JP2007081464A - Video recording system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video recording system enabling a change in function without newly buying a video recorder. <P>SOLUTION: The video recording system is provided with a centralized management apparatus and a video recording apparatus. The centralized management apparatus has a program DB section for storing program data including program IDs of programs, program titles each corresponding to each of the program IDs, a program start time, a program finish time and channel information; a program extracting section for extracting a program ID; an extracted information control section for performing control to transmit the extracted information to a terminal device based on the extracted program ID; and a video record reservation control section for reading video record reservation information including the channel information, the program start time and the program finish time out of the program data corresponding to the program ID from the program DB section, and performing control to output the read information via a cable television network. The video recording apparatus has a video record reservation section for storing video record reservation information received from the centralized management apparatus via the cable television network, and performing video record reservation; and a recording section for recording the video recorded data video-recorded by the control of the video record reservation section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording system for recording a program according to a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an apparatus for recording a program based on information obtained from a server is known. Among them, there are systems for reserving a program to be recorded and recording based on an instruction from a portable terminal (Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  For example, in a remote program reservation system described in Patent Document 1, when a reservation terminal is used to access a reservation server and a program is reserved from a program guide, the broadcast station of the program selected by the reservation server on behalf of the user Data of code, start time and end time is transmitted to the recording server. The recording server periodically registers recording reservations based on the program information received from the reservation server, and automatically records the program at the start time. Since the reservation server and the recording server have a common broadcast station code table, the reservation server only transmits the common broadcast station code regardless of the location of the recording server and the contents of the channel setting. Regardless of the installation area of the own device and the contents of the channel setting, the recording server converts the broadcast station code back to the receiving channel information of the own device and records on the appropriate receiving channel. In this way, it is possible to register a recording reservation with a single reservation server from a remote location to the recording server regardless of the installation area.

Further, for example, the program reservation system described in Patent Document 2 includes a reservation server that manages recording reservation and accommodation reservation, and a plurality of recording servers arranged in or near the accommodation facility. In the reservation server, recording device information is registered together with information indicating an area where each server is arranged. When an instruction for reservation for accommodation and reservation for recording is given from the user's terminal device, the recording server of the accommodation reservation destination is selected from the recording device information. At the same time, the EPG information of the reservation destination area is acquired from the EPG database server that holds the EPG information of each area where each recording server is located, and is transmitted to the terminal device. When the selected reserved program is returned, Program reservation information for reserving a reserved program for recording is generated and transmitted to the recording server of the accommodation reservation destination to make a recording reservation. In this way, a program reservation system is realized in which a recording reservation can be made even for a broadcast program in an area where the user does not reside, and an unspecified number of users can independently make a recording reservation in the same recording server. Note that EPG is one of the program guide display functions.
JP 2002-199316 A JP 2005-142691 A

  However, the system as described above is intended to enable recording reservation from a remote place, and is not intended to omit functions from the recording apparatus. That is, the recording server has a mail transmission / reception function, and the reservation server and the recording server need to be connected via the Internet. Further, the recording server has a broadcast station database, receives an input of a set area, and identifies a broadcast station from the broadcast station database. Thus, the recording apparatus has a high function.

  High-performance recording devices are expensive to manufacture and expensive. Further, when there is a change in the function of the reservation server, an upgrade corresponding to the change is necessary, and the burden on the user increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording system that can reduce the cost of each recording apparatus and can change the function without replacing the recording apparatus. To do.

  (1) In order to achieve the above object, a recording system of the present invention is a recording system for recording a program in accordance with a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network, Based on the program ID of each program, a program DB unit that stores program data including the program name, program start time, program end time, and channel information associated with the program ID, and information received from the terminal device A program extraction unit that extracts the program ID from the DB unit, an extraction information control unit that controls transmission of extraction information to the terminal device based on the extracted program ID, and a user selection from the extraction information in the terminal device Among the program data corresponding to the program ID, the recording reservation information including channel information, program start time and program end time, A centralized management device having a recording reservation control unit that reads out from the DB unit and controls transmission via a cable television network, and stores the recording reservation information received from the centralized management device via the cable television network, and performs recording reservation And a recording device having a recording unit that records recording data recorded under the control of the recording reservation unit.

  As described above, since the recording system of the present invention has a function of extracting the program ID from the program DB unit based on the information obtained from the terminal device by the centralized management apparatus, the recording apparatus has a function of extracting a program, a special function. No function or function for connection to the Internet is required. Since the recording device only needs to have a recording and playback function, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the price can be reduced. Further, when maintenance of the recording apparatus is not required and there is a change in function, it is only necessary to change the central management apparatus, so that the upgrade can be facilitated. As a result, the spread of the system can be promoted. As described above, the recording system of the present invention can reduce the cost of each recording apparatus and can change the function without replacing the recording apparatus.

