Abstract:
A program listing displaying apparatus includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain program information, a producing unit configured to produce an electronic program listing based on the obtained program information, a display unit configured to display a part of area of the produced electronic program listing, and a switching unit configured to perform page switch of the area of the displayed electronic program listing to the area, which exists in a specified direction and continuously follows the displayed area.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-269926, filed Sep. 16, 2004, 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 an apparatus and a method for displaying a program listing, which are preferably used for a digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus and the like.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     As is well known, recently digitization of television broadcasting is promoted. For example, in Japan, not only satellite digital broadcasting such as BS (broadcasting satellite) digital broadcasting and 110-degree CS (communication satellite) digital broadcasting but also terrestrial digital broadcasting have been started.  
         [0006]     In the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus which receives the digital television broadcasting, an electronic program listing is produced based on EPG (Electronic Program Guide) information obtained from a broadcasting signal, and the electronic program listing is displayed on a screen. A user can select the desired program from the displayed electronic program listing, and the user can watch the program or reserve the program.  
         [0007]     The EPG information includes one in which the electronic program listings of about one week can be produced with respect to each of many broadcasted channels. Therefore, in the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus, since all the electronic program listings cannot simultaneously be displayed on the limited screen, the electronic program listings are displayed on the screen while partially switched. At this point, it is important how much a display area switching operation of the electronic program listing is simplified and how much user-operability is improved.  
         [0008]     In a technology disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-169197, a data axis is added in a depth direction in a two-dimensional program listing including a time axis and a broadcasting station axis, and a viewing audience can intuitively search and select the program by moving a cursor in all the directions.  
         [0009]     In a technology disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-238145, a user specifies a category of the program, the user operates a cursor moving key while the program of the specified category is selected on the program listing, and thereby the program nearest to the same category is selected in the moving direction specified by the cursor moving key.  
         [0010]     In a technology disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-93880, the program listing is formed in a virtual three-dimensional body, a mapping position is changed only for the minimal program listings by utilizing link information between pieces of program data during scrolling the program listing, and thereby a user can intuitively perform the operation and program data can be displayed at a high speed.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program listing displaying apparatus comprising: an obtaining unit configured to obtain program information; a producing unit configured to produce an electronic program listing based on the program information obtained by the obtaining unit; a display unit configured to display a part of area of the electronic program listing produced by the producing unit; and a switching unit configured to perform page switch of the area of the electronic program listing displayed by the display unit to the area which exists in a specified direction, the area continuously following the area displayed by the display unit.  
         [0012]     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program listing displaying method comprising: a step of obtaining program information; a step of producing an electronic program listing based on the obtained program information; a step of displaying a part of area of the produced electronic program listing; and a step of performing page switch of the area of the displayed electronic program listing to the area, which exists in a specified direction and continuously follows the displayed area. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a view for schematically explaining a digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention and a network system mainly formed by the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a main signal processing system of the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus of the embodiment;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is an external appearance of a remote controller of the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus of the embodiment;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing an action in which the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus of the embodiment performs display switch of the electronic program listings;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a view for explaining an electronic program listing displayed by the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus of the embodiment;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a view for explaining an electronic program listing after page switch in the embodiment;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a view for explaining another electronic program listing after the page switch in the embodiment;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view for explaining the display switch of the electronic program listings in the embodiment;  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is an external appearance of another remote controller of the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus of the embodiment; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is an external appearance of still another remote controller of the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus of the embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     An embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0024]      FIG. 1  shows an external appearance of a digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11  according to an embodiment of the invention and a network system mainly formed by the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11 .  
         [0025]     The digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11  mainly includes a thin cabinet  12  and a mounting support  13  which vertically supports the cabinet  12 . The cabinet  12  includes a flat panel type video display device  14  for example formed by a liquid crystal display panel, a speaker  15 , an operation unit  16 , a remote controller  17 , and a light-reception unit  18  which receives operation information transmitted from the remote controller  17 .  
