Abstract:
A mobile terminal includes a recording unit configured to record television broadcast program; a first extracting unit configured to extract caption information from each of the television broadcast programs; a storage unit configured to store the caption information extracted by the first extracting unit for each of the television broadcast programs recorded by the recording unit; and a display unit configured to, when displaying a list of the programs recorded by the recording unit, display the caption information of each recorded television programs stored by the storage unit. The mobile terminal, is capable of displaying a list of programs recorded that allows users to identify the contents of the programs in detail even on a small display screen by extracting distinctive textual information about each of the recorded programs from textural information such as caption information contained in the programs.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-41989 filed on Feb. 20, 2003; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, a display apparatus, a display method for a mobile terminal, and a display method for a display apparatus capable of displaying a list of television programs recorded so as to allow users to identify the content of each program in detail. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    An increasing number of mobile terminals such as mobile phones contain television reception capabilities to allow uses to receive and watch television broadcasts such as digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasts. Such mobile terminals typically include not only the television reception capabilities but also recording and playback capabilities. Accordingly, efforts have been made to improve user interfaces for listing programs recorded on mobile terminals. 
         [0006]    For example, Japanese Patent Publication of Unexamined Applications (Kokai), No. 2004-253050 describes an information playback apparatus that provides improved user access for searching for video scenes during recording and/or playback of information. The information playback apparatus detects distinctive characters in captions, or distinctive characters in captions and non-textual additional information in captions, or only non-characteristic additional information in captions from closed caption (CC) information in television signals, analyzes changes in these kinds of information and associates changed information and video, thereby facilitating video scene searching in recording and/or playback. 
         [0007]    When television programs such as DTT programs recorded on a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone are listed on the mobile terminal, typically a list of the program titles contained in program information or a list of still images (thumbnail images) contained in video information of the recorded programs is displayed. 
         [0008]    However, listing of the titles of programs recorded has a problem that it is difficult for the user to identify the content of an installment of a regularly broadcast program by the title of the program alone, for example, if a number of installments of the program were recorded. Another problem with thumbnail listing of programs recorded is that the thumbnail images of the installments of a regularly broadcast program can be similar to one another, making it difficult for the user to identify the content of each of the recorded installments, for example. There is another problem that because the screen that can be displayed on a mobile terminal is limited in size, each of thumbnail images displayed on the undersized display will be too small for the user to identify the content of the program by the thumbnail. 
         [0009]    Television broadcasting such as DTT contains textual information such as caption information and program information in addition to video and audio information. Therefore, it is desirable that textual information such as caption information contained in television programs be used to list programs recorded on a mobile terminal on the small display of the mobile terminal to provide detailed information about the programs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention has been made in view of the problems to provide a mobile terminal, a display apparatus, and a display method for the mobile terminal capable of displaying a list of programs recorded to allow users to identify of the content of each program in detail even on a small display screen. 
         [0011]    To address the problems, a mobile terminal according to the present invention comprises a recording unit configured to record television broadcast program; a first extracting unit configured to extract caption information from each of the television broadcast programs; a storage unit configured to store the caption information extracted by the first extracting unit for each of the television broadcast programs recorded by the recording unit; and a display unit configured to, when displaying a list of the programs recorded by the recording unit, display the caption information of each recorded television programs stored by the storage unit. 
         [0012]    And a display apparatus according to the present invention comprises a recording unit configured to record television broadcast program; an first extracting unit configured to extract caption information from each of the television broadcast programs; a storage unit configured to store the caption information extracted by the first extracting unit for each of the television broadcast programs recorded by the recording unit; and a display unit configured to, when displaying a list of the programs recorded by the recording unit, display the caption information of each recorded television programs stored by the storage unit. 
         [0013]    And a display method for a mobile terminal according to the present invention comprises a recording step for recording television broadcast program; a first extracting step for extracting caption information from each of the television broadcast programs; a storage step for storing the caption information extracted at the first extracting step for each of the television broadcast programs recorded at the recording step; and a display step for, when displaying a list of the programs recorded at the recording step, displaying the caption information of each recorded television programs stored at the storage step. 
         [0014]    And a display method for a display apparatus according to the present invention comprises a recording step for recording television broadcast program; a first extracting step for extracting caption information from each of the television broadcast programs; a storage step for storing the caption information extracted at the first extracting step for each of the television broadcast programs recorded at the recording step; and a display step for, when displaying a list of the programs recorded at the recording step, displaying the caption information of each recorded television programs stored at the storage step. 