  (2) In the recording system of the present invention, the program extracting unit receives the program guide specifying information from the program DB unit based on the program guide specifying information specifying the type of program guide received from the terminal device. The program ID corresponding to the program data having matching data is extracted, and the extraction information control unit is necessary to display the program guide specified by the program guide specifying information from the extracted program ID. It is characterized by transmission control of extraction information.

  As described above, the recording system of the present invention obtains a program ID corresponding to program data having data matching the program guide specifying information from the program DB unit based on the program guide specifying information received from the terminal device in the central management device. Extract. Thus, since the central management apparatus has a so-called program guide display function for making a recording reservation from the display of the program guide, the manufacturing cost of the recorder can be reduced and the recording device can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing the detailed function, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device, so that it is not necessary to replace the recording device.

  (3) In the recording system of the present invention, the program DB unit further accumulates program genre, performer or summary data as the program data, and the program extraction unit receives from the terminal device Based on the search keyword, the program DB unit is inquired to extract a program ID corresponding to the program data including the search keyword, and the extraction information control unit transmits the extraction information based on the extracted program ID. It is characterized by control.

  As described above, the recording system of the present invention refers to the program DB unit based on the search keyword received from the terminal device in the central management apparatus, and extracts the program ID corresponding to the program data including the search keyword. Accordingly, since the centralized management device has a so-called keyword search function, the manufacturing cost of the recording device can be reduced and the recording device can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing detailed functions such as the flow of search processing, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device, so that it is not necessary to replace the recording device.

  (4) In the recording system of the present invention, the program DB unit further accumulates program genre, performer, outline, topicality, or audience rating data as the program data, and for each user in the past. The history information of the selected program ID is accumulated, and the program extraction unit recommends referring to the history information or the program data accumulated in the program DB unit based on the recommendation request information received from the terminal device. A program ID to be extracted is extracted, and the extraction result control unit controls transmission of extraction information based on the extracted program ID.

  As described above, the recording system of the present invention should be recommended by referring to at least one of the history information and the program data stored in the program DB unit based on the recommendation request information received from the terminal device in the central management device. The program ID is extracted. Thus, since the central management device has a so-called recommendation function, the manufacturing cost of the recording device can be reduced and the recording device can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing detailed functions such as an algorithm for determining a recommended program, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device, so that it is not necessary to replace the recording device.

  (5) Further, the recording system of the present invention is a recording system for recording a program in accordance with a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network, wherein the program ID of each program, And a program DB unit for storing program data including program name, program start time, program end time, channel information, program genre, program performer or program outline associated with the program ID, and the terminal device Based on the search keyword received from the program DB unit, a program extraction unit that extracts a program ID corresponding to the program data including the search keyword, channel information among the program data corresponding to the extracted program ID, A recording reservation control unit that controls transmission of recording reservation information including a program start time and a program end time via a cable television network. A recording device that stores the recording reservation information received via the cable television network from the central management device, the recording reservation unit that performs the recording reservation, and the recording data that is recorded by the control of the recording reservation unit And a recording device having a section.

  As described above, the recording system of the present invention refers to the program DB unit based on the search keyword received from the terminal device in the central management apparatus, and extracts the program ID corresponding to the program data including the search keyword. Accordingly, since the centralized management device has a so-called keyword search function, the manufacturing cost of the recording device can be reduced and the recording device can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing detailed functions such as the flow of search processing, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device, so that it is not necessary to replace the recording device.

  (6) The recording system of the present invention is a recording system for recording a program in accordance with a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network, wherein the program ID of each program, It includes the history information of the program ID selected in the past for each user, and the program name, program start time, program end time and channel information associated with the program ID, and further includes the program genre, performer, outline, topicality The program DB unit that stores program data including any one of the audience rating data, and the history information stored in the program DB unit or the program data based on the recommendation request information received from the terminal device A program extraction unit for extracting a program ID to be recommended, and channel information, program start time, and the like among the program data corresponding to the extracted program ID. According to the program data received via the cable television network from the centralized management device, and the centralized management device having a recording reservation control unit for sending and controlling the recording reservation information including the program end time via the cable television network. And a recording device having a recording unit for recording recording data recorded under the control of the recording reservation unit.

  As described above, the recording system of the present invention should be recommended by referring to at least one of the history information and the program data stored in the program DB unit based on the recommendation request information received from the terminal device in the central management device. The program ID is extracted. Thus, since the central management device has a so-called recommendation function, the manufacturing cost of the recording device can be reduced and the recording device can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing detailed functions such as an algorithm for determining a recommended program, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device, so that it is not necessary to replace the recording device.

