JP2007129640A - Set top box - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a set top box capable of controlling a TV by one remote controller, without being equipped with a tuner, and moreover without increasing the number of buttons of the remote controller. <P>SOLUTION: The set top box has a channel switching table memory 205 and a channel switching table changing controller 206, and the changing controller 206 changes the contents of the table memory 205, according to a viewing permission condition of the television 30 being an external apparatus to be connected. Consequently, the STB 20 and the television 30 can be controlled by the one remote controller 100, without increasing the number of the buttons of the remote controller 100. Moreover, a tuner can be dispensed because a television-30-side channel is switched. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention outputs a video for displaying a web browsing screen to a television, and an image called a set-top box that outputs a broadcast signal by IP broadcast including VOD (Video On Demand) transmitted via a network line. The present invention relates to a viewing device.

  In recent years, in broadcasting services, the number of broadcast channels has been increasing due to the development of digital terrestrial broadcasting, BS (Broadband Satellite) broadcasting, and CS (Communication Satellite) broadcasting. In an accommodation facility such as a hotel, a service for distributing a facility-limited program using a vacant channel that does not receive a broadcast signal using a hearing system is provided. This is obtained by receiving a broadcast signal with a video viewing device called a set-top box (hereinafter referred to as STB) and receiving the broadcast signal when viewing conditions (for example, payment of fee for pay information) are satisfied. A dedicated program limited to a specific user is provided by inputting the received video signal and audio signal to a television. In such a hearing system, since a television that displays video and an STB that includes a tuner and receives a broadcast signal are separated, each control is performed by each remote controller. In general, it is desired to perform control with a single remote controller while avoiding complications so as not to complicate operations.

  An audio / audio device that operates as a master controller for interconnecting a plurality of AV (Audio Vidual) devices, receives an infrared transmission command from one remote controller, and controls each AV device with an IEEE 1394 bus transmission command or an infrared transmission command. There is a proposal of a video platform (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-9025 A

However, the conventional hearing system has the following problems.
(1) When STB and TV are realized with one remote controller, the number of buttons on the remote controller tends to increase as the number of channels increases, and switching to a large remote controller with an increased number of buttons is inconvenient for the user. Become.

(2) In addition, a television for projecting a video generally has a tuner, and has a sufficient function for receiving a normal broadcast. Therefore, it is wasteful to provide a similar tuner on the STB side.

(3) On the other hand, when a program with viewing conditions is distributed to an STB that does not have a tuner, a complicated and coordinated procedure between the television and the STB is required. For example, prepare a separate dedicated remote control for each installation location, change the remote control button assignment whenever a new remote control is added due to an increase in channels, or limit viewing by adding scramble to the broadcast In this case, it is necessary to newly provide a descrambling device. For this reason, it is difficult to provide a dedicated channel viewing service in a hotel facility or the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a video viewing apparatus capable of controlling a television with one remote controller without increasing the number of buttons on the remote controller without providing a tuner. With the goal.

The above object is achieved by the following configuration.
(1) In a video viewing apparatus that outputs a web browsing screen display signal to a TV and outputs a broadcast signal by IP broadcast including video on demand sent via a network line, the video is transmitted from a remote controller. Control command receiving means for receiving a control command, memory storage means for storing a channel switching table for specifying a channel number to be switched by a channel switching operation from the remote controller, and viewing for determining program channels that can be viewed on the apparatus. Channel switching table change control means for rewriting the contents of the channel switching table stored in the memory storage means by setting or changing permission conditions, and the control command received by the control command receiving means is a channel up or channel down control. A control command transmission means for determining a channel number with reference to the channel switching table stored in the memory storage means, and converting the determined channel number into a channel switching control command for transmission when the command is a command; .

(2) The video viewing apparatus according to (1), further including server command receiving means for receiving a command from a management server connected to the network line, wherein the channel switching table change control means is configured to receive the server command. The content of the channel switching table is rewritten to a program channel that can be viewed on the apparatus according to the command received from the management server.

  In the video viewing apparatus described in (1) above, the contents of the channel switching table are rewritten by setting or changing the viewing permission conditions for determining the program channels that can be viewed on this apparatus, and the control command from the remote control is channel up or channel In the case of a down control command, the channel number is determined with reference to the channel switching table, and the determined channel number is converted into a channel switching control command and transmitted. It becomes possible to control without increasing the number. In addition, a tuner is not necessary because the television channel is switched.

