JPH0856347A - Home terminal message display system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the subscriber of a home terminal to refer to a message addressed to the subscriber from a center station without interrupting a program which is being watched. CONSTITUTION:The home terminal 3 once receiving the message addressed to itself from the center station 1 displays that at a message reception information part 32 and informs the subscriber of the reception. To refers to the message, the subscriber presses an on-screen display button 42 or message transfer request button 43 through remote control 4 and then the message is displayed on a TV screen or transferred from the memory 33 of the home terminal 3 to the remote control 4 and displayed at a display part 47.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a home terminal message display system in a CATV system in which each home terminal can receive and display a message notified from a center station to each home terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional CATV system, when referring to a message sent from a center station to each home terminal on the side of each home terminal, either by on-screen display of a television screen or by pre-assigning for message display. The designated channel was referred to by the channel selection button.

As an example of this conventional CATV system, for example, the one described in the "channel management system" of JP-A-63-258179 can be mentioned.

That is, in the "Prior Art" of the above publication, the video / audio signal is sent from the center system in physically designated designated channel units, and the designated channel is selectively received by the subscriber terminal.

[0005]

In this conventional CATV system, when a subscriber receives a message addressed to himself / herself while watching a program, he / she can watch the program being watched in order to immediately refer to the message. Since it has to be interrupted once, there is a problem that it is extremely inconvenient when a plurality of people are watching.

Further, when the message is referred to after the end of the program being viewed, there is a problem that the message transmission lacks immediacy.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a home terminal message display system which allows a subscriber of the home terminal to refer to a message addressed to himself / herself without interrupting the program being watched.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a message of character data is transmitted from a center station to a home terminal individually or in groups or all at once, and the home terminal receiving this message is concerned with itself. In the CATV system for displaying the message, the home terminal communicates with a remote control device for the home terminal in a two-way manner, and a notification means for informing a subscriber of the reception of the message related to the self. First storage means for storing the message relating to self, and the second storage means for storing the message relating to self when the subscriber is notified by the notifying means that the subscriber has received the message. And the message in the second storage means Home Terminal message display system, characterized in that it comprises a Shimesuru display unit is obtained.

Further, the remote control device includes an on-screen display button, and when the subscriber presses the on-screen display button, the home terminal displays the contents of the first storage means on the television screen on-screen. There is provided a home terminal message display method characterized by:

Further, the remote control device is provided with a message transfer request button, and when the subscriber presses the message transfer request button, the home terminal stores the contents of the first storage means in the second storage means. A home terminal message display method characterized by transfer is obtained.

[0011]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a home terminal message display system of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the home terminal message display system according to the present embodiment has a center station 1, control signals such as contract information of a plurality of home terminals from the center station 1, and individual home terminals. Alternatively, a multiplexing device 2 that multiplexes a video / audio signal into a message of character data to be transmitted group by group or all at once and transmits it on a transmission line 5, and a plurality of home terminals connected to the transmission line 5 (in FIG. (Only one home terminal 3 is shown) and a remote control device for the home terminal (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) that is connected to each home terminal (for example, home terminal 3) and can perform bidirectional communication between them. 4) and 4.

The home terminal 3 has a control unit 30, a center transmission / reception unit 31 for receiving a video / audio signal, a control signal and a message from the center station 1 on the transmission line 5, and a reception of a message addressed to itself. A message reception notification section 32 for notifying the subscriber, a memory 33 for storing a message addressed to itself received by the center-to-center transmission / reception section 31, a button operation on the remote controller 4 and received by the remote controller 4 in response to the request. The remote control transmission / reception unit 34 for bidirectional message communication is provided.

Further, the remote controller 4 notifies the home terminal 3 of the button operation of the remote controller by the subscriber and receives / transmits a message from the home terminal 3, and a television screen (not shown) of the received message. On-screen display button 42 for requesting on-screen display to the remote terminal, message transfer request button 43 for requesting transfer of a message from the home terminal 3 to the remote controller 4, and channel selection button 4
4, a volume control button 45, a memory 46 for storing a message transferred from the home terminal 3, and a display unit 47 having a liquid crystal display for displaying the contents of the memory 46.

