JP2002354352A - Receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a receiver by which desired video and voice can be viewed and listened continuously, without having to carry out complicated operations. SOLUTION: When a prescribed instruction of continuous reproduction is provided, a control section 10 searches a program (subsequent program) which belongs to the same category, as that of a received program at this moment and is scheduled to be broadcasted in the subsequent broadcast time. When an idle time appears between the broadcast end time of the currently received program and the broadcast start time of the subsequent program, the control section 10 searches for programs of the same category from programs recorded in an HD drive 12 (programs broadcasted in the past) and reproduction information stored in a CD and an MD loaded in external equipment, so as to fill the idle time. When search results of the subsequent program, stored programs, and reproduction information are obtained, the control section 10 continuously reproduces and outputs these pieces of information in a prescribed order.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a receiver for receiving various digital broadcasts.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, various digital broadcasts for digitizing video signals and audio signals for broadcasting have been put to practical use. For example, digital broadcasting such as CS (Communication Satellite) digital broadcasting and BS (Broadcasting Satellite) digital broadcasting, or digital audio broadcasting DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) in Europe and the like has been put to practical use.

[0003] Digitization of broadcasting has brought various advantages such as higher quality of video and audio, multi-channel, and distribution of various accompanying information related to a program being broadcast. For example, an electronic program guide (EPG) is realized by using accompanying information included in distribution information distributed by various digital broadcasts, and when a program is viewed, information related to the content can be obtained, or a desired content can be obtained. Functions useful for viewing programs, such as searching for programs and making viewing reservations, are provided.

[0004]

By the way, in the conventional receiver, if it is desired to continuously watch a program having a desired content, the user can search for the program using an electronic program guide and make a viewing reservation. Although good, programs with desired contents are not always broadcast continuously.

[0005] For this reason, a user who wants to view desired video and audio continuously, while a program having a desired content is not being broadcast, is stored in a storage medium such as a DVD, a CD, or a hard disk. (Video information and audio information)
To play back and output the video and audio using a predetermined playback device, and watch the program using a receiver when the broadcast start time of the desired program is reached. I had to.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a receiver capable of continuously viewing desired video and audio without performing complicated operations. Is to do.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a receiver according to the present invention receives distribution information corresponding to a broadcast channel by a receiving means, and reproduces reproduction information stored in a predetermined storage medium. Is read out by the stored information reading means. Then, when a predetermined operation is performed by the user using the operating means, the first means received by the receiving means by the searching means.
In addition to searching for the second distribution information related to the distribution information of the second distribution information to be distributed at the subsequent broadcast time, and when a vacant time occurs between the broadcast times of the first and second distribution information, Searching for information related to the first distribution information from the stored information recorded on the storage medium so as to fill in the free time, and based on the search result by the searching means, the second information received by the receiving means. The first and second distribution information and the stored information read by the stored information reading means are continuously reproduced and output by the reproducing means.

[0008] By performing a predetermined operation, the second distribution information and the stored information having the contents related to the first distribution information are searched, and the first and second distribution information and the stored information are continuously reproduced. Since the output is performed, the desired video and audio can be continuously viewed without performing a complicated operation.

It is desirable that the stored information stored in the storage medium includes distribution information which has been received by the receiving means in the past and has not been reproduced and output by the reproducing means. By storing distribution information that has been received in the past and has not been reproduced and output yet as accumulated information, the first information is broadcasted when there is a free time between the broadcast times of the first and second distribution information. Can be viewed, which is related to this distribution information and has not yet been viewed.

[0010] In addition, the stored information stored in the storage medium includes:
Reproduction information other than the distribution information received in the past by the receiving unit is included, and when the stored information is searched by the above-described searching unit, the distribution information included in the stored information is searched with priority. It is desirable to search for reproduction information when there is no corresponding distribution information. Even if there is no distribution information corresponding to the reproduction target in the accumulated information, the other reproduction information is searched and reproduced and output.
In addition, it is possible to reliably fill in the idle time generated during the broadcast time of the second distribution information, and to realize continuous viewing of video and audio.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a receiver according to the present embodiment. FIG.
As shown in FIG.
0, CD (compact disk) changer 1
10. It is mutually connected to each device of the MD (mini-disc) player 120.

