CN1010076B

CN1010076B - Information display scheme for subscribers of aubscription television system

Info

Publication number: CN1010076B
Application number: CN 85107502
Authority: CN
Inventors: 基思·卢卡斯
Original assignee: Scientific Atlanta LLC
Current assignee: Scientific Atlanta LLC
Priority date: 1985-10-11
Filing date: 1985-10-11
Publication date: 1990-10-17
Also published as: CN85107502A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information display system for subscribers of charging communication systems to display user unique information, which comprises a reception device of template pages, a storage device and a logical device, wherein the reception device of template pages is connected with a communication system; the storage device connected with the template reception device is arranged for receiving format template pages as user unique information; the storage device is used for storing the template pages; the logical device is connected with the communication system and the storage device; in order to locally generate and store at least a plurality of kinds of user unique information for display for subscribers, the logical device is used for combining the user unique information with the template pages.

Description

Information display scheme for subscribers of aubscription television system

The present invention relates generally to the communication system of charging, specifically is for simplifying the information display circuit that user profile shows at the charge communication system.

Charge communication system (as TV and special broadcast program) is admitted widely, becomes the effective means that the public can select various information and theatrical items.This system generally monthly collects fixing usage charges, and the user then can receive the prescribed program in the whole month.Many systems also provide surcharge " Movie Channel " or " special series passage ".Though some user only wanted to watch first and second film or special joint in one month, yet he must pay whole additional costs.It is uneconomic paying in full under the situation of only watching partial programme, often causes the conventional program of the only former acceptance of many users, and therefore, the quality of other program does not have sufficient financial support to be guaranteed.

Charged TV system should allow the user not only select him to want the passage that receives, and is chosen in this passage him and wants the program seen.In order to obtain maximum flexibility, assent family allowable and select at any time, and needn't watch specific program forward broadcast company or system operators explanation in hope.Reasonably system should allow the user can obtain all programs, allows him only to pay for the program of in fact being watched simultaneously again.This conception of species is commonly referred to " pressing pay per view ".

In charged TV system with " pressing pay per view " characteristics, for reasonable paying, the user ceaselessly the reporting system operator about his selected program, therefore, this system needs data feedback channel or other certain communication lines from the user to the Systems Operator, nature, the user can keep whole program registration forms of having watched, in order to keep accounts, the user sends the Systems Operator with the program registration form termly, but whether this account keeping way improves is shady, and this does not gear to actual circumstances for the system with a lot of users.The user also can feed back to the Systems Operator with online mode with the select program of watching, but realizes that this feedback makes system complicated greatly, and greatly increases the investment of system.

In charged TV system with " pressing pay per view " characteristics, also must be to his accounts situation of user notification, the teletext broadcast system of available routine provides this information, in this system, the digit pulse of representative data sends at the vertical blanking period of the TV signal head end (headend) from system, this data representation alphanumeric and figure, the user utilizes the television receiver that is fit to receive teletext broadcast, optionally shows these data.Generally, user's utilization shows the information specific page or leaf with the remote keyboard request of teletext broadcast receiver interfaces.Receiver is waited for up to that one page arrival of channel transfer request and " is caught ", then this information is existed in page or leaf storage buffer, is presented on the video screen by the content of character generator with buffer.

In the teletext broadcast system of prior art, except that on the fixed position of the page, adding the page number, before each page is shown, transmission page there is not material alteration, especially, common teletext broadcast system stipulates that the addressee must not produce side information in the locality, because may change the meaning or the translation of transmission information like this.Therefore, to the information of specific user's special use, as charging information, should intactly be created in the head end of system or distribute terminal so that send number to the user, this has just increased the complexity of system.Therefore, in the system with " pressing pay per view " characteristics, still will have and be used for the programme of reporting system operator about being watched by the user, this requirement has further increased the complexity and the price of system.

General purpose of the present invention provides a kind of information display circuit, and the information that it simplifies charge communication system user shows.

Specific purposes of the present invention are that it utilizes the model page or leaf as form that sends out from system's head end for charge communication system user provides a kind of like this information display circuit, show the local information that produces.