  In the video viewing apparatus described in (2) above, a program channel that can be viewed on the management server side can be determined.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a video distribution service providing system using a video viewing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of each of the video viewing apparatus, television, and remote controller according to the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, a distribution device 10 distributes broadcast signals to televisions 30, 31 and 32. That is, a general broadcast signal sent by terrestrial analog / digital broadcast and BS / CS digital broadcast and a dedicated broadcast signal broadcast only in a facility such as a hotel are distributed to the televisions 30 to 32. In this case, the dedicated broadcast signal is delivered by placing the signal on an empty channel without a general broadcast signal. For example, one television 30 to 32 is installed for each room of the accommodation facility.

  Each of the televisions 30, 31 and 32 includes a tuner 300 (see FIG. 2) corresponding to various broadcast waves such as terrestrial analog / digital broadcast and BS / CS digital broadcast. In addition to the general broadcast signal and the dedicated broadcast signal, STBs 20 to 22 that can perform Web browsing through a VOD or a network line are connected to the televisions 30 to 32. That is, the STB 20 is connected to the television 30, the STB 21 is connected to the television 31, and the STB 22 is connected to the television 32. STBs 20 to 22 are video viewing apparatuses of the present invention. A cable 50 connected to the network line is connected to each of the STBs 20, 21 and 22, and a management server 40 is connected to the cable 50. The management server 40 has functions for managing service usage and distributing contents.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the configuration of each of the STBs 20 to 22, the televisions 30 to 32, and the remote controller 100 that are video viewing apparatuses will be described. Note that the STBs 20 to 22 have some differences in functions, but all have the same configuration, so the STB 20 is taken as an example. Further, since the televisions 30 to 32 are all the same, the television 30 is taken as an example. The STB 20 includes an infrared light receiving unit 201, an infrared light emitting unit 202, a control unit 203, a memory 204, a channel switching table memory 205, a channel switching table change control unit 206, an infrared light emission control unit 207, a network I / O. An F unit 208 and an external output unit 209 are provided.

  The infrared light receiving unit 201 receives an infrared command from the remote controller 100 that controls a channel and the like that the user views. The infrared light emitting unit 202 emits an infrared command toward the television 30. The control unit 203 is configured by a microcomputer (not shown) and the like, and controls each unit configuring the STB 20. The memory 204 stores temporary storage data required by the control unit 203 during processing, has a function of buffering transmission / reception data to / from the network line, and receives an infrared command from the remote control 100 on the television 30. Has a function of storing a data table (for example, a remote control code conversion table) for conversion into an infrared command corresponding to.

  The channel switching table memory 205 is a memory that manages program channels that can be viewed on the STB 20, and is configured, for example, as shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows different viewable channels for each STB 20 to 22 and the channel order switched by channel up / down. The written contents differ for each of the STBs 20 to 22 and are changed each time according to the determined viewing conditions. In the case of the STB 20, as shown in FIG. 3A, channels 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and guidance are written. In the case of the STB 21, as shown in FIG. 3B, channels 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, guidance, movie A, and movie B are written. In the case of STB 22, as shown in FIG. 3C, channels 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, guidance, movie A, and news are written. Here, when there is a channel up or channel down command from the remote controller 100, the control unit 203 refers to the channel switching table memory 205, and determines the channel number to be switched next based on the position of the currently displayed channel. Data is stored so that.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the channel switching table change control unit 206 controls rewriting of the channel switching table memory 205 by changing viewing conditions given to the STB 20. For example, when movie A and movie B are added to the viewing condition shown in FIG. 3A, the result is as shown in FIG. The infrared light emission control unit 207 controls a signal input to the infrared light emission unit 202 in order to output the command received by the infrared light reception unit 201 as an infrared command to be transmitted to the television 30, and is input from the control unit 203. The infrared transmission command data is converted into a signal to be input to the infrared light emitting unit 202.

  The network I / F unit 208 is a connection interface for realizing the function of the STB 20 using a network line, and connects the STB 20 and the network line. The external output unit 209 outputs a video signal and an audio signal to the television 30, and outputs a video or audio by a web browsing screen or VOD. The STB 20 does not include a tuner for receiving broadcast signals (the same applies to the other STBs 21 and 22).

