Server, terminal device, system and method for controlling program recording

A terminal device which is connected with a server through a network and controls the program recording operation of a program recorder for recoding a program received by a receiving means on a recording medium, the terminal device comprising:

• a bill-of-fare receiving means for receiving a bill of fare which is transmitted from the server through the network and contains program start time information indicating the program start times of programs to be broadcasted;
• a program-recording-request transmitting means for transmitting a program recording request to record a specified program on the recording medium to the server through the network based on the bill of fare received by the bill-of-fare receiving means;
• and
• a program-recording-start command receiving means for receiving a program recording start command to start recording of the specified program on the recording medium, transmitted from the server.

A terminal device which is connected with the server through the network, comprising:

• a bill-of-fare receiving means for receiving bills of fare which is transmitted from the server through the network and contains program start time information indicating the program start times of programs to be broadcasted;
• a program-recording-request transmitting means for transmitting a program recording request to record a specified program on the recording medium to the server through the network based on the bill of fare received by the bill-of-fare receiving means;
• a program-recording-start command receiving means for receiving a program recording start command instructing to start recording of the program on the recording medium, transmitted from the server;
• a program receiving means for receiving the program listed in the bill of fare;
• a recording means for recording the program received by the program receiving means on the recording medium;
• and
• a controlling means for controlling the program receiving means and the recording means so that the program for which the program recording request was made is recorded on the recording medium according to the program recording start command received by the program-recording-start command receiving means.

A program recording control system

• wherein
• a terminal device which controls the program recording operation of a program recorder for recording programs received by a receiving means on a recording medium and a server are connected with each other through a network;
• wherein
• the server comprises:
• a bill-of-fare generating means for generating a bill of fare containing program start time information indicating the program start times of programs to be broadcasted each time the program start time is updated,
• a bill-of-fare transmitting means for transmitting the bills of fare generated by the bill-of-fare generating means to the terminal device through the network,
• a program-recording-request receiving means for receiving a program recording request to record a specified program on the recording medium, transmitted from the terminal device through the network based on the bill of fare transmitted to the terminal device by the bill-of-fare transmitting means,
• a comparing means for, when the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made by the terminal device arrives, comparing the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made with the program start time of the program in the latest bill of fare updated by the bill-of-fare generating means,
• a program-recording-start command generating means for generating a program recording start command for starting recording of the specified program on the recording medium, according to the result of the comparison by the comparing means that the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made is matched with the program start time of the program in the latest bill of fare updated by the bill-of-fare generating means, and
• a program-recording-start command transmitting means for transmitting the program recording start command generated by the program-recording-start command generating means to the terminal device through the network;
• and wherein
• the terminal device comprises:
• a bill-of-fare receiving means for receiving bills of fare transmitted from the bill-of-fare transmitting means of the server through the network,
• a program-recording-request transmitting means for transmitting a program recording request to record a specified program on the recording medium to the server through the network based on the bill of fare received by the bill-of-fare receiving means, and
• a program-recording-start command receiving means for receiving the program recording start command transmitted from the program-recording-start command transmitting means of the server.

A program recording control method for a program recording control system

• wherein
• a terminal device which controls the program recording operation of a program recorder for recording programs received by a receiving means on a recording medium and a server are connected with each other through a network;
• wherein
• the server generates a bill of fare containing program start time information indicating the program start times of programs to be broadcasted each time the program start time is updated, and transmits the generated bill of fare to the terminal device through the network;
• wherein
• the terminal device receives the bill of fare transmitted from the server through the network, and transmits a program recording request to record a specified program on the recording medium to the server through the network based on the received bill of fare;
• wherein
• the server receives the program recording request transmitted from the terminal device through the network,
• when the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made by the terminal device arrives, compares the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made with the program start time of the program in the updated and latest bill of fare,
• generates a program recording start command for starting recording of the specified program on the recording medium, according to the result of the comparison that the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made is matched with the program start time of the program in the updated and latest bill of fare, and
• transmits the generated program recording start command to the terminal device through the network;
• and wherein
• the terminal device receives the program recording start command transmitted from the server through the network.

A program recording control system wherein a server and a terminal device are connected with each other through a network,

• wherein
• the server comprises:
• a bill-of-fare generating means for generating a bill of fare containing program start time information indicating the program start times of programs to be broadcasted each time the program start time is updated,
• a bill-of-fare transmitting means for transmitting bills of fare generated by the bill-of-fare generating means to the terminal device through the network,
• a program-recording-request receiving means for receiving a program recording request to record a specified program on a recording medium, transmitted from the terminal device through the network based on the bill of fare transmitted to the terminal device by the bill-of-fare transmitting means,
• a comparing means for, when the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made by the terminal device arrives, comparing the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made with the program start time of the program in the lasted bill of fare updated by the bill-of-fare generating means,
• a program-recording-start command generating means for generating a program recording start command for starting recording of the specified program on the recording medium, according to the result of the comparison by the comparing means that the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made is matched with the program start time of the program in the latest bill of fare updated by the bill-of-fare generating means, and
• a program-recording-start command transmitting means for transmitting the program recording start command generated by the program-recording-start command generating means to the terminal device through the network;
• and wherein
• the terminal device comprises:
• a bill-of-fare receiving means for receiving bills of fare transmitted from the bill-of-fare transmitting means of the server through the network,
• a program-recording-request transmitting means for transmitting a program recording request to record a specified program on the recording medium to the server through the network based on the bill of fare received by the bill-of-fare receiving means,
• a program-recording-start command receiving means for receiving the program recording start command transmitted from the program-recording-start command transmitting means of the server,
• a program receiving means for receiving programs listed in the bill of fare,
• a recording means for recording the programs received by the program receiving means on the recording medium, and
• a controlling means for controlling the program receiving means and the recording means so that the program for which the program recording request was made is recorded on the recording medium according to the program recording start command received by the program-recording-start command receiving means.

A program recording control method for a program recording control system

• wherein
• a server and a terminal device are connected with each other through a network;
• wherein
• the server generates a bill of fare containing program start time information indicating the program start times of programs to be broadcasted each time the program start time is updated, and
• transmits the generated bill of fare to the terminal device through the network;
• wherein
• the terminal device receives the bill of fare transmitted from the server through the network, and
• transmits a program recording request to record a specified program on a recording medium to the server through the network based on the received bill of fare;
• wherein
• the server receives the program recording request transmitted from the terminal device through the network,
• when the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made by the terminal device arrives, compares the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made with the program start time of the program in the latest bill of fare updated by the bill-of-fare generating means,
• generates a program recording start command for starting recording of the specified program on the recording medium, according to the result of the comparison that the program start time of the program for which the program recording request was made is matched with the program start time of the program in the latest bill of fare updated by the bill-of-fare generating means, and
• transmits the generated program recording start command to the terminal device through the network;
• and wherein
• the terminal device receives the program recording start command transmitted from the server, and
• controls a program receiving means for receiving programs listed in the bill of fare and a recording means for recording the programs received by the program receiving means so that the program for which the program recording request was made is recorded on the recording medium according to the received program recording start command.