         [0015]    The mobile terminal, the display apparatus, the display method for the mobile terminal, and the display method for the display apparatus according to the present invention are capable of displaying a list of programs recorded that allows users to identify the contents of the programs in detail even on a small display screen by extracting distinctive textual information about each of the recorded programs from textural information such as caption information contained in the programs. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a mobile terminal (mobile phone) according to the present invention in its closed position;  FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the mobile terminal (mobile phone) according to the present invention in its open position; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing functions of the mobile terminal (mobile phone) according to the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a procedure of a recording control process performed by a mobile phone according to a first embodiment; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a procedure of a program list display process performed by the mobile phone according to the first embodiment; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a program list screen on the mobile phone according to the first embodiment; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a procedure of a recording control process performed by a mobile phone according to a second embodiment; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a procedure of a program list display process performed by the mobile phone according to the second embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     First Embodiment 
       [0024]    A first embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5 . For the purpose of illustration, the first embodiment will be described with respect to a slider mobile phone  1  that include two or more housings slidably coupled. 
         [0025]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a mobile phone  1  in its closed position and  FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the mobile phone  1  in its open position. The mobile phone  1  includes a rectangular plate-like upper housing  10  and a lower housing  11  similar in shape to the upper housing  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . In the closed position, the upper and lower housings  10  and  11  are stacked on one another to entirely cover one another. The upper and lower housings  10  and  11  are coupled in such a manner that they can slide in a predetermined direction (for example along the direction of the length, namely in the X direction in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  a predetermined distance with respect to each other. By sliding the upper housing  10  along the lower housing  11 , the mobile phone  1  is changed from the closed position to the open position or vice versa. 
         [0026]    Provided on the outer surface of the upper housing  10  (the surface that does not face the lower housing  11 ) are a display  12  for displaying a screen including text and images and/or other information, a speaker  13  for outputting sound, and operation keys  14  to be pressed by a user to enter instructions. The operation keys  14  include a call initiation key for instructing the mobile phone  1  to initiate a call, a call end key for instructing to end a call, a mail key for activating a mail function, a television key for instructing to activate a television reception capabilities, a direction key for specifying up, down, left, and right directions. 
         [0027]    The display  12 , the speaker  13 , and the operation keys  14  are exposed when the mobile phone  1  is in the closed position as well as in the open position. Accordingly, the user can view the screen and operate any of the operation keys  14  to input instructions when the mobile phone  1  is in the closed position as well as in the open position. 
         [0028]    Provided on the inner surface of the lower housing  11  (the surface facing the upper housing  10 ) are operation keys  15  to be pressed by the user to enter instructions and a microphone  16  for collecting sound. The operation keys  15  are numeric and character keys for inputting numbers and characters, for example. 
         [0029]    When the mobile phone  1  is in the closed position, the operation keys  15  and the microphone  16  are not exposed but covered with the upper housing  10 . When the upper housing  10  is slid open with respect to the lower housing  11 , the operation keys  15  and the microphone  16  are exposed. Accordingly, the user can input instructions through any of the operation keys  15  when the mobile phone  1  is in the open position, but cannot input instructions through the operation keys  15  when the mobile phone  1  is in the closed position. Therefore, the user changes the mobile phone  1  into the open position before inputting an instruction through any of the operation keys  15 . 
         [0030]    Side keys  17  to be pressed by the user to input instructions are provided on a side of the lower housing  11 . These side keys  17  are exposed when the mobile phone  1  is in the closed position as well as in the open position. Therefore, the user can input an instruction through any of the side keys  17  when the mobile phone is in the closed position as well as in the open position. 
         [0031]    Functions of the mobile phone  1  will be described with reference to a block diagram of  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the mobile phone  1  includes a main controller  20 , a power supply circuit  21 , a display controller  22 , a storage unit  23 , an external memory port  24 , an audio controller  25 , a communication controller  26 , a television receiver  27 , a video playback controller  28 , and a timer  29 , which are communicably interconnected through a bus B. 
         [0032]    The main controller  20  includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs various kinds of data processing and computational operations, centrally controls the mobile phone  1 , and performs a recording control process, a program list display process and various other processes, which will be described later. The main controller  20  also includes an input interface for the operation keys  14 ,  15  and the side keys  17 . When any of the operation keys  14 ,  15  and side keys  17  is pressed, the main controller  20  performs processing associated with the pressed key. The main controller  20  also includes an internal clock that constantly keeps track of the current time by using, for example, an RTC (Real Time Clock) circuit. 
