JP2000134600A - Digital tv broadcasting receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To set the upper limit of the purchase money amount of a charged program for each user when the plural users utilize one CS digital TV broadcasting receiver by updating the total purchase money amounts of the charged program up to the present by the users to the money amounts where a viewing charge for the charged program which is newly purchased is added in the case the user purchases the charged program. SOLUTION: When a user setting button 51 is selected on a menu screen, a password input screen is displayed. When a main user inputs the password, it is compared with the previously registered one and a user setting screen is displayed in the case the passwords coincide with each other. The user setting screen is provided with a clear button for every user of four persons, for example, which is for clearing a valid/invalid check box, an upper limit money amount input box and a money amount till the present. Besides a return button for returning to a main menu screen is also disposed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital television broadcast receiver for receiving a digital television broadcast transmitted via a satellite, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a CS digital television broadcast receiver, P
Purchase information of a pay program such as a PV program is recorded on one IC card. The purchase information recorded on the IC card is uploaded to the center of the broadcaster via a modem and a public telephone line, and charge management is performed.

When a CS digital television broadcast receiver is used by a plurality of users, other users purchase a pay program without knowing the specific user who pays the viewing fee, so that the user is not expected. A large viewing fee may be imposed.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a single C
When a plurality of users use the S digital TV broadcast receiver, a digital TV broadcast receiver that can set the upper limit of the purchase price of each user's pay program and can limit the purchase price of each user's pay program The purpose is to provide.

[0005] According to the present invention, when one CS digital television broadcast receiver is used by a plurality of users, one specific user can set the upper limit of the purchase price of another user's pay program, and It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital television broadcast receiver that can limit the purchase price of a pay program by a user.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a digital television broadcast receiver, comprising: setting means for setting a maximum purchase price of a pay program for a plurality of users; a maximum purchase price set for each user; A means for storing the total purchase price of a pay program up to the present in a non-volatile memory, a different power-on method is predetermined for each user whose purchase price upper limit is set by the main user, and which user Means for determining whether the power is turned on, when a pay program is selected or a pay program is purchased, the total purchase amount of the pay program up to the present time of the user from the upper limit of purchase for the user who turned on the power. Means for determining whether or not the difference obtained by subtracting the difference is equal to or more than the viewing fee of the pay program selected this time. Means for prohibiting the purchase of the pay program if the viewing fee is less than the viewing fee of the pay program, means for permitting the purchase of the pay program if the difference is equal to or more than the viewing fee of the pay program selected this time, In the case where the purchase of the pay program is permitted, if the user has purchased the pay program, the total purchase amount of the pay program to date of the user is added to the viewing fee of the pay program purchased this time. It is characterized by having a means for updating the amount of money.

[0007] As the setting means, for example, a means for setting the maximum payable amount of a pay program to each user by a specific one user so as to be changeable is used. It is preferable to provide a means for allowing the specific user to clear the total purchase price of the pay program of each user up to the present.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a digital television broadcast receiver.

The tuner 2 selects a specific transponder of the satellite from the signal received by the antenna 1. The signal of the selected transponder is demodulated into a digital signal by the QPSK demodulation circuit 3, error-corrected by the error correction circuit 4, and then input to the descramble circuit 5.

The descrambling circuit 5 descrambles an encrypted signal, such as a pay broadcast, as necessary, decrypts the signal, and converts it into a signal that can be viewed. The signal descrambled in this manner is filtered by the demultiplexer 6, and the MPEG video signal and the MPEG video signal of the channel currently selected from the video signals of the plurality of channels included in the transport stream.
The PEG audio signal is sent to the MPEG decoder 7.

In the MPEG decoder 7, the transmitted M
The PEG signal is demodulated and output as a video signal and an audio signal. In the demultiplexer 6, information necessary for channel selection and control of the receiver and various information necessary for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) are filtered out from the transport stream and taken out. The receiver selects a station or displays an electronic program guide based on the information.

The key information for decrypting by the descramble circuit 5 is extracted from the IC card 30 connected through the IC card interface 14.
The IC card 30 holds user recognition information, viewing history, and the like, in addition to key information. The viewing history is transmitted to the center of the broadcasting company via the modem 10 at appropriate times, and accounting management is performed.

A user operates a receiver using a remote controller (hereinafter, referred to as a remote controller) 40. Operation information from the remote control 40 is taken into the receiver via the remote control light receiving unit 15.