Since the channel selection button 44 and the volume control button 45 have the same functions as those of the conventional remote controller, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a sequence chart for explaining the operation when the message from the center station is displayed on-screen on the television screen when the program is not being viewed at the home terminal in the embodiment shown in FIG. is there.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the center station 1
When the message transmitted from the multiplexer to the transmission line 5 through the multiplexer 2 is not addressed to the home terminal 3, when the control unit 30 of the home terminal 3 receives the above-mentioned message addressed to another home terminal through the center transmission / reception unit 31, Ignore the message.

When the message received by the home terminal 3 is addressed to itself, the control unit 30 stores this message in the memory 33. Then, the control unit 30 lights the LED of the message reception notification unit 32 to notify the subscriber of the home terminal 3 that there is a reception message.

After the subscriber knows that the message has been received, he depresses the on-screen display button 42 of the remote controller 4, and an on-screen display request is transmitted from the home terminal transceiver 41 to the home terminal 3.

In the home terminal 3, when the remote control transmitter / receiver 34 receives this on-screen display request,
The message stored in the memory 33 is read out and displayed on-screen on the television screen.

Next, FIG. 3 is a sequence chart for explaining the operation when referring to the message from the center station on the remote controller side while watching a program at the home terminal in the embodiment shown in FIG. is there.

The operation when a message from the center station 1 is received and it is addressed to another home terminal and until it is addressed to its own home terminal and the LED of the message reception notifying section 32 in the home terminal 3 lights up. Is the same as the operation in FIG.

After the subscriber of the home terminal 3 knows that the message has been received, when the message transfer request button 43 on the remote controller 4 is pressed, the received message transfer request is transmitted from the home terminal transceiver 41 to the home terminal 3.

In the home terminal 3, when the remote control transmitter / receiver 34 receives the received message transfer request,
The message stored in the memory 33 is read out and transferred to the remote controller 4 through the remote controller transmission / reception unit 34.

The remote controller 4 stores the message received from the home terminal 3 by the transmitter / receiver 41 for the home terminal in the memory 46, and further displays this message on the display unit 4.
It is displayed on the liquid crystal display of 7.

Instead of the liquid crystal display of the display unit 47, the contents of the memory 46 may be converted into voice for audible display.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, at each home terminal, a message notified from the center station to itself is transmitted to the remote controller, and the remote controller displays this message, so that the subscriber can watch the program. When the message addressed to itself is received, it has an effect that it can be referred immediately at the time of reception without interrupting the program.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a home terminal message display system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sequence chart for explaining an operation when a message from the center station is displayed on-screen on a television screen when a program is not being viewed at the home terminal in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sequence chart for explaining an operation when referring to a message from the center station on the remote controller side while watching a program at the home terminal in the embodiment shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Center Station 2 Multiplexer 3 Home Terminal 4 Remote Control 5 Transmission Line 30 Control Unit 31 to Center Transmitter / Receiver 32 Message Reception Notification 33, 46 Memory 34 Remote Control Transmitter / Receiver 41 to Home Terminal Transmitter / receiver 42 On-Screen Display Button 43 Message Transfer request button 44 Channel selection button 45 Volume control button 47 Display

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A CATV system in which a message of character data is transmitted from a center station to a home terminal individually or in groups or all at once, and the home terminal receiving this message displays the message relating to itself in the CATV system. The home terminal has a communication means for performing two-way communication with a remote control device for the home terminal, a notification means for notifying a subscriber of the reception of the message concerning the self, and a first means for storing the message concerning the self. And a second storage means for storing the message relating to the self when the subscriber is notified of the message reception by the notification means, and the remote control device in the second storage means. And a display unit for displaying the message. Characterizing home terminal message display method. 2. The remote control device includes an on-screen display button, and when the subscriber presses the on-screen display button, the home terminal displays the contents of the first storage means on the television screen on-screen. The home terminal message display method according to claim 1, wherein 3. The remote control device comprises a message transfer request button, and when the subscriber presses the message transfer request button, the home terminal stores the contents of the first storage means in the second storage means. The home terminal message display method according to claim 1, wherein the message is transferred.