Broadcast program recording/reproducing device and broadcast program recording/reproducing method

A broadcast program recording device which records a program being broadcast, the device comprising:

• a storage unit operable to store the program;
• a program write unit operable to write the received program into the storage unit;
• a reception level detection unit operable to detect whether a reception level of a received broadcast electric wave is (i) equal to or lower than a first predetermined reception level and (ii) equal to or lower than a second predetermined reception level;
• a recording start request transmission unit operable, when the reception level detected by the reception level detection unit is equal to or lower than the first predetermined reception level, to generate a recording start request to request an external device to alternatively record at least part of the program, and to transmit the recording start request to the external device;
• and
• a management information storage unit operable to store management information to manage a destination of the recording of the program and a timing to switch the recording,
• wherein the first predetermined reception level is higher than the second predetermined reception level, and
• wherein the program write unit stops the writing into the storage unit when the reception level detected by the reception level detection unit is equal to or lower than the second predetermined reception level.

A broadcast program reproduction device that reproduces a broadcast program stored in a storage unit, wherein

• management information to manage a destination of the recording of the broadcast program and a timing to switch the recording is stored in the storage unit, and
• the broadcast program reproduction device comprises:
• a distributive recording determination unit operable to determine whether the program is recorded so as to be distributed between the storage unit and the external device based on the management information;
• and
• a continuous reproduction unit operable to obtain an appropriate part of the broadcast program from the storage unit and the external device and to continuously reproduce the program, without temporal interruption of the program, based on the management information when the distributive recording determination unit determines that the broadcast program is recorded so as to be distributed, and to obtain the broadcast program from the storage unit and to reproduce the broadcast program when the distributive recording determination unit determines that the broadcast program is not recorded so as to be distributed.

A broadcast program recording/reproducing method of recording a program being broadcast and reproducing the program, the method comprising:

• a step of writing a received program into a storage unit;
• a step of detecting whether a reception level of a received broadcast electric wave is (i) equal to or lower than a first predetermined reception level and (ii) equal to or lower than a second predetermined reception level;
• a step of, when the reception level detected at the step of detecting is equal to or lower than the first predetermined reception level, generating a recording start request to request an external device to alternatively record at least part of the program, and transmitting the recording start request to the external device;
• a step of storing management information to manage a destination of the recording of the program and a timing to switch the recording;
• a step of determining whether the program is recorded so as to be distributed between the storage unit and the external device based on the management information stored at the step of storing the management information;
• and
• a step of obtaining an appropriate part of the program from the storage unit and the external device based on the management information and continuously reproducing the program, without temporal interruption of the program, when it is determined that the program is recorded so as to be distributed at the step of determining the presence or absence of the distributive recording, and obtaining the program from the storage unit and reproducing the program when it is determined that the program is not recorded so as to be distributed at the step of determining the presence or absence of the distributive recording,
• wherein the first predetermined reception level is higher than the second predetermined reception level, and
• wherein, at the step of writing the received program, the writing into the storage unit is stopped when the reception level detected at the step of detecting is equal to or lower than the second predetermined reception level.

A non-transitory medium having a computer program stored thereon for recording a program being broadcast and reproducing the program, the computer program causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

• a step of writing a received program into a storage unit;
• a step of detecting whether a reception level of a received broadcast electric wave is (i) equal to or lower than a first predetermined reception level and (ii) equal to or lower than a second predetermined reception level;
• a step of, when the reception level detected at the step of detecting is equal to or lower than the first predetermined reception level, generating a recording start request to request an external device to alternatively record at least part of the program, and transmitting the recording start request to the external device;
• a step of storing management information to manage a destination of the recording of the program and a timing to switch the recording;
• a step of determining whether the program is recorded so as to be distributed between the storage unit and the external device based on the management information stored at the step of storing the management information;
• and
• a step of obtaining an appropriate part of the program from the storage unit and the external device based on the management information and continuously reproducing the program, without temporal interruption of the program, when it is determined that the program is recorded so as to be distributed at the step of determining the presence or absence of the distributive recording, and obtaining the program from the storage unit and reproducing the program when it is determined that the program is not recorded so as to be distributed at the step of determining the presence or absence of the distributive recording,
• wherein the first predetermined reception level is higher than the second predetermined reception level, and
• wherein, at the step of writing the received program, the writing into the storage unit is stopped when the reception level detected at the step of detecting is equal to or lower than the second predetermined reception level.

An integrated circuit of a broadcast program recording/reproducing device which records a program being broadcast and reproduces the program, the integrated circuit comprising:

• a storage unit operable to store the program;
• a program write unit operable to write the received program into the storage unit;
• a reception level detection unit operable to detect whether a reception level of a received broadcast electric wave is (i) equal to or lower than a first predetermined reception level and (ii) equal to or lower than a second predetermined reception level;
• a recording start request transmission unit operable, when the reception level detected by the reception level detection unit is equal to or lower than the first predetermined reception level, to generate a recording start request to request an external device to alternatively record at least part of the program, and to transmit the recording start request to the external device;
• a management information storage unit operable to store management information to manage a destination of the recording of the program and a timing to switch the recording;
• a distributive recording determination unit operable to determine whether the program is recorded so as to be distributed between the storage unit and the external device based on the management information stored in the management information storage unit;
• and
• a continuous reproduction unit operable to obtain an appropriate part of the program from the storage unit and the external device and to continuously reproduce the program, without temporal interruption of the program, based on the management information when the distributive recording determination unit determines that the program is recorded so as to be distributed, and to obtain the program from the storage unit and to reproduce the program when the distributive recording determination unit determines that the program is not recorded so as to be distributed,
• wherein the first predetermined reception level is higher than the second predetermined reception level, and
• wherein the program write unit stops the writing into the storage unit when the reception level detected by the reception level detection unit is equal to or lower than the second predetermined reception level.