JP3265657B2 - Terminal control device and 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 terminal control device and a terminal device in a CATV system, for example.

[0002]

BACKGROUND ART FIG. 4, for example, racetrack, a block diagram of a conventional CATV systems provided such a station.

[0003] In the figure, 1 ₀ CATV terminal control apparatus comprising a CPU30 and modem 31, 6 ₁ ~6n the RF modulator for modulating each broadcasting respectively, 12 R
Mixer for mixing the output of the F modulator, 2 ₀ CAT
A V terminal unit, the CATV terminal unit 2 _0, a modem 32, CPU 18, includes a tuner 15 and a video processing circuit 16, each terminal 2 _0, corresponding TV
A monitor 17 is provided.

Next, the operation will be described.

[0005] CATV terminal control apparatus 1 _0, each CATV terminal unit 2 ₀ through the dedicated control line 33, sends control data for the video processing such as channel change and freezing. Each CATV terminal unit 2 _0, the modem 32
The CPU 18 controls the tuner 15 and the video processing circuit 16 on the basis of the control data, and displays the video of the designated channel on the TV monitor 17.

Accordingly, in such a CATV system, for example, among the plurality of CATV terminal unit 2 ₀ installed in each location of the stadium, in a certain CATV terminal unit 2 _0, it reflects the image of the odds information, Or,
In yet another CATV terminal unit 2 _0, control such displaying an image in competition was freeze would perform.

[0007]

However, in such a conventional example, when there are a large number of terminal devices, control signals must be sequentially transmitted in accordance with a communication procedure for each terminal device. However, there is a problem in that the load on the terminal control device increases, and real-time control becomes difficult.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and even if there are a large number of terminal devices, the load on the terminal control device does not become heavy, and control data can be transmitted in a short period of time. The purpose is to be able to send.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is configured as follows.

[0010] That is, the terminal control apparatus of the present invention, for controlling a plurality of terminal devices respectively, corresponding to each terminal
A storage unit in which the control data is stored, and
Corresponding to each respective control data, 1 a generation unit which converts the signals for each horizontal scan line to generate a video signal, the video signal, the signal control dedicated channel for controlling a plurality of terminal devices, respectively RF to convert to RF signal as
Signal conversion means.

[0011] That is, the terminal device of the present invention is transmitted from the terminal control apparatus, converts a plurality of terminals for controlling respectively, for each control data corresponding to each terminal device, the signal of each horizontal scan line Receiving means for receiving an RF signal of a dedicated control channel composed of a video signal generated as described above, and reproducing means for extracting control data corresponding to each terminal from the signal of the dedicated control channel received by the receiving means. ing.

[0012]

According to the above configuration, the terminal control device, for each corresponding thereto its control data to each terminal device, and converts the signal of each horizontal scan line to generate a video signal, the video signal The signal is transmitted as a signal of a dedicated control channel for controlling each of the plurality of terminal devices . Further, the terminal device receives the signal of the dedicated control channel transmitted from the terminal control device, and controls each terminal converted for each horizontal scanning line.
Control is performed by extracting control data corresponding to each terminal device from a signal of a control channel dedicated to data.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 FIG. FIG. 1 shows C of one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the CATV terminal control device 1 in the ATV system, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the ATV terminal device 2, and portions corresponding to the conventional example in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The CATV terminal control device 1 of this embodiment
Instead of sending control data for video processing such as channel change and freeze to each CATV terminal device through a dedicated control line as in the conventional example, the control data is converted into an analog video signal and modulated into an RF signal. And
It is transmitted as a dedicated control channel.

For this reason, the CATV terminal control device 1 stores a control data from the CPU 3 for controlling each CATV terminal device 2 in the RAM 4, and reads out the control data stored in the RAM 4 repeatedly to convert the analog video signal. It comprises a generating means 5 for generating, and an RF modulator 6 for modulating an analog video signal from the generating means 5 into an RF signal and transmitting the RF signal as a dedicated control channel.

The generating means 5 includes a write / read control unit 7 for controlling writing / reading of control data from the CPU 3 to / from the RAM 4, and a parallel / serial converter for converting control data read from the RAM 4 into serial data. And a D / A converter 9 for converting serial data from the parallel / serial converter 8 into an analog signal.
And the analog signal from the D / A converter 9
It comprises a mixer 10 for adding a vertical synchronizing signal and outputting it as an analog video signal, and a timing generator 11 for generating a synchronizing signal and controlling the timing of each section.

In the CATV terminal control device 1, each CA
Control data for controlling the TV terminal device 2 is stored in RAM
4 is written. Next, the control data of the RAM 4 is read out at the timing of the video signal corresponding to the synchronization signal output from the timing generator 11, converted into serial data by the parallel / serial converter 8, and further D / A converted. Logic "1"
Is converted to an analog signal having a luminance level of 100% and logic "0", and a horizontal / vertical synchronizing signal is added thereto to form an analog video signal.
The signal is modulated by the modulator 6 into an RF signal and transmitted as a dedicated control channel.

FIG. 3 shows each CA stored in the RAM 4.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a correspondence relationship between control data of a TV terminal device and a TV screen of an analog video signal generated based on the control data. In this embodiment, the correspondence relationship corresponds to each of the CATV terminal devices 1 to n. The control data is converted into an analog video signal for each horizontal scanning line and transmitted.

The operation of reading out control data from the RAM 4, converting it into an analog video signal, and sending it out is performed by RA
A new control data is written to M4 from CPU3.
This is repeated except for the flyback blanking period.

The RF signal of the dedicated control channel from the CATV terminal control device 1 is mixed with the output from each of the RF modulators 6 ₁ to 6 n for modulating each broadcast by the mixer 12 and transmitted to the CATV terminal device 2. You.