  The infrared light receiving unit 201 corresponds to a control command receiving unit. The channel switching table memory 205 corresponds to a memory storage unit. The channel switching table change control unit 206 corresponds to channel switching table change control means. The control unit 203, the infrared light emission control unit 207, and the infrared light emission unit 202 constitute a control command transmission unit. Further, the network I / F unit 208 and the control unit 203 constitute a server command receiving unit.

  The television 30 includes a tuner 300 corresponding to various broadcasting waves such as terrestrial analog / digital broadcasting and BS / CS digital broadcasting, an infrared light receiving unit 301, and a control unit 302, and includes a broadcast program, a VOD, and a web browsing screen. And so on. The video signal and audio signal from the STB 20 are received by an external input terminal (not shown) and controlled by an infrared command signal emitted from the STB 20.

  The remote controller 100 controls both the STB 20 and the television 30. Similarly, each remote controller (not shown) controls both the STB 21 and the television 31 and both the STB 22 and the television 32.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the remote controller 100. In the figure, the remote controller 100 includes a power button 500 for controlling on / off of TV (TV) and STB, a changeover switch 501 for switching the operation mode of the remote controller 100, a menu button 502 for immediately displaying a start screen, Broadcast signal type switching button 503 for switching the type of broadcast signal, channel button 504 for directly specifying a channel, arrow buttons 505 for moving and determining the cursor on the web browsing screen, and the like, channel up / down A channel up / down button 506 for controlling the volume, a volume up / down button 507 for controlling the volume up / down, and a number of other buttons 508 for realizing a dedicated function are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the remote controller 100 includes an infrared light emitting unit 101 for transmitting control commands by infrared rays, a control unit 102 including a microcomputer (not shown), and the above buttons and switches. An operation unit 103 equipped with the above is provided. The control unit 102 controls the television 30 and the STB 20 according to the operation of each button and switch of the operation unit 103.

  Next, the operation of the STB 20 that is the video viewing apparatus of the present embodiment will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. Since the STB 21 and 22 perform the same operation as the STB 20, description of these operations is omitted.

  First, a method for determining viewing conditions will be described. There are various methods for setting and changing the viewing permission conditions, and the viewing permission conditions are not limited in the present invention. In the case of a hotel facility, a dedicated channel may be added depending on the billing status of the user, a dedicated channel that can be viewed only in a room of a certain class or higher is provided, or an application is made to the administrator at check-in. The program can be viewed on the Internet, or it can be viewed for a certain period of time, or it can be viewed by selecting from the menu screen displayed on the TV using a network line and adjusting the fee at checkout. It may be possible to become. Here, a description will be given assuming that the viewing condition change is notified through the network line.

  In FIG. 5, it is first determined whether or not the viewing permission condition has been changed (step S100). When the viewing permission condition is set or when the state is changed from the conventional state, the channel switching table memory 205 is immediately rewritten (step S101). On the other hand, if the current state is not changed, the process proceeds to step S102. When the setting or change of the viewing permission condition is notified from the management server 40 to the STB 20 through the network line, the contents of the channel switching table memory 205 are rewritten by the channel switching table change control unit 206, and only the channels that can be viewed are displayed in the channel switching table. Stored in the memory 205.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the channel up button or the channel down button 506 of the remote controller 100 is pressed (step S102). If the channel up button or the channel down button 506 is not pressed, the process proceeds to step S107. An infrared command is received from the remote controller 100 (step S103). When the control unit 203 recognizes that it is a channel up command to the television 30, it refers to the channel switching data table memory 205, reads the channel number to be switched next, and updates the current channel position ( Step S104).

  Next, the control unit 203 reads the direct channel selection command data for switching to the channel number read from the channel switching data table memory 205 from the remote control code conversion table in the memory 204 (step S105). Then, the direct channel selection command data read from the remote control code conversion table is sent to the infrared light emission control unit 207, and a direct channel selection channel command is transmitted from the infrared light emission unit 202 to the television 30 (step S106). As a result, the television 30 switches to the next channel.

  Next, the control unit 203 determines whether or not a channel button (directly specifying a channel) 504 on the remote controller 100 has been pressed (step S107). If the channel button has been pressed, the channel switching data table memory is determined. In order to correct the current channel position 205, the channel pointer to be managed is updated (step S108). As a result, if the data in the channel switching data table memory 205 is configured in accordance with viewing conditions, the channel is not switched to the viewing condition, and each viewing device always selects a program in accordance with the desired conditions with the same remote controller. can do. On the other hand, if the channel button 504 is not pressed, no processing is performed and the process returns to step S100.

