Abstract: When a viewer (listener) wants to search a particular broadcast programs on a receiver, a keyword search processing is executed to an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data. In this case, a search key for the keyword search processing is able to be registered by selecting a user preference keyword among EPG data displayed on a monitor screen of the receiver. Upon selecting user preference keywords, the viewer (listener) controls a cursor by a remote commander, and thus selected user preference keywords can be stored in a memory of the receiver. These user preference keywords in the memory are used as search key for searching favorite programs among daily updated EPG data.

Abstract: An information receiving apparatus for receiving the EPG data related to broadcast program has a memory in which user preference information is stored in advance. The EPG data is regularly transmitted from predetermined broadcast station to update the EPG data stored in the information receiving apparatus. When the information receiving apparatus detects the reception of updated EPG data, the information receiving apparatus starts to search the updated EPG data in order to find out the EPG data coincided with the user preference information among updated EPG data. Thereby an user is able to know favorite broadcast programs with out re-entering user preference information when the EPG data is updated. If necessary, thus searched favorite broadcast program is recorded on a recording medium by automatically setting a recording timer of the information receiving apparatus.

Abstract: A program guide information providing device is arranged so that reference information corresponding to identification information transmitted from a communication terminal device is read from preference information storage, programs matching the preferences of the user are searched from the program guide information based on the read preference information, searched program guide information is generated from the searched programs, and the searched program guide information is transmitted to the communication terminal device, thereby allowing the user to be provided with program guide information matching the preferences of the user, regardless of the location of the user using the communication terminal device.

Abstract: By storing usage history information of a recording medium for recording information, which is obtained by using the recording medium, in storing means 13, and retrieving information that matches a user's preference from a plurality of information based on the usage history information, a program that matches the user's preference can be easily retrieved without inputting key information for retrieving information, hence time and effort in retrieving information can be further reduced.