JP4766920B2 - Broadcast program receiver - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a broadcast program receiver that receives a broadcast program.

  A television receiver is generally known for receiving a broadcast signal and viewing it. The user searches for a desired program from the program table, and sets the channel of the television receiver in order to view the searched program.

  On the other hand, in recent years, not only video and audio signals but also program information including a program being received and a program schedule (EPG: Electronic Program Guide) of a program broadcast from these are multiplexed in the broadcast signal. . Therefore, on the receiver side, a broadcast of a desired channel can be viewed, and a program schedule can be displayed on the screen as necessary.

  Therefore, the user performs an operation of displaying a program schedule in order to know when the currently viewed program ends and the next program, the program of another channel, and the like. In response to the operation, the receiver side displays the program schedule sent by temporarily interrupting the screen display of the program being viewed or displaying it on a part of the video being viewed (picture-in-picture) Let By viewing the program schedule by the user, the end time of the program being viewed can be predicted, and the next program can be selected.

  However, when watching a program that may be extended, such as a baseball game, it is difficult to accurately determine when the program will end.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 propose a processing method using a program schedule distributed together with video and audio signals and time information from a clock provided in the receiver. Patent Document 1 proposes a broadcast program receiver that detects the end of a program from the program schedule and time information and turns off the power at the end time of the program.

Further, in Patent Document 2, it is detected that a program started on the channel different from the program being viewed from the program schedule and time information (back program start detection), and the back program information is displayed on the screen being viewed. Broadcast program receivers for display have been proposed.
JP-T-2001-506443 JP 2000-270277 A

  In Patent Document 1, the power supply of the receiver is shut off at the end of the program, and there is no way to know the end time of the program being viewed, for example, the remaining time. Further, according to Patent Document 2, it is possible to know a program whose broadcast is started on another channel or the like separately from the program being viewed. However, there is no way to know the end time of the program being viewed, for example, the remaining time.

  As described above, in both cases of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the remaining time until the end of the program being viewed is not provided to the user. In order for the user to know the remaining time of the program, it is necessary to display the program schedule many times, check whether the program is extended, and check the time information on the clock.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide the remaining time until the end of broadcast of a viewing program without user's trouble.

  Also, in a broadcast program receiver having a function like an HDD recorder having a recording unit that performs writing and reading at high speed, while recording a broadcast program being received, it does not wait until the end of the broadcast of the program, Chasing from the beginning, time-shifted playback is possible. When viewing a program with time-shifted playback, the user wants to check not only the remaining time until the end of the actual broadcast of the program but also the remaining time until the end of the time-shifted playback as described above.

  In order to solve such a problem, the present invention does not require the user's trouble, and the time remaining until the actual broadcast of the program at the current time ends, even during time-shift playback, The purpose is to provide the remaining time until the end of the time-shift playback of the program.

To achieve the above object, the present invention includes a receiving means for receiving a broadcast, a first acquiring means for acquiring a program schedule of the broadcast program being received even without low, first obtains the current time as time information a secondary acquisition means, a calculating means for calculating the remaining time to the end time of the broadcast program being output, while recording the broadcast program being received, the recording and reproducing means capable of reproducing the program from any point in time, the receiving Output means for outputting a broadcast program received by the means and output by the recording / reproducing means, the output means further outputs the remaining time until the end time by the calculating means, and the calculating means is provided by the recording / reproducing means. The time difference that occurs between the recording position and the playback position of a program is calculated, and the remaining time until the end of playback of the program is calculated using the program schedule, current time information, and the calculated time difference. To.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the first acquisition unit further acquires the program schedule following the broadcast program being received, the output means and outputs a continuing program schedule with time remaining.

According to the broadcast program receiver of the present invention, not only provide the remaining time of the program being reproduced, the actual program in data Imushifuto reproduction broadcast until time shift reproduction end time remaining and the program to the end The remaining time can be provided to the user.

  The remaining time provided to the user is displayed in accordance with a display unit that displays the video of the actually received program, so that the user can calmly watch the program being viewed.

  In the following embodiments, a television receiver including a display unit for displaying a program is shown as an example of a broadcast program receiver. However, the present invention is a display unit (for example, a monitor) that displays a broadcast program. However, the present invention can be applied to any broadcast program receiver provided with output means for outputting a broadcast program to the display unit. For example, HDD recorders and DVD recorders have output means for receiving broadcast programs and outputting the received programs to a connected monitor via video and audio terminals provided on the HDD recorder and DVD recorder. This is a broadcast program receiver, and the present invention can be applied to such a broadcast program receiver.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the internal configuration of a television receiver to which the present invention is applied. This television receiver receives a digital broadcast and displays an image on a display unit. As described above, the present invention is not limited to the receiver described below.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is a tuner that acquires a broadcast signal of a desired channel selected by a user among a plurality of broadcast signals received from an antenna (not shown), and 2 is a signal that is multiplexed from the acquired broadcast signal. And a signal separation unit for separating audio signals, video signals, PSI / SI information (program specific information / program arrangement information), and the like.

  Reference numeral 3 denotes an audio decoding unit that decodes the audio from the audio signal obtained by separating the multiplexed broadcast signal by the signal separation unit 2, and 4 denotes a speaker that outputs the decoded audio. Similarly, reference numeral 5 denotes a multiplexed video signal, a video decoding unit for decoding video from the video signal separated by the signal separation unit 2, and 6 a decoded video and further video or text. A synthesizing unit 7 for synthesizing is a display unit such as a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or a CRT for displaying an image. Here, when there is no video or text to be synthesized, the synthesis unit 6 outputs the video decoded by the video signal processing unit 5 to the display unit 7 as it is.

  What outputs audio and video to the speaker 4 and the display unit 7 is an output unit. In this example, the audio decoding unit 3 and the synthesis unit 6 constitute an output unit. In a broadcast program receiver such as an HDD recorder that does not include the speaker 4 and the display unit 7, an output terminal from the output means is provided for monitor output.

  Reference numeral 8 in FIG. 1 is a reference clock (STC: System Time Clock) generator for generating a clock that serves as a reference for the entire television receiver, and is a second acquisition means for acquiring time information according to the present invention. Is configured. The clock from the reference clock generator 8 is used to provide audio and video at appropriate timing in a television receiver that receives digital broadcasting.

  Reference numeral 9 is a control unit that receives a user input and includes the above-described blocks and controls the operation of other blocks. The control unit 9 includes a storage unit 90 that will be described in detail later. Reference numeral 10 denotes a guidance information generation unit that generates information such as the remaining time of a received program to be presented to the user in addition to the TV program video. Reference numeral 11 denotes a tuning control unit that performs tuning channel switching control based on tuning information from the user. The channel selection control unit 11 includes an EPG processing unit that processes PSI / SI information in a multiplexed broadcast signal and extracts a program schedule (EPG).