Another specific purposes of the present invention are that it utilizes the model page or leaf as form that sends from system's head end for the charge communication system provides a kind of like this information display circuit, show the local user's specific information (as the bill summary) that produces on receiver user.

Another specific purposes of the present invention are that it utilizes the model page or leaf as form that sends out from system's head end, shows the parameter relevant with system mode for the charge communication system provides a kind of like this information display circuit.

Another specific purposes of the present invention are that it allows the user to select the program of watching, and only is this pay per view for the charge communication system provides a kind of so improved accounting system.

Another specific purposes of the present invention are for the charge communication system provides a kind of so improved accounting system, the program that it allows the user to select to watch and be its paying notification system operator in advance.

Another specific purposes of the present invention are for the charge communication system provides a kind of so improved accounting system, and it allows the user to obtain the information list of accounts through request.

Another specific purposes of the present invention are for charge communication system user provides a kind of like this information display circuit, utilize the model page or leaf as form that sends from system's head end, show the local information that produces, and same model page or leaf can be used for many users.

To be sent to the TV programme of code signal form in the charged TV system of decoder in the user family, the present invention has special purposes.In decoder, a kind of reliable microprocessor determines that according to user's accounts of user selected program and storage decoded confession of which kind of signal watch.The accounts data are from the head end input microprocessor of system, the usage charges situation of its reflection user prepayment, microprocessor automatically deducts the expense of selecting the program watch from user's balance of account, as Sorry, your ticket has not enough value with the expense of payment program or the limited credit of not enough approval, it is decoded that then the microprocessor machine stops program.The user appends the prepayment usage charges to the Systems Operator, just can increase user's balance of account.

The balance of account information that microprocessor is preserved can show to the user easily also can be with combined with reporting format by the model page or leaf that conventional passage transmits from system's head end, and for example, the model page or leaf may include only the column headings of bill list.

Consult the detailed description of the accompanying drawing and the preferred embodiment of the present invention, be appreciated that other purpose, characteristics and other design philosophy of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is the block diagram that has the pay TV decoder of the little reason device of safety according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 be according to the present invention as the block diagram of the model page or leaf circuit of the form that shows the local information that produces,

Fig. 3,4 and 5 is the examples that show the information that is produced by this locality according to the present invention on the model page or leaf.

Consult Fig. 1, this shown in block diagrams goes out a kind of decoder that is used for charged TV system, and it comprises a microprocessor, is used to control the work of decoder and the account information of storing the user.The autograph of submitting in June 24 nineteen eighty-three is another example of having described this decoder in the U.S. Patent No. of transferring the possession of 507,565 " Code And Decode of TV signal ", common.

As shown in Figure 1, TV signal MAC at first enters demultiplexer 300, and it isolates luminance and chrominance information from TV signal, and audio frequency, synchronously, regularly and the teletext broadcast signal.Luminance signal is sent into brightness memory 302(CCD row memory) compress, enter low pass filter 304 then and carry out filtering.Analog luminance signal is defeated by output interface 306, and timing pulse generator 308 produces and is used to compress the required sampled signal of brightness, and is defeated by brightness memory 302 by two clock drivers 310.

Also it also is a CCD row memory at brightness memory 312(from the carrier chrominance signal of demultiplexer 300) in compression, two color difference signals of output separately, through being defeated by output interface 306 after two low pass filter 314 filtering, the sampled signal that timing pulse generator 308 produces exports colourity memory 312 to by three clock drivers 310.

Demultiplexer 300 also will not comprise the signal of brightness or colourity to be separated from the MAC TV signal, and these signals comprise audio frequency, teletext broadcast, synchronous and timing signal.Audio frequency, text and broadcasting and synchronizing signal are defeated by demultiplexer 316 by one of two low pass filters 318, the timing signal of fixed frequency is defeated by demultiplexer 316 by low pass filter 320, demultiplexer 316 separates these signals, audio signal is defeated by voice-frequency-multichannel demodulator 322, and synchronous and timing signal is defeated by clock and synchronization recovery circuit 324 and timing pulse generator 308.Be divided into four the tunnel from the audio signal of demultiplexer 316 outputs through voice-frequency-multichannel demodulator 322, again by 326 outputs of analogue audio frequency processor.The teletext broadcast signal is by clock and synchronization recovery circuit 324 input character generators 328.Decode operation carries out under microprocessor 330 control, this microprocessor by bi-directional bus 334,336 and 338 and clock and synchronization recovery circuit 324, teletext broadcast character generator 328, random access memory (RAM) 332 between communicate.