On-screen display (OSD) circuit 16
Generates on-screen display information for providing various information such as an electronic program guide. The on-screen display information generated by the OSD circuit 16 is combined with the video signal subjected to MPEG demodulation by the combining circuit 8, converted into an NTSC signal by the NTSC encoder 9, and sent to the monitor.

Each device constituting the receiver is controlled by the CPU 20. The CPU 20 includes a program ROM 11 for storing the program and the like, a RAM 12 used as a working memory for operating the program, an EEPROM 13 for storing reserved program information relating to a program reserved by a user, information requiring non-volatility such as a password, and the like.
It has. The program ROM 11 also stores a G code calculation program. The RAM 12 also stores the received EPG information.

In this embodiment, when one digital television broadcast receiver is used by a plurality of users, the main user sets the upper limit of the purchase price of the pay program of each user (main user and other sub-users). Can be set.

FIG. 2 shows a user setting method.

This user setting can be performed only by one specific user (hereinafter referred to as a main user). Here, it is assumed that the main user has already registered a password.

When the user setting button 51 is selected from the menu screen shown in FIG. 2A, a password input screen as shown in FIG. 2B is displayed. The main user
When the personal identification number is input, the personal identification number is compared with the personal identification number registered in advance, and when the input personal identification number matches with the personal identification number registered in advance, the user setting as shown in FIG. The screen is displayed.

In this example, on the user setting screen, for each of four users (USER1 to USER4), a valid / invalid check box, an input box for an upper limit amount, an amount up to the present (purchase of a pay program up to the present). Clear buttons for clearing the total amount) and the current amount are provided. Further, a return button for returning to the main menu screen is provided on the user setting screen.

When the user presses a return button after inputting necessary information on the user setting screen, the set contents are changed to EEP.
Stored in the ROM 13.

Incidentally, for each of USER1 to USER4,
A numeric key for turning on the power is assigned. Here, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that numeric keys “1” to “4” are assigned to USER1 to USER4, respectively.

However, the power can be turned on by the numerical key input only for the USER whose valid / invalid check box is checked on the user setting screen. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Valid for USER1 and USER3 among USER1 to USER4 /
When only the invalid check box is checked, the power is turned on when the numeric key “1” assigned to USER1 is turned on or when the numeric key “3” assigned to USER3 is turned on. The numeric key “2” or “4” assigned to USER2 or USER4
The power is not turned on when is turned on.

The power can also be turned on by turning on a normal power key. However, when the power is turned on by turning on the power key, a pay program cannot be purchased.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a viewing control processing procedure.

If there is a power-on request (step 1), a power-on request by a power key or a numerical key "1" is issued.
It is determined whether or not the request is a power-on request due to "4" (step 2).

If the power-on request is made by the power key, the power is turned on and the guest ID (ID indicating the temporary user) is held as the login ID (step 3).

When the power-on request is made by the numeric keys "1" to "4", the user whose numeric keys are enabled by the user setting (hereinafter referred to as a registered user)
It is determined whether or not the key is a numerical key corresponding to (step 4). If the input numeric keys "1" to "4" are numeric keys for a user who is not enabled by user setting, the process returns to step 1. In this case, the power is not turned on.

If the input numeric keys "1" to "4" are the numeric keys for the user that are enabled by the user setting, the power is turned on and the numeric keys input as the login ID are set. User ID corresponding to
(IDs representing USER1 to USER4) (step 5).

When the power is turned on, a tuning operation is performed (step 6). As a result, video and audio are output. Then, it is determined whether or not the selected program is a PPV program (step 7).

If the selected program is a PPV program, it is determined whether or not a user ID is stored as a login ID (step 8). If the user ID is stored as the login ID, it is determined whether or not the viewing fee of the PPV program is within the purchaseable range of the USER indicated by the user ID (step 9). That is, first, the user setting contents corresponding to the user ID are stored in the EEPROM.
M13 is read out, and the purchase amount is subtracted from the purchase upper limit to calculate a purchaseable range (purchase upper limit-present amount). Then, it is determined whether or not the viewing fee of the PPV program is within the purchaseable range.

[0033] The viewing fee of the PPV program corresponds to the user ID.
If it is within the purchasable range of USER indicated by, a purchase selection screen is displayed (step 10).