  A television receiver is configured by including the components as described above. This television receiver can further have a recording / reproducing function at the same time. The recording / reproducing function includes a recording / reproducing control unit 12 for recording a received program, controlling reproduction of the recorded program, and a recording unit 13 for recording the program.

  In the television receiver for digital broadcasting configured as described above, it is necessary to reproduce video and audio synchronously. On the other hand, in analog broadcasting, the television receiver can ensure the synchronization of video and audio simply by playing it as received. However, in digital broadcasting, the data amount of an MPEG-compressed video signal varies, so that the television receiver cannot reproduce the received video signal at the same timing. A mechanism for synchronizing video and audio in digital broadcasting will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for synchronously reproducing video and audio in digital broadcasting. In FIG. 2, a video encoding unit 21, an audio encoding unit 22, and a multiplexing unit 23 on the transmission side operate in synchronization with a generated clock from a reference clock (STC) generation unit 24 installed on the transmission side. The video encoding unit 21 is a PTS (Presentati) that represents display timing based on STC.
on Time Stamp) is included in the encoded video signal. Similarly, the voice encoding unit 22 puts PTS into the encoded voice signal. In order to send the clock from the reference clock (STC) generating unit 24 to the receiving side, the multiplexing unit 23 puts a program clock reference (PCR) into the broadcast signal obtained by multiplexing the video signal and the audio signal, and transmits it to the receiving side. .

  On the other hand, as for the receiving side, the portion for outputting the video and audio described in the television receiver in FIG. On the receiving side, the same reference clock as that on the transmitting side is generated by the reference clock (STC) generation unit 8 using the received PCR, and used as a reference for the entire receiver. The video decoding unit 5 and the audio decoding unit 3 output the video and audio in synchronization with the timing described in the PTS with reference to this STC. As a result, viewing can be performed in a state where the synchronization relationship between video and audio is maintained.

  Next, an operation outline of the television receiver when the user views a television program will be described with reference to FIG. When the user designates the channel selected using the remote controller or the like, the control unit 9 receives the user input and gives it to the channel selection control unit 11. The channel selection control unit 11 switches the channel received by the tuner 1 based on the channel selection information, the tuner 1 acquires the multiplexed broadcast signal, and the signal is separated by the signal separation unit 2. Among the multiplexed signals, the audio signal and the video signal are decoded by the audio decoding unit 3 and the video decoding unit 5, respectively, the audio is output from the speaker 4, and the video is output from the display unit 7 via the synthesis unit 6. Is done. The operations related to the synchronization of audio and video are as described in FIG.

  In addition, an outline of the operation of the television receiver when the user performs time-shifted reproduction while recording a broadcast program being received will be described with reference to FIG. When recording a program, when the user selects a program to be recorded and instructs to record the program using a remote controller or the like, the control unit 9 receives the user input and gives the channel selection control unit 11 information on the selected program. Then, a recording instruction is given to the recording / reproducing control unit 12. The channel selection control unit 11 switches the channel received by the tuner 1 based on the user input information, and the tuner 1 acquires the broadcast signal of the program selected by the user. The acquired broadcast signal is given to the recording / playback control unit 12 via the signal separation unit 2 and recorded in the recording unit 13.

  When time-shifting playback of a recorded program, the television receiver performs the following operation while recording the program being received as described above. When the user instructs time shift reproduction using a remote controller or the like, the control unit 9 receives the user input and provides it to the recording / reproduction control unit 12. The recording / playback control unit 12 reads out the program recorded in the recording unit 13 from the program start time and gives it to the signal separation unit 2. The audio signal and the video signal are respectively decoded by the audio decoding unit 3 and the video decoding unit 5, the audio is output from the speaker 4, and the video is output from the display unit 7 via the synthesis unit 6. At this time, the audio and video are synchronized with respect to the STC. However, since the program is reproduced later than the actual broadcast, the values of the PTS and STC contained in the audio signal and the video signal are shifted. . For this reason, the PTS and STC play back the program at the timing when the difference between the PTS value at the playback start position of the program and the STC value at the start of playback is maintained, and the audio and video are synchronized.

<Control action by real-time viewing>
As described above, the television receiver of FIG. 1 can receive a digital broadcast and watch a program desired by the user, can record using the recording / playback control unit 12, and can record the recorded program by time-shift playback. Can watch. In order to deepen the understanding of the present invention in the television receiver having such a configuration, a control operation for achieving the object of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the storage unit 90 provided in the control unit 9. Of course, the storage unit 90 may be configured to provide a storage unit of another configuration without being provided in the control unit 9, and the storage unit of another configuration also includes the storage unit 90 as shown below. Controlled and stores information.

  Therefore, the storage unit 90 provided in the control unit 9 includes a storage area 91 that holds a PTS value at the start of a program of a received program, a storage area 92 that holds a PTS value at the start of a recorded program of a program to be time-shifted, And it has the storage area 93 holding various user setting information including the timing of guidance information presentation. By storing these pieces of information in the storage unit 90, it is possible to realize control that presents guidance information desired by the user during viewing, particularly the remaining time of the program, described below.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of presentation of guidance information according to the present invention when actually watching a television program. Actual display examples and the like will be described in order based on this figure.

  In FIG. 4, the user views a program broadcast from 21:00 to 22:00 on channel 1 (CH1), and designates in advance 5 minutes before the end of the broadcast of the program and the end of the broadcast as the guidance information presentation timing. An example is shown.

  The user selects channel 1 using a remote controller or the like. The television receiver outputs the program of the selected channel as described above. In the example of FIG. 1, video is output to the display unit 7 and audio is output via the speaker 4. When the user designates the guidance information presentation timing 5 minutes before the end of the broadcast of the program and the end of the broadcast using the remote controller or the like, the control unit 9 receives the user input, and the storage unit 90 provided in the control unit 9 The user setting information is stored in the storage area 93. The presentation timing of the guidance information stored in the storage area 93 is saved without being overwritten until the user next changes the presentation timing. That is, once the user sets the guidance information presentation timing, there is no need to reset it every time the user views the program.

  The channel 1 program set by the user is displayed on the display unit 7 of the television receiver as shown in FIG. 4A from the start of broadcasting (21:00). Until 5 minutes before the end of the broadcast (21:55), the channel 1 program continues to be displayed as it is.

  The control unit 9 calculates the remaining time of the viewing program using the PTS or STC for synchronizing the audio and the video and the viewing program organization time (time from the start to the end of the program) included in the program schedule, In addition, guidance information for the user can be created and presented. Details will be described below. The control unit 9 acquires part of the PSI / SI information from the channel selection control unit 11, monitors the video signal input to the video decoding unit 5 based on the information, and detects the video signal at the start of the program To do. The PTS value included in the video signal at the start of the program is acquired from the video decoding unit 5 and stored in the storage area 91. Similarly, the PTS value at the start of the program can be acquired from the audio signal.

