JP2001203654A - Data distribution system and data distribution method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data distribution system utilizing a digital multi-channel broadcasting to distribute data that can properly assign a bit rate depending on a change in a utility status. SOLUTION: A data output means 2 assigns a bit rate to data and provides an output according to transmission control information that is received from a data production means 1 and instructs data transmission sequence, a data transmission time and bit rate assignment, and a transmission means 3 multiplexes the data and transmits the multiplexed data. On the other hand, a recipient information acquisition means 4 receives recipient information informing of data reception from recipients 22, and the data output means 2 recognizes the number of the recipients from the recipient information, changes the assignment of the bit rate into an optimum bit rate in response to the number of the recipients and outputs the data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data distribution system for distributing data using digital multi-channel broadcasting in which a plurality of channels are multiplexed and transmitted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital multi-channel broadcasting represented by digital satellite broadcasting has digitized video and audio, thereby achieving multi-channel and reduced cost per channel as compared with conventional analog broadcasting. Has brought. In addition, the digitization enables a data broadcasting service that distributes not only ordinary broadcast video and audio but also digital data such as computer data and music software.

[0003] Digital multi-channel broadcasting has already been put to practical use in satellite broadcasting in North America and Japan.
unications Satellite: BS (Br)
Oadcasting Satellite (broadcasting satellite) broadcasting and terrestrial broadcasting are also gradually becoming widespread, with plans to digitize soon.

The distribution of video, audio, and data in such digital multi-channel broadcasting is performed as follows, taking satellite broadcasting as an example. FIG. 3 shows a configuration of a conventional digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting system. In this digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting system, broadcasters 3
0 is for normal broadcasting by video and audio signals,
A plurality of channels for data communication such as a computer program are transmitted.

[0005] The scheduling system 31 manages registration of broadcast materials and program scheduling, and a related table of a program table to be distributed and accompanying video, audio, and data materials, a transmission band (bit rate) of a channel, viewing and listening. It creates and outputs billing information to users, CM (Commercial Message) information to be broadcasted, and the like.

[0006] The baseband section 35 is a section for supplying normal broadcast materials of video and audio. The baseband section 35 receives a program schedule such as the number and time of a video tape to be reproduced from the knitting system 31, and according to the program schedule, a plurality of basebands. Outputs signals (video signal, audio signal).

On the other hand, the data output section 32 receives the order and time of the data to be transmitted from the knitting system 31 and outputs material data for data broadcasting in accordance therewith.
The encoding unit 33 receives control items such as a bit rate and an audio mode from the knitting system 31 and performs band compression processing and multiplexes the baseband signal and the digital data for data broadcasting in accordance with the control items. Data transmission unit 34
Modulates the digital signal converted by the encoder 33 and transmits the modulated digital signal to the communication satellite 41 (or a broadcast satellite).

[0008] The communication satellite 41 relays and amplifies the radio wave received from the data transmitter 34 and distributes it to the ground. The receiver 42 receives and demodulates radio waves with a receiver on the ground,
The user listens to programs such as audio, and stores and uses data broadcasts in a storage device.

[0009] The viewing management system 43 obtains viewing information indicating the viewed program and the items of the received data or contract information of the viewed program from the receiver 42 via a telephone line or the like, and is output from the organization system 31. Viewing control, such as charging the receiver according to the charging information, is performed.

[0010]

In the digital multi-channel broadcasting, data broadcasting multiplexes data of a plurality of channels, such as music, weather forecast, and computer programs, and simultaneously transmits the multiplexed data. The bit rates of the respective channels are determined in the knitting system 31 in advance. The higher the bit rate, the greater the amount of data that can be transmitted per time period, but the higher the bit rate for data channels that are expected to be received by many receivers and that many receivers expect to receive. By transmitting at a rate, service is improved, and it is considered that a limited transmission band is used effectively.

For this reason, the data frequently requested by the receiver must be predicted in advance, and the bit rate must be assigned by the composition system 31 in accordance with the prediction. , Bit rate is not available effectively. Further, in the knitting system 31, since the bit rate is set in units of normal data items or in units of channels, the bit rate cannot be changed in a short time in accordance with a change in the use situation.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a data distribution system capable of appropriately allocating a bit rate according to a change in a use situation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a data distribution method capable of appropriately allocating a bit rate according to a change in a use situation.

[0014]

According to the present invention, there is provided a data distribution system for distributing data using a digital multi-channel broadcast in which a plurality of channels are multiplexed and transmitted. A data organizing means for outputting transmission control information for instructing an order, a time, and a channel or a bit rate allocation of each data; and obtaining information of a receiver for notifying reception of the data from a receiver of the data, and obtaining the number of receivers. Receiver information acquiring means for transmitting information, and allocating the bit rate to the data according to the transmission control information and outputting the data;
A data output unit for calculating the optimum bit rate according to the information on the number of recipients and changing the allocation to the data; and a transmission unit for multiplexing and transmitting the data. A system is provided.

In such a data distribution system, an optimum bit rate can be assigned according to the number of recipients by acquiring the recipient information from the recipient and transmitting the information on the number of recipients to the data output means. In addition, data can be transmitted efficiently according to a change in the reception status of the receiver.

