Program receiving apparatus, program transmission/reception system, program reception method, program, and recording medium

A program transmission/reception system comprising:

• a program broadcasting station that is configured to broadcast programs;
• a program reception terminal including
• a receiving unit that is configured to receive the broadcasted programs, the receiving unit being possessed by a user,
• an electronic programming guide receiving unit that is configured to continually receive an electronic programming guide,
• a history creating unit that is configured to create a viewing history of the user based on the programs received by the receiving unit possessed by the user,
• a program typo holding unit that is configured to hold a type of program, which is specified based on the viewing history of the user and a predetermined rule,
• a program searching unit that is configured to search an electronic programming guide of the past for one or more programs of the specified type held by the program type holding unit, the electronic programming guide of the past being received by the electronic programming guide receiving unit,
• a program determining unit that is configured, to determine, based on the viewing history of the user, a not-yet-viewed program from among the programs of the specified type that have been searched out by the program searching unit,
• a related program judging unit that is configured to judge, based on an electronic programming guide of the futures, whether a related program, which is related to the not-yet-viewed program determined by the program determining unit, exists or not, the electronic programming guide of the future being received by the electronic programming guide receiving unit, and
• a display control unit that is configured to display the existence of the related program;
• and
• a program distributing apparatus including
• a storage unit that is configured to store programs,
• a searching unit that is configured to search, for the not-yet-viewed program, in the storage unit, and
• distributing unit that is configured to distribute the not-vet-viewed program, which has been searched out by the searching unit, to the program reception terminal,
• wherein if the not-yet-viewed program does not exist in the storage unit, the display control unit does not display the existence of the not-yet-viewed program.

A program reception method comprising:

• a reception step by a receiving unit that is configured to receive broadcasted programs, the receiving unit being possessed by a user;
• an electronic programming guide reception step by an electronic programming guide receiving unit that is configured to continually receive an electronic programming guide;
• a history creation step by a history creating unit that is configured to create a viewing history of the user based the programs received by the receiving unit possessed by the user;
• a program type holding step by a program type holding unit that is configured to hold a type of a program, which is specified based on the viewing history of the user and a predetermined rule;
• a program search step by a program searching unit that is configured to search an electronic programming guide of the past for one or more programs of the specified type held by the program type holding unit, the electronic programming guide of the past being received by the electronic program guide receiving unit;
• a program determination step by it program determining unit that is configured to determine, based on the viewing history of the user, a not-yet-viewed program from among the programs of the specified type that have been searched out by the program searching unit;
• a related program judgment step by a related program judging unit that is configured to judge, based on an electronic programming guide of the future, whether a related program, which is related to the not-yet-viewed program determined by the program determining unit, exists or not, the electronic programming guide of the future being received by the electronic programming guide receiving unit;
• and
• a display step by a display control unit that is configured to display the existence of the related program.

A program reception terminal, comprising:

• a receiving unit that is configured to receive broadcasted programs, the receiving unit being possessed by a user;
• an electronic programming guide receiving unit that is configured to continually receive an electronic programming guide;
• a history creating unit that is configured to create a viewing history of the user based on the programs received by the receiving unit;
• a program type holding unit that is configured to holding a type of a program, which is specified based on the viewing history of the user and a predetermined rule;
• a program extracting unit that is configured to extract, based on the viewing history of the user, one or more programs of the specified type held by the program type holding unit from an electronic programming guide of the past, the electronic programming guide of the past being received by the electronic programming guide receiveing unit;
• a program determining unit that is configured to determine a not-yet-viewed program from among the programs of the specified type that have been extracted by the program extracting unit;
• a related program judging unit that is configured to judge, based on an electronic programming guide of the future, whether a related program, which is related to the not-yet-viewed program determined by the program determining unit, exists or not, the electronic programming guide of the future being received by the electronic programming guide receiving unit;
• and
• a display control unit that is configured to display the existence of the related program.