The receiver 100 is for receiving digital broadcasting. In addition, the receiver 100 of the present embodiment includes:
It also has a function of controlling the operations of the CD changer 110 and the MD player 120 based on operation instructions given by the user, and receives audio reproduced by each device via the bus 130 and outputs audio. The detailed configuration of the receiver 100 will be described later.

The CD changer 110 is capable of loading a plurality of CDs as storage media.
The music recorded in D is read and reproduced, and the audio data is transmitted to the receiver 100 via the bus 130. MD
The player 120 reads and reproduces music recorded on the MD serving as a storage medium, and transmits audio data to the bus 130.
Via the receiver 100.

Next, a detailed configuration of the receiver 100 will be described. The receiver 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes an antenna 1, a front end unit (F / E) 2, a demodulation unit 3, a channel selection unit 4, a decoder 5, a monitor device 6, a digital-analog (D / A) conversion unit 7, Amplifier 8, speaker 9, control unit 1
0, operation unit 11, HD (hard disk) drive 1
2. The communication processing unit 13 is included.

The front end unit 2 extracts a desired reception frequency (tuning frequency) component from a broadcast wave received via the antenna 1, and converts the extracted signal into an intermediate frequency signal. Is output. The demodulation unit 3 demodulates transmission data by performing a predetermined demodulation process after converting the intermediate frequency signal output from the front end unit 2 into digital data.

The channel selection unit 4 extracts distribution information of a desired broadcast channel from transmission data output from the demodulation unit 3 based on an instruction from the control unit 10 and outputs the information to the decoder 5. The decoder 5 includes a channel selection unit 4
The video data and the audio data of the program are restored by performing a predetermined decompression process on the distribution information output from the program.

The monitor device 6 includes a display unit and a speaker, and performs video display and audio output based on video data and audio data output from the decoder 5. The digital-analog conversion unit 7 receives the audio data reproduced by the CD changer 110 or the MD player 120 from the control unit 10 and converts the audio data into an analog signal.

The amplifier 8 includes a digital-analog conversion unit 7
Is amplified by a predetermined gain and output to the speaker 9. The speaker 9 outputs a sound corresponding to the amplified analog signal. The control unit 10 controls the receiver 1 to receive distribution information of a desired broadcast channel.
00 and the CD changer 1
10 and the operation of the MD player 120 are controlled.

The control unit 10 also controls the distribution information included in the transmission data output from the demodulation unit 3 that is not to be extracted by the channel selection unit 4, that is,
A process of storing distribution information of a program that has not been reproduced and output in the HD drive 12 is also performed. The details of the operation of the control unit 10 will be described later.

The operation unit 11 includes operation keys for the user to perform various operation instructions such as a channel selection operation, and outputs a signal corresponding to the operation state of the operation keys to the control unit 10. H
The D drive 12 includes a hard disk as a storage medium therein, and stores distribution information output from the control unit 10.

The communication processing unit 13 includes a bus 13
CD changer 110 or MD player 120
Communication processing necessary for transmitting and receiving data to and from the server is performed. The antenna 1, the front end unit 2, the demodulation unit 3, the channel selection unit 4, and the control unit 10 are used as reception means, the operation unit 11 is used as operation means, the control unit 10 is used as stored information reading means and search means, and the decoder 5 is used. , The monitor device 6, the digital-analog conversion unit 7, the amplifier 8, the speaker 9, and the control unit 10 correspond to the reproduction means, respectively.

The receiver according to the present embodiment has such a configuration. Next, when a predetermined operation instruction (hereinafter, referred to as “continuous reproduction instruction”) is performed, the receiver is distributed thereafter. The operation of continuously reproducing and outputting distribution information of a program to be performed will be described. FIG. 2 shows a receiver 1 according to the present embodiment.
9 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the operation of the second embodiment. The control unit 10 determines whether or not a predetermined continuous reproduction instruction has been issued by the user using the operation unit 11 (Step 100). For example,
The operation unit 11 is provided with a dedicated operation key for giving a continuous playback instruction.
0 is performed. While the continuous reproduction instruction is not issued, a negative determination is made, and the determination of step 100 is repeated.

When a predetermined continuous reproduction instruction is issued, an affirmative determination is made in step 100, and the control unit 10 specifies a genre based on distribution information (first distribution information) of the program currently being received (first distribution information). Step 101). For example, if the program being received is a program that provides music belonging to classical music, the genre is specified as “classic” based on predetermined accompanying information added to the distribution information of the program. .