On the other hand, the CATV terminal device 2 includes a control tuner 13 for receiving, via the distributor 35, the RF signal of the control dedicated channel transmitted from the CATV terminal control device 1 as described above, and a control tuner 13 And reproduction means 14 for reproducing control data from the analog video signal received and demodulated by the control unit, and controls the tuner 15 and the video processing circuit 16 based on the reproduced control data in the same manner as in the conventional example. T channel video
It has a CPU 18 for projecting it on a V monitor 17.

The control tuner 13 demodulates an analog video signal by selecting an RF signal of a dedicated control channel from the frequency-multiplexed RF signals.

The reproducing means 14 for reproducing control data from the analog video signal includes a luminance signal separating circuit 19 for separating a luminance signal from the analog video signal, a synchronous separating circuit 20 for further separating a synchronous signal, a synchronous signal and each terminal. A timing generator 22 for taking timing of each unit based on the address information 21 unique to the device, a comparator 23 for converting a luminance signal into serial control data,
A serial / parallel converter 24 for converting serial data from the comparator 23 into parallel data and a register 25 for temporarily storing control data from the serial / parallel converter 24 are provided. Control data corresponding to the terminal device 2 is provided from the register 25 to the CPU 18 based on the address information.

In this embodiment, as described above, 1 to n
Control data corresponding to each CATV terminal device 2 is converted into an analog video signal for each horizontal scanning line and transmitted. For example, in the case of the m-th terminal device 2, the m-th Control data reproduced from an analog video signal corresponding to a horizontal scanning line is provided.

In the CATV terminal device 2, the control tuner 13 selects and demodulates the RF signal of the control dedicated channel, reproduces the control data by the reproducing means 14, and based on the control data, the CPU 18 And a video processing circuit 16 for controlling the video processing circuit 16 to display the video of the designated channel on the TV monitor 17.

As described above, the CATV terminal control device 1 converts the control data for controlling each CATV terminal device 2 into an analog video signal, modulates the control data into an RF signal and sends it out as a dedicated control channel. In the device 2, the control tuner 13 selects the RF signal of the dedicated control channel, demodulates the analog video signal, and reproduces the control data from the analog video signal to perform control. There is no need to sequentially transmit control data according to the communication procedure for each device, and CATV
The load on the terminal control device 1 is reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, since the analog video signal of one horizontal scanning line of the TV screen is assigned to one terminal device 2, even if there are a large number of terminal devices 2, the control data can be obtained in a very short period. Can be sent.

Further, since the CATV terminal control device 1 converts the control data into an analog video signal and repeatedly transmits the same, even if the control data cannot be received due to the influence of noise or the like, it can receive the next normal signal. Therefore, the terminal can be reliably controlled .

Although the above embodiment has been described by applying the invention to a CATV system for transmission by cable, as another embodiment of the present invention, the output of the mixer 12 is transmitted by an antenna, and the output of the mixer 12 is transmitted by an antenna on the terminal device 2 side. You may comprise so that it may receive.

In the above-described embodiment, the control of the video output of the CATV terminal device 2 has been described. However, as another embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is applied to the control of other devices connected to the CATV terminal device 2. Of course, it is good.

According to the present invention as described above, the terminal controller for each control data corresponding to a plurality of terminal devices, a video signal and converts the signal of each horizontal scan line
It generates No., so sends the video signal as a signal for controlling a dedicated channel for controlling a plurality of terminal devices,
Control data corresponding to each of the plurality of terminal devices can be sent at a time. Further, since the control data of each of the plurality of terminal devices can be transmitted at once, the control data can be transmitted in a short period. Also, since control data of a plurality of terminal devices can be transmitted at once, it is not necessary to sequentially transmit control data of each terminal device according to a communication procedure for each terminal device. The load on the control device does not increase. Further, according to the present invention, the terminal device transmits one horizontal line for each control data transmitted from the terminal control device and corresponding to each terminal device.
The control signal is received from the dedicated control channel, which is a video signal converted to a signal for each scanning line, and the control data corresponding to each terminal device is extracted from the dedicated control channel signal. Even if there are a large number of devices, control data corresponding to each terminal device can be received in a very short period.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a CATV terminal control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a CATV terminal device corresponding to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a correspondence relationship between control data and a converted analog video signal.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CATV terminal control device 2 CATV terminal device 4 RAM 5 Generating means 6 RF modulator 13 Control tuner 14 Reproduction means

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-61-230483 (JP, A) JP-A-59-171381 (JP, A) JP-A-60-248046 (JP, A) JP-A-59-6637 (JP) JP-A-1-241231 (JP, A) JP-A-62-234484 (JP, A) JP-A-4-96185 (JP, U) Special table 57-500537 (JP, A) Special table 5-505914 (JP, A) International Publication WO91 / 15065 pamphlet (International Publication Date 3 (1991) October 3) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 7/10 H04N 7/14-7/173

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A storage unit for storing control data corresponding to each terminal for controlling a plurality of terminal devices, and for each control data corresponding to each terminal device ,
Generating means for generating a video signal and converts the signal of every horizontal scanning line, the RF signal transformation of the video signal, as a signal for controlling a dedicated channel for controlling a plurality of terminal devices each RF signal A terminal control device comprising: Wherein sent from the terminal control apparatus, for controlling a plurality of terminals, respectively, for each control <br/> control data corresponding to each terminal device, and converted into a signal of each horizontal scan line Receiving means for receiving an RF signal of a dedicated control channel composed of the generated video signal; and reproducing means for extracting control data corresponding to each terminal from the signal of the dedicated control channel received by the receiving means. A terminal device characterized by the above-mentioned.