Abstract: Program viewing is provided so that a user can easily search for a program which the user desires to view. An information processing apparatus includes an EPG information recording unit which stores EPG information of programs; a program selection unit which selects programs corresponding to a plurality of different selection conditions based on the EPG information; and a display control unit which controls the display on a display screen of a plurality of selection buttons associated with the plurality of selection conditions in a manner that features of the selected programs are represented, wherein, when any one of the selection buttons is selected, the display control unit controls the display on the display screen of information corresponding to the program associated with the selected selection buttons.

Abstract: An automatic keyword extraction apparatus includes a first extraction unit operable to extract a first keyword from title character string information of contents using a first keyword dictionary in which a character string designating a sub-genre is registered; and a second extraction unit operable to extract a second keyword from detailed character string information of the contents using a second keyword dictionary in which names of persons are registered, the extraction of the second keyword being performed utilizing a character type separation method. In this manner, it is possible for a user to extract a keyword for searching contents automatically, efficiently and accurately from the title character string information and detailed character string information of the contents such as EPG information even in home electric appliances in which the throughput capacity or the memory capacity of the CPU is not so large.

Abstract: To make it possible to reserve recording of a program without imposing a large load on a user. A server 2-1 transmits program attribute information to a video recording and reproducing apparatus 11 via a network 1. The program attribute information is constituted by program attribute names and program attribute retrieval conditions. The video recording and reproducing apparatus 11 causes a display apparatus 12 to display a list of the program attribute names. The user selects a program attribute name, to which a program that the user wishes to reserve for recording seems to be most closely related, out of this list. The video recording and reproducing apparatus 11 compares retrieval conditions corresponding to the selected program attribute name and EPG information and, when the retrieval conditions are satisfied, records a program represented by the EPG in a recording reservation list. It is possible to apply the invention to a hard disk video recorder.

Abstract: An apparatus and method enable easy extraction of popular programs from program information. A keyword extracting section extracts keywords from program information received by a program information receiving section. A keyword counting section counts a number of keywords for one week among the extracted keywords to obtain a keyword count for that week. A difference value computing section computes a difference value between the keyword count for the current week and the keyword count for the past week. A popular keywords extracting section extracts a predetermined number of keywords in a descending order of difference values each indicating a difference between the keyword count for the current week keywords and the keyword count for the past week keywords, and sets the keywords as those for the current week.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide an apparatus and a method for realizing the presentation of a content list and the reproduction of content in accordance with proper user preference on the basis of date and time at which content is viewed. Content preference values that change with time are computed. On the basis of the computed content preference values, a content list is generated for presentation to the user. For example, preference values are computed on the basis of daily time zone, holiday, weekday, and day-of-the-week and a content list in accordance with the computed preference values is generated for presentation to the user. The novel configuration allows the presentation of an optimum content list on the basis of date and time at which content is viewed, thereby realizing the selection and viewing of content that properly reflects user preference.

Abstract: A reproducing operation of still image content and a reproducing operation of moving image content are carried out by similar inputs by a user. A video recording and reproducing processing unit reproduces video content, and a Web content processing unit automatically selects instructions, such as information for instructing another Web page to be displayed next, from data of a reproduced Web page, and reproduces the another Web page. As a result, a plurality of Web pages are continuously reproduced and output at predetermined time intervals. A main control unit controls the reproduction of video content by the video recording and reproducing processing unit and the continuous reproduction of Web content by the Web content processing unit based on signals input by operations to a single group of operating keys as interpreted by an input conversion table.

Abstract: There are provided preference operation history managing means 101 for making history information of an operation relating to a preference of a content according to a plurality of operations relating to a preference of a content and explanation information relating to the content which became an object of these operations and by using a preference value parameter of each kind of these operations; preference information managing means 102 for making and renewing preference information consisting of a preference value with respect to these plurality of elements according to the history information by using respective coefficient parameters of a plurality of elements relating to preferences of the contents; and content recommending means 103 for calculating a preference degree relative to a content according to the preference information and the explanation information with respect to the content and performing a content record reservation according to the degree of the preference; wherein a content which were m

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording/reproducing apparatus capable of realizing proper recorded-content management on a large-capacity storage device. The content data recorded on the recording medium is managed with the content age computed by a lapse time from its recording date-and-time and a genre, and automatically deleted with priority of higher content age. Meanwhile, the user is allowed to instruct delete-prohibition management on a content not desired for automatic deletion. The content data placed under delete-prohibition management is excluded from a subject of automatic deletion. Meanwhile, concerning the delete-prohibition management, an upper limit value is provided. By disabling to unnecessarily placing a great deal of content data under delete-prohibition management, secured is a recording domain during automatic picture-recording or so.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing system, information processing apparatus and method, recording medium and program, adapted to exchange picture-recording schedule information between the terminals. A user apparatus 3-2 registers generated picture-recording schedule information to a server 2-1 through a network 1, together with the information representative of a providing destination. The server 2-1, when registering the picture-recording schedule information, makes a notification to a user apparatus 3-1 as a providing destination thereof. The video recording/reproducing apparatus 11 of the user apparatus 3-1 accesses the server 2-1 through the network 1, and designates a picture-recording schedule program desired for scheduling of picture-recording of among the programs registered in the picture-recording schedule information. The server 2-1 sends the schedule information on a designated program to the video recording/reproducing apparatus 11 through the network 1.