  (7) The recording system of the present invention is a recording system for recording a program in accordance with a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network, wherein the program ID of each program, And a program DB unit that stores program data including a program name, a program start time, a program end time, and channel information associated with the program ID, and the program ID from the program DB unit based on information received from the terminal device A program extraction unit for extracting the program reservation information including channel information, program start time and program end time among the program data for the program ID included in the extracted program ID, and the program DB unit And a centralized management device having a recording reservation control unit that controls transmission via a cable television network, and a cable antenna from the centralized management device. Storing the recording reservation information received via the video network, a recording reservation unit for performing recording reservation, and a recording device having a recording unit for recording recording data recorded by control of the recording reservation unit, In the centralized management apparatus, the recording reservation control unit determines whether or not time change information for instructing to change a program start time or a program end time has been input, and when the time change information is present, the time change information The program start time or end time is changed in accordance with the transmission control to the recording device via the cable television network. In the recording device, the recording reservation unit records at the changed program start time or program end time. It is characterized by controlling the start and end of recording.

  As a result, for a program that may change the broadcast time of the program, when the time change information is input to the central management device, the program whose broadcast time has been changed is also recorded corresponding to the change. The For example, even if the broadcast time of a subsequent drama is changed by an extended broadcast of a baseball broadcast, it is possible to record to the end without inconvenience that the recording ends in the middle.

  According to the recording system of the present invention, the centralized management device has a function of extracting a program ID from the program DB unit based on information obtained from the terminal device. Therefore, the recording device has a function of extracting a program, a special function, Functions for connecting to the Internet are not required. Since the recording device only needs to have a recording and playback function, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the price can be reduced. Further, when maintenance of the recording apparatus is not required and there is a change in function, it is only necessary to change the central management apparatus, so that the upgrade can be facilitated. As a result, the spread of the system can be promoted. As described above, the recording system of the present invention can reduce the cost of each recording apparatus and can change the function without replacing the recording apparatus.

  In addition, according to the recording system of the present invention, the central management device refers to the program DB unit based on the search keyword received from the terminal device, and extracts the program ID corresponding to the program data including the search keyword. Accordingly, since the centralized management device has a so-called keyword search function, the manufacturing cost of the recording device can be reduced and the recording device can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing detailed functions such as the flow of search processing, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device, so that it is not necessary to replace the recording device.

  Further, according to the recording system of the present invention, the central management device should recommend based on the recommendation request information received from the terminal device with reference to at least one of history information and program data stored in the program DB unit. The program ID is extracted. Thus, since the central management device has a so-called recommendation function, the manufacturing cost of the recording device can be reduced and the recording device can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing detailed functions such as an algorithm for determining a recommended program, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device, so that it is not necessary to replace the recording device.

  In addition, according to the recording system of the present invention, for a program that may change the broadcast time of the program, when the time change information is input to the central management device, Recording is performed in response to the change. For example, even if the broadcast time of a subsequent drama is changed by an extended broadcast of a baseball broadcast, it is possible to record to the end without inconvenience that the recording ends in the middle.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the recording system 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the recording system 1 includes a centralized management device 2 and a recording device 3. The central management device 2 is connected to the recording device 3 via the cable television network 6. On the other hand, the centralized management device 2 is connected to terminal devices such as the mobile phone 4, the PC 5, and the attached terminal 8 via the IP network 7. With such a configuration, the recording system 1 receives a recording reservation instruction from the terminal device operated by the user via the IP network 7 and records the program.

  Terminal devices such as the mobile phone 4, the PC 5, and the attached terminal 8 have a display screen (not shown), and display information received from the central management device 2 on the screen. In addition, terminal devices such as the mobile phone 4, the PC 5, and the attached terminal 8 have an operation unit (not shown) including operation keys and the like. In FIG. 1, the PC 5, the mobile phone 4, and the attached terminal 8 are illustrated as terminal devices, but other mobile terminals such as PDAs may be used. The attached terminal 8 is a terminal device that is attached to the recording device 3 and can be carried separately, and has an IP transceiver 9 inside. The auxiliary terminal 8 and the recording device 3 can transmit and receive information by infrared rays or the like. The attached terminal 8 may be a part of a function that is not separated from the recording device 3. The attached terminal 8 may perform communication with the centralized management device 2 via the cable television network 6. In that case, a cable modem is provided between the recording device 3 and the cable television network 6. As a display screen of the attached terminal 8, a TV screen for reproduction or the like is used.

  The central management apparatus 2 includes a control unit 11, a program DB unit 12, a data input unit 13, a program extraction unit 14, an extraction information control unit 15, a recording reservation control unit 16, a transmission unit 17, a storage unit 21, and an IP transmission / reception unit 22. , A display data control unit 24, a history information control unit 26, a history information storage unit 27, and a history information analysis unit 28. The central management device 2 has a function of extracting a program to be recorded in response to an instruction from the terminal device and transmitting program data of the program to be recorded to the recording device 3 by cooperation of the above-described units.

