JP2705576B2 - Satellite communication receiver - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a satellite communication receiver used for a receiving station of a first type of network of a satellite communication system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art This satellite communication system has a first type and a second type of network. The second type of network transmits a communication signal to the plurality of receiving stations in the network using a plurality of receiving stations and a specific satellite channel fixedly assigned only to the second type of network. It has two transmitting stations.

[0003] The first type of network uses a plurality of receiving stations and an assigned channel from the satellite channel which is then assigned to the first type of network.
A transmitting station for transmitting a communication signal to the plurality of receiving stations in the network. In the first type of network, for example, in order to perform intra-enterprise communication, it is necessary to contract a satellite transponder for time borrowing with a satellite management company. Since the other first type network also uses the satellite communication system, the assigned channel is inevitably changed each time it is borrowed, and the assigned channel is frequently changed. Therefore, it is necessary for the satellite communication receiver used for each receiving station of the first type network to cope with the change of the assigned channel.

[0004]

Conventionally, the operator of each receiving station knows the change of the assigned channel by receiving information on the change of the assigned channel from the transmitting station via the telephone line, and based on the information, the operator determines the change of the assigned channel. The channel selection operation of the tuner of the satellite communication receiver of the receiving station has been performed. For this reason, it is impossible for this satellite communication receiver to automatically cope with a change in the assigned channel. Further, information on the change of the assigned channel must be frequently notified from the transmitting station to each receiving station via a telephone line. Such a notification operation becomes very troublesome and time-consuming as the number of receiving stations of the first type network increases.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a satellite communication receiver capable of automatically coping with a change in an assigned channel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a satellite communication receiving apparatus which does not need to notify a receiving station of a change in an assigned channel from a transmitting station.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a first type of satellite communication system is provided in a satellite communication system having a first type and a second type of network and using a predetermined number of satellite channels and a particular satellite channel. A satellite communication receiving device used for a first receiving station of the network of
The first type of network transmits a first communication signal to the first receiving station using an assigned channel of the predetermined number of satellite channels at that time assigned to the first type of network. The second type of network, the second type of network, and a second type of receiving station, which always uses the specific satellite channel fixedly assigned to the second type of network. And a second transmitting station for transmitting the second communication signal to the second receiving station, wherein the first type and the second type of networks have different network numbers from each other, and the first communication signal is The second communication signal has common information having a network number of the second type network, and has common information having a network number of the first type network. In the satellite communication receiving device, the second communication signal is transmitted to the network number of the first type network and the first type network by the second transmitting station using the specific satellite channel. Channel information including a pair of a channel number of a currently allocated channel and the channel information of the second type only during the contract time of the first type of network.
The satellite communication receiving device transmits the network number of the first type of network as a storage network number; a network number memory for storing a network number of the first type of network as a storage network number; Receiving a channel designation signal designating one of the specific satellite channels as a designated channel, and selectively receiving one of the first and second communication signals as a received communication signal from the designated channel. Extracting the common information, which is connected to the network number memory and the selective receiving means and has a network number that matches the storage network number from the received communication signal, as extracted common information. 1 extracting means; being connected to the first extracting means and receiving the extracted common information; Processing means for outputting a signal processed by performing a predetermined process and outputting a non-reception signal if the extraction common information is not received; and specifying the specific satellite channel in response to the non-reception signal Channel designation signal generation means for generating a channel designation signal designated as a channel; the channel having a network number corresponding to the storage network number from the received communication signal, connected to the network number memory and the selective reception means; Second extraction means for extracting information as extracted channel information, and outputting the channel number included in the extracted channel information as an extracted channel number; The predetermined number having the extracted channel number in response to the channel number One of the satellite channels, satellite communication receiving apparatus is obtained which is characterized by generating a channel designation signal for designating as the designated channel.

According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned satellite communication receiving device, wherein the first and second receiving stations have different identification numbers from each other, the first communication signal is the first communication signal. A state in which individual information including a pair of an identification number of the first receiving station and a network number of the first type network is included in the first communication signal by the transmitting station using the assigned channel. In, transmitted in the initial state of the satellite communication receiving device, the satellite communication receiving device further has an identification number memory that stores the identification number of the first receiving station as a storage identification number in advance,
The first extracting means is also connected to the identification number memory, and extracts the individual information having the identification number corresponding to the storage identification number from the received communication signal as extracted individual information. Is stored in the network number memory, thereby obtaining a satellite communication receiving apparatus.