Abstract: A recompression program 23 being a video edition software 20 executed by a personal computer 17 on a compressed video data supplied from a DV camera deck 11 or hard disc drive 12 and variable-length coded for conformance to the DV specification, compresses a variable-length code word by replacing one code word of a code word string of the variable-length code words with some other code word shorter than the one cord word and having a value approximate to that of the one code word.

Abstract: The present invention enables a user to retrieve his or her desired one of a number of image programs easily and to view it quickly.

Abstract: The video content (program A) currently reproduced is displayed in a video-display area. The complete information of the video content being selected by a selection cursor is displayed in a detailed-information area, and the icon image of the video content being selected is displayed in a selected-video-display area. The icon of the video content (program A) being reproduced is displayed with a “being-reproduced” mark. The icon of a video content (program E) which has already been viewed is displayed with an “already-viewed” mark. The icon of a video content of which medium data has been deleted is displayed light or in gray.

Abstract: For an interactive operation with a receiver which receives unidirectionally broadcast data, a signal of a picture including an object are multiplexed with information relevant to the object with a visible symbol to which reference is made when selecting the object, being presented in the picture correspondingly to the object. The relevant information is transmitted by a unidirectional broadcasting system in which the information is displayed when the object is selected referring to the symbol. The relevant information is displayed by making a selection between a channel from a first tuber (2) and a one from a second tuner (3) by means of a remote controller (1) with reference to the symbol corresponding to the object displayed on a color CRT (7).

Abstract: A signal editing device includes a dividing device for dividing a digital signal into processing blocks as processing units and a processing device for processing the digital signal independently in units of the processing blocks.

Abstract: In a first step, contents scheduled in the “past” of a virtual channel are extracted, in a second step one of the contents is selected, in the event that judgment is made in a third step that the contents are not in a playable state the flow proceeds to a seventh step but in the event that judgment is made that the contents are in a playable state judgement is made in a fourth step whether the corresponding contents have already been scheduled n times (n being a number for sufficient opportunity for viewing or listening) in the future. In the event that the number is less than n times, the contents are placed in the future at the time of the next scheduling in a fifth step, but in the event that the number is n times, in a sixth step the contents are set in a state to be deleted.

Abstract: A hard-disk recorder receives a broadcasting content distributed from a satellite broadcasting service system and records it. The satellite broadcasting service system generates degree-of-exposure control data for the broadcasting content, and sends it to the hard-disk recorder through a server system. The hard-disk recorder receives the degree-of-exposure control data, and controls the degree of exposure of the recorded content according to degree-of-exposure designation included in the received degree-of-exposure control data.

Abstract: The video content (program A) currently reproduced is displayed in a video-display area. The complete information of the video content being selected by a selection cursor is displayed in a detailed-information area, and the icon image of the video content being selected is displayed in a selected-video-display area. The icon of the video content (program A) being reproduced is displayed with a “being-reproduced” mark. The icon of a video content (program E) which has already been viewed is displayed with an “already-viewed” mark. The icon of a video content of which medium data has been deleted is displayed light or in gray.

Abstract: In a first step, contents scheduled in the “past” of a virtual channel are extracted, in a second step one of the contents is selected, in the event that judgment is made in a third step that the contents are not in a playable state the flow proceeds to a seventh step but in the event that judgment is made that the contents are in a playable state judgement is made in a fourth step whether the corresponding contents have already been scheduled n times (n being a number for sufficient opportunity for viewing or listening) in the future. In the event that the number is less than n times, the contents are placed in the future at the time of the next scheduling in a fifth step, but in the event that the number is n times, in a sixth step the contents are set in a state to be deleted.

Abstract: There is provided a system for recording and/or reproduction of broadcasting programs permits the facilitation of selection and management of recorded videos in the manner of following the operations of general AV equipment such as televisions and video decks, in which virtual channels are assigned according to categories defined by a user, and programs corresponding to the categories are recorded into the virtual channels, and since the recorded programs are set in array on a time base for simultaneous reproduction on each virtual channel, the user may happen to watch various recorded programs only by switching over the channels from one to another or continuing to reproduce recorded programs in a single channel after application of power at any time, which results in quite passive style only sufficient for the user to watch the recorded programs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus includes a geometry transfer engine (GTE) acting as a graphical transformation engine for converting three-dimensional image data of TMD format into two-dimensional image data by perspective view transformation, and a graphics processing unit (GPU) acting as a drawing device for transferring the two-dimensional image data in a given transmission standard to draw an image on a two-dimensional display screen. A structure of the three-dimensional image data, excluding the information to be perspective view transformed, is arranged identical to that of the given transmission standard of the two-dimensional image data.