  The control unit 11 controls each unit of the central management device 2. The control unit 11 is configured by a CPU. The program DB unit 12 includes a program ID of each program, a program name associated with the program ID, a program start time, a program end time, channel information, program schedule data for each date, a program genre, performers, and an outline. Program data including topicality and audience rating data is stored. The summary data includes metadata created from data related to a program by a predetermined program. The program DB unit 12 includes a memory such as a RAM or a ROM, or an external storage device such as a hard disk. The program DB unit 12 is preferably composed of an external storage device with a large capacity.

  The data input unit 13 accepts input of a new program ID and program data to the program DB unit 12 and input of program IDs already stored in the program DB unit 12 and data to be changed. The data input unit 13 is an interface that receives an operation key that receives a direct input from an administrator or a signal from another server. Further, the data input unit 13 receives time change information for instructing to change the program start time or the program end time associated with the program ID. Each function can be selected by the user. The selection is performed by operating the terminal device.

  The program extraction unit 14 extracts a program ID from the program DB unit 12 based on information received from a terminal device such as the mobile phone 4 or the PC 5. As a result, the recording device 3 does not need a function for extracting a program and the like, and only the recording and playback functions are sufficient. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the recording device 3 can be reduced and the price can be reduced. Further, since maintenance of the recording apparatus 3 is not required and there is a change in function, it is only necessary to change the central management apparatus 2, so that the upgrade can be facilitated. As a result, the spread of the recording system 1 can be promoted. As described above, the recording system 1 can reduce the cost of each recording device 3 and can change the function without replacing the recording device 3. The program extraction function includes, for example, a program guide display function, a keyword search function, and a recommendation function. The program extraction unit 14 is configured by a CPU.

  When the program guide display function is selected, the program extracting unit 14 inquires the program DB unit 12 based on the program guide specifying information received from the terminal device, and matches the program guide specifying information. The program ID corresponding to the program data including is extracted. Thus, since the central management device 2 has a so-called program guide display function for making a recording reservation from the display of the program guide, the manufacturing cost of the recording device 3 can be reduced and the recording device 3 can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing the detailed function, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device 2, so that replacement of the recording device 3 can be made unnecessary. The program guide specifying information is information for specifying the type of program guide, and includes date information for specifying the date, time information for specifying the time, genre information for specifying the genre, and channel information for specifying the channel. . The program table is a table in which programs that meet conditions such as date, time, genre, and channel are displayed in time series.

  For example, when the user instructs from 13:00 to 14:00 on April 1, the program ID of the program from 13:00 to 14:00 on April 1 is extracted. When a specific channel is designated, program IDs for 24 hours of the designated channel are extracted. Further, when sports are instructed as a genre, program IDs for 24 hours of sports are extracted. The extraction information control unit 15 edits the program table based on the extracted program ID, and creates display data of the program table for the display data control unit 24 to display on the terminal device together with the program name. The extracted information control unit 15 may edit the program guide only from the extracted program ID, or may read the program data specified from the program ID and create the program guide.

  When the keyword search function is selected, the program extraction unit 14 refers to the program DB unit 12 based on the search keyword received from the terminal device, and obtains the program ID corresponding to the program data including the search keyword. Extract. For example, when searching by a keyword “sports” by genre, the program extraction unit 14 determines whether or not the data of the genre is a sport for each program, and a program whose genre is a sport (baseball broadcast or sports) News etc.) is extracted. Accordingly, since the central management device 2 has a so-called keyword search function, the manufacturing cost of the recording device 3 can be reduced and the recording device 3 can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing detailed functions such as the flow of search processing, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device 2, so that replacement of the recording device 3 can be made unnecessary. Note that the keyword search method includes a method of searching by specifying a genre prepared in advance with a cursor, in addition to a method in which a user types in a keyword and performing a search.

  In the performer, the program DB unit 12 is inquired based on the performer name input and received in the terminal device. Then, it is determined for each program whether or not a name that matches the input performer name is included in the performer data, and the program ID of the program included is extracted.

  When a search is performed using a free keyword, the keyword is selected from among the program name, program start time, program end time, channel information, program schedule data for each date, program genre, performer and outline data. It is determined for each program whether or not there is data that matches, and the program ID of the program that has matching data is extracted. In addition, it is good also as registering the term relevant to a specific term for every term in the program DB part, and extracting even the program which contains the term relevant to a keyword in data. It is also possible to perform a search within a narrower range. For example, only the summary data may be searched. In such a case, the program DB unit does not need to accumulate data to be searched in addition to the summary data.

  When the recommendation function is selected, based on the recommendation request information received from the terminal device, a program ID to be recommended with reference to at least one of history information and program data stored in the program DB unit 12 To extract. For example, when recommendation request information is received from a user who has recorded a program that falls into the genre of “drama” in the past than other genres, a drama that starts broadcasting soon, a highly topical drama, The program ID of a high drama is extracted. Thus, since the central management device 2 has a so-called recommendation function, the manufacturing cost of the recording device 3 can be reduced and the recording device 3 can be made inexpensive. In addition, when changing detailed functions such as an algorithm for determining a recommended program, it is sufficient to change the function of the centralized management device 2, so that replacement of the recording device 3 can be made unnecessary. The recommendation request information is information for requesting activation of the recommendation function, which is transmitted when the user selects the recommendation function on the terminal device.