         [0026]     A first memory card  19  such as an SD (Secure Digital) memory card, MMC (Multi Media Card), and a memory stick is detachable to the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11 . The recording and reproduction of the information such as programs and photographs are performed to the first memory card  19 .  
         [0027]     A second memory card (IC card)  20  in which, for example, contract information is recorded is detachable to the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11 . The recording and reproduction of the information are performed to the second memory card  20 .  
         [0028]     The digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11  includes a first LAN (Local Area Network) terminal  21 , a second LAN terminal  22 , a USB (universal Serial Bus) terminal  23 , and an i.Link terminal  24 .  
         [0029]     The first LAN terminal  21  is provided as a LAN-compatible HDD dedicated port, and the first LAN terminal  21  is used for the information recording and reproduction through Ethernet (registered trademark) with respect to a LAN-compatible HDD  25  which is a connected NAS (Network Attached Storage).  
         [0030]     Thus, the provision of the first LAN terminal  21  as the LAN-compatible HDD dedicated port enables the stable program information recording into the LAN-compatible HDD  25  with high-definition image quality while the program information recording is not affected by other network environments or a working condition of the network.  
         [0031]     The second LAN terminal  22  is provided as a general LAN-compatible port in which the Ethernet (registered trademark) is used. The second LAN terminal  22  is connected to devices such as a LAN-compatible HDD  27 , PC (Personal Computer)  28 , and a DVD (digital versatile disk) recorder  29  with a built-in HDD through a hub  26 , and the second LAN terminal  22  is used for information transmission between the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11  and the devices.  
         [0032]     Because the digital information communicated through the second LAN terminal  22  is only the information on the control system, it is necessary that a dedicated analog transmission line  30  is provided for the DVD recorder  29  in order to transmit the analog video information and the analog sound information between the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11  and the DVD recorder  29 .  
         [0033]     The second LAN terminal  22  is connected to a network  32  such as the Internet through a broadband router  31  connected to the hub  26 , and the information transmission is made with a PC  33  and a mobile phone  34  through the network  32 .  
         [0034]     The USB terminal  23  is used as a general USB-compatible port. For example, the USB terminal  23  is connected to USB devices such as a mobile phone  36 , a digital camera  37 , a card reader/writer  38  for the memory card, an HDD  39 , and a keyboard  40  through a hub  35 , and the information transmission is made with the USB devices.  
         [0035]     The i.Link terminal  24  is used in order that an AV-HDD  41 , a D (Digital)-VHS (Video Home System)  42 , and the like are connected in serial to make the information transmission between the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11  and these devices.  
         [0036]      FIG. 2  shows a main signal processing system of the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11 . A satellite digital television broadcasting signal received by a BS/CS digital broadcasting receiving antenna  43  is supplied to a satellite digital broadcasting tuner  45  via an input terminal  44 , which allows a broadcasting signal of the desired channel to be selected.  
         [0037]     The broadcasting signal selected by the tuner  45  is supplied to a PSK (Phase Shift Keying) demodulator  46  and demodulated in the digital video signal and the digital sound signal, and then the digital video signal and the digital sound signal are outputted to a signal processing unit  47 .  
         [0038]     A terrestrial digital television broadcasting signal received by a terrestrial broadcasting receiving antenna  48  is supplied to a terrestrial digital broadcasting tuner  50  through an input terminal  49 , which allows the broadcasting signal of the desired channel to be selected.  
         [0039]     The broadcasting signal selected by the tuner  50  is supplied to an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) demodulator  51  and demodulated in the digital video signal and the digital sound signal, and then the digital video signal and the digital sound signal are outputted to the signal processing unit  47 .  
         [0040]     A terrestrial analog television broadcasting signal received by the terrestrial broadcasting receiving antenna  48  is supplied to a terrestrial digital broadcasting tuner  52  through the input terminal  49 , which allows the broadcasting signal of the desired channel to be selected. The broadcasting signal selected by the tuner  52  is supplied to an analog demodulator  53  and demodulated in the analog video signal and the analog sound signal, and then the analog video signal and the analog sound signal are outputted to the signal processing unit  47 .  