  Further, the control unit 9 acquires the program schedule taken out from the PSI / SI information by the channel selection control unit 11, and obtains the viewing program scheduling time. The program schedule here includes at least the program broadcast on the current reception channel, and the program information of the subsequent program start time, organization time, and program title name. Further, the control unit 9 determines from the PTS value at the start of the program held in the storage area 91 and the PTS value included in the audio or video signal output at that time from the start of the program to that time. Calculate elapsed time. Then, the control unit 9 calculates the remaining time until the end of the viewing program by obtaining the difference between the program organization time and the calculated elapsed time from the start of the program. The control unit 9 compares the calculated remaining time with the broadcast information presentation timing stored in the storage area 93 five minutes before the end of the program broadcast or at the end of the program broadcast.

  In the above description, the elapsed time from the start of the program is calculated using the PTS value included in the audio signal or video signal. However, since there is a correlation between the PTS value and the STC value of the reference clock generation unit 8 and audio and video are output at the timing when the PTS value and the STC value match, the control unit 9 does not use the PTS value. The elapsed time from the start of the program may be calculated with reference to the STC value.

  If the control unit 9 repeatedly performs the above-described control and detects that the guidance information selected by the user is present, for example, 5 minutes before the end of the program or at the end of the program broadcast, the control unit 9 displays the guidance information to be presented to the user. Guidance information is presented to the user by giving it to the combining unit 6 and displaying it on the display unit 7.

  For this purpose, the control unit 9 instructs the guidance information generation unit 10 to generate guidance information in advance, and the guidance information generation unit 10 displays the remaining time information to be presented to the user and the latest program schedule, which are information necessary for the guidance information generation. Give to. When the remaining time information to be presented and the program schedule, which are information necessary for generating the guidance information, are updated, the control unit 9 gives the updated latest information to the guidance information generating unit 10, and the guidance information based on the latest information. Is generated. However, when only the remaining time information is presented to the user as guidance information, the control unit 9 may not provide the program schedule information to the guidance information generation unit 10.

  The guidance information generation unit 10 includes a storage unit (not shown) that holds guidance information. The guidance information generation unit 10 generates guidance information based on information obtained from the control unit 9 and stores the guidance information in a storage unit included in the guidance information generation unit 10. When the remaining time information and the program schedule to be presented to the user are updated, the guidance information is regenerated based on the latest information and is stored in the storage unit included in the guidance information generating unit 10.

  When the control unit 9 detects the guidance information presentation timing designated by the user, for example, 5 minutes before the end of the actual program broadcast, the guidance information generation unit 10 generates the guidance information stored in the storage unit. Is taken out and output to the combining unit 6. Then, the synthesizing unit 6 synthesizes the video of the program currently viewed and the guidance information, and displays them on the display unit 7.

  Two examples of guidance information presentation to the user are shown in the state 5 minutes before the end of the broadcast set by the user for the above display example (21:55). In the example shown in FIG. 4 (b1), guidance information such as “It will end in 5 minutes” indicating the remaining time until the end of the program broadcast is displayed at the bottom of the video screen of the program.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4 (b2), the next program information is presented together with information indicating the remaining time at the bottom of the program video screen. In other words, as the guidance information to the user, the remaining time until the end of the program broadcast, that is, the time until the next program starts, and the title name of the program to be broadcast next on the receiving broadcast station, which is information obtained from the program schedule Are combined with the video of the viewing program and displayed.

  Note that the guidance information is not limited to the display example described above. In addition to this, the broadcast start / end time of the program to be broadcast next at the selected broadcasting station, and the program information of other stations are also stored. It may be presented as guidance information with time. In the display example, the guidance information including the remaining time is displayed at the lower part of the screen. However, the guidance information display position is not limited to the lower part of the screen, and may be displayed on the upper part or the side.

In the present invention, the remaining time of the program being viewed desired by the user is displayed, but this display need not be displayed until the end of the program. In other words, if it is always displayed, it will interfere with viewing, and the remaining time will change every moment. Therefore, it disappears after displaying for a predetermined time, for example, about 30 seconds. This time may be a time that can be recognized by the user, and can be arbitrarily set to 15 seconds or 10 seconds. When the program being viewed comes to the end of broadcasting (22:00), guidance information as described below can be provided to the user.

  FIG. 4C shows an example of presentation of the guidance information. In the example shown in FIG. 4C, a program schedule of a plurality of channels is displayed as guidance information on the entire screen. Here, the plural channels are other plural channels including the channel being selected. Further, it may be a plurality of other channels other than the channel being selected (channel 1 in this example).

  The multi-channel program schedule can be acquired by a conventionally known technical means in the EPG processing unit included in the channel selection control unit 11. For example, in BS digital broadcasting in which program schedules for all channels are transmitted from each station, it is possible to easily obtain program schedules for a plurality of channels. In digital terrestrial broadcasting in which each station transmits only its own program schedule, the channel selection control unit 11 can acquire a program schedule of a plurality of channels by scanning a plurality of channels.

  FIG. 4 (c) shows information on the channel of the selected broadcast station or other station, the title of the program, and the broadcast state (started or being broadcast) at that time. However, in addition to this, program information such as the broadcast start / end time of the program may be presented as guidance information. Further, the user is prompted to select a program on the guidance information screen. In the example shown in FIG. 4C, the guidance information is displayed on the entire screen, but the guidance information may be displayed on a part of the display screen.

  As described above, the television receiver according to the present embodiment described above can provide the user with the remaining time until the end of the broadcast of the program being viewed at a predetermined timing without taking time and effort. Here, the predetermined timing is exemplified by user settings, but this may be a time determined in advance by the receiver itself. Moreover, although it is displaying, it is needless to say that presentation by voice may be possible.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the remaining time can be provided, and at the same time, other guidance information can be presented in accordance with the provision time. As an example, as illustrated in FIG. 4 (b2), program information starting thereafter, program information broadcast on another channel, or broadcast program information can be presented together.

  Furthermore, in the television receiver according to the present embodiment, the program schedule information broadcast after the program being viewed can be obtained at a predetermined timing so that the user can not miss the program that he / she wants to watch. .

  Here, in digital broadcasting, program schedule information is always transmitted from a broadcasting station. For example, even when a live broadcast program of a sports program is extended, the change is reflected in the program schedule and transmitted. Therefore, the television receiver of the present invention can calculate the remaining time of an accurate viewing program by using the updated latest program schedule, and can provide correct guidance information at an accurate timing. That is, even when the program being viewed is extended and broadcast, the remaining time until the end can be accurately presented.

According to the television receiver having the above-described configuration, the user can check the exact remaining time until the end of the program, and can make a plan in advance what to do with the opportunity.