  The extracted information control unit 15 stores the extracted program ID in the storage unit 21 and controls transmission of the extracted information based on the program ID to a terminal device such as the mobile phone 4 or the PC 5. The extracted information to be transmitted includes a program name, a program start time, and a program end time. The extracted information usually includes information on a plurality of extracted programs. The extracted information may be only the extracted program ID or only program data specified from the program ID. Further, only a part of the program data may be used.

  The terminal device displays a program list in which program names are listed based on the extracted information. Further, when the program guide display function is selected, the extraction information control unit 15 edits the data of the program guide based on the extracted program ID and controls transmission to the terminal device. The program table is a table in which programs that meet conditions such as date, time, genre, and channel are displayed in time series, and is a kind of program list. The extraction information control unit 15 is configured by a CPU. The recording reservation control unit 16 reads the program ID, program name, channel information, program start time, and program end time from the program DB unit 12 among the program data corresponding to the program ID selected by the user from the extracted information in the terminal device. Then, transmission control to the recording device 3 as recording reservation information is performed. The recording reservation control unit 16 is constituted by a CPU. The sending unit 17 is an interface connected to the cable television network 6. The recording reservation information is information including at least channel information, a program start time, and a program end time and instructing the recording device 3 to perform recording.

  The recording reservation information is sent from the centralized management device 2 to the recording device 3 via the cable television network 6. The sending unit 17 is preferably set to send program data signals by out-band transmission. Out-band transmission refers to a method for transmitting a data signal in an area outside the main signal transmission band. In this case, a main tuner and a tuner dedicated to out-band transmission are provided as the TV tuner 36 of the recording device 3. As a result, the main signal transmission band is used for transmission of program content data, and the program data signal can be constantly transmitted outside the area.

  The recording reservation information in the cable television network 6 can be transmitted by one-way transmission, and the present invention can be sufficiently implemented even in a cable television system having a transmission function only in one direction. Therefore, for example, when the external cable TV transmission path is bidirectional, but the internal transmission path is not compatible with the bidirectional transmission, such as secondary-side equipment such as apartment buildings in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In addition, the service of the recording system 1 can be provided to a user who is provided with a one-way service. In addition, users of analog cable TV services who do not use digital cable TV, or to receive cable TV services as a countermeasure against radio interference, or through the introduction of collective housing, are mainly receiving retransmitted waves. Although there are users who do not install STB (Set Top Box) devices for watching TV broadcasts, services can be provided to such users.

  Further, the recording reservation control unit 16 determines whether or not the program ID of the program to be recorded and the time change information corresponding to the program ID are input from the data input unit 13. When receiving the time change information, the recording reservation control unit 16 changes the program start time and the program end time according to the time change information. Then, the program start time and the program end time after the change are controlled to be sent to the recording device 3. As a result, for a program that may change the broadcast time of the program, when the time change information is input to the centralized management device 2, the program whose broadcast time has been changed can be recorded in accordance with the change. Made. For example, even if the broadcast time of a subsequent drama is changed by an extended broadcast of a baseball broadcast, it is possible to record to the end without inconvenience that the recording ends in the middle.

  The storage unit 21 stores the program ID extracted by the program extracting unit 14 and program data corresponding to the program ID. The storage unit 21 has a function of temporarily storing data. The storage unit 21 is configured by a memory such as a RAM.

  The IP transceiver unit 22 is an interface connected to the IP network 7. The IP transceiver 22 receives an instruction from a terminal device such as the mobile phone 4 or the PC 5 and transmits information such as extracted information to the terminal device.

  The display data control unit 24 edits the screen data displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal when transmitting the extracted program data and other information to the terminal device. Thereby, the layout is edited for the terminal device, and it becomes easy to select the program to be recorded from the programs extracted on the screen. The display data control unit 24 is configured by a CPU.

  The history information control unit 26 stores history information in the history information storage unit 27 together with the program ID sent to the recording device 3. Further, when the history information analysis unit 28 analyzes the history information, the history information is read from the history information storage unit 27. The history information control unit 26 is configured by a CPU.

  Further, the history information storage unit 27 stores history information such as a program ID selected in the past for each user and numerical values of elements associated with the program ID. The history information storage unit 27 includes a memory such as a RAM or an external storage device such as a hard disk.

  The history information analysis unit 28 analyzes the history information read from the history information storage unit 27 and stores it in the storage unit as recommendation information. For example, the history information analysis unit 28 calculates the number of selections (numerical value of each element) by genre of the program reserved for recording by each user and stores it in the storage unit 21. The history information analysis unit 28 is configured by a CPU. Further, when the history information analysis unit 28 analyzes the history information, the history information is read from the history information storage unit 27.