         [0033]    The power supply circuit  21  turns on and off power supply according to an input through any of the operation keys  14 ,  15  by the user. When the power supply is turned on, the power supply circuit  21  supplies power from a power source (such as a battery) to the components of the mobile phone  1  to activate the mobile phone  1 . The display controller  22  includes a display interface for the display  12  and displays various display screens such as a television screen and a program list screen on the display  12  under the control of the main controller  20 . 
         [0034]    The storage unit  23  includes storage devices such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) temporarily storing data used by the main controller  20  for processing, a ROM (Read Only memory) storing processes programs of processing executed by the main controller  20 , a hard disk, and a nonvolatile memory. Processes programs causing the main controller  20  to perform processes such as a recording control process and a program list display process, which will be described later, are stored in the ROM, for example. 
         [0035]    The external memory port  24  includes input/output interfaces for external memory M such as an SD (Secure Digital) card (registered trademark) and USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. When an external memory M is electrically connected to the mobile phone  1 , the external memory port  24  performs processing for writing and reading data to and from the external memory M. 
         [0036]    The audio controller  25 , under the control of the main controller  20 , generates an analog audio signal from sound collected through the microphone  16  and converts the analog audio signal to a digital audio signal. When the audio controller  25  acquires a digital audio signal, the audio controller  25 , under the control of the main controller  20 , converts the digital audio signal to an analog audio signal and outputs the analog audio signal as sound through the speaker  13 . 
         [0037]    The communication controller  26  applies spread-spectrum dispreading to a signal received through an antenna  26   a  to reconstruct data under the control of the main controller  20 . The data is displayed on the display  12  or stored in the storage unit  23  according to an instruction from the main controller  20 . The communication controller  26  applies, under the control of the main controller  20 , spectrum spreading to data input through any of the operation keys  14 ,  15  and data stored in the storage unit  23  and sends out the resulting data through the antenna  26   a.    
         [0038]    The digital terrestrial television (DTT) receiver  27  includes a tuner  27   a , a demodulator  27   c , a TS decoder  27   d , and a caption decoder  27   e . The tuner  27   a  receives a modulated wave “a” of DTT (including digital terrestrial one-segment broadcasting) broadcast from a DTT broadcasting station (not shown) through an antenna  27   b . The demodulator  27   c  acquires and demodulates a modulated wave “a” received at the tuner  27   a  to generate coded video information “b” of the DTT broadcast. The TS decoder  27   d  acquires and decodes the coded video information “b” generated by the demodulator  27   c  and sends audio information “c” in the coded video information “b” to the audio controller  25  or the storage unit  23  and also sends moving image information “d” in the coded video information “b” to the video playback controller  28  or the storage unit  23  and textual information “e” in the coded video information “b” to the caption decoder  27   e  or the storage unit  23 . 
         [0039]    When the audio controller  25  receives audio information “c”, the audio controller  25  outputs the audio information “c” as sound through the speaker  13 . When the video playback controller  28  receives moving image information “d”, the video playback controller  28  displays the moving image information d on the display  12  through the display controller  22 . When the caption decoder  27   e  receives textual information “e”, the caption decoder  27   e  generates caption information “f” from the textual information “e” and sends it to the display controller  22  or the storage unit  23 . 
         [0040]    When the video playback controller  28  acquires moving image information “d” of DTT received by the DTT receiver  27  or moving image information “d” stored in the storage unit  23 , the video playback controller  28  displays the moving image information “d” on the display  12  through the display controller  22 . The video playback controller  28  also stores an image file “g” of a still image at a predetermined time contained in the moving image information “d” in the storage unit  23  under the control of the main controller  20 . The image file “g” is used for generating a thumbnail image for displaying a list of the moving image information “d” stored in the storage unit  23 . 
         [0041]    The timer  29  performs, according to an instruction from the main controller  20 , timer processing for notifying the expiration of a predetermined time interval. When the timer  29  receives a timer start instruction from the main controller  20 , the timer  29  starts measuring the predetermined time interval (timer time) in response to the timer start instruction from the main controller  20  and, upon expiration of the predetermined time interval, sends a timer expiration notification to the main controller  20 . 
