Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jin-Hwi Kim

Eun-Jung Kang

Gyu-Yeong Son

Dae-Sung Park

Yun-Soo Shin

Jun-Hum Hwang

A reserved program record setting method and apparatus for a program preview of a broadcasting program to be recorded and used with a video cassette recorder (VCR) and a television set. The method includes a first step of judging whether a program preview of a broadcasting program to be reserved and recorded is being broadcast, a second step of storing a program reserving code of the broadcasting program when the program preview is currently being broadcast in the reserved program recording mode, and a third step of completing a reserved program recording operation by turning off the VCR, thereby quickly reserving a record for a predetermined program by once pressing a program preview storing key while the program preview of the broadcasting program to be recorded is being broadcast.

Reserved program record setting method and apparatus for a program preview

An electronic device operation method and apparatus. A current state of a device such as TVs or VCRs is indicated as a graphic moving picture of a familiar character shape. Pictures containing an associated character shape are stored in correspondence with a various states of the electronic device. The pictures are formed of fonts each of which has a predetermined magnitude and corresponds to a block of the picture. One or more fonts are read during the time of shifting a device state according to a user key input, and the fonts are changed at time intervals to display a moving picture. A sound corresponding to the moving picture may be output together with the displayed moving picture, to further enhance the device state indication. Thus, a current state of the electronic device is more recognized by persons who do not read characters.

Method and apparatus for indicating states of electronic devices

A device and method for displaying a broadcast program guide in a broadcast programmed recording system (referred to as immediate-K), wherein the method includes the steps of (a) loading a plurality of packets containing broadcast information among successively input data to periodically separate the broadcast program information therefrom, (b) comparing a current time with the start or end time of a next program from the broadcast program information separated in the step (a), and (c) displaying information of the broadcast program on a screen if the start or end time of the next program is a predetermined time later than the current time as a result of the step (b). The device includes a code extractor which periodically extracts the broadcast program information, a storage device which stores the extracted information and a controller which compares the current time with the start or end time of the next program and causes the broadcast information to be displayed if the start or end time of the next program is a predetermined time later than the current time. Thus, a viewer is automatically informed of an upcoming broadcast program by the display of the broadcast information of the program a predetermined time before the program starts.

Device and method for displaying broadcast program guide in a programmed recording system

A power control method for a set top box is disclosed. The method includes a first step for setting a time reserving and recording function for recording a broadcasting signal received from a set top box, a second step for recording the broadcasting signal in accordance with the time reserving and recording function of the first step, a third step for judging whether or not a synchronous signal is inputted into a broadcasting signal recording apparatus through a signal cable connected with the set top box during the operation of the second step, a fourth step for continuously performing a time reserving and recording function when it is judged that the synchronous signal is inputted into the broadcasting signal recording apparatus as a result of the third step, a fifth step for outputting a power code or channel code to the set top box when it is judged that the synchronous signal is not inputted into the broadcasting signal recording apparatus as a result of the third step, and a sixth step for performing the fourth step when the synchronous signal is inputted as a result of the judgment that the synchronous signal is inputted into the broadcasting signal recording apparatus after the fifth step, for thereby controlling the power of a set top box in accordance with whether there is a synchronous signal applied to the broadcasting signal recording apparatus when the power of the set top box is OFF.

Power control method for set top box

A reserved-recording method and apparatus is provided in which a plurality of broadcast programs reserved within a certain time are recorded as many as possible within the limit of capacity of a recording medium. The apparatus includes a key input portion, am memory for storing reserved-recording information of the programs, an on-screen-display (OSD) for displaying character data involving reserved-recording set states of the programs, a timer for checking a current time of a system, and a recording start time and a recording end time of the reserved programs, a detector for detecting and outputting states of a supply reel and a take-up reel and a frequency generator (FG) signal of the capstan motor, a recorder for recording the received broadcast programs, and a system controller for controlling the above whole blocks in order to reserved-record the plurality of broadcast programs. When it becomes a reserved-recording start time, the system controller calculates a tape remaining time and a just-recording time based on the whole reserved broadcast programs, and then controls the programs to be recorded in the SP recording speed mode if the just-recording time is shorter than the tape remaining time, while it controls the programs to be recorded in the SLP recording speed if the former is equal to or longer than the latter. Thus, the reserved-recording method and apparatus records the plurality of the reserved programs as many as possible within the limit of capacity of the recording medium, in which the programs are recorded in the SP mode having a good picture quality up to a proper certain point of time, and then recorded in the SLP mode, thereby providing the picture quality of the programs to be enhanced at best.

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Suwon, South Korea

Jin-Hwi Kim