  As described above, according to the video viewing apparatus (STB 20) of the present embodiment, it has the channel switching table memory 205 and the channel switching table change control unit 206, and corresponds to the viewing permission conditions of the television 30 that is an external device to be connected. Since the channel switching table change control unit 206 changes the contents of the channel switching table memory 205, the STB 20 and the television 30 can be controlled by one remote controller 100 without increasing the number of buttons on the remote controller 100. In addition, since the channel on the television 30 side is switched, a tuner is not necessary.

  In this embodiment, three sets of video viewing apparatuses (STBs 20 to 22) and televisions are provided in the system, but three or more sets or three sets or less may be used.

  In the present embodiment, infrared signals are used to control the video viewing devices (STBs 20 to 22) and the televisions 30 to 32. However, the signals may be controlled by other wireless signals, such as IEEE1394. The remote controller 100 and the video viewing device (STB 20) and the television 30 are connected by a controllable cable, and the remote controller and video viewing device (STB 21) and the television 31 (not shown) or the remote controller and video viewing device (STB 22) and the television 32 (not shown) are connected. You may make it control.

  In addition, the network I / F unit 208 of the video viewing devices (STBs 20 to 22) only needs to be provided with a line capable of communicating with the management server 40 in addition to TCP / IP. In addition to the management of viewing conditions using the network I / F unit 208, a terminal connected to each video viewing device (STB 20 to 22) may be connected.

  In addition, the external device that can be controlled by the infrared transmission signal emitted from the infrared light emitting unit 202 of the video viewing device (STB 20 to 22) by the operation from the remote controller 100 or a remote controller (not shown) is not limited to the television but is connected to the television or the STB. You may enable it to control also the apparatus and the infrared control apparatus in the vicinity.

  The present invention has an effect that a channel can be selected in consideration of viewing conditions without increasing the buttons of the remote controller by using a remote controller common to one system that can control a TV without a tuner. The present invention can be applied to a video viewing device called a set-top box (STB) and a video distribution service providing system using the video viewing device.

The block diagram which shows schematic structure of the video delivery service provision system using the video viewing-and-listening apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows schematic structure of each image viewing-and-listening apparatus, television, and remote control which concern on the said embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating the memory which manages the program channel which can be viewed with the video viewing-and-listening apparatus based on the said embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the external appearance of the remote control of the video delivery service provision system using the video viewing-and-listening apparatus which concerns on the said embodiment of this invention. Flow chart for explaining the operation of the video viewing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Distribution device 20, 21, 22 STB
30, 31, 32 Television 40 Management server 50 Cable 100 Remote control 101 Infrared light emitting unit 102 Control unit 103 Operation unit 201 Infrared light receiving unit 202 Infrared light emitting unit 203 Control unit 204 Memory 205 Channel switching table memory 206 Channel switching table change control unit 207 Infrared Light emission control unit 208 Network I / F unit 209 External output unit 300 Tuner 301 Infrared light receiving unit 302 Control unit 500 Power button 501 Changeover switch 502 Menu button 503 Broadcast signal type switching button 504 Channel button 505 Arrow button 506 Channel up / down button 507 Volume Up / down button 508 Other buttons

Claims (2)

In a video viewing apparatus that outputs a web browsing screen display signal to a television and outputs a broadcast signal by IP broadcast including video on demand sent via a network line.
Control command receiving means for receiving a control command transmitted from the remote control;
A memory storage means storing a channel switching table for designating a channel number to be switched by a channel switching operation from the remote control;
Channel switching table change control means for rewriting the contents of the channel switching table stored in the memory storage means by setting or changing viewing permission conditions for determining program channels that can be viewed on the apparatus;
When the control command received by the control command receiving means is a channel up or channel down control command, a channel number is determined by referring to the channel switching table stored in the memory storage means, and the determined channel number A control command transmission means for transmitting a channel switching control command and
A video viewing device comprising: Server command receiving means for receiving a command from a management server connected to the network line;
2. The video viewing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the channel switching table change control means rewrites the contents of the channel switching table to a program channel that can be viewed on the apparatus according to a command from the management server received by the server command receiving means. .

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