  In the above-described example, the remaining time information of the program is automatically provided at the timing set by the user in advance, but the user may want to check the remaining time information more frequently. In order to solve this problem, the television receiver may accept a request for immediate presentation of guidance information from the user.

  For example, when the user presses a guidance information request button provided on the remote controller, the control unit 9 can receive an input that the button has been pressed and can present the remaining time until the end of the program being received. At this time, the next program information and other broadcast program information can be presented together.

  As described above, the user's request can be met by promptly presenting the remaining time until the end of the program being received according to the present invention as guidance information at a timing desired by the user. In this case, the remaining time is calculated when the above button is operated, as described above, including the remaining time of the broadcast program being received, including the control unit 9, and this is output via the output means. The Further, the timing of presenting the remaining time is not limited to that of the first embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to the second embodiment described later.

<Other forms of presentation of guidance information>
In the description of the display examples in FIGS. 4B1 and 4B2 described above, information including the remaining time until the end of the program is presented as guidance information. However, the remaining time until the end of the program changes every moment. Therefore, the mode of disappearing after a predetermined time has been described. An example in which the remaining time is updated and displayed instead of such a form will be described below. This is effective because it can solve the problem of disturbing program viewing if the guidance information is always displayed, and can solve the problem when the remaining time cannot be recognized by the user. Become.

  In order to solve this problem, the guidance information to the user may be deleted when displayed for a certain period of time, and when the time has elapsed, the guidance information to the user may be presented to the user as updated guidance information.

  For example, the guidance information shown in FIG. 4 (b1) or (b2) is displayed at 21:55, displayed for 10 seconds, then the guidance information is erased, and the channel 1 program is displayed. Thereafter, at 21:56, the guidance information with the remaining time updated to 4 minutes is displayed, displayed for 10 seconds, and then turned off. Similarly, when the remaining time becomes 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and 1 minute, the guidance information with the remaining time updated is displayed for 10 seconds and repeatedly erased. This can be controlled by the control unit 9 according to a predetermined program or when the user designates, the presentation of the guidance information for the remaining time described above can be controlled.

  By doing so, it is possible to present accurate remaining time information to the user and to obtain an effect that the guidance information does not interfere with program viewing. Furthermore, even if the user misses the presentation of the first guidance information, the desired guidance information can be reliably presented to the user by confirming the information presented thereafter.

<Other aspects of the program>
The user changes the channel or leaves the seat on the occasion of the end of the program or a commercial started while viewing the program. Therefore, not only can the remaining time until the end of the program be provided as in the embodiment described above, but also the time until the start of the next commercial broadcast can be provided to the user.

  When the program schedule includes a commercial broadcast schedule, the television receiver of this aspect calculates the time until the next commercial broadcast and provides it to the user as described below.

  The control unit 9 calculates the elapsed time from the start of the program to that point in the same way as when calculating the remaining time of the viewing program. The control unit 9 specifies the commercial to be broadcast next from the program schedule including the commercial broadcast schedule obtained from the channel selection control unit 11 and the calculated elapsed time, and calculates the time until commercial start.

  For example, when the user presses the guidance information request button provided on the remote controller for the first time, the control unit 9 receives the input and presents the time until the start of the next broadcast as guidance information. When the second operation is performed within a predetermined time, for example, within 10 seconds from the time of the first operation, the control unit 9 receives the input and presents the remaining time until the end of the program as guidance information. The order of the above operations may be reversed. That is, the remaining time may be presented at the first time and the time until the commercial starts at the second time may be presented. In this example, each guidance information is presented by two operations of the same button. However, a separate button may be provided to present each guidance information.

  In this way, guidance information on the time until the start of the next commercial can be presented, and the user can check the remaining time until the end of the program, so in advance what to do on the occasion You can make a schedule.

<Control operation by time-shift viewing>
The above control operation has been described for the case of viewing a program currently broadcast in real time. Aside from this control, presentation control of guidance information for the remaining time when viewing by time shift that achieves another object of the present invention will be described.

  When a time-shifted playback is performed by chasing the program while recording the receiving program, there is a difference between the actual broadcast and the time until the end of viewing by the time-shifted playback. I want to check the remaining time until the end of viewing by time shift playback. For this reason, in the television receiver of this invention, both remaining time can be provided as guidance information. In the present invention, it is also possible to provide at least the remaining time until the end of viewing by time shift reproduction.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of presentation of guidance information according to the present invention when time-shifted reproduction is performed while recording a broadcast program being received. A control operation and a display example related to guidance information presentation will be described based on this figure.

  FIG. 5 shows a case where a program broadcast from 21:00 to 22:00 on channel 1 is viewed in the same manner as in FIG. 4 in order to simplify the explanation and to make it easier to understand the present embodiment by time-shift viewing. It is an example. Here, what is different from FIG. 4 is that the program desired by the user is recorded, and the program is viewed by time-shifted reproduction with a delay of 15 minutes from the actual broadcast. The user designates in advance 5 minutes before the end of the actual broadcast of the program and the end of the broadcast as the presentation timing of the guidance information.

When the user makes a reservation for recording a program to be broadcast from 21:00 to 22:00 on channel 1 using a remote controller or the like in advance, the television receiver selects the program selected as described above. Recording is sequentially performed on the recording unit 13 via the recording / reproducing control unit 12. When the user instructs to start time-shifted playback at 21:15 using a remote controller or the like, the television receiver controls the recording / playback control unit 12 from the beginning while continuing to record the program being received. Will continue to play. The designation of the guidance information presentation timing is as described with reference to FIG.

  At the start of time-shift playback (21:15), the program on channel 1 is displayed on the display unit 7 of the television receiver for 15 minutes from the actual broadcast as shown in the display screen at the start of playback in FIG. It is reproduced from the beginning with a delay, and is displayed on the display unit 7 via the synthesizing unit 6 serving as output means.

  Here, the calculation of the remaining time until the end of the actual program broadcast and the detection of the guidance information presentation timing are performed in the same manner as the real-time viewing of the program described above.

  Next, the operation of the recording / playback control unit 12 when recording a program and the control operation of the control unit 9 during time shift playback will be described.

  When recording a program, the recording / playback control unit 12 causes the recording unit 13 to record the audio signal and the video signal received from the signal separation unit 2 together with the PTS value. The PTS value may be changed by the recording / playback control unit 12 as long as audio and video can be played back synchronously. In addition, the recording / playback control unit 12 performs actual broadcasting of the currently received program detected by the control unit 9 on program information including at least the organization time of the currently received program included in the PSI / SI information received from the signal separation unit 2. The recording unit 13 records the broadcast at the timing when the broadcast ends or immediately before the end.

