Abstract: Disclosed are server operational expenses collecting method and apparatus for a server which transmits via the Internet an electronic program guide to a terminal apparatus operated by a user. The server generates customer analysis information on the basis of personal information of said user inputted from said terminal apparatus and program viewing log information about a program viewed by said user on said terminal apparatus. The server generates a second electronic program guide by reorganizing a first electronic program guide in accordance with the preference of said user on the basis of the generated customer analysis information. The server provides said generated customer analysis information to an advertiser who practices an advertising campaign to said terminal apparatus. The server, in response to the provision of said customer analysis information to said advertiser, collects the expenses, in a predetermined amount, for the provision of said customer analysis information from said advertiser.

Abstract: A control unit (15) of a virtual program table producing apparatus (2) produces users program viewing inclination information on the basis of a program viewing history of a user stored by a storage unit (12) accumulated in a data base (11) for storing a program viewing history of a program viewed by a user, classifies users into a group on the basis of individual information of a user, produces group program viewing inclination information showing that each group views what program from the program viewing history of a user belonging to each group, organizes each program broadcast in a plurality of real channels having a predetermined frequency band in a virtual channel virtually having a frequency band owned by the plurality of real channels on the basis of the user's taste, the user program viewing inclination information and the group program viewing inclination information, fetches program information of a virtual channel organized from the data base (11) for accumulating program information which is attr

Abstract: A simple program-related information providing apparatus provides information related to a program to be broadcast to a user while the user is watching the program. The program-related information providing apparatus includes a first program-reserve-record setting script generator for generating a first program-reserve-record setting script, which serves as a control command for recording a program in a program table in a recording medium. A program-related information address display script generator generates a program-related information address display script including address information which indicates the network address of the program-related information and from which the program-related information is accessible, and also including display time information specifying the display time of the address information.

Abstract: The invention is intended to facilitate the recording presetting of programs from a remote site. A program information providing apparatus having a storage section for storing program information, which is attribute information about a program, and a program chart, the program information and the program chart being sent via a network in response to a request from a portable terminal apparatus, the program information providing apparatus comprising: a search section for searching the storage section for the program information in response to a program recording preset request from the portable terminal apparatus to which the program table has been sent; a program recording preset script generating section for generating a program recording preset script, which is a control command for causing a recording apparatus to record a user-specified program listed in the program chart to a recording medium, and a sending section for sending the generated script.

Abstract: A tuner may select a predetermined real channel from a plurality of real channels, and may obtain a broadcast signal of this selected real channel. A program information extracting section may extract program information (IPG) of a plurality of real channels from this broadcast signal. A controller may create a user profile in which information of programs received at every unit time of a day were accumulated as user profile information by using the program information (IPG). Further, the controller may create a virtual channel guide in which programs of a plurality of real channels are located selectively by using this user profile.

Abstract: A computer program, a recording medium, a client computer, a server, a content distributing system and a content distributing method are provided in which, when a user downloads a desired content, the user is not required to set the download time of the content by himself/herself. A user terminal displays a list of available contents from which a user may select a desired content, and transmits property information containing the address of a content server for supplying the selected content and the access time for the content server from an authenticating server to the user terminal. An access to the content server is made from the user terminal at a prescribed time based on the property information to download the selected content to the user terminal.

Abstract: A control unit (15) of a virtual program table producing apparatus (2) produces users program viewing inclination information on the basis of a program viewing history of a user stored by a storage unit (12) accumulated in a data base (11) for storing a program viewing history of a program viewed by a user, classifies users into a group on the basis of individual information of a user, produces group program viewing inclination information showing that each group views what program from the program viewing history of a user belonging to each group, organizes each program broadcast in a plurality of real channels having a predetermined frequency band in a virtual channel virtually having a frequency band owned by the plurality of real channels on the basis of the user's taste, the user program viewing inclination information and the group program viewing inclination information, fetches program information of a virtual channel organized from the data base (11) for accumulating program information which is attr

Abstract: Disclosed are server operational expenses collecting method and apparatus for a server which transmits via the Internet an electronic program guide to a terminal apparatus operated by a user. The server generates customer analysis information on the basis of personal information of said user inputted from said terminal apparatus and program viewing log information about a program viewed by said user on said terminal apparatus. The server generates a second electronic program guide by reorganizing a first electronic program guide in accordance with the preference of said user on the basis of the generated customer analysis information. The server provides said generated customer analysis information to an advertiser who practices an advertising campaign to said terminal apparatus. The server, in response to the provision of said customer analysis information to said advertiser, collects the expenses, in a predetermined amount, for the provision of said customer analysis information from said advertiser.

Abstract: A simple program-related information providing apparatus provides information related to a program to be broadcast to a user while the user is watching the program. The program-related information providing apparatus includes a first program-reserve-record setting script generator for generating a first program-reserve-record setting script, which serves as a control command for recording a program in a program table in a recording medium. A program-related information address display script generator generates a program-related information address display script including address information which indicates the network address of the program-related information and from which the program-related information is accessible, and also including display time information specifying the display time of the address information.

Abstract: The invention is intended to facilitate the recording presetting of programs from a remote site. A program information providing apparatus having a storage section for storing program information, which is attribute information about a program, and a program chart, the program information and the program chart being sent via a network in response to a request from a portable terminal apparatus, the program information providing apparatus comprising: a search section for searching the storage section for the program information in response to a program recording preset request from the portable terminal apparatus to which the program table has been sent; a program recording preset script generating section for generating a program recording preset script, which is a control command for causing a recording apparatus to record a user-specified program listed in the program chart to a recording medium, and a sending section for sending the generated script.

Abstract: A build object of build class Builder has build method build (Object resolved) for building reference relations among construction-element objects by calling a field setting method owned by construction-element object resolved. A get object of class Getter has get method get object ( ) for acquiring a construction-element object and is also allowed to own a build object. In the get object, construction-element object resolved is acquired by calling get method get object ( ). In a build object owned by the get object, construction-element object resolved acquired by the get object is initialized by build method build (Object resolved). By adopting the procedure described above, construction-element objects required for constructing desired software such as an application program can be collected for constructing the desired software.