         [0042]    Conventional mobile phones typically list the titles or thumbnail images of television programs recorded. Since multiple thumbnail images are displayed on the limited small display screen of mobile terminals, it is difficult for the user to identify the content of each recorded program to find a desired program on the program list. For example, when a weekly news show are recorded on the mobile phone  1  every week, its weekly installments may have thumbnail images which are similar to one another or may have the same program name, making it difficult for the user to distinguish the desired program to watch. 
         [0043]    DTT broadcast waves received by the mobile phone  1  contain textual information such as caption information and program information in addition to image information and video information. The mobile phone  1  stores the textual information such as caption information contained in the programs recorded and, when listing the programs, displays the stored textual information in addition to thumbnail images of the programs. The textual information displayed may be extracted from a part of the textual information where modifier information is set, for example. Thus, the mobile phone  1  can straightforwardly extract and display distinctive textual information from programs without having to perform complex analysis of caption information. 
         [0044]    In particular, when the mobile phone  1  receives and records a television program such as a DTT broadcast program, the mobile phone  1  extracts caption information from a stream of the television broadcast and stores a particular part of the caption information in the storage unit  23  as display information. The part stored is a part of the caption information that contains added control information (modifying information) indicating a display control mode such as a color or blinking. This is done because the part to which such modifying information is added are likely to be information intended to attract attention of users in the television program. 
         [0045]    The header of a caption packet of television broadcast contains control codes for controlling the display function and display timing, for example. The control information here is control information that is added to parts to be highlighted in captions to be displayed and indicates control codes representing font size, font color, background color of font, blinking, underline, and the like. 
         [0046]    If time information added to caption information indicates that there is a time interval between successive captions, it is likely that there may be a transition from one scene to the next in the program. Therefore, the caption information immediately after a time interval may be used as the display information. Alternatively, a part of caption information at the beginning of a television program or a part of caption information that appears after a predetermined time period after the beginning of the television program may be stored as display information. 
         [0047]    When the mobile phone  1  displays a list of programs recorded, the mobile phone  1  retrieves the display information that was stored during the recording of each program and displays the display information on the screen  30  on the display  12 . The list of the programs recorded may be displayed on the screen  30  so as to fit in the screen  30  or may be superimposed as a scrolling caption. The list may be displayed in a different color or blinked according to modifying information contained in the caption information. Alternatively, the mobile phone  1  may display thumbnail images of the programs with the list of programs recorded and, only when a cursor is placed on one of the thumbnail images, may superimpose the display information on the thumbnail image or display the display information as a scrolling caption, rather than always displaying a part of caption information. Alternatively, the display information may be displayed in a different color or may be blinked when the cursor is placed on a thumbnail image. 
         [0048]    A procedure of a recording control process performed by the mobile phone  1  during recording a television program will be described with reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 3 . In the following description, “step” as in “step S 101 ” will be sometimes abbreviated as “S” as in “S 101 ”. 
         [0049]    First, the main controller  20  starts a process for recording a television broadcast received according to a user operation (S 101 ). During recording, the main controller  20  stores video information, audio information, and textural information in the television program from the television broadcast waves received by the television receiver  27  in the storage unit  23 . The main controller  20  acquires textual information in the television program being recorded at step S 101  (S 103 ). 
         [0050]    The main controller  20  extracts caption information from the textual information acquired at step S 103  (S 105 ). The caption information extracted may be caption information appearing within a predetermined time period (for example several seconds or minutes) from the start of the recording. Alternatively, the caption information may be the first series of caption information for playback of the television broadcast. 
         [0051]    The main controller  20  extracts a portion of the caption information extracted at step S 105  that contains control information as display information (S 107 ). The control information is modifying information added to parts of caption information to be highlighted, for example a part to be displayed in a specified color, to be blinked, to be displayed in a specified location, or to be displayed in a specified font size, for example. If the caption information extracted at step S 105  does not contain control information, preferably the sequence of extraction of textual information from the television program at step S 103  and extraction of caption information containing control information at step S 105  is repeated until caption information containing control information is extracted, in order that the portion of the caption information that contains control information can be extracted without fail at step S 107 . 
         [0052]    The main controller  20  stores the display information extracted at S 107  in the storage unit  23  (S 109 ). The main controller  20  determines whether the recording has been completed or not (S 111 ). The main controller  20  ends the recording process started at step S 101  according to a user operation or the timer  29 . 
