Sony Corporation

Noboru Motoyoshi

Tomoyuki Hanai

Kae Nagano

Kenji Hamamoto

Makoto Sato

Hisato Shima

Takashi Kinoshita

Koichi Sugiyama

Yoshiki Shirochi

Junichi Tsukamoto

Noriko Kotabe

Toshiyuki Katsumoto

Yasufumi Shinagawa

Takeshi Omoto

Kazuya Kamide

A program timer-recording apparatus and a program timer-recording method times-activated record a desired program by operating less general-purpose keys. A recording apparatus includes a tuner unit ( ), a tuner control unit ( ), a VTR unit ( ), a VTR control unit ( ), a timer control unit ( ), a key ( ), a remote controller ( ), a monitor ( ) and a fluorescent display tube ( ). The timer control unit ( ) includes an easy timer-recording setting start unit ( ) energized by data entered by a key to start an easy timer-recording setting mode to thereby effect an easy timer-recording input display, a present time setting unit energized by data entered by the key to indicate a value concerning easy timer-recording on the easy timer-recording input display and which determines the value concerning easy-timer recording, a start time setting unit ( ), an end time setting unit ( ), a channel number setting unit ( ) and a timer-recording memory unit ( ) for memorizing a set value determined by the setting unit, whereby a program may be recorded by a simple operation.

Apparatus for timer recording of a program and method for timer recording of a program

An apparatus and method for controlling the recording of television programs are disclosed. The apparatus displays electronic program guide information superposed on a television signal. The apparatus allows a plurality of desired programs to be reserved for recording based on the electronic program guide information. An icon is continuously displayed on a television screen in connection with the television picture signal when a program is reserved for recording. An altered form of the icon may be displayed on the television screen when execution of recording the reserved program is impossible due to a specific condition of a recording medium for recording the program. A corresponding method is described.

Apparatus and method for controlling the recording of television programs

A reproducing device provided with at least a reproduction apparatus and a decoding apparatus with decoding transmitted electronic program guide data is provided, and includes a switcher for switching between an antenna received signal and an internally generated signal, and a channel switcher for switching a channel of a display apparatus. When an electronic program guide display request is made, the switcher is automatically switched to the internally generated signal, which is then output on a predetermined channel having a predetermined frequency. Additionally, the channel of the display apparatus to which the internally generated signal is applied is also automatically switched to the predetermined channel number having the predetermined frequency by the channel switcher thus to allow for the display of the electronic program guide. The invention is similarly applicable to a reproduction device also having a recording feature.

Video device with an electronic program guide decoder

An apparatus and a method for controlling the recording of television programs are disclosed. The apparatus displays electronic program guide information superposed on a television signal. The apparatus allows a plurality of desired programs to be reserved for recording based on the electronic program guide information. If any of the reserved programs overlap, the apparatus allows the starting time and/or ending time of any of the overlapped programs to be changed. The apparatus may permit a program to be reserved for recording by inputting recording time and recording channel. If a program reserved for recording based on the electronic program guide information overlaps a program reserved for recording by inputting recording time and recording channel, a preferential setting enables one of the overlapped programs to be recorded. The apparatus advantageously causes an icon to be continuously displayed on a television screen in connection with the television picture signal when a program is reserved for recording. A corresponding method is described.

The present invention provides a video-signal playback apparatus that allows the user to carry out cue and review operations by pressing only one operation button (a skip button) and to set the length of a review time at a value desired by the user. While watching a program in a normal playback state, the user can press the skip button once in order to put the VCR in a skip-cue state. As a point of interest has been reached, the skip button is pressed for the second time to make the VCR transit from the skip-cue state to a skip-review state. After the review operation has been carried out for a predetermined period of time, the VCR gets in a normal playback state automatically. If the skip button is pressed for the second time continuously instead of momentarily, the review operation is continued as long as the skip button is being pressed. As the skip button is released, the review operation is discontinued, putting back the VCR in a normal playback state. By the way, the predetermined period of time can be changed by the user as the user likes.

Video-signal playback apparatus and its operation control method

A method and apparatus for controlling an audio video (AV) system having a number of AV devices so as to cause power to be turned off to the AV devices upon the occurrence of predetermined events. That is, power for the AV devices may be turned off: (i) when a video signal is no longer being transmitted between selected AV devices, (ii) when a recording medium of one of a recording AV device and a reproducing AV device that perform a dubbing operation is at its end position, and (iii) when a predetermined time has elapsed.

Apparatus and method for controlling an audio video systems

A video signal reproducing apparatus, typically an 8-mm video tape recorder, reproduces a signal recorded along inclined tracks on a magnetic video tape in a tape cassette having an erase prevention member. The video signal reproducing apparatus has an erase prevention detector for detecting whether a further signal can be recorded on the magnetic video tape or not based on the status of the erase prevention member. A reproducing circuit reproduces the recorded signal from the magnetic video tape for a predetermined period of time, typically one second, when the erase prevention detector detects that no further signal can be recorded on the magnetic video tape. An index extracting circuit extracts an index signal from the reproduced signal, and the extracted index signal is decoded by an index decoder. The decoded index information, typically a chapter number, is displayed on a television monitor in response to the depression of an index key on a control panel.

Video signal reproducing apparatus with index information display

In an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing a television signal with multiplex audio signals, a pilot signal is recorded on one or both of the audio tracks of a video tape in a manner to identify the mode of the multiplex audio signals and each pilot signal is detected to establish such mode when reproducing. For example, the frequency of the pilot signal may be changed for identifying different modes of the multiplex audio signals, such as, the bilingual mode and the stereo-phonic mode, with the pilot signal of selected frequency being recorded on one of the audio tracks, or the pilot signal having a certain frequency is recorded on one of the audio tracks in the case of the bilingual mode, and on the other audio track of the tape in the case of the stereo-phonic mode. In still another embodiment, the pilot signal is recorded in both audio tracks of the tape and the phase relation of the recorded pilot signals is varied to identify the mode of the multiplex audio signals.

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Tokyo, Japan

Noboru Motoyoshi