Further, in a data distribution method for distributing data using a digital multi-channel broadcast in which a plurality of channels are multiplexed and transmitted, the data transmission order and time, and the bit rate allocation of each channel or the data are defined. Assigns the bit rate to the data in accordance with the designated transmission control information, outputs the data, multiplexes the data, transmits the data, obtains receiver information notifying the reception of the data from a receiver of the data, and A data distribution method for obtaining number information, calculating the optimum bit rate according to the number-of-receivers information, changing and allocating the data, outputting the data, multiplexing and transmitting the data. You.

In such a data distribution method, an optimum bit rate can be allocated according to the number of recipients by acquiring the recipient information from the recipients and recognizing the actual number of recipients based on the information. In addition, data can be transmitted efficiently according to a change in the reception status of the receiver.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a data distribution system of the present invention. This data distribution system distributes data of music software, computers, and the like to recipients using digital multi-channel broadcasting.

The data organizing means 1 stores a data transmission schedule such as a transmission order and time of each data to be transmitted, and transmission control information for instructing a bit rate assignment for each channel or each data, and transmits the same. I do.
The data output means 2 allocates a bit rate for each channel or each data according to the transmission control information, controls a data transmission amount according to the bit rate, and transmits data at a time given by the transmission control information. Output to means 3. The transmitting means 3 multiplexes and modulates the data, and transmits the multiplexed data to the communication satellite 21 and the receiver of the receiver 22.

On the other hand, the receiver 22 sends out receiver information notifying that the transmitted data has been received, and the receiver information obtaining means 4 receives this. The receiver information obtaining means 4 collects the receiver information, calculates the number of receivers of the transmitted data, and sends the data to the data output means 2.

The data output means 2 recalculates the optimum bit rate allocation according to the number of receivers for the transmitted data from the data of the number of receivers, and changes the allocation to this value to control the data transmission speed. The signal is multiplexed and modulated by the transmitting means 3 and transmitted to the communication satellite 21 and the receiver of the receiver 22.

By the way, in digital multi-channel broadcasting, data of a plurality of channels is multiplexed and transmitted to one transmission system. However, for a transmission company, the transmission system is effectively used to improve the service. From the viewpoint of planning, it is required to transmit data at a higher bit rate and at a higher speed with respect to transmission data having a demand for a larger number of recipients. In the data distribution system described above, when certain data is transmitted at a bit rate set in advance by the transmission information organizing means 12, when there are actually more recipients than expected, it is considered that the number of recipients is large. It is considered that the data is detected on the transmission side, and the bit rate of data is increased in accordance with the detection, so that the transmission speed can be increased, thereby providing a better service.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking a satellite (CS) broadcast as an example. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting system. In this digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting system, the broadcaster 10 transmits a plurality of channels for normal broadcasting using video signals and audio signals, and for data communication such as computer programs.

The organization system 11 registers and manages broadcast materials and organizes broadcast programs, and instructs the baseband unit 15 and the data output unit 12 to output broadcast materials. In addition, billing information for the viewer for each program is transmitted to the viewing management system 23.

The knitting system 11
From, a program table that records the program schedule to be broadcast,
For each program, a video tape or studio shooting signal, a relay signal from the outside, etc., a table relating to accompanying video and audio data, CM information to be broadcast, and control information about bit rate allocation of a channel to be broadcast. Receive. Then, according to these control information, a router or a switcher of a line of information to be broadcasted is controlled, a bit rate is assigned to each of a plurality of baseband signals (video signals and audio signals), a transmission amount is controlled, and the encoding unit 13 is controlled. Send.

Similarly to the baseband unit 15, the data output unit 12 receives, from the knitting system 11, a program table of material data for data broadcasting and information on bit rate assignment for each channel or each data. A bit rate is assigned to the data to be transmitted according to the information of (1), the transmission amount is controlled and output to the encoding unit 13.

In the encoding unit 13, the baseband unit 1
5 and the data of the broadcast material transmitted from the data output unit 12 are subjected to digital band compression processing by an encoder, multiplexed by a MUX (Multiplexer: multiplexer), and multiplexed by a data transmission unit 14 as one digital signal. To send to. The data transmitting section 14 modulates this digital signal and transmits it to the communication satellite 21.

The communication satellite 21 relays and amplifies the received radio wave and transmits it to the ground. The receiver 22 receives radio waves with a dedicated receiver, views programs such as video and audio, receives data of data broadcasting, stores the data in a storage device, and uses the data. Here, the receiver 22 can receive the video, audio, and video signals to be received by, for example, inserting an IC card in which information about receivable programs is written into the receiver under a reception contract with the broadcaster 10. A program of data broadcasting is received, and other programs cannot be normally received.

The viewing management system 23 is a composition system 1
Receiving billing information for each program from 1 to the recipient 22;
Manage your viewing contract. Further, it receives recipient information notifying that the program has been received from the recipient 22 via a telephone line or the like, and transmits to the data output unit 12 the number of recipients for each transmitted data.

