JPS63103585A - Catv broadcast system for captain pattern - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To observe a Captain pattern even for a CATV subscriber without no captain terminal equipment by using the Captain terminal equipment so as to receive a pattern from a Captain center and converting it into a television signal and inputting the converted result to a CATV station. CONSTITUTION:A pattern order processing program from a Captain center 10 is provided to a Captain terminal equipment 16 and a management information generation software is prepared. The Captain center 10 uses a processing program to read a pattern data of the designated pattern number designated processing program from a storage device 12 and sends it to the Captain terminal equipment through a line 14, the terminal equipment 16 receives it and writes it into a storage device (external file)M. The pattern data stored in the storage device M by the Captain terminal equipment 16 is subject to D/A conversion to form analog R, G, B signal and a converter 18 converts it into the NTSC system to send the result to a head end 20 of the CATV system.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] A method of receiving the captain's screen all at once on a computer and rebroadcasting the screen as a CATV program.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a CATV broadcast system for the captain screen, and is intended to enable even those who do not have a captain terminal to view the captain screen.

[Conventional technology]

The captain's screen has a wide variety of information, including weather forecasts, news, shopping, and various information, and users can view what they want by operating the captain's terminal. And, of course, you can't see these screens without the captain's terminal.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In this way, the user of Captain operates the terminal, searches the screen, and only sees what he or she wants, and only the Captain user can view the 1N information screen of broadcast type, such as weather forecasts and news.

The present invention aims to improve this point and allow even those who do not have a captain terminal to view the captain screen.

[Means for solving problems]

The CATV broadcasting system for the captain screen of the present invention is such that the captain terminal (16) is provided with a storage device (M) for storing the screen, and the screen data of the designated screen number is automatically fetched from the captain center and stored in the storage device. (M), a device (18, etc.) for converting the screen data read from the storage device into a television signal, and a device (18, etc.) for converting the screen data read from the storage device into a television signal.
A circuit is provided to send it to the head end of the TV system and input it to a predetermined channel, and by using the above-mentioned means, the captain's screen is automatically ordered from the center and stored in the storage device (M), and is arranged according to the broadcast time schedule of the CATV system. The system is characterized in that it reads out the storage device, converts it into a television signal, broadcasts it on a predetermined channel, and allows the CATV subscriber who has selected the channel to watch it.

[Effect]

According to this method, even those who do not have a captain terminal can use CA.
If you subscribe to the Tν system, you can view the captain screen. Also, from the perspective of the CATV system, a captain screen can be added to broadcast programs, further increasing the usefulness of the system. Furthermore, since the screen is automatically retrieved from the Captain Center, the latest news can be accurately provided to CATV subscribers without requiring any human intervention.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 10 denotes a captain center, which stores the various screens described above in a mass storage device 12 such as a magnetic disk. Each screen is distinguished by a screen number, and as shown in Figure 2, each screen has a screen number (we are using the weather forecast as an example), followed by an identification code indicating that it is a letter, and then ``today's weather forecast.'' Characters such as (character code) and their control information (character position, size, color, etc.), next is an identification code indicating that it is pattern data, a map and information such as clear, cloudy, rainy etc. attached to each location. It consists of image pattern data consisting of marks, etc. Reference numeral 14 denotes a transmission path, specifically a telephone network or a captain communication network, which connects the captain center 10 and the captain terminal 16. The captain terminal 16 has a keyboard KB and a CRT display D.
An ISP is provided. Further, 20 is a head end of the CATV system, 24 is a transmission line (coaxial cable), and 28 is a television receiver at a subscriber's home, which are connected to the head end 20 via an adapter 26 and a coaxial cable 24.

10, 12, 14.16 are known captain systems, and 20, 24, 26.28 are CATV systems. In the present invention, the terminal 16 of the captain system is provided with an external storage device such as a hard or floppy disk for storing screens. M is provided, and the captain terminal 16 is connected to the head end 20 via an NTSC converter 18. This connection is made by supplying the output of the converter 18 to an appropriate channel (a channel not used in the CATV system) among the CATV systems that often include a large number of channels, such as 60 channels. Further, an 80M player 22 is connected to the head end 20.

In the present invention, the captain terminal 16 is used to receive screens from the captain center 10 all at once, and after reorganizing them as a program, converting them into television signals and inputting them to the CATV station. Fig. 3 shows the procedure for screen ordering from the center, and Fig. 5 shows the procedure for broadcasting from the head end.

As shown in Figure 3, the captain terminal is equipped with a program for processing screen requests from the center, and also has management information creation software. , time of receiving, etc. are set as management information. When the set time comes, the processing program starts operating, first reads the management information, learns the telephone number of the other party, automatically dials the captain's center, and notifies the screen number.

The center records the screen data (in the format shown in FIG. 2) for the designated screen number, reads it from the α unit 12, and sends it to the captain terminal 16 through the line 14. The terminal 16 receives this and writes it to the storage device (external file) M.