         [0041]     The signal processing unit  47  selectively performs predetermined digital signal processing to the digital video signals and the digital sound signals, which are supplied from the PSK demodulator  46  the OFDM demodulator  51 , and the signal processing unit  47  outputs the digital video signals and the digital sound signals to a graphic processing unit  54  and a speech processing unit  55 .  
         [0042]     Plural input terminals  56   a ,  56   b ,  56   c , and  56   d  (four input terminals in  FIG. 2 ) are connected to the signal processing unit  47 . The analog video signal and the analog sound signal can be inputted from the outside of the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11  through the input terminals  56   a ,  56   b ,  56   c , and  56   d.    
         [0043]     The signal processing unit  47  selectively digitizes the digital video signals and the digital sound signals, which are supplied from the analog demodulator  53  and the input terminals  56   a  to  56   d . The signal processing unit  47  performs predetermined digital signal processing to the digitized video signals and the digitized sound signals, and the signal processing unit  47  outputs the video signals and the sound signals to the graphic processing unit  54  and the speech processing unit  55 .  
         [0044]     The graphic processing unit  54  has a function of superposing an OSD (On Screen Display) signal to the digital video signal to output the superposed signal. The OSD signal is generated by an OSD signal generating unit  57 , and the digital video signal is supplied from the signal processing unit  47 . At this point, the graphic processing unit  54  selectively outputs the output video signal of the signal processing unit  47  or the output OSD signal of the OSD signal generating unit  57 , and the graphic processing unit  54  can output both the video signal and the OSD signal such that a half of screen is formed by each output.  
         [0045]     The digital video signal outputted from the graphic processing unit  54  is supplied to a video processing unit  58 . The video processing unit  58  converts the inputted digital video signal into the analog video signal having a format which can be displayed by the video display device  14 , and then the video processing unit  58  outputs the analog video signal to the external device through an output terminal  59  while outputting the analog video signal to the video display device  14  to perform the video display.  
         [0046]     The speech processing unit  55  converts the inputted digital sound signal into the analog sound signal having a format which can be reproduced by the speaker  15 , and then the speech processing unit  55  outputs the analog sound signal to the external device through an output terminal  60  while outputting the analog sound signal to the speaker  15  to perform the video reproduction.  
         [0047]     In the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11 , a control unit  61  entirely controls all the actions including the above receiving actions. CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like are incorporated in the control unit  61 . The control unit  61  controls each unit by receiving operation information from the operation unit  16  or by receiving the operation information transmitted from the remote controller  17  through the light-reception unit  18  such that operation contents are reflected.  
         [0048]     In this case, the control unit  61  mainly utilizes ROM (Read Only Memory)  62  in which a control program executed by CPU is stored, RAM (Random Access Memory)  63  which provides a working space for the execution of the control program, and a non-volatile memory  64  in which various kinds of setting information and control information are stored.  
         [0049]     The control unit  61  is connected to a card holder  66  through a card I/F (interface)  65 . The first memory card  19  can be attached to the card holder  66 , which allows the control unit  61  to make the information transmission with the first memory card  19  attached to the card holder  66  through the card I/F  65 .  
         [0050]     The control unit  61  is connected to a card holder  68  through a card I/F  67 . The second memory card  20  can be attached to the card holder  68 , which allows the control unit  61  to make the information transmission with the second memory card  20  attached to the card holder  68  through the card I/F  67 .  
         [0051]     The control unit  61  is connected to the first LAN terminal  21  through a communication I/F  69 , which allows the control unit  61  to make the information transmission with the LAN-compatible HDD  25  connected to the first LAN terminal  21  through the communication I/F  69 . In this case, the control unit  61  has a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server function, and the control unit  61  performs the control by assigning an IP (Internet Protocol) address to the LAN-compatible HDD  25  connected to the first LAN terminal  21 .  
         [0052]     The control unit  61  is connected to the second LAN terminal  22  through a communication I/F  70 , which allows the control unit  61  to make the information transmission with the devices connected to the second LAN terminal  22  through the communication I/F  70 .  