Output interface 306 receives the teletext broadcast character signal of character generator 326 outputs, the luminance signal of low pass filter 304 outputs, the carrier chrominance signal of low pass filter 314 outputs, the timing signal of timing pulse generator 308 outputs.Its output is standard N TSC colour TV signal.

Fig. 2 is according to model page or leaf circuit block diagram of the present invention, as shown in the figure, and in order to control the operation of decoder, the microprocessor 330 that available microprocessors 360 replaces among Fig. 1.The square frame 350 of Fig. 2 is data recovery unit, and its data channel from decoder (decoder for example shown in Figure 1) recovers information data and model page data.Be defeated by page selected cell 351 from the data that data recovery unit 350 recovers, it is selected data and it is stored in the page buffer 352.For control data is selected and is stored in the page buffer 352, microprocessor 360 is connected with page buffer 352 with page or leaf selected cell 351.Keyboard interface 354 is connected with microprocessor 360, be defeated by microprocessor for the operation of control microprocessor with the such information of program that for example user desires to watch, there is keyboard interface 354 to be connected, is used to insert keyboard or other can be by the device of user's operation with microprocessor 360.Microprocessor 360 also is connected (being also illustrated on Fig. 1) with character generator 328, and it handles the information from page buffer 352 and microprocessor 360, and 306(is also illustrated on Fig. 1 by output interface) these information of demonstration on video screen.Can control output interface 306, what select to be defeated by TV screen is the television video frequency signal of standard or from the literal vision signal of character generator 328.

In the charged TV system with " pressing pay per view " characteristics of the present invention, the user is to Systems Operator's mailing or deposit the fund that a moon usage charges that equal to fix add additional cost in, this additional cost is as subscription fee, and the user can be scheduled to not be included in the special series in the prescribed program.So the operator on passage transmission information to this user, inform how many funds are custom system receive, this information stores is in microprocessor 360, in order to preserve user's the balance of account, comprise the device that to do the accounts clearing in the microprocessor 360, use the left fund that receives the payment information correction user who comes from the Systems Operator there.Microprocessor also includes can determine that the user watches the device of the price of program.

These pricing informations also can be issued microprocessor by the Systems Operator and also store within it.

The price of the program of being seen by user choosing automatically deducts the user's left fund in being kept at microprocessor, and when Sorry, your ticket has not enough value with the expense of payment program or enough predetermined line of credit, microprocessor just stops program decoded.The inner mark relevant with each watching program also is set in the microprocessor.The user prepays after the additional usage charges, and user's balance of account just increases.

The user shows the diversified report or the page by keyboard interface 354 command processors 360 on TV screen, shown in Fig. 3～4, the accounts situation of Fig. 3 explicit user, in this example, show and comprise A district and the B district that is with frame, for convenience of explanation, draw frame around in the A district, distinguish with B, can find out, the information in B district is descriptor or title, to each user is identical, thereby the B district also because all identical to many user B district, can send to those users on teletext broadcast or other passage of system at synchronization as the model or the title (these information then are unique for each user) of A district information.On the other hand, for each user, the information that is positioned at the A district is unique, can more effectively produce and preserve these information with decoder microprocessor linked 360.

What Fig. 4 showed is system's control page or leaf, and it shows the state of the various parameters relevant with decoder.Show separated into two parts A and B equally, for convenience of explanation.As mentioned above, the B district is a descriptor, as the model or the form of A district information, is identical to many users.The information in A district is provided by microprocessor 360.

Fig. 5 shows example according to of the present invention another, as above-mentioned identical, also be divided into A and B district, the number and the price of the special series of watching listed in this demonstration, show that in order to produce these model page or leaf comprises the inventory and the price thereof of the available whole programs of user, when microprocessor 360 is received this inventory, it can determine which program does not possess corresponding inner mark group, shows that the user had not watched those programs.On showing, be capped on the numeral of these program prices with " * * * * " and show that this program do not order.

