Program information broadcasting system, broadcasting device, and receiving terminal unit

A broadcasting device, comprising:

• program information data preparing means for dividing program elements, constituting a broadcasting program, into a plurality of items and turning them into data and for preparing a master data list of program information that is adapted to recognize the program;
• information retrieval means for retrieving minimal necessary items for preparation of a program guide from the master data list;
• program basic information preparing means for preparing program basic information using said minimal necessary items obtained by said information retrieval means, said program basic information including extracted items of all programs included in said master data so that the amount of data in said program basic information is substantially smaller than the amount of data in said master data;
• transmission data generating means for converting said master data and said program basic information to transmittable data;
• and
• transmitting means for transmitting said transmittable data.

A receiving terminal unit, comprising:

• receiving means for receiving a master data list of a broadcast program information;
• program basic information preparing means for extracting a minimal number of items necessary for preparation of a program guide from the received master data, and for preparing a program basic information, said program basic information including extracted items of all programs included in said master data so that the amount of data in said program basic information is substantially smaller than that of said master data;
• storage means for storing data of said program basic information;
• data reproducing means for reproducing data of the received program information and the program basic information;
• and
• control means for controlling various types of operations,
• whereby:
• when an instruction to display program information is inputted, said control means receives the master data of said program information, and prepares a summarized table of the programs by reading program basic information from said storage means.

A program information broadcasting method, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a master data of program information for recognizing a broadcast program wherein program elements of said broadcasting program are divided into a plurality of items and wherein said items are converted to data at a broadcasting center;
• preparing a program basic information list, comprising a minimal number of items that are necessary for the preparation of a program guide, that are extracted from said master data, said program basic information including extracted items from all programs included in said master data so that the amount of data in said program basic information is substantially smaller than the amount of data in said master data;
• transmitting said master data and said program basic information simultaneously with broadcasting a program;
• and
• receiving, reproducing and/or displaying said program basic information before completion of receipt of said master data at a receiving terminal unit.

A program information broadcasting system, comprising:

• means for preparing a master data of program information for recognizing a broadcast program, wherein program elements of said broadcasting program are divided into a plurality of items and means for converting said items to data at a broadcasting center;
• means for preparing a program basic information with a minimal number of items necessary for preparation of a program guide, including means for extracting said items from said data constituting said master data;
• means for transmitting said master data and said program basic information simultaneously with the broadcast program;
• and
• means for receiving, reproducing and/or displaying said program basic information before completion of receipt of said master data at a receiving terminal unit;
• further comprising:
• means to broadcast mail from said broadcast center in addition to transmission of the program information;
• means for linking said mail to said program information so that the receiving terminal unit can gain access to the linked data of the program information from the received mail, and
• a data to call function that enables viewer(s) to participate in voting and/or questionnaire data incorporated in the mail.

A program information broadcasting method, comprising:

• preparing program basic information, including a title and an ID for each of a plurality of programs;
• preparing master information, including a plurality of text data associated with said plurality of programs, at least one text data including a description of a program from among said plurality of the programs;
• transmitting said master information at a constant cycle 1;
• and
• transmitting said program basic information at a constant cycle 2,
• wherein the cycle 1 and the cycle 2 are different from each other,
• wherein said program basic information includes extracted items of all of the plurality of programs included in the master information so that the amount of data in said program basic information is substantially smaller than the amount of data in said master information, and
• wherein said program basic information and said master information are transmitted simultaneously.