         [0053]    If the recording has not yet been completed (“No” at S 111 ), the procedure returns to step S 103  and the main controller  20  repeats steps S 103  through S 111 . When the recording has been completed (“Yes” at S 111 ), the main controller  20  ends the recording control process. For example, display information for program A saying, “The opening ceremony has started . . . ”, display information for program B saying, “The torch relay traveled under heavy security . . . ”, display information for program C saying, “when Japanese athletes entered . . . ”, and so on have been stored at step S 109 . 
         [0054]    In this way, the mobile phone  1  extracts a part containing control information from caption information contained in a television program and sores the part as display information during recording of the television program. The display information is used when a list of programs recorded is displayed. 
         [0055]    According to a subsequent user operation, the mobile phone  1  performs a program list display process for displaying a list of television programs which were recorded by performing steps S 101  through S 111 . A procedure of the program list display process performed by the mobile phone  1  will be described with reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 4 . 
         [0056]    When the user wants to watch a television program recorded on the mobile phone  1 , the user instructs the mobile phone  1  to list the recorded programs by inputting an instruction through appropriated ones of the operation keys  14 ,  15  and side keys  17 . The main controller  20  determines whether or not an instruction to display a list of programs recorded has been issued (S 201 ). Here, the main controller  20  determines on the basis of a predetermined operation through appropriate operation keys  14 ,  15  and side keys  17  that the instruction to display a list of recorded programs has been issued or not. If the instruction to display a list of programs recorded has not been issued (“No” at S 201 ), the main controller  20  remains in the wait state. 
         [0057]    When the instruction to display a list of programs recorded has been issued (“Yes” at S 201 ), the main controller  20  retrieves display information for the television programs stored in the storage unit  23  (S 203 ). The main controller  20  displays a list of the display information retrieved at step S 203  on the screen  30  on the display  12  (S 205 ). 
         [0058]      FIG. 5  illustrates the screen  30  on the display  12  displaying a list of programs recorded. As shown in  FIG. 5 , a list of options  31  on which display information stored at step S 109  for each recorded program is displayed is displayed on the screen  30  (for example, options  31  on which display information “The opening ceremony has started . . . ” for program A, “The torch relay traveled under heavy security . . . ” for program B, and “when Japanese athletes entered . . . ” for program C is displayed). The user uses operation keys  14 ,  15 , and side keys  17  to select the option  31  indicating the desired program recorded to select the desired program recorded. 
         [0059]    In this way, when listing programs recorded, the mobile phone  1  displays a list of display information that was extracted from caption information during recording of television programs. When the user wants to watch any of the programs recorded, the user can identify the content of each of the programs on the basis of the display information and select the desired recorded program. 
         [0060]    If a television program being recorded does not contain caption information, program information may be extracted at step S 105  instead of caption information and may be stored at step S 109 . In this case, the program information is displayed at step S 205  instead of caption information. 
         [0061]    Video information may be acquired together with textual information at step S 103 , a still image (thumbnail image) at a given time may be extracted form the video information together with the caption information at step S 105 , and the thumbnail image may be stored together with the display information at step S 109 . In this case, preferably the thumbnail image is acquired together with the display information at step S 203  and the display information and the thumbnail information are displayed at the same time at step S 205 . The thumbnail image displayed with the display information is preferably the one acquired at the time the textual information was acquired at step S 103 . 
         [0062]    Alternatively, whenever the mobile phone  1  displays a list of programs recorded, the mobile phone  1  may first display the thumbnail image of the first scene of each program. Then, when the cursor is placed on the thumbnail image of a program, the mobile phone  1  may display the display information together with the thumbnail image of the scene displayed at the time the display information appears. 
         [0063]    According to the first embodiment, distinctive textual information for each program recorded is extracted from textual information such as caption information contained in the program and is displayed on the display screen when a list of the programs recorded is displayed. Accordingly, the list of the programs recorded can be displayed in such a manner that the user can identify the content of each program in detail even on the small screen  30  on the display  12 . The user can identify the content of each program recorded on the mobile terminal and can readily select a desired program to watch on the mobile terminal. 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0064]    A second embodiment of a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The same components as those of the first embodiment are labeled the same reference numerals, repeated description of which will be omitted. The mobile terminal according to the second embodiment is a mobile phone having the same configuration as the mobile phone  1  of the first embodiment as illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . Like the mobile phone  1  of the first embodiment, the mobile phone  1  of the second embodiment includes a main controller  20 , a power supply circuit  21 , a display controller  22 , a storage unit  23 , an external memory port  24 , an audio controller  25  a communication controller  26 , a television receiver  27 , a video playback controller  28 , and a timer  29 , which are communicably interconnected through a bus B as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0065]    While the mobile phone  1  of the first embodiment extracts display information during recording television programs, the mobile phone  1  of the second embodiment extracts display information when listing programs recorded. 