According to the present invention, there is provided a satellite communication receiving apparatus, wherein the network number memory previously stores a network number of the first type network as the storage network number.

[0010]

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

Referring to FIG. 1, a satellite communication receiving apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is used in the satellite communication system shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, the satellite communication system includes first and second type networks 11 and 12.
Having. Although the illustrated satellite communication system includes one first type network 11 and one second type network 12, other first type networks and other second type networks are used for satellite communication. It may be further included in the system. The illustrated satellite communication system uses a predetermined number of satellite channels and other satellite channels.

A first type of network 11 transmits a plurality of first receiving stations 13 and a first communication signal 15 to the communication satellite 1.
6 to a plurality of first receiving stations 13. At this time, the first transmitting station 14 receives the first communication signal 15 from the predetermined number of satellite channels using the assigned channel assigned to the first type network 11 at that time. Transmit to the station 13.

More specifically, the first type network 11
In, the communication takes place during the contract time using the assigned channel. The satellite management company 17 manages the transponder of the communication satellite 16 and determines a contract time zone and an assigned channel for each communication in response to a transponder time borrowing request. The request is made by the first transmitting station 14 of the first type network 11 using, for example, a telephone line 18, and the satellite management company 17 determines that the first transmitting station 14 transmits the first communication signal 15. To be able to do so, the first transmitting station 14 is notified of the contract time zone and the assigned channel using, for example, the telephone line 18.

Further, the satellite management company 17 notifies the second transmitting station 19 of the second type network 12 of the transponder lending status in real time using, for example, a telephone line 20 (note that this satellite communication system has a plurality of transponder lending statuses). Second
If a network of the type is included, the satellite management company 17 notifies the second transmitting station in the selected one of the plurality of networks of the second type of the transponder lending status in real time. In this case, a plurality of second
The selected one of the type networks corresponds to the second type network 12 shown. ).

The second type of network 12 has a plurality of second receiving stations 21. The second transmitting station 19
The second communication signal 22 is transmitted to the second receiving station 21 by using a specific satellite channel, which is one of the other satellite channels described above, which is fixedly assigned to the network 12 of the communication type. (If another second type network is included in the satellite communication system, the other second type network is fixedly allocated the rest of the other satellite channels described above.) ).

The first type and second type networks 11 and 12 included in the satellite communication system have different network numbers. (If other first type and other second type networks are included in the satellite communication system, each of the other first type and other second type networks also has its own network number.) The plurality of first receiving stations 13 have different identification (ID) numbers from each other, and the plurality of second receiving stations 21 have different identification numbers different from each other and different from the identification numbers of the first receiving stations 13. (If other first type and other second type networks are included in the satellite communication system, each of the other first type and other second type network receiving stations also have a unique identification number for it. .).

Referring again to FIG. 1 while still referring to FIG. 2, the satellite communication receiver 10 is used for each of the first receiving stations 13 of the first type network 11 and has an identification number memory 23. . The identification number memory 23 stores the identification number of the first receiving station 13 provided with the identification number memory 23 as a storage identification number in advance.

The tuner section 24 receives a channel designation signal from a channel selection circuit 25 acting as a channel designation signal generation circuit. This channel designation signal is
One of the predetermined number of satellite channels and the specific satellite channel is designated as a designated channel. Here, the initial channel designation operation in the initial state of the satellite communication receiver 10 is performed manually using the operation panel 25 '. At this time, the satellite management company 17 notifies the first transmitting station 14 via the telephone line 18, and then the first transmitting station 14 sends another telephone line (not shown) to the first receiving station 13 under consideration. The channel selection circuit 25 outputs a channel designating signal, which has been notified through the step (b), to designate the assigned channel as the designated channel. Therefore, when the satellite communication receiver 10 is in the initial state, the tuner unit 24 receives the first communication signal 15 from the designated channel. Generally speaking, the tuner section 24 selectively receives one of the first and second communication signals 15 and 22 from the designated channel via an antenna (not shown) as a reception communication signal. This receiving operation is continuously performed until a channel designating signal is received as a signal designating another channel as the designated channel. Hereinafter, each of the first and second communication signals 15 and 22 is transmitted by BS (broadcastin).
g satellite) format signal will be described. The tuner unit 24 converts a scrambled video signal and an audio subcarrier signal (PSK (P
and a scrambled video signal to a video descrambling circuit 26 and an audio subcarrier signal to a PSK demodulation circuit 27. The PSK demodulation circuit 27 demodulates the demodulated data stream signal including the scrambled audio data from the audio subcarrier signal, and converts the demodulated data stream signal into the audio descrambling circuit 28.
And a scramble-related information extraction circuit (first extraction circuit)
29.