Shown in Fig. 4～5, effectively utilize model or form circuit according to information display system of the present invention and go to show information the non-uniqueness of specific user, because the type to many these information of user is identical, rather than produce respectively in this locality for each user, therefore can mail to each user at synchronization from the master of system point of departure.Those information to each user's uniqueness then can more effectively be produced and be preserved by microprocessor in user family.Therefore, the present invention avoids sending unique information from the head end of system to each user.In a big system, for example utilize satellite to be sent to up to a million users' system, it is very favorable need not sending unique information to whole users from head end.

Information display system of the present invention has overcome significant inefficient state in the prior art charged TV system with " pressing pay per view " characteristics, in common system, need be by data feedback channel, phone for example, or alternate manner allows the user to the means of communication of Systems Operator's feedback information, so that correctly collect the program viewing expense to the user.In system of the present invention without any need for the feedback that is sent to the Systems Operator of type.System works is only at downlink mode, therefore the uncomplicated and easy maintenance of system, in addition, owing to have the microprocessor that is connected with decoder can finish all management work in user family, comprise the selection program, check out automatically, therefore, alleviate the load of system and can utilize system that additional program is provided more fully.System of the present invention also allows the user constantly to monitor and shows the operating state of looking decoder.

By a preferred embodiment, described the present invention in detail, still, only as an example, the present invention is not limited embodiment.Those skilled in the art person will make various variations and remodeling within the scope of the present invention after reading this specification.And these are all within the determined protection range of these claims.

Claims

1, a kind of charged TV system comprises: in order to will represent video signal transmission TV programme, decoding to separating code decoder and the acceptance device from the radiovisor of the decoded signal of decoder; The information display system that is used for explicit user unique information on described radiovisor; It is characterized in that described information display system comprises:

The plate page receiving device that is connected with above-mentioned decoder is in order to receive the model page or leaf as user's unique information form;

Be connected in order to the storage device of storage model page or leaf with plate page receiving device;

With the logic device that decoder is connected with above-mentioned storage device, in order to produce the information of some at least user's uniquenesses, above-mentioned logic device makes up user's unique information and model, shows on above-mentioned radiovisor.

2,, it is characterized in that wherein said logic device is a microprocessor according to the charged TV system of claim 1.

3,, it is characterized in that wherein said user's unique information comprises user's charging information according to the charged TV system of claim 1.

4,, it is characterized in that wherein said user's unique information comprises system status information according to the charged TV system of claim 1.

5,, it is characterized in that wherein said model page or leaf transmits on the teletext broadcast passage of communication system according to the charged TV system of claim 1.

6, according to the charged TV system of claim 1, it is characterized in that wherein information display system also comprises the input unit that is connected with above-mentioned logic device, be used to allow the user select program viewing, above-mentioned logic device comprises storage device, is used to store many selecteed programs.

7, according to the charged TV system of claim 6, it is characterized in that in information display system above-mentioned logic device compares each project and the above-mentioned model page or leaf of above-mentioned record, show above-mentioned user's unique information according to result relatively, above-mentioned user's unique information shows which program the user has selected.

8,, it is characterized in that the above-mentioned logic device of information display system comprises according to the charged TV system of claim 1:

The accounts checkout apparatus is used to preserve the balance of account and receives the paying signal that representative of consumer is paid;

Program selecting apparatus is used to receive the programme signal of the selected program of watching of representative of consumer;

With the pricing device that above-mentioned program selecting apparatus is connected, be used to provide the price signal of the price of the selected program of representative of consumer;

With above-mentioned accounts checkout apparatus and the arithmetic unit that above-mentioned pricing device is connected, be used for deducting price signal and adding above-mentioned paying signal from the above-mentioned balance of account;

With the comparison means that above-mentioned accounts checkout apparatus is connected, when the above-mentioned balance of account was lower than predetermined value, it provided comparison signal; And

Respond the inhibiting apparatus of above-mentioned comparison signal, be used for when comparison signal occurs, forbidding decoding.

9,, it is characterized in that the logic device of information display system comprises that wherein user's unique information comprises above-mentioned charging information with thinking the device of user according to the program generation charging information of selecting to watch according to the charged TV system of claim 2.