  When the control unit 9 receives the user input for starting the time-shift playback, the control unit 9 gives an instruction to the recording / playback control unit 12, and the recording / playback control unit 12 reads the program recorded in the recording unit 13 from the program start time. At that time, the control unit 9 acquires the PTS value included in the audio signal or video signal at the start of the program from the recording / playback control unit 12 and stores it in the storage area 92 that holds the PTS value at the start of the recorded program. This value is used by the control unit 9 to calculate the elapsed time from the program start time to the playback location later.

  The control unit 9 acquires the program schedule extracted from the PSI / SI information by the channel selection control unit 11, and obtains the viewing program scheduling time. Further, the control unit 9 determines from the PTS value at the start of the recorded program held in the storage area 92 and the PTS value included in the audio or video signal being reproduced at that time, from the start of program playback to the playback location. The elapsed time until is calculated. Then, the control unit 9 calculates the remaining time until the end of the time-shift viewing by calculating the difference between the program organization time and the calculated elapsed time from the start of the program.

  In the above, the elapsed time from the start of program playback to the playback location is calculated using the PTS value included in the audio signal or video signal. However, since there is a correlation between the PTS value and the STC value of the reference clock generation unit 8, the control unit 9 may calculate the elapsed time by referring to the STC value instead of the PTS value. For example, when the recorded program is time-shifted, the PTS value at the start of the recorded program is T1, and the STC value at that time is T2. The control unit 9 performs control so that the audio and video are reproduced at a timing at which the STC value and the PTS value always keep T2-T1. That is, every time the STC value advances by 1, the PTS value is controlled to advance by 1. Thus, since there is a correlation between the PTS value and the STC value, the STC value can be used instead of the PTS value.

  The scheduling time of the program used when the control unit 9 obtains the remaining time until the end of the time shift viewing can be obtained from the program schedule included in the broadcast signal before the end of the actual broadcast, and after the end of the actual broadcast. It can be obtained from the program information recorded in the recording unit 13 at the end of the program broadcast or just before the end. Thereby, even when the program is extended, the updated updated program schedule can be used, so that correct guidance information can be presented to the user in this embodiment.

  Therefore, as described above, if the control unit 9 detects the presentation timing of guidance information specified by the user, for example, the current state of channel 1 before the end of the actual broadcast of channel 1 or at the end of the actual program broadcast. Similarly to real-time viewing, guidance information to be presented to the user is given to the combining unit 6 and displayed on the display unit 7 to present the guidance information to the user. This will be described below.

  For this purpose, the control unit 9 instructs the guidance information generation unit 10 to generate guidance information in advance, and the guidance information generation unit 10 displays the remaining time information to be presented to the user and the latest program schedule, which are information necessary for the guidance information generation. Give to. When the remaining time information to be presented and the program schedule, which are information necessary for generating the guidance information, are updated, the control unit 9 gives the updated latest information to the guidance information generating unit 10, and the guidance information based on the latest information. Is generated. However, when only the remaining time information is presented to the user as guidance information, the control unit 9 may not provide the program schedule information to the guidance information generation unit 10.

  The guidance information generation unit 10 includes a storage unit that holds guidance information. The guidance information generation unit 10 generates guidance information based on information obtained from the control unit 9 and stores the guidance information in a storage unit included in the guidance information generation unit 10. When the remaining time information and the program schedule to be presented to the user are updated, the guidance information is regenerated based on the latest information and is stored in the storage unit included in the guidance information generating unit 10.

  When the control unit 9 detects the guidance information presentation timing designated by the user, for example, 5 minutes before the end of the actual program broadcast, the guidance information generation unit 10 generates the guidance information stored in the storage unit. Is taken out and output to the combining unit 6. Then, the synthesizing unit 6 synthesizes the video of the program being time-shifted and the guidance information, and displays them on the display unit 7.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of guidance information presentation to the user 5 minutes before the actual broadcast end (21:55). The example shown in FIG. 5 (b1) is the same as when viewing time, and the remaining time until the program ends in the actual broadcast as the guidance information to the user at the bottom of the video screen being played back, that is, the next The time until the program starts and the title name of the program to be broadcast next are combined and displayed on the screen being viewed by time shift. In the example shown in FIG. 5 (b2), the remaining time until the end of viewing by time-shift playback is synthesized and displayed as guidance information to the user at the bottom of the video screen being played back due to time-shift viewing. Can also be done.

  However, the guidance information is not limited to these examples. In addition, the guidance information includes the broadcast start / end time of the next program to be broadcast at the selected broadcasting station and the program information of other stations. May be displayed. In these examples, guidance information is displayed at the bottom of the screen, but the guidance information display position is not limited to the bottom of the screen.

  Further, the remaining time until the actual program broadcast ends and the remaining time until the end of viewing by time-shifted reproduction are separately displayed in FIG. 5 (b1) or (b2). The remaining time and the remaining time until the end of viewing by time shift reproduction may be displayed simultaneously.

Next, FIG. 5C shows an example of guidance information presentation to the user at the actual end of broadcasting (22:00). At the end of the actual broadcast, the control unit 9 temporarily stops the time shift reproduction and presents guidance information on the screen of the display unit 7. In the example shown in FIG. 5C, a program schedule of a plurality of channels is displayed as guidance information on the entire screen. Acquisition of a program schedule for a plurality of channels is as described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 (c) shows the channel of the selected broadcast station or other station, the title of the program, the broadcast status at that time (starting or being broadcast), and selection information for continuing the time-shift playback. Yes. However, in addition to this, program information such as the broadcast start / end time of the program may be presented as guidance information. In addition, the user is prompted to select switching between viewing programs and continuing time-shifted reproduction on the guidance information screen. In the description of the display example shown in FIG. 5C, the time shift playback is paused and the guidance information is displayed on the entire screen. However, the guidance information is displayed on a part of the display screen while the time shift playback is continued. You may do it.

  In the television receiver according to the embodiment described above, the user designates not only the remaining time until the actual broadcasting of the program being time-shifted is finished, but also the remaining time until the end of the time-shifted reproduction of the program. Can be provided at a predetermined timing. As a result, the user fast-forwards the program being time-shifted while confirming the remaining time information of the actual broadcast and the remaining time information until the end of the time-shift playback, and the actual broadcast until the next program starts. You can watch the time shift to catch up with. Furthermore, in the television receiver according to this embodiment, program information broadcast after the end of the actual broadcast of the program being time-shifted can be provided to the user at a predetermined timing. You wo n’t miss a program that ’s being played.

  In the example described above, the remaining time information can be obtained at a timing designated in advance by the user, but the user may want to check the remaining time information more frequently. In order to solve this problem, the television receiver may accept a request for immediate presentation of guidance information from the user.