Referring to FIG. 3, the demodulated data stream signal is composed of continuous frames, and each frame includes a frame synchronization signal, a control code signal, scrambled audio data, scramble related information, and a BCH (Bose-Chaudhur
i-Hocquenghem) code. The illustrated frame consists of 64 × 32 bits.

Referring to FIG. 4, scramble-related information obtained from first communication signal 15 (FIG. 2) is transmitted to individual first receiving stations 1 in first type network 11 (FIG. 2).
3 (FIG. 2) and common information common to the first receiving station 13 in the first type network 11. Specifically, the common information is classified into program information including descrambling data and control information including the network number of the first type network 11. The individual information includes the identification numbers of the individual first receiving stations 13 in the first type network 11 and the individual first receiving stations 1 in the first type network 11 corresponding to the identification numbers.
3 contract terms and conditions.

In the present invention, the individual information further includes the network number of the first type network 11 corresponding to the identification number of each first receiving station 13 in the first type network 11. The individual information further including the network number is transmitted to the satellite communication receiving device 10 (FIG. 1) of each first receiving station 13 of the first type network 11.
Is transmitted from the first transmitting station 14 (FIG. 2) of the first type network 11 only in the initial state of. At this time, the first
Of the transmitting station 14 in order to cause the individual first receiving stations 13 to perform the above-described initial channel specifying operation using the operation panel 25 ′ in the initial state of the satellite communication receiving apparatus 10.
By using the assigned channel notified to the individual first receiving stations 13 via the telephone line, the individual information further including the network number is included in the first communication signal 15 and transmitted.

On the other hand, the scramble-related information obtained from the second communication signal 22 (FIG. 2) is transmitted to the individual second receiving stations 21 (FIG. 2) in the second type network 12 (FIG. 2).
And common information common to the second receiving station 21 in the second type network 12. Specifically, the common information is classified into program information including descrambling data and control information including the network number of the second type network 12. Individual information is the second
Individual second receiving stations 21 in a network 12 of the type
And the terms and conditions of the individual second receiving stations 21 in the second type network 12 corresponding to the identification numbers.

In the present invention, the scrambling-related information created by the second transmitting station 19 (FIG. 2) is obtained by adding channel information to the individual information and the common information. The channel information includes a type identification code representing the channel information, a network number of a communicating first type network, a transponder number (or channel number) of a transponder currently used in the communicating first type network, and Having. The channel information is created in real time based on the lending status of the transponder notified by the first transmitting station 19 from the satellite management company 17 (FIG. 2). The channel information is constantly transmitted by the first transmitting station 19 using the specific satellite channel in a state where the channel information is included in the 22 scramble-related information of the second communication signal.

1 and 2, a scramble-related information extracting circuit 29 receives a storage identification number from the identification number memory 23 and, from the demodulated data stream signal, has a scramble having individual information including an identification number corresponding to the storage identification number. Related information as extracted scramble related information,
Extract. When the extracted scramble-related information is extracted, the scramble-related information extraction circuit 29 gives the network number included in the individual information of the extracted scramble-related information to the network number memory 31, and the network number memory 31 stores the network number. Store as a network number. Thereafter, the scramble-related information extraction circuit 29 supplies the common information corresponding to the storage network number to the processing circuit 30. The processing circuit 30 processes the descrambling data included in the program information of the common information, and converts the descrambling signal for the video descrambling circuit 26 and the descrambling signal for the audio descrambling circuit 28 as processed signals. Output. The video descramble circuit 26 descrambles the scrambled video signal into a descrambled video signal in response to the descrambling signal. Similarly, the audio descrambling circuit 28 descrambles the scrambled audio signal into a descrambled audio signal in response to the descrambling signal. Details of the descrambling operation are disclosed in Telecommunications Council Report No. 17.

