the EPG
circuit of the present invention could suitably be used. Other
suitable AV systems can include videocassette recorders (VCRs), AV
amplifiers, or even personal computers.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the audio-visual system 100 includes a
tuner (receiver) 108 coupled to a signal input 106, which can be a
TV antenna, a cable or satellite TV system, or an Internet feed, an
audio-video (AV) switcher 110 receiving an output from the tuner
108, an audio processor 112 which receives an audio output from the
AV switcher 110, a video processor 114 which receives a video
output from the AV switcher 110, and an electronic program guide
(EPG) circuit 116 which receives an AV output from the tuner 108. A
speaker 118 is connected to reproduce the audio output of the audio
processor 112 and a cathode ray tube (CRT) 120 is connected to
reproduce the video output of the video processor 114. The video
processor 114 controls a vertical and horizontal deflection circuit
122 for the CRT 120. In the preferred embodiment, a video cassette
recorder (VCR) 130 is supplied with an AV output of the tuner 108
for recording programs under viewer control and outputs a
reproduced AV signal to the AV switcher 110. A host processor 126
controls all of the above-described elements, including programming
for the VCR 130.
[0025] A remote control signal receiving circuit 124 is connected
to provide an output to the host processor 126. A remote controller
128 communicates with the audio-visual system 100 via the control
signal receiving circuit 124. The remoter controller 128 comprises
a plurality of control buttons (including "Yes" and a "No" buttons)
that can be selected by a viewer. In response to a selection of any
one of the buttons, the remoter controller 128 sends a control
signal to the control signal receiving circuit 124. Upon receiving
the control signal, the control signal receiving circuit 124 sends
the control signal to the host processor 126. In response, the host
processor 126 controls the operation of the audio-visual system 100
according to the nature of the control signal.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows the EPG circuit 116 of FIG. 1 in detail, in
accordance with the present invention. The EPG circuit 116
comprises a RAM (random access memory) 208, an EPG processor 210, a
ROM 212 (read only memory) for storing the program for the EPG, and
an electronically erasable program read-only memory (EEPROM) 214.
The processor 210 controls all of the elements of FIG. 2.
[0027] The EEPROM 214 contains information that must not be lost
even if backup power fails or if the TV set is disconnected from
the AC power line for an extended period, i.e., longer than a
battery back up is capable of supplying power. Such information
might be any data that the system has stored regarding the user's
set-up information, e.g., whether there is there a cable box, the
user's zip code and time zone, whether daylight savings is used,
and what programs are scheduled for recording on the VCR 130.
[0028] The RAM 208 can be conventional flash memory or, more
suitably, static RAM (SRAM) which will maintain information even
after power is removed from the audio-visual system provided a
small voltage is maintained for the RAM 208, such as by a small
battery, a charged capacitor, or the like. RAM 208 could also be a
very fast hard disk drive (HDD). RAM 208 stores a database of the
program related information, including information for as many as
100 or more channels, with data going forward in time by as much as
several weeks. Each channel requires storage of data pertaining to
program titles, description, channel numbering, and so-called V
blocking (parental censorship capability). Other data may be stored
as well. This data must be maintained for each program at each hour
for each channel. Additionally, the RAM 208 stores a short history
for at least a limited number of channels that the EPG system 116
knows that the user normally watches. As will be explained further
herein, this is made possible by the fact that the EPG system 116
knows what channels the viewer prefers to watch either through
previous VCR 130 programming requests or even via normal viewing
habits.
[0029] Most of the information stored in the RAM 208 is referred to
herein as program history information, which is obtained from any
arbitrary signal source containing the EPG information. This can be
a low speed data stream called the extended data service (XDS)
carried in line 21 of field 1 and line 22 of field 2 of NTSC signal
programs. This occurs in the vertical blanking interval (VBI),
which is lines 1-21 of field 1 and lines 1-22 of field 2 of an NTSC
signal. The data could also be obtained from a proprietary source,
such as GemStar, or in a digital TV signal's Program Specific
Information Protocol (PSIP), via a telco modem, a pager modem, a
cable system's Out of Band (OOB) data stream, or over the Internet
if the audio-visual system is suitably connected to the Internet.