         [0053]     The control unit  61  is connected to the USB terminal  23  through a USB I/F  71 , which allows the control unit  61  to make the information transmission with the devices (see  FIG. 1 ) connected to the USB terminal  23  through the USB I/F  71 .  
         [0054]     The control unit  61  is connected to the i.Link terminal  24  through an i.Link I/F  72 , which allows the control unit  61  to make the information transmission with the devices (see  FIG. 1 ) connected to the i.Link terminal  24  through the i.Link I/F  72 .  
         [0055]      FIG. 3  shows an external appearance of the remote controller  17 . A power key  17   a , an input switch key  17   b , a satellite digital broadcasting channel direct selection key  17   c , a terrestrial broadcasting channel direct selection key  17   d , a quick key  17   e , a cursor key  17   f , a determination key  17   g , a program listing key  17   h , a page switch key  17   i , a face net (navigation) key  17   j , a return key  17   k , an end key  171 , blue, red, green, and yellow color keys  17   m , channel up and down key  17   n , a volume control key  17   o , and a menu key  17   p  are mainly provided in the remote controller  17 .  
         [0056]      FIG. 4  shows a flowchart for explaining an action in which the digital television broadcasting receiving apparatus  11  performs display switching of the electronic program listings. The action is started (Step S 4   a ) such that the user operates the program listing key  17   h  of the remote controller  17 .  
         [0057]     Then, in Step S 4   b , the control unit  61  produces the electronic program listing based on the EPG information obtained through the broadcasting signal or the network, and the control unit  61  displays a part of the electronic program listing on the video display device  14 . The part of the electronic program listing displayed on the video display device  14  is determined based on the latest conditions such as the channel and date and time displayed in the last time.  
         [0058]      FIG. 5  shows an example of the electronic program listing displayed by the video display device  14 . In the electronic program listing of  FIG. 5 , the programs are displayed such that six broadcasting stations (channels) are arranged in a horizontal direction and five-hour time frames are arranged in a vertical direction.  
         [0059]     That is, the electronic program listing has display columns A to F corresponding to the six broadcasting stations (channels), and each of the display columns A to F is formed by channel number display areas A 1  to F 1 , broadcasting station name display areas A 2  to F 2 , and program display areas A 3  to F 3 .  
         [0060]     For example, as shown in the display columns D to F, in the case where the same broadcasting station has the plural channel numbers (three channel numbers in  FIG. 5 ), the three broadcasting station name display areas D 2  to F 2  are used as one common broadcasting station name display area.  
         [0061]     In a time slot when the same broadcasting station broadcasts the same program in the plural channel numbers (three channel numbers in  FIG. 5 ), i.e. when one event is shared, the three program display areas D 3  to F 3  are used as one common program display area.  
         [0062]     In the electronic program listing of  FIG. 5 , a selected program display area G is provided in a lower portion of the six display columns A to F. The program display area G indicates a channel number, a title, and a broadcast time of the program selected by the cursor key  17   f  of the remote controller  17 . In this case, the display area of the selected program “J 2 ” is displayed with a color different from the display areas of other programs in the display columns A to F. However, in  FIG. 5 , the display area of the selected program “J 2 ” is displayed by hatch lines.  
         [0063]     Five time areas N 1  to N 5  are provided in the electronic program listing of  FIG. 5 . Each of the time areas N 1  to N 5  vertically indicates the time frame of each one hour. In  FIG. 5 , since the current time is 9:13 a.m., the time areas N 1  to N 5  display the state corresponding to a period of time from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. When the current time is 10 a.m., the time areas N 1  to N 5  are changed so as to correspond to the period of time from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  
         [0064]     In the electronic program listing, the area which is located in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction of the area currently displayed on the screen is selectively displayed by operating the cursor key  17   f  or the page switch key  17   i  in the remote controller  17 .  
         [0065]     That is, the cursor key  17   f  of the remote controller  17  has the four operation areas corresponding to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in order to select a predetermined items from the plural items displayed on the screen.  
         [0066]     The electronic program listing, which exists in the direction corresponding to the operation area, is sequentially scrolled and displayed by selectively operating any one of four operation areas of the cursor key  17   f.    