  For example, when the user presses the guidance information request button provided on the remote controller once, the control unit 9 receives the input as if the button has been pressed once, and presents the remaining time until the program ends in the actual broadcast. be able to. If the button is further pressed within a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds after the button is pressed, the control unit 9 receives the input as if the button was pressed twice, and the program of time-shift playback The remaining time until the end of viewing can be presented as guidance information. At this time, the next program information and other broadcast program information can also be presented at the same time. In addition, it is a matter of course that the presentation of guidance information in one or two operations in the button operation may be reversed.

  As described above, at the timing desired by the user, the remaining time until the end of the actual broadcast of the broadcast program being received or the remaining time until the end of the time shift viewing / listening is immediately presented as guidance information, so that the user can request I can respond. In this case, the remaining time is calculated at the time when the button is operated, as described above, the remaining time until the end of the actual broadcast of the broadcast program being received or the remaining time until the end of the time-shift viewing. 9 is calculated and output via the output means.

  In the above example, the guidance information request button is operated once or twice at any point in time, so that the remaining time until the end of the actual broadcast or the remaining time until the end of the time shift viewing is presented. However, as a matter of course, a button for time shift viewing may be provided separately to present the remaining time by time shift viewing.

  Further, the above description is not limited to the first embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention can also be applied to the second embodiment described below.

(Second Embodiment)
In the television receiver shown in the first embodiment, the remaining time of the viewing program is calculated using the program schedule and the PTS or the reference clock STC included in the broadcast signal to be acquired as time information. .

  The television receiver shown in the second embodiment is described as calculating the remaining time of the program to be viewed using the program schedule and the current time obtained from the clock unit included in the television receiver as time information. To do.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram for explaining an internal configuration of the television receiver shown in the second embodiment. This television receiver may be either an analog broadcast receiver or a digital broadcast receiver. In the block diagram shown in FIG. 6, the same components as those in the block diagram of the television receiver in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and only different portions are described.

  In FIG. 6, reference numeral 214 denotes a clock unit that constitutes second acquisition means for maintaining the current time. The clock unit 214 automatically adjusts the time using various current time information for accurate time management. For example, the clock unit 214 may be a radio clock that automatically adjusts the time. The clock unit 214 may be a clock that performs time adjustment based on the current time included in the digital broadcast. Reference numeral 209 denotes a control unit similar to the control unit 9 described with reference to FIG. 4 that receives user input and controls each block, and includes a storage unit 90 ′. As shown in FIG. 7, the storage unit 90 ′ provided in the control unit 209 has a storage area 93 that holds various user setting information including the timing of guidance information presentation, and a storage area 94 that holds a time shift amount. Reference numeral 212 denotes a recording / reproduction control unit that performs recording of received programs and reproduction control of the recorded programs. The recording / playback control unit 212 stores the received program as digital data.

  In the digital broadcast receiver, as described in the first embodiment, the recording / playback control unit 212 records the audio signal and the video signal, which are digital data, together with the PTS value in the recording unit 13 during program recording, When reproducing a program, the recorded audio signal and video signal are reproduced. In the analog broadcast receiver, the recording / playback control unit 212 includes a processing circuit, and when recording a program, the video and audio that are analog data are converted and compressed into digital data, respectively, and the video and audio are synchronized. PTS for taking is added and recorded in the recording unit 13. When the program is played back, the recording / playback control unit 212 uses an internal processing circuit to synchronize the audio and video signals recorded as digital data in the recording unit 13 based on the PTS, and decompress and convert them into analog data. And play. Although the reference clock (STC) generator 8 is not shown in the block diagram shown in FIG. 6, it is provided as long as it is a receiver that receives digital broadcasting, and is used to synchronize audio and video. .

  Next, in the television receiver configured as described above, the operations of the constituent elements that are also featured in order to deepen the understanding of the present invention are recorded when the TV program is viewed in real time and the broadcast program being received is recorded. The explanation will be given separately for the case of time shift reproduction.

<Control action by real-time viewing>
The operation of the constituent elements that are characteristic of the second embodiment when viewing a TV program will be described. An example of guidance information is the same as the example shown in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted. Further, the designation of guidance information presentation timing and the like will be described as being the same as the example shown in the first embodiment in order to simplify the description.

The control unit 209 can calculate the remaining time of the viewing program using the current time of the clock unit 214 and the end time of the viewing program included in the program schedule, and can create and present guidance information for the user. Here, acquisition of a program schedule in digital broadcasting is as described in the first embodiment. Program information constituting a program schedule in analog broadcasting is superimposed on the VBI (vertical blanking interval) of the broadcast signal, and the signal separation unit 2 separates the program information from the broadcast signal and gives it to the channel selection control unit 11, The EPG processing unit of the channel selection control unit 11 takes out the program schedule and gives it to the control unit 209.

  The control unit 209 acquires the current time from the clock unit 214. In addition, the control unit 209 acquires the program schedule from the channel selection control unit 11 and obtains the end time of the viewing program from the information included in the program schedule. The control unit 209 calculates the remaining time until the end of the viewing program by calculating the difference between the current time and the end time of the viewing program, and determines the timing of presentation of the guidance information stored in the storage area 93. If the control unit 209 detects that the state is five minutes before the broadcast end time or at the end of the program, the guidance information to be presented to the user is given to the synthesis unit 6 and displayed on the display unit 7 to the user. Provide guidance information.

  For this purpose, the control unit 209 instructs the guidance information generation unit 10 in advance to generate guidance information, and the guidance information generation unit 10 displays the remaining time information to be presented to the user and the latest program schedule, which are information necessary for guidance information generation. Give to. If the remaining time information to be presented and the program schedule, which are information necessary for generating the guidance information, are updated, the control unit 209 gives the updated latest information to the guidance information generating unit 10, and the guidance information based on the latest information. Is generated. However, when only the remaining time information is presented to the user as guidance information, the control unit 209 may not provide the program schedule information to the guidance information generation unit 10.

  The guidance information generation unit 10 is as described in the first embodiment, and includes a storage unit that holds guidance information. The guidance information generation unit 10 generates guidance information based on the information obtained from the control unit 209 and stores the guidance information in a storage unit included in the guidance information generation unit 10. When the remaining time information and the program schedule to be presented to the user are updated, the guidance information is regenerated based on the latest information and is stored in the storage unit included in the guidance information generating unit 10.

  When the control unit 209 detects the guidance information presentation timing specified by the user, for example, 5 minutes before the end of the actual program broadcast or at the end of the program, the control information generation unit 10 generates and stores it in the storage unit. The guidance information is extracted and output to the synthesis unit 6. Then, the synthesizing unit 6 synthesizes the video of the program currently viewed and the guidance information, and displays them on the display unit 7. The display example at this time can display the guidance information shown in FIG. 4 as described in the first embodiment.

  Although the television receiver shown in the first embodiment is compatible only with digital broadcasting, the television receiver shown in the second embodiment is not only for digital broadcasting but also for analog broadcasting. Yes.