Next, based on the distribution information (second distribution information) of the program to be distributed (hereinafter, referred to as the “next program”), the control unit 10 determines whether the genre is the same as the genre specified in step 101. The next program is searched (step 102). Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a free time is generated from the broadcast end time of the program currently being received to the broadcast start time of the next program searched in Step 102 (Step 103). If no idle time occurs, a negative determination is made in step 103 and the control unit 10
After the currently received program ends, step 10
The distribution information of the next program searched in step 2 is received, and control for reproducing and outputting is performed (step 104). Thereafter, the process returns to step 101 described above, and the subsequent processing is repeated.

If a vacant time occurs before the broadcast start time of the next program, an affirmative judgment is made in step 103 described above, and then the control unit 10 transmits the past program distribution information stored in the HD drive 12. , A program of the same genre as the genre specified in step 101 is searched (step 105).

Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the time required to reproduce the distribution information of the past program (hereinafter referred to as “stored program”) obtained as a search result in step 105 is obtained from the idle time. It is determined whether there is still time (step 106). If there is no free time, a negative determination is made in step 106, and in this case, the processing shown in step 107 described later is omitted.

If there is still free time, step 1
In step 06, an affirmative determination is made, and the control unit 10
3, the CD changer 110 and the MD player 1
20 and the CDs and Ms loaded in these devices
The reproduction information (song data) stored in D is searched for reproduction information of the same genre as the genre specified in step 101 (step 10).
7). Specifically, such a search process is performed on a CD or an MD.
This can be performed based on text information included in TOC (Table Of Contents) information or the like recorded in the.

Next, after the broadcast of the currently received program ends, the control unit 10 obtains, in a predetermined order, the distribution information of the stored program extracted in step 105 and the reproduction information searched in step 107, and obtains them. A process for reproducing and outputting is performed (step 108). Next, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the broadcast start time of the next program extracted in step 102 described above has come (step 109). If it is not the broadcast start time of the next program, step 109
A negative determination is made in step, and the reproduction output of the stored program or the like is continued.

When the broadcast start time of the next program comes,
An affirmative determination is made in step 109, and the control unit 10 performs a process of receiving and reproducing and outputting the distribution information of the next program (step 110). Thereafter, the process returns to step 101 described above, and the subsequent processing is repeated.

FIG. 3 is a diagram specifically showing the contents of processing for continuously reproducing the next program, stored program, and the like. For example, a description will be given assuming that a program A of channel 1 (CH1) is currently being received and a predetermined continuous reproduction instruction is issued at time t1. In this case, the next program of the same genre as the program A is searched first. In FIG. 3, the program C of channel 3 is obtained as a search result. And program A
After the end of the broadcast, the control unit 10 performs a process of receiving and reproducing and outputting the program C.

Next, during reception of the program C, a next program of the same genre as the program C is searched. In FIG. 3, the program D of channel 4 is obtained as a search result. Further, in this case, since a free time occurs between the broadcast end time t2 of the program C and the broadcast start time t3 of the program D,
Based on the distribution information stored in the D drive 12, a stored program of the same genre is searched. In FIG. 3, a program B broadcasted in the past on channel 2 is obtained as a search result.

As indicated by the hatching in FIG. 3, the program B starts from the idle time between times t2 and t3.
Because there is still free time after subtracting the playback time of
And the reproduction information stored in the MD is searched for the same genre. After the broadcast of the program C, the control unit 10 performs the reproduction output of the program B, which is a stored program, and the reproduction information extracted from the CD or MD. Time t
At 3, the control unit 10 performs a process of receiving and reproducing and outputting the program D.

As long as the operation instruction to cancel the continuous reproduction instruction is not issued, the continuous reproduction processing of the next program or the like is continued after the end of the broadcast of the program D in the same manner as described above. As described above, when a predetermined continuous reproduction instruction is issued, the receiver 100 according to the present embodiment is in the same genre as the program being received at that time, and is broadcasted at a subsequent broadcast time (next broadcast time). If a free time is found between the broadcast end time of the currently received program and the broadcast start time of the next program, the HD drive 12 is recorded to fill the free time. The same genre is searched for from stored programs and playback information stored on a CD or MD loaded in an external device. Then, the next program, the stored program, and the reproduction information obtained as a search result are continuously reproduced and output in a predetermined order, so that a desired video or audio can be continuously viewed without performing a complicated operation. .