  Although not described as a configuration of the centralized management apparatus 2, the centralized management apparatus 2 includes a database that stores ID information (for example, Sub-ID) of each user for each terminal device and an authentication unit. The management device 2 performs user authentication. For user authentication, password verification or biometric authentication may be used.

  The recording device 3 includes a control unit 31, a reception unit 32, a recording reservation unit 33, a storage unit 34, a recording unit 35, a TV tuner 36, an input unit 37, a playback unit 38, and a display control unit 39. The recording device 3 further includes an internal clock (not shown) for managing the program start time and the program end time. The recording device 3 receives the recording reservation information from the centralized management device 2 and records the program according to the recording reservation information.

  The control unit 31 is constituted by a CPU, and controls each unit of the recording device 3 including the attached terminal 8. The receiving unit 32 is an interface that is connected to the cable television network and receives the recording reservation information sent from the central management device 2. Transmission and reception involve signal modulation and demodulation. The sending unit 17 of the centralized management device 2 performs modulation, and the receiving unit 32 of the recording device 3 performs demodulation.

  The recording reservation unit 33 performs recording reservation by managing the recording reservation information received from the centralized management device 2 and the changed program start time. That is, the received recording reservation information, the changed program start time, and the like are stored in the storage unit 34, and the start of recording and the end of recording are managed according to the recording reservation information. The recording reservation unit 33 is constituted by a CPU. In addition, the recording reservation unit 33 stores the changed program start time or program end time in the storage unit 34, refers to the internal clock according to the time, and manages the start of recording and the end of recording.

  The storage unit 34 is configured by a memory such as a RAM, and stores recording reservation information. The recording unit 35 records the contents of the program such as video data and audio data under the management of the recording reservation unit 33. The recording unit 35 includes a memory such as a RAM or an external storage device such as a hard disk. The recording unit 35 is preferably configured by a hard disk. Hard disks are suitable for recording because they are inexpensive and have a large capacity.

  The TV tuner 36 selects a channel for receiving recording reservation information. Further, the TV tuner 36 selects a channel according to the recording reservation information during recording under the management of the recording reservation unit 33. The channel information of the program is received as, for example, recording reservation information, and the recording reservation is managed by the management unit 33. The main signal transmission band is used for the broadcast channel of the program. When recording reservation information is received by out-band transmission, a main tuner and a tuner dedicated to out-band transmission are provided as the TV tuner 36 of the recording device 3.

  The input unit 37 includes operation keys, buttons, and the like, and accepts user operations. When receiving a playback operation from the user, the playback unit 38 reads the recorded data of the program specified by the operation from the recording unit 35 and plays back the content of the recorded program. The display control unit 39 controls transmission of display signals to the TV. The reproduction unit 38 and the display control unit 39 are composed of a CPU. The display control unit 39 is connected to a TV (not shown).

  Next, the operation of the recording system 1 will be described. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing characteristic operations of the recording system 1. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an example of an operation from receiving an instruction from the terminal device until recording ends according to the instruction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, first, the central management apparatus 2 receives a function selection instruction from the terminal apparatus (step S1). An instruction means data or a signal. For example, the function selection instruction includes an instruction to select a program guide display function, an instruction to select a keyword search function, an instruction to select a recommendation function, an instruction to automatically set all program selections until recording reservation, and the like. .

  Next, the program extraction unit 14 determines whether or not the function selection instruction is an instruction to select a program guide display function (step S2). If the function selection instruction is not an instruction to select a program guide display function, it is further determined whether or not the instruction is an instruction to select a keyword search function (step S3). If the function selection instruction is not an instruction to select the keyword search function, it is further determined whether or not the instruction is an instruction to select a recommendation function (step S4).

  If the function selection instruction is not an instruction to select the recommendation function, it is determined that the direct recording reservation information is selected, and the direct recording reservation information is received (step S5). The direct recording reservation information is not the recording reservation information transmitted when the user selects a program, but is transmitted by inputting channel information to be recorded directly, the program start time and the program end time to the terminal device. This refers to recording reservation information. Then, the direct recording reservation information is sent as it is to the recording device (step S6), and the process proceeds to step S19.

  On the other hand, when the function selection instruction is an instruction to select a recommended function, a recommended program extraction process is performed (step S7). The recommended program extraction process is a process of extracting a program according to a certain standard with reference to various elements. The elements include the history information of the user's program selection, program topicality or audience rating data, and the like. When extraction of the recommended program is completed, the process proceeds to step S10. Details of recommendation processing (analysis and program extraction) will be described later.

  On the other hand, if the function selection instruction is an instruction to select a keyword search function, keyword data is further received from the terminal device (step S8), and a program matching the keyword and condition is extracted by the search process (step S8). Step S9). Next, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to automate the process of selecting a program to be recorded (step S10). If there is no instruction to automatically select the program, the extraction information based on the program ID is transmitted to the terminal device (step S11), and the process proceeds to step S14.