The data output unit 12 recognizes the number of data receivers, and recalculates the bit rate allocation for each transmission channel or transmission data in accordance with the number of data receivers, and corrects the data transmission amount. That is, if the number of recipients of the transmitted data is larger than expected in advance, the service for data with more recipients is improved by changing the bit rate allocation of this data to a higher value.

When the receiver side receives certain data and immediately transmits the receiver information via the Internet or the like, the broadcaster 10 uses the viewing management system 23 to grasp the number of receivers during transmission of this data. The data output unit 12 can immediately change the bit rate allocation of the data to a higher value in response to a change in the number of recipients, thereby increasing the data transmission speed.

Further, by using the viewing management system 23 to collect statistics on the time axis from the acquired past receiver information, a more appropriate bit rate distribution can be performed at the time of subsequent data transmission. For example, if it is obtained by statistics that the number of recipients of the weather forecast data increases in the morning time zone, the bit rate allocation of the data channel for the weather forecast is increased in advance in the corresponding time zone. Control is possible. As described above, when statistics of the number of recipients and the reception time are obtained, the recipient information from the recipient 22 may be sent to the viewing management system 23 at regular intervals, for example, once a month. .

When the data output unit 12 increases the bit rate allocation of a certain channel due to an increase in the number of receivers, if there is data being transmitted simultaneously on another channel, the number of receivers of this data is limited. If not,
The bit rate assignment of another channel may be changed in accordance with the use status of the transmission system, such as changing the bit rate assignment of the data to a low value.

In the digital multi-channel broadcasting system currently in operation, there is often no direct signal path from the viewing management system 23 to the data output unit 12.
At this time, data such as the number of recipients is sent from the viewing management system 23 via the knitting system 11 to the data output unit 12.
May be sent to In such a case, the composition system 11 may recalculate the bit rate assignment for each channel or each data, and output an instruction to the data output unit 12.

In the above data distribution system, an example in which the present invention is applied to digital satellite broadcasting using a communication satellite has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other examples include digital satellite broadcasting using a broadcasting satellite and terrestrial broadcasting. Digital broadcasting and cable television systems. In the case of cable television, two-way communication between the transmission side and the reception side is easily possible, and the broadcaster 10
This is suitable for immediately receiving the receiver information from the user and controlling the bit rate allocation according to the change in the number of receivers.

[0036]

As described above, in the data distribution system of the present invention, by acquiring the recipient information from the recipient and transmitting the number-of-recipient information to the data output means, the data distribution system is optimized according to the number of recipients. Bit rate can be allocated, and data can be transmitted efficiently according to a change in the reception status of the receiver.

Further, according to the data distribution method of the present invention, an optimum bit rate is allocated according to the number of recipients by acquiring the recipient information from the recipients and recognizing the actual number of recipients based on the information. Thus, data can be transmitted efficiently according to a change in the reception status of the receiver.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a data distribution system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting system.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... data organization means, 2 ... data output means, 3 ...
Transmission means, 4 ... Recipient information acquisition means, 11 ... Composition system, 12 ... Data output section, 13 ... Encoding section, 14 ... Data transmission section, 15 ... Baseband section,
21 communication satellite, 22 viewer, 23 viewing management system

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A data distribution system for distributing data using a digital multi-channel broadcast in which a plurality of channels are multiplexed and transmitted, wherein the data transmission order and time, and the allocation of each channel or the data bit rate are performed. Data organizing means for outputting instructed transmission control information; recipient information acquiring means for acquiring recipient information for notifying the reception of the data from the data recipient and sending recipient number information; and the transmission control information. Data output means for allocating the bit rate to the data and outputting the data, calculating the optimum bit rate according to the number-of-recipients information, and changing the allocation to the data, and multiplexing and transmitting the data. A data distribution system comprising: 2. The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said data output means changes the allocation of the bit rate to a higher value when the number of recipients is larger than expected in advance based on the information on the number of recipients. 3. The receiver information acquiring means obtains the statistical data of the number of recipients and reception time from the recipient information, and the data output means obtains the bit rate at a time when the number of recipients is larger from the statistical data. 2. The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein a higher value is assigned. 4. The receiver information obtaining means obtains the receiver information at the same time that the data is received by the receiver, and the data output means outputs the bit immediately when the number of the receivers is larger than expected. 2. The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein a high rate is assigned. 5. The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said number-of-recipients information is sent to said data output means via said data organization means. 6. The data organizing means receives the number-of-recipients information and outputs transmission control information obtained by recalculating the optimum bit rate to the data output means in accordance with the information. 2. The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein a bit rate allocation of data to be transmitted is changed according to the information. 7. A data distribution method for distributing data using a digital multi-channel broadcast in which a plurality of channels are multiplexed and transmitted, wherein the data transmission order and time, and each channel or data bit rate allocation are assigned. Assigns the bit rate to the data in accordance with the designated transmission control information, outputs the data, multiplexes the data, transmits the data, obtains receiver information notifying the reception of the data from a receiver of the data, and A data distribution method comprising: obtaining number information; calculating an optimum bit rate in accordance with the number-of-receivers information; changing and allocating the data; outputting the multiplexed data;