Sony Corporation

Yasutomo Nishina

Tomoyuki Hanai

Masahiko Sato

Motoki Kato

Tomoko Terakado

Toshiya Kaihoko

An information providing apparatus, in which program guide information is provided as first information which designates predetermined information and second information to be referred to by the first information. Layout information is provided from within the electronic program guide information, relating to the layout when the electronic program guide information is displayed on a screen.

Information providing apparatus and method, display controlling apparatus and method, information providing system, as well as transmission medium

MPEG video encoders and MPEG audio encoders encode video signals and audio signals, respectively. An SI/EPG data generator generates program information. A transport stream multiplexer multiplexes the program information with video data and audio data. A system controller controls the data output rates of the encoding operations and the multiplexing ratio.

Information transmitting apparatus and method, information receiving apparatus and method, provider, and broadcasting system

The invention provides an information providing apparatus and method by which the amount of data to be transmitted when data of a program table composed of characters and images or the like are to be transmitted is reduced and it is made possible to cope with a change in contents of data rapidly. Data of an electronic program guide to be provided is hierarchized into data (Adata) which may possibly be changed such as the broadcasting date, the start time and the end time, data (Adata) which are not changed at all such as a program name, and data (Adata) composed of still pictures, moving pictures, voice and so forth which have comparatively large data amounts, and for each medium, data of a hierarchy suitable for the medium is provided. Each Adata is referred to by one or a plurality of Adata, and each Adata is referred to by one or a plurality of Adata.

An improved apparatus is provided to attain enhanced convenience in controlling display of an electrical program guide with a smaller number of manipulating keys. An EPN mode for displaying the electrical program guide includes a main mode to display program information in a main window, a command mode to display EPN command icons in a command window, and an input mode to display an input window for entry manipulation corresponding to a specific command item. And the operation is shiftable to any of such modes selected by manipulation of a command key or an EXE key. In the main mode, there is set either a mode to display broadcast program information or a mode to display recorded program information on the basis of tape library data.

Apparatus and method for controlling display of electrical program guide

There is provided a system which allows information related to a broadcasting program to be processed efficiently. The program related information related to the certain program created on the transmitter side is composed of Event Data, Channel Data, Character Data, CM data and the like and is converted into EPG_contents_data. Further, display related information concerning on a layout and the like in displaying the program related information created on the transmitter side on a screen is composed of Layout Data, Color Data, Font Data and Operation Data and is converted into EPG_control_data. The receiver side generates EPG_management_data as necessary from the EPG_contents_data and the EPG_control_data transmitted from the transmitter side and generates EPG_display_data which is display information from the EPG_contents_data and the EPG_control_data.

Transmitter system and transmitting method, receiver system and receiving method and transmission media

A transmit device and method, a record/play device and method, a record system as well as a media allowing selection of the ideal record media by the receiver. The EPG data generator of a transmit device generates an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) showing the scheduled transmission of the program to be broadcast. An editor generates supplemental information containing information indicating the program data quantity, adds the supplemental information to the EPG and a multiplexer transmits the EPG added with the supplemental information.

Transmit device and method thereof, record/play device and method thereof as well as recording system and media

A transmit device and method, a record/play device and method, a record system as well as a media allowing selection of the ideal record media by the receiver. The EPG data generator of a transmit device generates an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) showing the scheduled transmission of the program to be broadcast An editor generates supplemental information containing information indicating the program data quantity, adds the supplemental information to the EPG and a multiplexer transmits the EPG added with the supplemental information.

A recording program information managing apparatus and method for managing programs recorded on a magnetic tape. Superimposed on a magnetic tape is program information pertaining to a plurality of magnetic tapes, the programs recorded on the magnetic tapes and the addresses of the recorded programs, as well as, any other additional information needed for management of magnetic tapes. The program information is additionally stored in a tape library for managing the recorded programs. If a device mistakenly assigns non-corresponding program information to a particular tape, the management of the recorded programs on the particular tape becomes difficult. The system, therefore, compensates for any errors by reconstructing the tape library to link the program information superimposed on a recording medium with newly established program information in the tape library. Thereby allowing the tape library to contain corresponding program information.

Apparatus and method for reconstructing a tape library containing program information corresponding to programs recorded on a magnetic tape

The invention provides an information providing apparatus and method by which the amount of data to be transmitted when data of a program table composed of characters and images or the like are to be transmitted is reduced and it is made possible to cope with a change in contents of data rapidly. Data of an electronic program guide to be provided is hierarchized into data (A1 data) which may possibly be changed such as the broadcasting date, the start time and the end time, data (A2 data) which are not changed at all such as a program name, and data (A3 data) composed of still pictures, moving pictures, voice and so forth which have comparatively large data amounts, and for each medium, data of a hierarchy suitable for the medium is provided. Each A3 data is referred to by one or a plurality of A2 data, and each A2 data is referred to by one or a plurality of A1 data.

An apparatus and method for managing information concerning programs recorded on a tape-like recording medium. Superimposed on a tape-like recording medium is program information pertaining to the tape-like recording medium, the programs recorded on the tape-like recording medium and the addresses of the recorded programs, as well as, any other additional information needed for management of tape-like recording mediums. The program information is additionally stored in a tape library for managing the recorded programs, but if a device mistakenly gives a particular tape unrelated program information, the management of the recorded programs on the particular tape becomes difficult. The apparatus, therefore, compensates for any errors by reconstructing the tape library, thereby, linking the program information superimposed on the recording medium with updated program information in the tape library.

Apparatus for management of information of program recorded on video tape, method for management of program recorded on video tape, recorder/reproducer, and recording/reproducing method

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Chiba, Japan

Yasutomo Nishina