  When there is an instruction to automatically select a program, the program extracted by searching or the like is selected as it is as a recording target program (step S12). Then, the process proceeds to step S16. Thus, by setting to record the automatically extracted program, it is possible to easily record the program even when the user is busy or feels troublesome. Also, it is possible to record a program that the user has not noticed without leaking.

  On the other hand, when the instruction for selecting the function is an instruction for selecting the program guide display function, the program data including data matching the program guide specifying information based on the program guide specifying information selected by the user, and the program ID thereof are displayed. Read from the program DB unit 12 (step S13). Then, program guide data is created and transmitted to the terminal device (step S14). The user receives from the terminal device an instruction to select a program to be input to the terminal device with reference to the program guide displayed on the display screen (step S15). Next, recording reservation information including program ID, program name, channel information, program start time and program end time among the program data of the selected program is sent to the recording apparatus 3 (step S16). The recording reservation information is information that includes at least channel information, a program start time, and a program end time, and instructs the recording device 3 to perform recording, but may include a program name and an outline of the program. When the recording reservation information includes a program name and an outline of the program, the recording device 3 displays the program name and an outline of the recorded program so that the user can easily recognize what is recorded after recording. be able to.

  Then, the program selected as a recording target is stored as history information in the history information storage unit 27 (step S17). The history information analysis unit 28 reads the history information from the history information storage unit 27, and analyzes and counts the history information (step S18).

  On the other hand, the recording device 3 receives the recording reservation information from the centralized management device 2 (step S19). Then, the received recording reservation information is stored in the storage unit 34 (step S20). The recording reservation unit 33 manages the recording reservation information stored in the storage unit 34, refers to the internal clock, and selects a recording target channel at the program start time (step S21). Then, recording starts at the program start time (step S22), and recording ends at the program end time (step S23). Then, the recording system 1 ends the operation. Note that the recording device 3 identifies the program by the program ID.

  Here, an example of the above recommendation processing (analysis and program extraction) will be described. It is assumed that the program DB unit 12 stores characteristic elements of a program as program summary data. The element may be, for example, a program genre such as “sports”, “news”, “drama”, or may be the names of individual performers. After sending the recording reservation information, the history information control unit 26 adds a numerical value for each characteristic element of the program reserved for recording and stores the numerical value of each element in the history information storage unit 27. For example, 1 is added to each element associated with a program reserved for recording. Such processing is performed every time recording reservation information is transmitted. This is the history information analysis process. When the recommendation function is selected, recommended program extraction processing is performed.

  When the central management apparatus 2 receives the recommendation request information, the program extraction unit 14 determines whether there is an element that matches the element stored in the history information storage unit 27 for the recommended program. To do. When there is a matching element, the program extraction unit 14 reads the numerical values accumulated so far for the matching element. Then, the sum of the read numerical values is calculated for each program, and program IDs are extracted as recommended programs in descending order of the sum. The above is an example of the recommendation process.

  Next, the operation of the recording system 1 when the recording time is changed will be described below. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a characteristic operation of the recording system 1 when a recording time change is input.

  First, broadcast time change or broadcast time extension information, that is, time change information is input to the centralized management apparatus 2 (step T1). In that case, the program ID is input and the program is identified by the program ID. By inputting the time change information, the recording reservation control unit 16 changes the program start time or program end time of the program based on the time change information (step T2). Then, the recording reservation control unit 16 sends out the program ID, the program start time, and the program end time (step T3). The recording device 3 receives the transmitted program ID, program start time, and program end time (step T4).

  Next, the recording reservation unit 33 of the recording device 3 identifies the program by the program ID and determines whether or not the recording state is set. When the recording device 3 is not in the recording state, the program start time or the program end time is changed (step T6). On the other hand, when the recording device 3 is in the recording state, only the program end time is changed. If there is a change in the recording time, it can be dealt with.

  In the above embodiment, when the changed program start time or program end time is received, it is determined whether or not the recording device 3 starts recording. Regardless, the program start time or program end time may be changed. In that case, a setting is made so that the recording is not affected even if the program start time is changed after the recording is started. Further, unlike the above embodiment, a system may be used in which the time is changed based on the program start time and the program end time before the change without using the program ID for program identification.

