Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Noriko Sugimoto

Tomoyuki Okada

Kaoru Murase

Kazuhiro Tsuga

Masayuki Kozuka

Shunji Harada

Hiroshi Hamasaka

Yusuke Shimizu

Soichiro Fujioka

Yasunori Sato

Shoichiro Nakata

Eiji Ueda

Atsushi Saso

Kazuhiro Yamanishi

Masahiro Kawasaki

Shogo Hamasaki

Shizuka Sakamoto

Seiji Furusawa

A receiving unitreceives, from broadcast stations (), EPG information related to all the programs to be broadcast on a plurality of channels. A program recommendation unit () extracts, from the programs indicated in the EPG information, a recommended program, which is estimated to meet the user's preferences, in accordance with history of program recording or program viewing by the user. A subscription suggestion unit () counts the broadcast frequency for each of the channels of recommended programs and for each day, and then compares the counting result with a threshold value, thereby suggesting to the user, via a display unit (), that he or she makes or cancels any one of subscriptions to the channels in accordance with the broadcast frequency of recommended programs.

Channel contract proposing apparatus, method, program and integrated circuit

A recording apparatus contains a timer that measures the current time based on a time zone. When writing a VOB onto a DVD, the recording apparatus refers to TM_ZONE recorded on the DVD, and judges whether the time zone which the timer is based on matches the time zone that the TM_ZONE specifies. If the two time zones do not match, the recording apparatus operates as follows. First, the recording apparatus obtains VOB_REC_TM that indicates the recording date/time of the VOB based on TM_ZONE. The recording apparatus then writes the VOB onto the DVD together with VOBI that is information of the VOB and contains (a) the obtained VOB_REC_TM; (b) LOCAL_TZ_TY indicating that the two time zones do not match and (c) LOCAL_TZ specifying the time zone which the timer is based on.

Recording apparatus and method, playback apparatus and method, recording medium, program and computer-readable recording medium

A playback apparatus judges whether a region code assigned to a BD-ROM matches a region code assigned to the playback apparatus. When the judgment result is in the affirmative, the playback apparatus plays back the content recorded on the optical disc. When the judgment result is in the negative, the playback apparatus does not play back the content, except when an exceptional playback is authorized. The exceptional playback is authorized when a combination of the content identifier of the content to be played back and the apparatus region code satisfies a predetermined condition defined by an owner of the rights of the content.

Playback apparatus, playback authorization server, program, and system integrated circuit

An image information-inputting unit inputs image information including position information indicating a position where an image was captured. A reference distance-calculating unit calculates a reference distance from a predetermined reference position utilizing the image information. An image information-classifying unit classifies the image information based on the reference distance.

Apparatus and method for image-classifying, and recording medium storing computer-readable program for the same

A playback apparatus judges whether a region code assigned to a BD-ROM matches a region code assigned to the playback apparatus. When the judgment result is in the affirmative, the playback apparatus plays back the content recorded on the optical disc. When the judgment result is in the negative, the playback apparatus does not play back the content, except when an exceptional playback is authorized. The exceptional playback is authorized when a combination of the content identifier of the content to be played back and the apparatus region code satisfies a predetermined condition defined by the owner of the rights of the content.

Playback apparatus and server apparatus

There is provided an information recording apparatus which is capable of collective management concerning which content data is recorded on each one of a plurality of information storage media. The information recording apparatus includes: a content data storage section for recording content data; a management information generation section for generating management information for the management of at least one of a copy and move of the content data; and a management information storage section for recording the management information. When the content data is copied or moved to an information storage medium, the management information generation section generates management information containing: content data identification information for identifying the copied or moved content data; and information storage medium identification information for identifying the information storage medium to which the content data has been copied or moved.

Information recording apparatus

The invention provides an information recording medium, such as an optical disk, having a large capacity and being capable of performing read/write operations at high speeds. The recording medium includes an audio stream prepared for after-recording data, and a audio attribute information having a bit rate information to the recorded audio stream as a management information. A recorder according to the invention has a check unit for checking, in advance, the possibility of after-recording operation of the recorder to the audio stream to be after-recorded with reference to the bit rate information of the audio attribute information.

Playback method for an after-recording operation

Optical discs formatted to record plural audio streams of different content for reproduction with a single video stream can result in audio output of content unexpected by the user depending upon the audio stream configuration contained in the AV stream reproduced. This can confuse and cause the user to change the audio output after reproduction starts. To prevent this, information indicating the type of audio stream configuration contained in each AV stream on the optical disc is stored with each audio stream. This audio stream type information is presented to the user on the same screen from which an AV program is selected for playback. The use can thus know before playback starts what audio stream channel is preselected for playback, and can change the audio channel as desired before payback starts.

Optical disc, recording device and reproducing device

Recording apparatus and method, playback apparatus and method, recording medium, program, and computer-readable recording medium

A recording medium holder enables a user to easily find a desired recording medium from recording mediums that the user manages. The recording medium holder includes a recording medium holding unit for holding a plurality of recording mediums, a liquid crystal displaying unit for displaying each of the plurality of recording mediums held in the recording medium holding unit by an icon, and an information displaying unit for displaying information of a recording medium that corresponds to an icon clicked in the liquid crystal displaying unit, the information including ID information, title information, index information, and other information. The information is read out from the recording medium at a first click, and from a storing unit at a second click and after.

Recording medium holder having one or more recording mediums

A memory card that makes it possible to select the service provided by changing an adapter instead of having selection switches on the outer appearance of the card. The memory card is capable of executing one of a plurality of applications that correspond to individual services and comprises: an adapter that designates one of the services; a main card body to which the adapter is removably connected; an interface for an external device; a memory unit that stores information of the plurality of applications; a detection unit that detects whether or not an adapter is connected to the main card body; and a CPU or LSI that executes the selected application based on the detection signal to provide the service to the external device.

Memory card

Optical discs formatted to record plural audio streams of different content for reproduction with a single video stream can result in audio output of content unexpected by the user depending upon the audio stream configuration contained in the AV stream reproduced. This can confuse and cause the user to change the audio output after reproduction starts. To prevent this, information indicating the type of audio stream configuration contained in each AV stream on the optical disc is stored with each audio stream. This audio stream type information is presented to the user on the same screen from which an AV program is selected for playback. The user can thus know before playback starts what audio stream channel is preselected for playback, and can change the audio channel as desired before playback starts.

Growing community of inventors

Hyogo, Japan

Noriko Sugimoto