<Control operation by time-shift viewing>
Next, the control operation in the second embodiment in the case of time-shifted reproduction while recording a broadcast program being received will be described. As an example of guidance information, an example in which a time shift reproduction end time is presented in addition to the example shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment will be described. In addition, designation of guidance information presentation timing, program recording, and time-shifted playback instructions are the same as in the example shown in the first embodiment for the sake of simplicity.

  Here, the calculation of the remaining time until the end of the actual program broadcast and the detection of the guidance information presentation timing are performed in the same manner as the real-time viewing of the program described above.

Next, two examples of calculating the remaining time until the end of time shift viewing / listening are shown.
i: Calculation example of remaining time until end of time-shift viewing
The control unit 209 holds a time shift amount, which is time difference information generated between the actual program broadcast and the playback position by the recording / playback control unit 212, and further uses the program schedule and the current time to view the time shift of the program. An example of calculating the remaining time until the end will be described.

  When the control unit 209 receives a user input to start time-shift playback, the control unit 209 gives an instruction to the recording / playback control unit 212, and the recording / playback control unit 212 reads the program recorded in the recording unit 13 from the program start time, Start shift playback.

  At this time, the control unit 209 obtains the actual broadcast start time of the program to be time-shifted reproduced from the program schedule taken out by the channel selection control unit 11 and the time when the time-shift reproduction is started from the clock unit 214. Then, as the time difference information generated between the actual broadcast of the program and the playback by the recording / playback control unit 212, the control unit 209 calculates from the time information how many minutes behind the actual broadcast the program is played back. And stored in the storage area 94 that stores the time shift amount. Further, the control unit 209 updates the time difference information in accordance with the operation mode of the recording / playback control unit 212 and its duration.

  The above will be illustrated with specific examples. First, when a user starts a time-shifted playback in a normal mode (single speed) from 21:15 for a program that starts from 21:00, the control unit 209 determines the actual broadcast start time 21:00 and the clock from the program schedule. The time shift reproduction start time 21:15 is obtained from the unit 214, the difference between them is calculated, and information with a delay of 15 minutes is stored in the storage area 94 holding the time shift amount. Thereafter, if the user's instruction is to watch for 5 minutes from 21:20 to 21:25 in the double speed operation mode, the recording / playback control unit 212 is in the double speed mode and 5 from 21:20 to 21:25. Play the program for a minute. This reproduction reduces the amount of time shift for 5 minutes. Therefore, the control unit 209 updates the time shift amount in the storage area 94 with a delay of 10 minutes. Further, when the recording / reproduction control unit 212 performs the rewind for 3 minutes from 21:30 to 21:33 based on the user input, a delay of 9 minutes occurs. The amount of time shift in the storage area 94 is updated with a delay of 19 minutes. In this way, the control unit 209 calculates the time shift amount and holds it in the storage area 94.

  The control unit 209 calculates the remaining time until the end of the time shift viewing of the program by calculating the time shift viewing end time and calculating the difference from the current time. The time shift viewing end time can be obtained by adding the actual program broadcast end time obtained from the program schedule and the time shift amount held in the storage area 94. Furthermore, by calculating the difference from the current time obtained from the clock unit 214, the remaining time until the end of the time shift viewing can be calculated. Thus, in this calculation example 1, it is not necessary to record special information together with the program in order to calculate the remaining time.

ii: Example 2 for calculating remaining time until end of time-shift viewing
When recording a program, the recording time is recorded together with the program, and the control unit 209 calculates the remaining time until the end of the time shift reproduction of the program from the recording time of the reproduction location and the program schedule. The operation of the recording / reproduction control unit 212 and the operation of the control unit 209 during time shift reproduction will be described separately.

When recording a program, the recording / playback control unit 212 receives the audio and video signals of the program received by the tuner 1 via the signal separation unit 2. The recording / playback control unit 212 receives time information from the clock unit 214. As described above, the recording / playback control unit 212 causes the recording unit 13 to record the audio signal and the video signal, which are digital data, together with the PTS value in the digital broadcast receiver. Further, in the analog broadcast receiver, the processing circuit provided in the recording / playback control unit 212 converts the video and audio as analog data into digital data, compresses them, and further synchronizes the video and audio. Is added to the recording unit 13 for recording. At that time, based on the time information obtained from the clock unit 214, the time when the sound or video was actually broadcast is added to the sound signal or video signal which is digital data and recorded. Further, the recording / playback control unit 212 receives the program information including the program end time of the received program received from the signal separation unit 2 at the timing when the actual broadcast of the received program detected by the control unit 209 ends or immediately before the end. Then, the data is recorded in the recording unit 13. The recording of the program information is performed in the same manner in the example indicated by i described above. When the program end time is not directly included in the program information received from the signal separation unit 2, the program end time can be calculated from the program start time and the program organization time.

  When time-shift playback is performed, when the control unit 209 receives a user input for starting time-shift playback, the control unit 209 gives an instruction to the recording / playback control unit 212, and the recording / playback control unit 212 displays the program recorded in the recording unit 13 as a program. Read from the start time and start time shift playback.

  The control unit 209 obtains the program schedule taken out by the channel selection control unit 11 and obtains the actual broadcast end time of the program being time-shifted. Further, the control unit 209 acquires time information recorded together with the audio signal or the video signal from the recording / reproduction control unit 212, that is, the time when the audio or video being reproduced was actually broadcast. Then, the control unit 209 calculates the remaining time until the end of the time shift viewing by obtaining the difference between the time when the audio or video during the time shift reproduction is actually broadcast and the actual broadcast end time of the program. . Thus, in this calculation example 2, in order to calculate the remaining time, it is not necessary to update the time shift amount and hold it in the storage area 94 as in the example shown in i above. Even if the time shift amount is not stored as in the example shown in i above, the control unit 209 uses the time information currently recorded by the recording / playback control unit 212 and the time information recorded at the playback position. The time shift amount is calculated, and the remaining time can be obtained in the same manner as i. In the example shown in the first embodiment, if the current time can be obtained, the control unit 9 records the PTS that is the time information currently being recorded by the recording / playback control unit 12 and the playback position. The time shift amount is calculated from the PTS, and the remaining time can be obtained in the same manner as i.

  In the example of calculating the remaining time until the end of the time shift viewing shown in i and ii above, the broadcast end time of the program used when the control unit 209 obtains the remaining time until the end of the time shift viewing is the actual broadcast end time before the end of the actual broadcast. Up to the latest program schedule included in the broadcast signal, and after the end of the actual broadcast, it can be obtained from the program information recorded in the recording unit 13 at the end of the program broadcast or immediately before the end. Thereby, even when the program is extended, the updated latest program schedule can be used, so that correct guidance information can be presented to the user.