  In the above embodiment, when the program start time or the program end time is changed, the central management device changes the program start time or the program end time based on the time change information and sends out the data. The management device sends the time change information to the recording device as it is, and the recording reservation unit of the recording device changes the program start time or the program end time based on the time change information, and manages the control of the start or end of recording. Also good. Further, the central management device may change the program start time and the program end time of the program data stored in the program DB unit when the time change information is received.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the video recording system which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the characteristic operation | movement of the video recording system based on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the characteristic operation | movement of the video recording system based on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the characteristic operation | movement of the video recording system based on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Recording system 2 Centralized management device 3 Recording device 4 Mobile phone 5 PC
6 Cable TV network 7 IP network 8 Attached terminal 9 IP transmission / reception unit 11 Control unit 12 Program DB unit 13 Data input unit 14 Program extraction unit 15 Extraction information control unit 16 Recording reservation control unit 17 Transmission unit 21 Storage unit 22 Transmission / reception for IP Unit 24 display data control unit 26 history information control unit 27 history information storage unit 28 history information analysis unit 31 control unit 32 reception unit 33 recording reservation unit 34 storage unit 35 recording unit 36 TV tuner 37 input unit 38 playback unit 39 display control unit

Claims (7)

A recording system for recording a program according to a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network,
Based on the program ID of each program, a program DB unit that stores program data including the program name, program start time, program end time, and channel information associated with the program ID, and information received from the terminal device A program extraction unit that extracts the program ID from the DB unit, an extraction information control unit that controls transmission of extraction information to the terminal device based on the extracted program ID, and a user selection from the extraction information in the terminal device A recording reservation control unit that reads out recording reservation information including channel information, program start time, and program end time from the program DB among the program data corresponding to the program ID, and controls transmission through the cable TV network; A centralized management device having
A recording apparatus that stores the recording reservation information received from the centralized management apparatus via a cable television network, performs a recording reservation, and a recording section that records recording data recorded by the control of the recording reservation section A recording system comprising: The program extracting unit corresponds to the program data having data matching the program guide specifying information from the program DB unit based on the program guide specifying information specifying the type of program guide received from the terminal device. Extract the program ID,
2. The recording according to claim 1, wherein the extraction information control unit controls transmission of extraction information necessary for displaying the program guide specified by the program guide specifying information from the extracted program ID. system. The program DB unit further accumulates program genre, performer or summary data as the program data,
The program extraction unit refers to the program DB unit based on the search keyword received from the terminal device, and extracts a program ID corresponding to program data including the search keyword,
The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the extraction information control unit controls transmission of extraction information based on the extracted program ID. The program DB unit further accumulates program genre, performer, overview, topicality or audience rating data as the program data, and accumulates history information of program IDs selected in the past for each user,
The program extraction unit extracts a program ID to be recommended with reference to the history information or the program data stored in the program DB unit, based on recommendation request information received from the terminal device,
The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the extraction result control unit controls transmission of extraction information based on the extracted program ID. A recording system for recording a program according to a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network,
A program for storing program data including a program ID of each program, a program name associated with the program ID, a program start time, a program end time, channel information, a program genre, a program performer, or a program overview A DB unit, a program extraction unit for extracting a program ID corresponding to the program data including the search keyword from the program DB unit based on the search keyword received from the terminal device, and program data corresponding to the extracted program ID Among them, a centralized management apparatus having a recording reservation control unit that controls transmission of recording reservation information including channel information, program start time and program end time via a cable television network,
A recording unit that stores the recording reservation information received from the centralized management device via a cable television network, performs a recording reservation, and a recording unit that records recording data recorded by control of the recording reservation unit And a recording system. A recording system for recording a program according to a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network,
It includes the program ID of each program, the history information of the program ID selected in the past for each user, and the program name, program start time, program end time and channel information associated with the program ID. Program history information stored in the program DB section based on recommendation request information received from the terminal device, a program DB section that stores program data including any one of a user, an overview, topicality, and audience rating data Alternatively, a program extraction unit that extracts a program ID to be recommended with reference to the program data, and recording reservation information including channel information, program start time, and program end time among program data corresponding to the extracted program ID. , A centralized management apparatus having a recording reservation control unit that performs transmission control via a cable television network;
In accordance with the program data received from the centralized management device via a cable television network, a recording reservation unit that performs recording reservation, and a recording device that includes a recording unit that records recording data recorded by the control of the recording reservation unit; A recording system comprising: A recording system for recording a program according to a recording reservation instruction received from a terminal device operated by a user via a telecommunication network,
Based on the program ID of each program, a program DB unit that stores program data including the program name, program start time, program end time, and channel information associated with the program ID, and information received from the terminal device A program extraction unit for extracting the program ID from the DB unit, and recording reservation information including channel information, program start time and program end time among the program data for the program ID included in the extracted program ID A centralized management device having a recording reservation control unit that reads out from the program DB unit and controls transmission via a cable television network;
A recording apparatus that stores the recording reservation information received from the centralized management apparatus via a cable television network, performs a recording reservation, and a recording section that records recording data recorded by the control of the recording reservation section And comprising
In the centralized management device, the recording reservation control unit determines whether or not there has been input of time change information instructing to change a program start time or a program end time,
When there is the time change information, according to the time change information, change the start time or end time of the program, control the transmission to the recording device via a cable television network,
In the recording apparatus, the recording reservation unit controls the start of recording and the end of recording at the changed program start time or program end time.

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