JP2002092400A - Mail-order system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mail-order system allowing a user to see only interesting commodity information as long as a desired time and to place a commodity order simply and accurately without using telephone. SOLUTION: This mail-order system comprises a transmission station for transmitting a picture signal including the commodity information and a control- added picture signal to which a control signal including at least a distributing address identification information is added, and a reception station equipped with a reception means for receiving the picture signal and the control-added picture signal, a picture display means, a picture control means for outputting only the picture signal addressed to its own station to the picture display means based on the distribution address identification information included in the control-added picture signal received by the reception means, and a touch panel arranged on the front of the picture display means. In the system, the picture control means generates purchase commodity information based on position information generated when an operator on the reception station side touches the touch panel and the picture signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mail order system, and more particularly, to a mail order system using images distributed using broadcast waves as an electronic catalog.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of conventional mail-order sales, there is known a method using a paper material (catalog) in which information on a product to be sold is described. In general, a user selects a desired product and places an order.

On the other hand, in recent years, a mail-order sales method called "television shopping" has been devised. This method, as is well known, introduces a product to a viewer using ordinary television broadcasting. Since it is possible to inform a general public of a product to be sold to an unspecified number of people at once, a sales advertisement There are advantages such as great effect. In addition, since broadcasts (radio waves) are used as catalog media, there is no need to distribute paper materials (catalogs) to specific users, and purchasers who watch TV can order products by telephone. Therefore, it is also excellent in immediate effect.

[0004]

However, there are the following problems in television shopping as a conventional mail-order system as described above. That is, since this television shopping is one of the ordinary television programs, the broadcasting time is determined by the programming of the television station.
The burden of timer recording on the VTR was imposed. In addition, since the product introduced in advance is often unknown, it is necessary to look at the image of the product that is not interesting. Furthermore, in order to order a product to be purchased by telephone, the user needs to verbally convey the destination (product delivery address), the name of the purchaser, and the name of the purchased product, which is troublesome. This has been a problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem related to the conventional mail-order system relating to television shopping, and allows a user to view only the product information of interest at a convenient time, and is also simple and convenient. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mail order system capable of accurately ordering goods.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mail-order sales system according to the present invention, wherein an image signal including merchandise information and a control signal including at least destination identification information are transmitted. A transmitting station that transmits the added control additional image signal; a receiving unit that receives the image signal and the control additional image signal; an image display unit; and a distribution destination included in the control additional image signal received by the receiving unit. A receiving station including an image control unit that outputs only an image signal addressed to the own station to the image display unit based on the identification information and a touch panel disposed on a front surface of the image display unit, wherein the image control unit is Generates purchased product information based on the position information and the image signal when the operator on the receiving station touches the touch panel, and sends the purchased product information along with the distribution destination identification information of the receiving station via a communication line. Made order for products. The invention according to claim 2 of the mail order system according to the present invention,
2. The mail order system according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving the purchased commodity information and distribution destination identification information transmitted by the image control means via the communication line, selecting a commodity based on the purchased commodity information, and selecting the distribution destination. A merchandise delivery center for shipping the merchandise to a delivery address based on the identification information is provided.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a mail order system according to the present invention. The mail order sales system shown in this example includes a reproducing device 11 for reproducing an image (still image) as a product catalog, a control image adding device 12 for adding a control image described later to the image to generate a control additional image signal, and A transmitting station 10 including a transmitting device 14 to which a transmitting antenna 13 is connected as transmitting means.
An artificial satellite (broadcast satellite) 40 as a relay station, a receiving tuner 22 (receiving means) for receiving the incoming control additional image signal via a receiving antenna 21, and a memory function, and the control additional image signal A reception control device 23 for decoding and controlling the image, and a touch panel 24 for user operation
And a receiving station 20 in which a television 25 is connected to the reception control device 23 as an image display means, and the touch panel 24 is disposed on the front thereof, a product / customer database unit 31, and a customer name / product name specification. The product distribution center 30 includes a processing unit 32.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control-added image signal obtained by adding a control signal (control image signal) to a still image as product information. The front control image signal FC has a distribution destination ID signal (distribution destination identification signal) and an image distribution start signal, and the rear control image signal BC has a distribution destination ID signal and an image distribution end signal. It should be noted that the post-control image signal
BC can be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a control image signal. The pre-control image signal FC or the post-control image signal BC is composed of one still image. In this example, one still image is divided into 30 groups in the horizontal direction, and an identification code such as a bar code is configured by a white and black video pattern in units of one group. The first group A1 of the control image signal includes a destination ID signal.
For (distribution destination identification information), a number meaning an image distribution start signal or an image distribution end signal is assigned to the second group A2. Note that other command numbers may be assigned to the third and lower groups as necessary.
On the other hand, the reception control device 23 detects white as a High signal and black as a Low pulse signal with respect to the control image signal. The details are described in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-355183, “Video Video Recording and Utilization System”, and the description is omitted.