  Therefore, as described above, if the control unit 209 detects the presentation timing of guidance information designated by the user, for example, the current broadcast channel 5 minutes before the end of the actual broadcast or at the end of the actual program broadcast. The guidance information presented to the user is given to the synthesis unit 6 and displayed on the display unit 7 to present the guidance information to the user.

For this purpose, the control unit 209 instructs the guidance information generation unit 10 in advance to generate guidance information, and the guidance information generation unit 10 displays the remaining time information to be presented to the user and the latest program schedule, which are information necessary for guidance information generation. Give to. If the remaining time information to be presented and the program schedule, which are information necessary for generating the guidance information, are updated, the control unit 209 gives the updated latest information to the guidance information generating unit 10, and the guidance information based on the latest information. Is generated. However, when only the remaining time information is presented to the user as guidance information, the control unit 209 may not provide the program schedule information to the guidance information generation unit 10.

  The guidance information generation unit 10 includes a storage unit that holds guidance information. The guidance information generation unit 10 generates guidance information based on the information obtained from the control unit 209 and stores the guidance information in a storage unit included in the guidance information generation unit 10. When the remaining time information and the program schedule to be presented to the user are updated, the guidance information is regenerated based on the latest information and is stored in the storage unit included in the guidance information generating unit 10.

  When the control unit 209 detects the guidance information presentation timing specified by the user, for example, 5 minutes before the end of the actual program broadcast, the guidance information generation unit 10 generates the guidance information stored in the storage unit. Is taken out and output to the combining unit 6. Then, the synthesizing unit 6 synthesizes the video of the program being time-shifted and the guidance information, and displays them on the display unit 7. The display example at this time may be the one described with reference to FIG.

  In addition to the example shown in FIG. 5, the time shift viewing end time can be presented as guidance information. At this time, the control unit 209 calculates the time shift viewing end time by adding the calculated remaining time until the time shift viewing end to the current time obtained from the clock unit 214, and presents it as guidance information as described above. Can do.

  Here, for viewing by time-shifted reproduction, the recorded broadcast program is reproduced from the beginning while the received broadcast program is being recorded, and the reproduced program is reproduced via the synthesizing unit 6 serving as output means. The video is displayed on the display unit 7. Even in the case where the broadcast program is reproduced after the actual broadcast of the recorded program ends, the remaining time of the program being reproduced can be presented using the above-described form as it is. Further, the remaining time of the program being played back at the time point desired by the user during playback can be presented.

  In this way, the television receiver of the present invention can present the remaining time until the end of the viewing program broadcast at the time set by the user, not only in the digital broadcast but also in the analog broadcast. Further, when the recorded program is time-shifted, the remaining time until the end of the actual broadcast and the remaining time until the end of the time-shift playback can be presented to the user in the same manner.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the program schedule is acquired from the broadcast signal. However, the program schedule may be acquired from the Internet by connecting to the Internet.

  The broadcast receiver of the present invention can be applied to broadcast program receivers such as a television receiver, a DVD recorder, and an HDD recorder.

The block diagram which shows the structure of a television receiver as an example of 1st Embodiment of the broadcast program receiver of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the synchronous reproduction | regeneration of the image | video and audio | voice in digital broadcasting. Explanatory drawing of the memory | storage part with which the control part in the 1st Embodiment of this invention is provided. The timing chart which shows the example of presentation of the guidance information with respect to the user at the time of real-time viewing. The timing chart which shows the example of presentation of the guidance information with respect to the user at the time shift reproduction. The block diagram which shows the structure of a television receiver as an example of 2nd Embodiment of the broadcast program receiver of this invention. Explanatory drawing of the memory | storage part with which the control part in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is provided.

Explanation of symbols

1 Tuner (Receiving means)
2 Signal Separation Unit 3 Audio Composite Unit 4 Speaker 5 Video Composite Unit 6 Composition Unit (Output Unit)
7 Display unit 8 Reference clock (STC) generation unit (second acquisition means)
9 Control unit (calculation means)
10 Guidance information generation unit 11 Channel selection control unit (first acquisition means)
12 Recording / playback control unit (recording / playback means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Recording part 90 Storage part with which control part 9 is provided 91 Storage area of PTS value at the time of program start 92 Storage area of PTS value at the time of start of recording program 93 Storage area of user setting information 94 Storage area to hold time shift amount Control unit (calculation means)
212 Recording / reproduction control unit (recording / reproducing means)
214 Clock part (second acquisition means)
90 'storage unit provided in the control unit 209

Claims (8)

Receiving means for receiving broadcasts;
First acquisition means for acquiring at least a program schedule relating to a broadcast program being received;
Second acquisition means for acquiring the current time as time information;
Calculating means for calculating the remaining time until the end time of the broadcast program being output;
Recording / reproducing means capable of reproducing the program from an arbitrary point in time while recording the broadcast program being received;
Output means for outputting a broadcast program received by the receiving means and reproduced by the recording / reproducing means,
The calculating means calculates a time difference generated between the recording position and the reproducing position of the program by the recording / reproducing means, and uses the program schedule, the current time information, and the calculated time difference to reproduce the program. Calculate the remaining time until the end,
The broadcast program receiver further outputs the remaining time until the reproduction end time when the remaining time until the reproduction end time by the calculating means reaches a predetermined time . The first acquisition means further acquires a program schedule following the broadcast program being received,
The broadcast program receiver according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the continuous program schedule together with a remaining time. The first acquisition means further acquires a program schedule of a plurality of channels broadcast at the end time of the broadcast program being received,
The broadcast program receiver according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the program schedule of the plurality of channels.   The broadcast program receiver according to claim 1, wherein the second acquisition unit acquires a PTS included in the digital broadcast signal or an STC of the digital broadcast program receiver as the time information. The calculation means calculates the remaining time from the program schedule and the PTS or STC to the end time of the broadcast program being received,
5. The broadcast program receiver according to claim 4, wherein the output means outputs the received broadcast program in real time, and further outputs the remaining time calculated by the calculation means. The recording / reproducing means records the broadcast program being received by the receiving means together with time information at the time of recording,
The second acquisition means acquires time information at the time of recording recorded at the reproduction position by the recording / reproduction means,
The said calculating means calculates the remaining time until the reproduction | regeneration completion | finish of the said program from the time information at the time of the recording recorded on the said program schedule and the reproduction | regeneration position by the said recording / reproducing means, The said time is characterized by the above-mentioned. Broadcast program receiver. The second acquisition means acquires at least the current time as the time information,
The calculation means further calculates a playback end time from the calculated remaining time until the end of playback by the recording / playback means and the current time acquired by the second acquisition means,
The broadcast program receiver according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the reproduction end time.   The first acquisition means holds the latest program schedule acquired before the broadcast of the broadcast program being output ends, and the calculation means ends reproduction using the program schedule after the broadcast of the broadcast program being output ends. The broadcast program receiver according to claim 1, wherein the remaining time until the time is calculated.

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