The information could also be derived from a satellite receiver. In
a typical EPG system, such as GemStar, the main program
description, etc., is sent during a master EPG data base download
at a pre determined time several times during the night.
[0030] In the embodiment illustrated in the present application,
the EPG circuit 116 gets the program information from the XDS low
speed data stream carried in line 21 of field 1 and line 22 of
field 2 of NTSC signal programs. It obtains this information from
the video-input signal from the AV switcher 110 using the
horizontal and vertical sync signals obtained from the video
processor 114.
[0031] The RAM 208 maintains a history log 209 for storing the
history information for the previous episodes of programs selected
by the viewer. This history information might store, for example, a
brief description of the plot, actors, theme, etc. of a particular
program. Where the program is one episode of a plurality of
episodes of a continuing program, the history might further
describe the general theme of the program, e.g., a detective series
staring a particular character acted by a particular actor and
further describe the salient events which take place in that
particular episode.
[0032] The processor 210 follows a program stored in the ROM 212
and reads data from, and stores data in, the RAM 208 and EEPROM
214. The processor 210 also supplies the program guide information
as RGB or YUV signals to an on-screen display (OSD) portion of the
video processor 114. In this way, the video information selected by
the viewer using the remote control unit 128 is displayed on the
CRT 120.
[0033] FIG. 3 shows a flowchart illustrating a process followed by
the EPG processor 210 in displaying history information for the
episodes of the program that were previously broadcast, in
accordance with present invention.
[0034] To perform the process shown in FIG. 3, the audio-visual
system 100 can be operated under two modes, namely, a regular mode
and a standby mode. When the power is on, the television set 100 is
operated under the regular mode, in which the received audio and
video signals can be displayed on the audio-visual system 100. When
the power is off, the audio-visual system 100 is operated under the
standby mode. In the standby mode, the tuner 108, host processor
126, AV switcher 110, and EPG 116 are powered by a separate portion
of the main power system (not shown) in the audio-visual system
100, while the audio processor 112, the video processor 114, the
speaker 118, the CRT 120, the vertical and horizontal deflection
122, and the control signal receiving circuit 124 are powered off.
Thus, in the standby state, the audiovisual system 100 can still
perform the steps of the process shown in FIG. 3, other than the
display steps.
[0035] At step 303, upon receiving programs that are currently
being broadcast from multiple channels, the tuner 108, operating
under a remotely entered command from the viewer, selects one of
the channels and sends the program (current program) carried in the
selected channel to the AV switcher 110, the host processor 126,
and the EPG processor 210. From this received signal, the EPG
processor 210 identifies the program. Typically a program can be
identified by the associated XDS data that is sent with a program
in the VBI. Also the EPG data will identify the program. Where the
EPG data is from GemStar, it will contain information required to
identify a program.
[0036] Step 304 allows for a different set of options depending on
whether or not a flag for the program was set in the history log
209. The assumption is that if a flag for the program is already
set in the history log 209, that the user has indicated that the
program was of interest, thus he or she will likely have the same
interest in the future. The flag can be set by a specific user
command inputted via the remote controller 128, the mere fact that
a previous episode of a program was recorded by the user using the
VCR 130, or that the user previously watched an episode of the
program. Thus a program whose flag is already set in the history
log 209 is likely to have been watched or in the case that it was
missed the user would like to read about what happened in the prior
episode.
[0037] At step 304, the EPG processor 210 determines whether the
history log 209 contains the history information relating to the
previous episode of the current program. If the history log 209
contains the history information relating to the previous episode
of the current program, the operation is led to step 306. If the
history log 209 does not contain the history information relating
to the previous episode of the current program, the EPG processor
210 goes to step 318 where it sends a control signal to cause the
video processor 114 to display on the CRT 120 a prompt: "Should
this program be entered into the history log?" In a standby mode,
the video processor 114 will not respond to the control signal, so
that the prompt will not be displayed on the CRT 120.