         [0067]     The page switch key  17   i  in the remote controller  17  is formed by four kinds of keys which are arranged at positions corresponding to the four operation areas of the cursor key  17   f . That is, the page switch key  17   i  has the four keys corresponding to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.  
         [0068]     When any one of the four keys of the page switch key  17   i  is selectively operated, the page switch of the electronic program listing currently displayed on the screen can be performed at a dash to the electronic program listing, which exists in the direction corresponding to the operated page switch key  17   i  and continuously follows the electronic program listing currently displayed on the screen.  
         [0069]     The case in which the page switch key  17   i  is operated will be described below. In the case where a part of the electronic program listing is displayed on the screen in Step S 4   b , when the control unit  61  detects the operation of the page switch key  17   i  of the remote controller  17  in Step S 4   c , the control unit  61  determines in which direction the page switch key  17   i  is operated.  
         [0070]     When the control unit  61  determines that the page switch key  17   i  is operated in the horizontal direction, the control unit  61  performs the page switch in order to display a portion in the horizontal direction continuously following the electronic program listing currently displayed on the screen, and the control unit  61  ends the process (Step S 4   i ).  
         [0071]      FIG. 6  shows the display screen after the page switch is performed by operating the page switch key  17   i  rightward in the display state of the electronic program listing shown in  FIG. 5 . That is, while the time areas N 1  to N 5  continue to correspond to the period of time 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the channel number display areas A 1  to F 1 , the broadcasting station name display areas A 2  to F 2 , and the program display areas A 3  to F 3  are switched to a portion which continuously follows the right side of the electronic program listing shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0072]     In Step S 4   d , when the control unit  61  determines that the page switch key  17   i  is operated in the vertical direction, the control unit  61  determines whether the page switch can vertically be performed or not in Step S 4   f.    
         [0073]     When the control unit  61  determines that the page switch can horizontally be performed (YES in Step S 4   f ), the control unit  61  performs the page switch in order to display a portion in the vertical direction continuously following the electronic program listing currently displayed on the screen in Step S 4   g , and the control unit  61  ends the process (Step S 4   i ).  
         [0074]     When the control unit  61  determines that the page switch cannot horizontally be performed (NO in Step S 4   f ), the control unit  61  does not perform the page switch in the vertical direction in Step S 4   h , and the control unit  61  maintains the current display state of the electronic program listing to end the process (Step S 4   i ).  
         [0075]      FIG. 7  shows the display screen after the page switch is performed by operating the page switch key  17   i  downward in the display state of the electronic program listing shown in  FIG. 5 . That is, while the channel number display areas A 1  to F 1  and the broadcasting station name display areas A 2  to F 2  continue to correspond to the period of time 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the time areas N 1  to N 5  and the program display areas A 3  to F 3  are switched to a portion which continuously follows the lower side of the electronic program listing shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0076]      FIG. 8  schematically shows the display switch of the electronic program listings produced from the EPG information to the screen of the video display device  14 . In the electronic program listing shown in  FIG. 8 , a channel axis is provided in the horizontal direction, and a date and time axis is provided in the vertical direction. All the channels which can be received are arranged in the channel axis, and the date and the time are arranged in the date and time axis.  
         [0077]     Generally the EPG information is transmitted such that the electronic program listing of about one week can be produced for each of the broadcasted channels. Therefore, when the current data is October 14 (Weds), the dates and the times to October 21 (Thurs) which is one week ahead from October 14 (Weds) are sequentially arranged.  
         [0078]     An area  14   a  of six channels by five hours in the electronic program listing is displayed on the screen of the video display device  14 . When the page switch key  17   i  of the remote controller  17  is operated, the area  14   a  is moved to a position adjacent to the previous display positioning the direction corresponding to the operated page switch key  17   i.    
         [0079]     For example, as shown by an arrow  73   a  in  FIG. 8 , when the rightward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is performed each time, the area  14   a  is sequentially moved rightward on the electronic program listing, and the area  14   a  reaches the right end portion of the electronic program listing.  
