Information processing apparatus and control method therefor

A control method for an information processing apparatus that, along with being capable of displaying an electronic program guide and a web page on a display unit by respectively allocating them in an EPG display area and a Web page display area of a display screen of the display unit, comprises

• a storage unit that stores program-related information and web page URL information associated with each other in advance,
• an electronic program guide generation unit that acquires electronic program guide data and generating an electronic program guide that can be displayed in the EPG display area,
• a web page generation unit that acquires web page data and generates a web page that can be displayed in the Web page display area based on the acquired web page data,
• a display control unit that generates display screen data in which the electronic program guide generated by the electronic program guide generation unit is allocated in the EPG display area and the web page generated by the web page generation unit is allocated in the Web page display area, and
• an operation unit that receives a command input to select either of the web page and the electronic program guide is to be operated and, if the Web page is selected, further receives a command input from a user in order to display a Web page and if the electronic program guide is selected, further receives a command input from the user in order to select a program from programs included in the electronic program guide, said method comprising:
• a step in which, when a command input to change a currently displayed web page to the new web page is received by the operation unit the web page generation unit acquires web page data based on a URL information of the new web page and generates a new web page that can be displayed in the Web page display area,
• the electronic program guide generation unit determines whether there is a program associated with the new web page based on the URL information of the new web page and, the program-related information and the web page URL information stored in the storage unit, and
• if the results of the determination show that there is a program associated with the new web page, the electronic program guide generation unit generates a new electronic program guide in which a focus is set to the program associated with the new web page and the display control unit generates display screen data in which the new electronic program guide generated by the electronic program guide generation unit is allocated in the EPG display area and the new web page generated by the web page generation unit is allocated in the Web page display area;
• and
• a step in which, when the command input in order to select a program included in an electronic program guide displayed in the EPG display area is received by the operation unit,
• the electronic program guide generation unit generates a new electronic program guide in which a focus is set to the selected program and determines whether there is a web page associated with the selected program based on the information stored in the storage unit, and
• if the results of the determination show that there is a web page associated with the selected program, the web page generation unit acquires web page data of the web page associated with the selected program and generates a web page associated with the selected program that can be displayed in the Web page display area, and the display control unit generates display screen data in which the electronic program guide, in which a focus is set to the selected program and generated by the electronic program guide generation unit, is allocated in the EPG display area and the web page, associated with the selected program and generated by the web page generation unit, is allocated in the Web page display area.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a software program for causing a computer to operate as an information processing apparatus capable of displaying an electronic program guide and a web page on a display unit by respectively allocating them in an EPG display area and a Web page display area of a display screen of the display unit, comprising:

• a storage unit that stores program-related information and web page URL information associated with each other in advance;
• an electronic program guide generation unit that acquires electronic program guide data and generates an electronic program guide that can be displayed in the EPG display area;
• a web page generation unit that acquires web page data and generates a web page that can be displayed in the Web page display area based on the acquired web page data;
• a display control unit that generates display screen data in which the electronic program guide generated by the electronic program guide generation unit is allocated in the EPG display area and the web page generated by the web page generation unit is allocated in the Web page display area;
• and
• an operation unit that receives a command input in order to select either of the web page and the electronic program guide to be operated and, if the Web page is selected, further receives a command input from a user in order to display a Web page and if the electronic program guide is selected, further receives a command input from the user in order to select a program from programs included in the electronic program guide,
• wherein, when a command input to change a currently displayed web page to the new web page is received by the operation unit,
• the web page generation unit acquires web page data based on a URL information of the new web page and generates a new web page that can be displayed in the Web page display area,
• the electronic program guide generation unit determines whether there is a program associated with the new web page based on the URL information of the new web page and, the program-related information and the web page URL information stored in the storage unit, and
• if the results of the determination show that there is a program associated with the new web page, the electronic program guide generation unit generates a new electronic program guide in which a focus is set to the program associated with the new web page and the display control unit generates display screen data in which the new electronic program guide generated by the electronic program guide generation unit is allocated in the EPG display area and the new web page generated by the web page generation unit is allocated in the Web page display area, and
• wherein, when the command input in order to select a program included in an electronic program guide displayed in the EPG display area is received by the operation unit,
• the electronic program guide generation unit generates a new electronic program guide in which a focus is set to the selected program and determines whether there is a web page associated with the selected program based on the information stored in the storage unit, and
• if the results of the determination show that there is a web page associated with the selected program, the web page generation unit acquires web page data of the web page associated with the selected program and generates a web page associated with the selected program that can be displayed in the Web page display area, and the display control unit generates display screen data in which the electronic program guide, in which a focus is set to the selected program and generated by the electronic program guide generation unit, is allocated in the EPG display area and the web page, associated with the selected program and generated by the web page generation unit, is allocated in the Web page display area.