[0038] At step 318, in a regular mode, the EPG processor 210 awaits
a response from a viewer. In response to the prompt, a viewer may
select either the "Yes" or "No" key on the remote controller 128,
which causes the remote controller 128 to send a control signal to
the control signal receiving circuit 124. Upon receiving the
control signal from the control signal receiving circuit 124, the
host processor 126 sends the control signal to the EPG processor
210. If the viewer's answer is "No", the operation is led to step
322. In a preferred embodiment, the viewer can program the system
using the remote controller 128, so that, in a standby mode, the
EPG goes to step 322 without awaiting a response from a viewer,
since presumably the viewer can not be watching the prompt.
[0039] If the viewer's answer is "Yes", the operation is led to
step 320, where the EPG processor 210 is instructed to make an
entry for the current program in the history log. At step 320, the
EPG processor 210 stores the name (or identification) of the
current program into the history log 209. It should be noted that
after the viewer has selected the program at step 320, the EPG
processor 210 would remember to store the history information for
all current episodes of the program into the history log 209.
[0040] At step 322, the EPG processor 210 leads the operation to
step 324 to terminate the process without displaying the history
information stored in the history log 209.
[0041] At step 304, if the current program's prior episode is
contained in the history log 209, the EPG processor 210 is caused
to recall prior user settings and cause the video processor 114 to
display on the CRT 120 a prompt to the user to decide whether or
not to change the current TV settings to prior settings. The EPG
processor 210 then proceeds to step 308.
[0042] Each time the history log 209 is viewed by the user, a bit,
i.e., a flag, is set by the CPU 210 in history log 209 so that the
next time the history log 209 is opened, the system knows that the
user has already read the information on the previous episode, even
in the case that the episode's information was deliberately erased.
At step 308 the EPG processor 210 further determines whether the
previous episode of the program was probably watched at some
earlier time on the audio-visual system 100 based on these bits in
the history log 209. If the previous episode of the program was
displayed on the audiovisual system 100, i.e., watched by the
viewer at some earlier time, the operation is led to step 312. If
the previous episode of the program has not been displayed on the
audio-visual system 100, the EPG processor 210 sends a control
signal to cause the video processor 114 to display on the CRT 120 a
prompt: "Do you want to review previous episode information?" and
the operation is then led to step 310.
[0043] At step 310, in a regular mode, the EPG processor 210 awaits
a response from a viewer. In response to the prompt, a viewer
selects either the "Yes" or "No" key on the remote controller 128,
which causes the remote controller 128 to send a control signal to
the control signal receiving circuit 124. Upon receiving the
control signal from the control signal receiving circuit 124, the
host processor 126 sends the control signal to the EPG processor
210. If the viewer's answer is "Yes", the EPG processor 210 leads
the operation to step 314. If the viewer's answer is "No", EPG
processor 210 leads the operation to step 312.
[0044] In a standby mode, the EPG processor 210 leads the operation
to step 312 without awaiting a response from a viewer at steps 308
and 310. At step 312, the EPG processor 210 stores the history
information for the current program episode into the history log
209. The operation is then led to step 322. At step 322, the EPG
processor 210 terminates the process without displaying the history
information stored in the history log 209 and ends the process at
step 324.
[0045] At step 314, the EPG processor 210 retrieves the history
information for the previous episode of the program and sends it to
the OSD portion of the video processor 114, which displays the
history information on the CRT 120. Thereafter, the process is
terminated at step 324.
[0046] According to the present invention, the program for
performing the process shown in FIG. 3 can be stored in the ROM 212
and executed by the EPG processor 210.
[0047] Although the present invention has been shown and described
with respect to preferred embodiments, various changes and
modifications are deemed to lie within the sprit and scope of the
invention as claimed. The corresponding structures, materials,
acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements
in the claims which follow are intended to include any structure,
material, or acts for performing the functions in combinations with
other claimed elements as specifically claimed.
* * * * *