JP2840507B2 - CATV terminal device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a CATV terminal in a two-way communication CATV system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A CATV system has a demand access method (1989, IEICE Research Report OCS-
51 "FM multiplex HDTV optical CATV system by demand access method" (see pages 7 to 12).

[0003] In this two-way communication CATV system, a pay channel for broadcasting a pay program in a predetermined time zone is provided. During the cooling time during which the contents of the program are broadcast, it is necessary to press a confirmation button in order to inform the CATV broadcasting station of the intention to view. If this operation is not performed, the video will be scrambled after the cooling time ends.

On the other hand, in the two-way communication CATV system, when a program other than a pay program is recorded by a VTR using a timer, the time and channel are set by the timer of the CATV terminal device, and the timer of the VTR is also set by the same time. deep. By doing so, the CAT is executed at a predetermined time.
The V terminal device and the VTR operate simultaneously and can record a predetermined channel.

[0005] However, even if an attempt is made to timer-record a pay program by the above-described method, the confirmation button cannot be pressed during the cooling time. For this reason, it was impossible to record a paid program by a timer using a conventional method.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and provides a CATV terminal device capable of connecting a VTR and easily recording a pay program by a timer.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a CATV terminal device which enables a pay program to be viewed by transmitting a predetermined confirmation signal when a pay program is received from a CATV broadcast station. Timer means for switching a receiving channel to a preset setting channel upon arrival of, a discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the set channel is charged when the set time arrives, and A CATV terminal device comprising: a confirmation signal transmitting unit that transmits the confirmation signal to the CATV broadcasting station within a predetermined time.

[0008]

The CATV terminal of the present invention switches the receiving channel to a preset channel when the timer set time arrives, and automatically transmits a confirmation signal to the CATV broadcasting station when the channel is charged.

[0009]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a two-way communication C using the demand access method.
1 is a schematic block diagram of an ATV system, where 1 is C
An ATV broadcasting station, a transmission block 11 for transmitting a television signal, a head end 12 for modulating a plurality of channels (40 channels) of the television signal from the transmission block with different carrier waves, and then multiplexing and transmitting it as a broadcast signal. , An interactive service management block 13 for managing interactive services, and a transmission device 14 for transmitting and receiving control data related to the interactive services.

Reference numeral 2 denotes the transmission device 14 and a CATV described later.
A hub arranged as a relay device between the terminal device and a specific channel of a predetermined BS by selecting any four channels out of 40 broadcast signals based on channel selection data from a subscriber. Channel selecting circuit 21 for converting the frequency into two, bidirectional for receiving the channel selection data from four CATV terminals and controlling the channel selection circuit and transmitting control data relating to the bidirectional service to each CATV terminal. The broadcast signal from the service processing unit 22 and the channel selection circuit is combined with the downlink control data to be transmitted to the CATV terminal device, and the uplink control data from the CATV terminal device is demultiplexed to the interactive service processing unit 22. And a supply / synthesis / demultiplexing circuit 23. A plurality of sets of the channel selection circuit 21, the two-way service processing unit 22, and the combining / demultiplexing circuit 23 are arranged in parallel, and each set manages four CATV terminal devices.

Numerals 3, 3,... Are terminating devices for supplying broadcast signals of four specific channels from the hub 2 to four CATV terminal devices, and for synthesizing and distributing control data.

4, 5, 6, and 7 are CATV terminal devices that are installed in each subscriber's home and receive any one of 40 channels by transmitting channel selection data from the subscriber to the hub 2. And each CATV
The broadcast signal of the channel selected by the subscriber is frequency-converted to one of the specific channels and transmitted to the terminal device.

The CATV broadcasting station 1, hub 2, terminating device 3, and CATV terminal devices 4 to 7 are connected by optical cables.

Next, a specific configuration of the CATV terminal device 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 41 is a combining / demultiplexing circuit that separates the multiplexed signal from the terminating device 3 into downlink control data and a broadcast signal (BS-1), and combines uplink control data.
42 is a CPU for bidirectionally communicating control data with the interactive service management block 13 or the interactive service processing unit 22; 43 is a mixer for converting the BS-1 channel broadcast signal into a predetermined intermediate frequency; Is a local control circuit that includes a variable local oscillator, and controls the output of the mixer 44 to be converted to a predetermined intermediate frequency by tuning data from the CPU 42; 45, a BPF that passes the predetermined intermediate frequency; A demodulation circuit for demodulating the BPF output to obtain a television signal. Also, 4
Reference numeral 7 denotes a timer circuit for setting a time for executing the on-timer and off-timer functions of the CPU 42.

The mixer 43 and the local control circuit 4
4. The BPF 45 and the demodulation circuit 46 have exactly the same configuration as a conventional BS tuner.

Next, a channel selection operation in the CATV terminal device 4 will be described. 4 connected to one termination device
One CATV terminal device is assigned one different channel among the BS channels, and the CATV terminal device 4 is assigned BS-1 as described above. The subscriber having the CATV terminal device 4 can remotely control any one of the 40 channels (not shown).
, A channel selection command is supplied to the CPU 42. The CPU 42 transmits the channel selection data to the interactive service processing unit 22 as uplink control data. The bidirectional service processing unit is a channel selection circuit 2
1 to convert the frequency of the selected channel to the BS-1 channel. Therefore, the CATV terminal device 4
Only the BS-1 channel signal is received. Then, the BS-1 channel signal demultiplexed by the combining / demultiplexing circuit 41 is supplied to the mixer 43. On the other hand, the CPU 42
Supplies the tuning data corresponding to BS-1 to the local control circuit 44, and controls the output of the mixer 43 to have a predetermined intermediate frequency. After the output of the mixer 43 is band-limited by the BPF 45, the demodulation circuit 46 demodulates the television signal of the channel selected by the subscriber.

Next, reception of a pay program using the timer function, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described with reference to a control flowchart of the CPU shown in FIG.

First, a power-on time and a power-off time are set by a timer circuit 47, and a channel to be received when the power is turned on is set in the CPU 42.

Then, when the set time of the on-timer arrives, the power of the CATV terminal device is turned on and the receiving channel is switched to the set channel. The downlink control data transmitted from the CATV broadcast station includes identification data indicating whether the currently received program is paid or free. Therefore, the CPU 42 determines whether the received program is paid or free based on the control data. Then, in the case of a charge, a confirmation signal indicating the intention of accepting the charge is automatically transmitted on the down control data during the cooling time.

When timer recording is performed by connecting a VTR, the timer (not shown) of the VTR can be set to the same time as the set time of the timer circuit 47.

When watching a pay program without using the timer function, the CPU 42 transmits a confirmation signal when the operator presses a confirmation button (not shown) during the cooling time.

[0022]

As described above, the CATV terminal device of the present invention automatically transmits a confirmation signal when the timer set time comes even if the received program is charged, so that the timer recording of the paid program can be extremely easily performed. It can be carried out.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a bidirectional communication CATV according to an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram of a system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a CATV terminal device.

FIG. 3 is a control flowchart of a CPU.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CATV broadcasting station 2 Hub 3 Termination device 4-7 CATV terminal device 42 CPU 47 Timer circuit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] When receiving a pay program from a CATV broadcast station, a CATV terminal device which enables viewing of the pay program by transmitting a predetermined confirmation signal, sets a reception channel in advance when a set time arrives. a timer means for switching the setting channels that are pre
Based on the control data transmitted from the CATV broadcasting station,
Discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the set channel is charged when the set time arrives;
CAT having a confirmation signal transmitting means for transmitting to V broadcast station
V terminal device.