         [0080]     When the rightward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is further performed, the area  14   a  emerges in the left end portion in the same period of time of the electronic program listing. Then, as shown by an arrow  73   b  in  FIG. 8 , cyclic display switch is performed such that the area  14   a  is sequentially moved rightward on the electronic program listing when the rightward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is performed each time.  
         [0081]     As shown by an arrow  74   a  in  FIG. 8 , when the leftward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is performed each time, the area  14   a  is sequentially moved leftward on the electronic program listing, and the area  14   a  reaches the left end portion of the electronic program listing.  
         [0082]     When the leftward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is further performed, the area  14   a  emerges in the left right portion in the same period of time of the electronic program listing. Then, as shown by an arrow  74   b  in  FIG. 8 , the cyclic display switch is performed such that the area  14   a  is sequentially moved leftward on the electronic program listing when the leftward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is performed each time.  
         [0083]     Thus, when the page switch key  17   i  is operated in the horizontal direction in Step S 4   e  of  FIG. 4 , the action of the cyclic display change of the electronic program listing is performed.  
         [0084]     When the upward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is performed each time, as shown by an arrow  75  in  FIG. 8 , the area  14   a  is sequentially moved upward on the electronic program listing to perform the display switch.  
         [0085]     In this case, in the period of time which has already passed, i.e., in the period of time before 9 a.m. on October 14 (Weds) in  FIG. 8 , even if the upward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is performed, the control is performed such that the area  14   a  is not moved. That is, the control is performed such that the past electronic program listing is not displayed.  
         [0086]     When the downward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is performed each time, as shown by an arrow  76  in  FIG. 8 , the area  14   a  is sequentially moved downward on the electronic program listing to perform the display switch.  
         [0087]     In this case, in the period of time in which the electronic program listing is not produced because the EPG information is not obtained yet, i.e., in the period of time after 9 a.m. on October 21 (Weds) in  FIG. 8 , even if the downward operation of the page switch key  17   i  is performed, the control is performed such that the area  14   a  is not moved. That is, the display switch can be performed only for the produced electronic program listings.  
         [0088]     Thus, in the Step S 4   f  of  FIG. 4 , when the page switch key  17   i  is operated in the vertical direction, the control unit  61  determines whether the destination of the area  14   a  is the period of time which has passed or not, and the control unit  61  determines whether the destination of the area  14   a  is the period of time in which the electronic program listing is not produced because the EPG information is not obtained yet or not.  
         [0089]     According to the embodiment, the page switch of the electronic program listing currently displayed on the screen can be performed at a dash to the portion, which exists in the direction corresponding to the operated page switch key  17   i  and continuously follows the electronic program listing currently displayed on the screen, by selectively operating any one of the four keys in the page switch key  17   i . Therefore, the display area of the electronic program listing can efficiently be switched by the simple operation, and the user operability can be improved.  
         [0090]      FIG. 9  shows a modification of the above embodiment. A page switch key  17   q  having four keys corresponding to obliquely upper and lower right directions and obliquely upper and lower left directions is provided in addition to the page switch key  17   i  having the four keys corresponding to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.  
         [0091]     The provision of the page switch keys  17   i  and  17   q  enables the page switch in which the area  14   a  is moved in eight directions of the four vertical and horizontal directions and the four oblique directions on the electronic program listing. Therefore, the display area of the electronic program listing can efficiently be switched by simpler operation.  
         [0092]     As shown in  FIG. 10 , when a page switch key  17   r  having a joystick structure is placed in the remote controller  17 , the page switch can be performed toward an arbitrary direction.  
         [0093]     The page switch is not limited to the mode in which the display contents are switched at a dash. For example, it is possible to show a sequentially switching procedure from the current display content to the display content of the target position corresponding to the operation of the page switch key  17   i.    
         [0094]     The invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but the invention can be embodied in the realizing stage by modifying the constituents in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Various inventions can be made by appropriately combining the plural constituents disclosed in the embodiment. For example, it is possible that some components are removed from all the components shown in the embodiments. Further, it is possible that the components in the different embodiments are appropriately combined.