Portable Terminal Program Guide Storage and Update Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable electronic devices fail to display program guides and allow reservations for recording or viewing when they are not connected to a network or a home environment, limiting user access to program information and recording capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A portable terminal with means to obtain, store, and display program information via a network, including mechanisms for updating program information, displaying connection status, and sending reservation requests to connected devices, ensuring users can access program guides and make reservations regardless of their location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If program information is obtained and stored in internal memory, then the program guide can be displayed when connected to a network, but the device cannot display the program guide when not connected to a network or television broadcast waves
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary actions by obtaining and storing program information in internal memory before the user actually needs to view the program guide. This allows the program guide to be displayed immediately when the device is activated, without waiting for network connection or television broadcast reception, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability across different environments
2Ease of operation
If the device sends reservation commands to recording apparatus via home network, then remote recording reservation is enabled, but the device cannot make reservations when outside home network coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential reservation information (program guide data and reservation commands) from the home network environment and stores it locally in the portable device's internal memory. This allows the device to make recording reservations independently of home network coverage, enabling users to initiate reservations anywhere while maintaining the ease of operation for remote recording reservation
3Productivity
If program information is loaded in internal memory upon activation, then the device can display program guide when connected, but cannot display it when not connected to network or broadcast waves immediately after activation
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary action by loading program information into internal memory immediately upon activation, before the user attempts to view the program guide. This ensures that the program guide is already available in the device's memory, guaranteeing display capability regardless of network or broadcast connection status, thereby simultaneously improving access speed and display reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A portable terminal includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain program information via a network from a providing apparatus that provides the program information, the program information being used to display a program guide; a program-information storing unit configured to store the program information obtained; a displaying unit configured to display the program guide according to the obtained program information; and a display controlling unit configured to control display of the program guide so that the program guide is displayed according to the program information stored in the program-information storing unit. When an instruction for displaying a program guide is received, the obtaining unit newly obtains program information for updating the program information stored in the program information storing unit from the providing apparatus if the portable terminal is connected to the providing apparatus via the network.