Patent ID: 8401373
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A program reservation apparatus, comprising: a reception unit which receives a program and electronic program information; a reservation unit which executes a reserve-recording process of recording the program based on the electronic program information which has been received; and a determination unit which determines whether or not a reservation candidate program as a candidate of the program reserve-recorded by the reservation unit is caused to be reserve-recorded corresponding to a plurality of patterns of the program in a predetermined time period, the apparatus prevents redundant recording of the reservation candidate program by analyzing a past broadcast occurrence pattern and a future broadcast occurrence pattern of programs that are said to be similar to the reservation candidate program, wherein when the apparatus automatically analyzes a past broadcast occurrence pattern, and automatically considers as past broadcast occurrences those programs that are said to be similar to the reservation candidate program and that are broadcast in a detected time zone earlier than a reference time zone for the reservation candidate program on a reference date for the reservation candidate program, wherein a program is said to be similar to the reservation candidate program when there is a match between the program and the reservation candidate program for one or more of title, genre, content description, broadcast duration, and identification information.