The screen is not limited to one screen (one still screen), but rather generally spans multiple screens. For example, the weather forecast screen is
It consists of 4 to 5 screens, including the national edition and the Kanto region, and the news screen has politics, economics, local editions, etc. 2
Ranging from 0 to 30 screens. The transmission unit is one still screen, and once this is transmitted, received and written to an external file, the next still screen is requested to be transmitted, and this is repeated until the last screen. The fact that this is the last screen means that on the captain screen, the screens change one after another by pressing the # key, and on the last screen there is a fourth screen in the bottom right corner.
As shown in the figure, the outline brackets are attached, so you can detect this and know that, or even if you request to send the next screen again, the same screen (with the outline brackets) was sent.
can be detected and known. On the center side, if the number of screens is entered in the first screen of a series of screens, this can be detected and known, and if the system returns to the first for the last screen as shown in Figure 4, then It is possible to detect the return to the beginning and know the last screen. If the number of double-sided pages is known, it is sufficient to include the number of screens in the management information length created on the terminal. When it is detected that it is the final screen, the line is disconnected and the screen capture to device M is completed.

At the Captain Center, screens such as weather forecasts and news are updated to the latest information. Since this update time is constant, the time set in the management information is immediately after this update time.

Recorded Q device? Screen data may be imported into the ZM manually. That is, the operator operates the keyboard KB to retrieve screens for shopping, event piece information, etc. from the center, displays them on the display DISP, selects the appropriate one while looking at it, and writes the screen data to the storage device M. .

The screen data ordered into the storage device M is converted into a video signal and sent to the CATV head end for broadcast. This processing flow is shown in FIG. Since the screen data stored in the storage device M is digital data, it is converted from D/A to analog R, G,
Make it a B signal. Also, CATV systems generally use NTS
Since the C system is used, the analog R, G, and B signals are converted to the NTSC system by the converter 18 and sent to the head end 20. The unit of the screen is one still image, and it is necessary to display this repeatedly in order to display it on the CRT display. Therefore, the screen data read from the storage device (disk) M is stored in the RAM and read out repeatedly. A
Convert, etc. Note that the conversion from digital screen data to NTSC screen signals may be performed in one step instead of using the converter 18 (this is a commercially available product).
It may be built into. The CATν system has a large number of channels, including 60 channels, and since not all channels are used, one unused channel is reserved for the captain, and news, weather forecasts, and shopping information are broadcast according to the broadcast time schedule of the CATV system. , event piece information,...
・Enable each screen to flow one after another. If multiple channels are available, news, weather forecasts, etc. can be placed on separate channels and broadcast continuously during the broadcast time of the CATV system.
Subscribers can get the latest news, weather forecasts, etc. just by selecting the channel.

Seat reservations etc. must be made from the subscriber side, but this can be done by calling the operator of the captain's terminal over the phone.
Furthermore, if CATV is bidirectional, this can be done using its functions.

The captain screen only has images (text and pictures) and no audio. Therefore, the 80M player 22, specifically a magnetic tape or compact disc, is operated to play background music. Furthermore, when the character code read from the storage device M on the screen is transformed into audio and the head end 20 transmits this to each subscriber, an image with characters is displayed on the screen of the CRT, and the characters are heard as audio from the speaker. It flows smoothly, and you get the feeling that someone is reading the written words.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, even those who do not have a captain terminal can view the captain screen if they subscribe to the CATV system. Furthermore, from the perspective of the CATV system, a captain screen can be added to broadcast programs, thereby greatly increasing the usefulness of the system. Furthermore, since the screen is automatically retrieved from the captain center, the latest information can be accurately provided to CATV subscribers without requiring any human intervention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the captain screen, Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for capturing the screen, Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the procedure for detecting the final screen, and Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the procedure for detecting the final screen. The figure is a flowchart showing the broadcast procedure. In FIG. 1, 10 is a captain center, 12 is a storage device for storing various screen data, 14 is a line, 16 is a captain terminal, M is a storage device for storing screen data, and 18 is an NT.
In the SC core bar, 20 is the head end of the CATV system, 24 is a coaxial cable, and 28 is each subscriber's television receiver.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Storage device (M) for storing screens in the captain terminal (16)
and means for automatically fetching screen data of a specified screen number from the captain center and storing it in the storage device (M), and a device (18, etc.) for converting the screen data read from the storage device into a television signal. ), and a circuit for sending the TV signal to the head end of the CATV system and inputting it to a predetermined channel, and by using the above means, the captain's screen is automatically ordered from the center and stored in the storage device (M), and the TV signal is sent to the head end of the CATV system. The storage device is read out in accordance with the broadcast timetable of the system, converted to a television signal and broadcast on a predetermined channel, and the channel selected is CAT.
A CATV broadcasting method of the captain screen that allows V subscribers to view this.