When the program information of the common information is periodically supplied from the scramble-related information extracting circuit 29 to the processing circuit 30, the satellite communication receiving apparatus 10 performs the first communication for the network 11 of the first type. It is determined that the signal 15 has been received, and the reception continues as a normal operation without giving any channel change command to the channel selection circuit 25. Such a determination is made in the first step S1 shown in FIG.

The output circuit 32 outputs the descrambling video signal and the descrambling audio signal as they are.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the assigned transponder for the first type network 11 shown in FIG. 1 is changed every time the communication satellite 16 is borrowed because the other first type network also uses the satellite communication system. It is unavoidable that the assigned channel is frequently changed, as described above. When the assigned channel is changed, the satellite communication receiver 10 cannot receive the first communication signal 15 for the first type network 11. In this case, the processing circuit 30 cannot receive the program information of the common information from the scramble-related information extracting circuit 29, and the processing circuit 30 determines that the satellite communication receiving apparatus 10 has the first communication signal for the network 11 of the first type. 15 is determined not to be received, and a non-reception signal is given to the channel selection circuit 25 as a channel change command while program information for the first type network 11 is not received. Such a determination is also made in the first step S1 of FIG.

The channel selection circuit 25 stores a channel number of the specific satellite channel in advance, and upon receiving a reception impossible signal, a channel designation signal for designating the specific satellite channel having the stored channel number. Is supplied to the tuner unit 24. As a result, the tuner unit 24 receives the second communication signal 22 as a reception communication signal. The selection of the specific satellite channel is performed in the second step S2 in FIG. At the same time, the channel selection circuit 25 causes the output circuit 32 to stop the output operation while receiving the reception disable signal. Alternatively, while the channel selection circuit 25 receives the reception disable signal, the internal telop (televisionopaque project
r) The information generated by the device is output from the output circuit 32, and the receiver is notified that there is no signal to be received.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the tuner 24
Receives the channel designation signal designating the specific satellite channel, and selectively receives the second communication signal 22. In this case, the scramble-related information extraction circuit 29
Is supplied from the PSK demodulation circuit 27 with the demodulated data stream signal obtained from the second communication signal 22 and, based on the type identification code (FIG. 4) representing the channel information, obtains the channel information from the demodulated data stream signal. Is extracted. The extracted channel information is supplied to a channel information extraction circuit (second extraction circuit) 33.

The channel information extracting circuit 33 extracts channel information having a network number corresponding to the storage network number stored in the network number memory 31 and selects a transponder number (or channel number) corresponding to this network number. Supply to circuit 25. Thus, the channel information extraction circuit 3
3 determines whether or not the satellite communication receiving apparatus 10 has received channel information for the first type network 11. Such a determination is made in the third step S3 in FIG.