If the purchase procedure is performed based on the purchase selection screen (YES in step 11), the EEPRO
The amount of money up to the present corresponding to the user ID in M13 is updated (step 12). That is, the user ID
Is updated to the sum of the purchase price up to the present and the viewing fee of the PPV program purchased this time.

The program is continuously presented (step 1)
3). Thereafter, if a channel selection operation is performed or the program is updated (step 14), the process returns to step 6. However, when the program has been updated, the channel selection operation is not performed, and the process proceeds to step 7. When the power is turned off (step 15), the process returns to step 1 after clearing the login ID (step 16).

If the selected program is not a PPV program in step 7, that is, if it is a free program, the process proceeds to step 13 and the program is continuously presented.

In step 8 above, when the user ID is not stored as the login ID, that is, when the guest ID is stored as the login ID,
Display a message indicating that purchase is not possible (Step 1)
7). Thereafter, if a tuning operation is performed or the program is updated (step 18), the process returns to step 6. However, when the program has been updated, the channel selection operation is not performed, and the process proceeds to step 7.

In step 9 described above, even if the viewing fee of the PPV program is not within the purchaseable range of the USER indicated by the user ID, a message indicating that the purchase cannot be made is displayed (step 17). Thereafter, if a tuning operation is performed or the program is updated (step 18), the process returns to step 6. However, when the program has been updated, the channel selection operation is not performed, and the process proceeds to step 7.

If the purchase is not continued on the purchase selection screen in step 11, a message indicating that the purchase has not been made is displayed (step 19). Thereafter, if a tuning operation is performed or the program is updated (step 20), the process returns to step 6.
However, when the program has been updated, the channel selection operation is not performed, and the process proceeds to step 7.

When age-restricted information is included as the program information of the PPV program, the age information of the user is also set in the user setting, so that the user who cannot view the program due to the age restriction of the PPV program is set. On the other hand, the purchase refusal message may be displayed without displaying the preview.

In the above embodiment, the numeric keys for turning on the power are assigned to each of USER1 to USER4.
A separate power key button may be provided.

Also, in the case where the PPV program is reserved in advance, similarly to step 9 in FIG. 4, it is determined whether or not the viewing fee of the PPV program for which the program reservation is to be made is within the purchasable range. If it is within the range, the reservation of the PPV program is permitted.
The reservation of the program may be prohibited. Then, when the program reservation is made, the amount up to the present may be updated.

[0043]

According to the present invention, when one CS digital television broadcast receiver is used by a plurality of users, the upper limit of the purchase amount of the pay program of each user can be set, and the pay program of each user can be set. The purchase amount can be restricted.

Further, according to the present invention, when one CS digital television broadcast receiver is used by a plurality of users, one specific user sets the upper limit of the purchase price of the pay program of another user. Thus, it is possible to limit the purchase price of a pay program by another user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital television broadcast receiver.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a user setting method.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a viewing control processing procedure.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a viewing control processing procedure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 CPU 11 Program ROM 12 RAM 13 EEPROM 30 IC card 40 Remote control

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A setting means for setting a maximum purchase price of a pay program for a plurality of users. The set maximum purchase price and the total purchase price of a pay program up to now are stored in a nonvolatile memory for each of the users. A different power-on method is predetermined for each user for whom the purchase price upper limit is set by the main user, a means for determining which user turned on the power at the time of power-on, and a pay program is selected. When a broadcast is purchased or a pay program is purchased, the difference between the maximum purchase amount of the user who turned on the power and the total purchase amount of the pay program up to the present of the user is subtracted, and the difference of the pay program selected this time is calculated. Means for judging whether or not the fee is higher than the viewing fee; if the difference is less than the viewing fee of the pay program selected this time, the purchase of the pay program is prohibited If the difference is equal to or more than the viewing fee of the pay program selected this time, a means for permitting the purchase of the pay program, and if the purchase of the pay program is permitted, the user Means for updating, when a pay program is purchased, the total purchase amount of the pay program of the user up to the present time to an amount obtained by adding a viewing fee of the pay program purchased this time. 2. The digital television broadcast receiver according to claim 1, wherein the setting means is configured to allow a specific single user to change a maximum purchase price of a pay program for each user. 3. The digital television broadcast receiver according to claim 2, further comprising means for allowing the specific user to clear the total purchase price of each user's paid program up to the present.