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment described above,
When a predetermined continuous reproduction instruction is issued, the subsequent reproduction output target (the next program or stored program, etc.) is continuously searched and reproduced and output. It is also possible to search for a reproduction output target for a predetermined period (for example, several hours later).

In the above-described embodiment, the HD drive 12 provided in the receiver 100 is used to store the distribution information of programs broadcasted in the past and not yet reproduced and output. An HD drive for storing information may be provided outside the receiver 100.
Further, as a storage medium for storing distribution information of programs broadcasted in the past, a medium other than a hard disk such as a writable or rewritable disk medium such as a DVD may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the reproduction information stored on the CD or MD is searched for. However, other storage media (for example, a semiconductor memory or a hard disk) are used.
May be set as a search target. In the above-described embodiment, when a vacant time occurs before the broadcast start time of the next program, a program (stored program) broadcast in the past is searched for preferentially, and when a vacant time occurs, it is stored in a CD or the like. Was searching for the playback information, but on the contrary, CD
And the like, may be preferentially searched for the reproduction information stored in the file.

In the above-described embodiment, the receiver for receiving and reproducing and outputting video information and audio information distributed by digital broadcasting has been described. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, the present invention can also be applied to a digital audio broadcast receiver that mainly distributes audio information.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a predetermined operation is performed, it is related to the first distribution information currently being received and distributed at a subsequent broadcast time. Second
Is searched, and if a vacant time occurs between the broadcast times of the first and second distribution information, the stored information recorded in the storage medium is filled so as to fill the vacant time. Is searched for, and the first and second distribution information and the stored information are continuously reproduced and output, so that a desired video or audio can be continuously reproduced without performing a complicated operation. You can watch it.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a receiver according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the receiver.

FIG. 3 is a diagram specifically showing the content of processing for continuously reproducing a next program, a stored program, and the like.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Antenna 2 Front end part (F / E) 3 Demodulation part 4 Channel selection part 5 Decoder 6 Monitoring device 7 Digital-analog (D / A) conversion part 8 Amplifier 9 Speaker 10 Control part 11 Operation part 12 Hard disk (HD) drive 13 communication processing unit 100 receiver 110 CD changer 120 MD player 130 bus

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G11B 27/10 G11B 27/10 A 5K061 31/00 503 31/00 503G 511 511Z 541 541U H04B 1/16 H04B 1/16 GM H04N 5/76 H04N 5/76 Z 7/025 7/08 A 7/03 7/035 F term (reference) 5C025 AA23 BA25 BA27 BA30 DA01 DA05 DA10 5C052 AA01 AB03 AB04 AC08 CC06 DD04 EE02 EE03 5C063 AB03 AC01 AC05 AC10 CA23 EB32 5D044 AB05 AB07 BC01 BC03 CC04 CC09 FG23 GK12 5D077 AA22 AA26 AA30 AA38 BA09 BB16 5K061 AA09 BB06 BB07 BB19 EF07 JJ06 JJ07

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A receiving means for receiving distribution information corresponding to a broadcast channel, a stored information reading means for reading stored information to be reproduced stored in a predetermined storage medium, and an operating means for receiving a user operation Searching for the second distribution information related to the first distribution information received by the reception means when a predetermined operation is performed using the operation means and distributed at a subsequent broadcast time In addition, when a vacant time occurs between the broadcast times of the first and second distribution information, the vacant time is selected from the stored information recorded on the storage medium so as to fill the vacant time. Search means for searching for information related to the first distribution information; first and second distribution information received by the receiving means based on a search result by the search means;
And a reproducing means for continuously reproducing and outputting the stored information read by the stored information reading means. 2. The distribution information according to claim 1, wherein the storage information stored in the storage medium includes the distribution information that has been received in the past by the reception unit and has not been reproduced and output by the reproduction unit. A receiver. 3. The search unit according to claim 1, wherein the storage information stored in the storage medium includes reproduction information other than the distribution information received in the past by the reception unit, Receiving the stored information preferentially searching for the distribution information included in the stored information, and performing a search for the reproduction information when there is no corresponding distribution information. Machine.