Hereinafter, the functions of the mail order system according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. First, at the transmitting station 10, when the image reproducing device 11 reproduces a still image signal as product information and supplies it to the control image adding device 12, as shown in FIG. 2, the still image signal SS (a plurality of still image frames ), A control additional image signal CAS to which a front control image signal FC and a rear control image signal BC are added is generated. The transmitting device 14 transmits the control additional image signal CAS to the receiving station 20 via the transmitting antenna 13 and the artificial satellite 40.

In the receiving station 20, the arriving control additional image signal
The CAS is guided to a reception tuner 22 via a reception antenna 21, where demodulation processing is performed and a reception control device 23
In, the control additional image signal CAS is decomposed into a still image signal SS, a previous control image signal FC, and a rear control image signal BC.
At this time, if the previous control image signal FC includes the ID signal addressed to the own station, the received control additional image signal CAS is determined to be the signal addressed to the own station, and the product information sandwiched between FC and BC is determined. Is stored in a memory (not shown) in the reception control device 23. When the ID signal of the previous control image signal FC is not addressed to the own station, the received control additional image signal CAS is ignored. With such a function, if a user who monitors the television 25 registers a product category of interest in the transmitting station 10 in advance, the user does not receive uninterested product information.

A still image signal SS as product information stored in the memory is displayed on the television 25 by an operation of a user who monitors the television 25, and one frame is operated by operating a button (not shown) provided on the reception control device 23. Each frame is advanced. When the screen frame of the product to be purchased is displayed, the user touches a predetermined location on the touch panel 24 to convert the product desired to be purchased into an electrical signal as purchased product information, and converts the signal together with the receiving station ID signal to a communication line. The data is transmitted to the product distribution center 30 via 50 (for example, a telephone line).

FIG. 4 shows an example of a screen configuration displayed on the television 25. If a large number of commodities (information) are displayed on one screen, the number of frame forwarding operations can be reduced, and the operation burden on the user can be reduced, which is convenient.

In the product distribution center 30, a product / customer database unit 31 and a customer name / product name specification processing unit 32 execute the purchased product and the address of the purchaser based on the transmitted purchased product information and the receiving station ID signal. The name is specified, and the product is shipped to the product purchaser (user).

It should be noted that the control additional image signal CA is generated by using the front control image signal FC and the rear control image signal BC as control image signals.
The example of configuring S has been described.
, The information of the number of still image frames of the still image signal SS to be distributed is included, so that the post-control image signal BC for indicating the end of the still image signal SS can be omitted.

If the transmitting station 10 transmits the control-added image signal CAS using the midnight time zone in which the normal broadcasting operation has been completed, the existing broadcasting satellite equipment can be used at a low cost. This is convenient for reduction.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, an example has been described in which an artificial satellite (broadcast satellite) is used as a signal path for distributing an image as product information.
There is no need to particularly explain that terrestrial radio waves (terrestrial broadcasting) or cables (CATV) may be used.

As described above, since the mail order system according to the present invention functions, the user does not need to see unnecessary product information, and can view the desired product information at a convenient time for a desired time. it can. In addition, the touch panel allows you to easily and accurately place orders for purchased items,
It is possible to prevent erroneous delivery due to misunderstanding of a telephone call or the like.

[0018]

According to the present invention, as described above, the image information distribution system is applied to mail-order sales, and the receiving station is provided with an image display means having a touch panel, so that the purchased product can be simply and accurately purchased. This is effective in realizing a mail-order system that enables the user to place an order and to view product information of interest only for a desired time at a convenient time of the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a mail order system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a control-added image signal used in the mail-order system according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a control image signal used in the mail order system according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a television screen in the mail order system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, receiving station 11, image reproducing device 12, control image adding device 13, transmitting antenna 14, transmitting device 20, receiving station 21, receiving antenna 22, receiving tuner 23, receiving control device 24・ ・ Television with touch panel 30 ・ ・ Product distribution center 31 ・ ・ Product / customer database part 32 ・ ・ Customer name / product name identification processing part 40 ・ ・ Satellite 50 ・ ・ Communication line

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Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A transmitting station for transmitting an image signal including product information and a control additional image signal to which a control signal including at least destination identification information is added; and a receiving station for receiving the image signal and the control additional image signal. Means, an image display means, an image control means for outputting only an image signal addressed to the own station to the image display means based on destination identification information included in the control additional image signal received by the reception means, and an image display means. A receiving station having a touch panel disposed on the front surface, wherein the image control means generates purchased product information based on the position information and the image signal when the operator on the receiving station touches the touch panel. A mail order system for placing an order for a product via a communication line together with distribution destination identification information of the receiving station. 2. Receiving the purchased merchandise information and the distribution destination identification information transmitted by the image control means via the communication line, selecting the merchandise based on the purchased merchandise information, and delivering the merchandise based on the distribution destination identification information. 2. A product distribution center for shipping the product at the destination address.
The mail-order system described.