Patent ID: 7650619

Claim:
A virtual program table producing apparatus comprising: means for storing a program viewing history of viewed programs; means for producing user program viewing inclination information indicating a first program a first user views based on the user's stored program viewing history, the first user program viewing inclination information including a first value indicating a number of times the first user views the first program, wherein the first value is a numerical value that is incremented each time the first user views the first program for an amount of time greater than a predetermined amount of time; means for producing group program viewing inclination information indicating a second program a group of users view, based on the stored program viewing history, wherein the group program viewing inclination information includes a second value indicating a number of times the group of users view the second program; means for receiving a policy value indicating a preference of the first user; means for organizing a virtual channel by organizing programs broadcast in real channels having a predetermined frequency band into virtual channels based on the user program viewing inclination information, the group program viewing inclination information, and the policy value, wherein a number of programs organized in the virtual channels based on the user program viewing inclination information is in ratio with a number of programs organized in the virtual channels based on the group program viewing inclination information, the ratio being identified by the policy value; means for accumulating program information as attribute information of programs broadcast in the real channels; and means for producing a virtual program table by fetching program information of the programs from the accumulated program information and associating the fetched program information, in the virtual program table, with the virtual channels.