Method and apparatus for producing program information and receiving apparatus for processing the program information

Abstract

A program information storing section stores program information including program name, program start time, and channel discriminating information. A program information search section searches the program information stored in the program information storing section according to designated search conditions and produces personalized program information resulting from the search. A program guide display section displays a program guide including a personal channel consisting of the resultant program information. Thus, the receiving apparatus allows users to display their personal channels.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a program information storing section for storing program information including program name, program start time, and channel discriminating information;    a program information search section for searching said program information stored in said program information storing section according to designated search conditions and for producing personalized program information resulting from the search; and    a program guide display section for displaying a program guide including a personal channel including said personalized program information.    
     
     
         2 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a tuning switch section for tuning in to a program of said personal channel displayed by said program guide display section in response to selection of said personal channel listed on said program guide.  
     
     
         3 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said program information search section searches said program information by the order of broadcast time of program, and performs scheduling of programs so that broadcast times do not overlap with each other, thereby producing said personalized program information resulting from the search.  
     
     
         4 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said program guide display section displays a charged sum amount of pay-per-view programs when said personalized program information involves any pay-per-view program.  
     
     
         5 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said program information search section produces a plurality groups of program information when a plurality of schedules are found as a result of performed search.  
     
     
         6 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said program information search section produces the personalized program information always including a designated program.  
     
     
         7 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a receiving section for receiving said program name, said program start time, and said channel discriminating information.  
     
     
         8 . A program information producing apparatus comprising: 
 a program related information producing section for producing program related information; and    means for producing both program information and said program related information or producing program information including said program related information.    
     
     
         9 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein said program related information producing section produces advertisement information broadcasted together with a related program.  
     
     
         10 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein said advertisement information includes reference information for at least one advertisement stream.  
     
     
         11 . A program information producing method comprising a step of producing both program information and program related information or producing program information including said program related information.  
     
     
         12 . The program information producing method in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said program related information includes advertisement information.  
     
     
         13 . The program information producing method in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said advertisement information includes reference information for at least one advertisement stream.  
     
     
         14 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 an advertisement information storing section for storing advertisement information; and    a display section for outputting an advertisement stream to a limited space on a screen when a program guide is displayed on said screen, said advertisement stream being referred to by said advertisement information.    
     
     
         15 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 14 , further comprising an advertisement stream storing apparatus for storing the advertisement stream.  
     
     
         16 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 14 , further comprising a receiving section for receiving at least one of said advertisement information and said advertisement stream.  
     
     
         17 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said display section selectively changes the content of the advertisement stream with reference to viewer's personal data, including at least one of residence, sex and age, or with reference to a program type.  
     
     
         18 . A receiving apparatus comprising a display section for displaying video of a broadcasted program in a limited space on a screen when a program guide is displayed on said screen.  
     
     
         19 . A receiving apparatus comprising a program guide display section outputs the advertisement information to a limited space on a screen displaying a program guide so as to correspond to a related program listed on the program guide.  
     
     
         20 . A program information producing apparatus comprising: 
 a program information producing section for producing ordinary program information; and    a sub program information producing section for producing sub program information including sub program identification data and sub program position data.    
     
     
         21 . A program information producing method comprising a step of producing sub program information including sub program identification data and sub program position data.  
     
     
         22 . A program information producing apparatus comprising: 
 a program information producing section for producing program information including sub program reference information for a sub program relating to a program.    
     
     
         23 . A program information producing method comprising a step of producing program information including sub program reference information for a sub program relating to a program.  
     
     
         24 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a sub program search section for accessing sub programs to search a relevant sub program with reference to sub program reference information of a currently viewed program; and    a program guide display section for displaying said relevant sub program by using a limited space of a screen when a program guide is displayed on said screen.    
     
     
         25 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 24 , further comprising a sub program information storing section for storing sub program position data and sub program identification data, which are used to discriminate the position of said sub program and record said sub program.  
     
     
         26 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 25 , further comprising a receiving section for receiving said sub program position data and said sub program identification data.  
     
     
         27 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 25 , wherein said sub program recording managing section discriminates the position of said sub program with reference to said sub program position data and records the sub program together with said sub program identification data.  
     
     
         28 . A program information producing apparatus comprising a charge information producing section for adding program recording fees to program information, said program recording fees including a plurality of ranks classified in accordance with a recording or viewing type of a sub program.  
     
     
         29 . A program information producing method comprising a step of adding program recording fees to program information, said program recording fees including a plurality of ranks classified in accordance with a recording or viewing type of a sub program.  
     
     
         30 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a program recording section for recording a sub program together with an ordinary program when a recording request includes both of said ordinary and sub programs and for recording only said ordinary program by skipping said sub program when said recording request includes only said ordinary program; and    a charging section for differentiating a recording fee in accordance with the inclusion of said sub program in the recording of said ordinary program.    
     
     
         31 . A program information producing apparatus comprising: 
 a program information producing section for producing ordinary program information; and    a sub program playback frequency information producing section for producing program information describing a mandatory playback frequency of a recorded ordinary program performed without skipping a sub program.    
     
     
         32 . A program information producing method comprising a step of producing program information describing a mandatory playback frequency of a recorded ordinary program performed without skipping a sub program.  
     
     
         33 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a program recording section for recording an ordinary program and a sub program separately;    a playback order table producing section for producing an ordinary/sub program playback order table describing a playback order of said ordinary program and said sub program; and    a program playback section for reproducing said ordinary program and said sub program in accordance with said ordinary/sub program playback order table.    
     