The channel selection circuit 25 selects one of the predetermined number of satellite channels corresponding to the transponder number (or channel number) assigned to the first type network 11 at that time supplied from the channel information extraction circuit 33. Is supplied to the tuner unit 24. The selection of the satellite channel based on such channel information is performed in the fourth step S4 in FIG. Subsequent to the fourth step S4, the above-described first step S1 is performed again.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
For example, in FIG. 1, instead of the network number memory 31, a network number memory in which the network number of the first type network 11 (FIG. 2) is stored in advance as a storage network number may be used. In this case, the initial channel designation operation performed using the operation panel 25 'in the initial state of the satellite communication receiver 10 becomes unnecessary. In the above-described embodiment, the individual information includes the first
Individual first receiving stations 13 in a network 11 of the type
The first communication signal including the individual information is further included in the first communication signal of the first receiving station 13 of the first type network 11 by further including the network number of the first type network 11 corresponding to the identification number of the first type. When the satellite communication receiving device 10 is in the initial state, the signal is transmitted from the first transmitting station 14 of the first type network 11 and transmitted to the satellite communication receiving device 10 of each first receiving station 13 of the first type network 11. Although the network number of one type of network 11 has been notified, such a notification operation of the network number becomes unnecessary. That is, a satellite capable of automatically selecting an assigned channel not only when the assigned channel is changed to a channel different from the previous channel but also in the initial state of the satellite communication receiver 10. The communication receiving device 10 is obtained.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, satellite communication reception capable of automatically coping with a change in the assigned channel when the assigned channel to the own network is changed to a channel different from the previous channel. A device is obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a satellite communication receiving apparatus which does not need to notify the receiving station of the changed assigned channel from the transmitting station in its own network.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a satellite communication receiving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a satellite communication system including a first type of network having a receiving station provided with the satellite communication receiving device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a signal format of an output signal of a PSK demodulation circuit of the satellite communication receiving device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of scramble-related information for explaining the operation of the satellite communication receiver in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the satellite communication receiving device of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Satellite communication receiving apparatus 11 1st type network 12 2nd type network 13 1st receiving station 14 1st transmitting station 15 1st communication signal 16 Communication satellite 17 Satellite management company 18 Telephone line 19 2nd transmission Station 20 telephone line 21 second receiving station 22 second communication signal 23 identification number memory 24 tuner section 25 channel selection circuit 25 'operation panel 26 video descramble circuit 27 PSK demodulation circuit 28 audio descramble circuit 29 extraction of scramble related information Circuit 30 Processing circuit 31 Network number memory 32 Output circuit 33 Channel information extraction circuit

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first receiving station of a first type network in a satellite communication system having a first type and a second type of network and using a predetermined number of satellite channels and a specific satellite channel. Satellite communication receiving apparatus, wherein the first type network uses a channel assigned to the first type network from the predetermined number of satellite channels at the time, to generate a first communication signal. To the first receiving station, the second type of network comprises a second receiving station, and the second type of network, which is always permanently assigned to the second type of network. A second transmitting station for transmitting a second communication signal to the second receiving station using a specific satellite channel, wherein the first type and the second type of network are provided. Networks have different network numbers, the first communication signal has common information having a network number of the first type of network,
The satellite communication receiving device, wherein the second communication signal has common information having a network number of the second type network, wherein the second communication signal is transmitted by the second transmitting station by the second transmitting station. Channel information including a pair of a network number of the first type network and a channel number of an assigned channel currently assigned to the first type network using the satellite channels of the first type network. The satellite communication receiver is transmitted in a state where the satellite communication receiver is included in the second communication signal only during the contract time, and the network number of the first type network is
A network number memory for storing as a storage network number; receiving a channel designation signal for designating one of the predetermined number of satellite channels and the specific satellite channel as a designated channel; and receiving the first and second communications. Selective receiving means for selectively receiving one of the signals as the received communication signal from the designated channel; connected to the network number memory and the selective receiving means, and configured to store the storage network number from the received communication signal. First extraction means for extracting the common information having a network number that matches the extracted information as extracted common information;
Is connected to the extraction means, and receives the extraction common information,
Processing means for performing a predetermined process on the signal and outputting a processed signal, and outputting an unreceivable signal when not receiving the extracted common information; Channel designation signal generating means for generating a channel designation signal for designating a designated channel; connected to the network number memory and the selective reception means, and having a network number corresponding to the storage network number from the received communication signal. Second extraction means for extracting channel information as extracted channel information, and outputting the channel number included in the extracted channel information as an extracted channel number; In response to the extraction channel number, the location having the extraction channel number A satellite communication receiving apparatus for generating a channel designation signal for designating one of a constant number of satellite channels as the designated channel. 2. The satellite communication receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second receiving stations have different identification numbers from each other. The first communication signal includes, by the station, individual information including a pair of the identification number of the first receiving station and the network number of the first type network using the assigned channel. Transmitted in an initial state of the satellite communication receiving device, the satellite communication receiving device further includes an identification number memory in which an identification number of the first receiving station is stored in advance as a storage identification number, The first extracting means is also connected to the identification number memory, and extracts the individual information having the identification number matching the storage identification number from the received communication signal as extracted individual information, and A satellite communication receiver, wherein the network number included is stored in the network number memory. 3. The satellite communication receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the network number memory stores a network number of the first type network in advance as the storage network number.