         [0066]    A procedure of the recording control process performed by the mobile phone  1  of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of  FIGS. 6 and 7 . First, the main controller  20  starts recording of a television broadcast being received according to a user operation (S 301 ). During the recording, the main controller  20  stores in the storage unit  23  video information, audio information, and textual information in the television program being recorded from the television broadcast waves received by the television receiver  27 . 
         [0067]    The main controller  20  acquires textual information from the television program being recorded at step S 301  (S 303 ). The main controller  20  extracts caption information from the textual information acquired at step S 303  (S 305 ). The main controller  20  stores the textual information extracted at step S 305  in the storage unit  23  (S 307 ). 
         [0068]    The main controller  20  determines whether the recording has been completed (S 309 ). The main controller  20  ends the recording started at step S 301  according to a user operation or the timer  29 . If the recording has not been completed (“No” at S 309 ), the procedure returns to step S 303  and the main controller  20  repeats steps S 303  through  5309 . When the recording has been completed (“Yes” at S 309 ), the main controller  20  will end the recording control process. 
         [0069]    In this way, the mobile phone  1  extracts and stores the textual information contained in the television program during recording the television program. The textual information will be used when a list of programs recorded is displayed. 
         [0070]    According to a user operation, the mobile phone  1  subsequently performs a program list display process for displaying a list of television programs that were recorded by performing steps S 301  through S 309 . A procedure of the program list display process performed by the mobile phone  1  will be described with reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 7 . 
         [0071]    When the user wants to watch a program recorded on the mobile phone  1 , the user instructs the mobile phone  1  to display a list of the programs recorded by inputting the instruction through appropriate operation keys  14 ,  15  and side keys  17 . The main controller  20  determines whether an instruction to display a list of programs recorded has been issued or not (S 401 ). The main controller  20  determines on the basis of a predetermined operation performed through the appropriate operation keys  14 ,  15  and side keys  17  whether the instruction has been issued. If the instruction has not been issued (“No” at S 401 ), the main controller  20  remains in the wait state. 
         [0072]    When the instruction to display a list of the programs recorded has been issued (“Yes” at S 401 ), the main controller  20  acquires caption information of one of the television programs stored in the storage unit  23  (S 403 ). The main controller  20  then extracts a part containing control information from the caption information acquired at step S 403  as display information (S 405 ). The control information is modifying information added to each part to be highlighted in the caption information. 
         [0073]    The main controller  20  determines whether there is an additional recorded program yet to be processed (S 407 ). That is, the main controller  20  determines there is a program that is yet to undergo processing at steps S 403  through S 405  among the programs stored in the storage unit  23 . If so (“yes” at step S 407 ), the main controller  20  returns to step S 403  and repeats steps S 403  through S 405 . 
         [0074]    If there is not an additional recorded program to process (“No” at S 407 ), the main controller  20  displays a list of the display information extracted at step S 405  on the screen  30  on the display  12 , as in step S 205  (S 409 ). 
         [0075]    In this way, the mobile phone  1  extracts a part containing control information from caption information that was stored during recording each television program as display information for the television program and displays a list of the display information when listing the recorded programs. When the user wants to watch any of the television programs recorded, the user can identify the content of each recorded program on the basis of the display information and select the desired recorded program. 
         [0076]    According to the second embodiment, distinctive textual information is extracted from textual information such as caption information contained in broadcast programs recorded and a list of the recorded programs with the extracted textual information is displayed to allow the user to identify the content of each of the recorded programs in detail even on a small screen  30  on the display  12 . Therefore, the user can identify the content of each recorded program in detail and readily select and watch a desired program on the mobile terminal. 
         [0077]    While the present invention has been described with respect to mobile phones  1 , the present invention is not limited to mobile phones. The present invention is applicable to any mobile terminals, such as PHS (Personal Handyphone System) terminals, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), handheld game machines, or portable television equipment that include television reception and recording capabilities.