     
         34 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 33 , wherein said program playback section reproduces said ordinary program by skipping said sub program after an actual playback frequency of said ordinary program exceeds a mandatory playback frequency.  
     
     
         35 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a sub program position table producing section for producing a sub program position table describing the position of a sub program in an ordinary program;    a program playback section for reproducing both said ordinary program and said sub program when a playback request includes both of said ordinary and sub programs and for reproducing only said ordinary program by skipping said sub program with reference to said sub program position table when said playback request includes only said ordinary program.    
     
     
         36 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 35 , further comprising a charging section for differentiating a playback fee in accordance with the inclusion of said sub program in the playback of said ordinary program.  
     
     
         37 . A program information producing apparatus comprising: 
 a next program information producing section for producing program information of a next program to be tuned in to during or after the broadcasting of a program.    
     
     
         38 . A program information producing method comprising a step of producing program information of a next program to be tuned in to during or after the broadcasting of a program.  
     
     
         39 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a tuning switch section for tuning in to a next program in accordance with next program information during or after the broadcasting of a program.    
     
     
         40 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 39 , further comprising a message output section for outputting a message about a next program to be tuned in to during or after the broadcasting of a program, said message being outputted prior to the tuning in to said next program.  
     
     
         41 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 37 , further comprising a message timing information producing section for producing message timing information designating an output timing of a message about a next program.  
     
     
         42 . A program information producing method comprising a step of producing message timing information designating an output timing of a message about a next program.  
     
     
         43 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 39 , further comprising a message output section for outputting a message about a next program to be tuned in to during or after the broadcasting of a program, said message being outputted at a timing designated by message timing information.  
     
     
         44 . A receiving apparatus characterized in that a program guide, or content of said program guide, or a design of said program guide is differentiated in accordance with a presently broadcasted program.  
     
     
         45 . A program information producing apparatus comprising: 
 a program information producing section for producing ordinary program information; and    a relevant information producing section for producing program information related data as one component of a program, said program information related data being used for display and control of the program information, thereby transmitting the program information in accordance with the content of the program.    
     
     
         46 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 45 , wherein said program information related data produced by said relevant information producing section includes at least one selected from the group consisting of display start time, display end time, and display position.  
     
     
         47 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 45 , wherein the program information related data produced by said relevant information producing section includes instruction for a program guide display.  
     
     
         48 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 45 , wherein the program information related data produced by said relevant information producing section includes a list of channels to be displayed.  
     
     
         49 . A program information producing method including a step of producing program information related data as one component of a program, said program information related data being used for display and control of the program information.  
     
     
         50 . The program information producing method in accordance with  claim 49 , wherein said program information related data includes at least one selected from the group consisting of display start time, display end time, and display position.  
     
     
         51 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 49 , wherein the program information related data includes a list of channels to be displayed.  
     
     
         52 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a receiving section for receiving program information related data including a list of channels to be displayed; and    a program guide display section for displaying a program guide exclusively including designated channels.    
     
     
         53 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 45 , wherein the program information related data produced by said relevant information producing section is used for displaying other channel.  
     
     
         54 . A program information producing method comprising a step of producing program information related data used for displaying other channel.  
     
     
         55 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 53 , wherein the program information related data produced by said relevant information producing section includes a list of channels to be displayed.  
     
     
         56 . The program information producing method in accordance with  claim 54 , wherein said program information related data includes a list of channels to be displayed.  
     
     
         57 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a receiving section for receiving program information related data including a list of channels to be displayed; and    a program guide display section for displaying a program guide including at least designated channels.    
     
     
         58 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a receiving section for receiving program information related data including a list of channels to be displayed; and    a program display section for displaying videos of all of designated channels on a screen.    
     
     
         59 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 46 , wherein said program information related data produced by said relevant information producing section includes reservation information of a related program.  
     
     
         60 . The program information producing method in accordance with  claim 49 , wherein said program information related data includes reservation information of a related program.  
     
     
         61 . The program information producing apparatus in accordance with  claim 59 , wherein said program information related data produced by said relevant information producing section includes a program identifier of a related program.  
     
     
         62 . The program information producing method in accordance with  claim 60 , wherein said program information related data includes a program identifier of a related program.  
     
     
         63 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a receiving section for receiving program information related data including a program identifier of a related program; and    a program display section for displaying a message for a reservation of a program.    
     
     
         64 . A program information producing apparatus comprising: 
 a program information producing section for producing ordinary program information; and    a link information producing section for producing program link information or channel link information indicating that a subjective program or channel is identical in content with a program or channel described in program information of a channel group transmitted by using a different method.    
     
     
         65 . A program information producing method comprising a step of producing program link information or channel link information indicating that a subjective program or channel is identical in content with a program or channel described in program information of a channel group transmitted by using a different method.  
     
     
         66 . A receiving apparatus comprising: 
 a receiving section for receiving program information including program link information or channel link information; and    a program guide display section for displaying program information of a program or channel having the same content with reference to said program link information or channel link information.    
     
     
         67 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 66 , further comprising a message output section for displaying a message notifying existence of said program or channel having the same content.  
     
     
         68 . The receiving apparatus in accordance with  claim 66 , further comprising a tuning switch section for tuning in to said program or channel having the same content.