JP3416405B2 - Paid program selection control device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a pre-purchased P
When the user selects a PV program, the user can be notified that the program is a PPV program before selecting the selected program, and the program can be selected after confirmation by the user. The present invention relates to a pay program tuning control device in a user side terminal of a television broadcasting system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the DSS (Digital Satellite Broadcasting System) put to practical use in the United States, a large number of channels of 150 or more are prepared and a large number of programs are provided. In this system, guide information of a program currently being broadcast and a program to be broadcast in the future is transmitted at predetermined time intervals together with the original program data. The user terminal has a function of displaying a program guide screen (program guide table) based on the program guide information.

On the user side terminal, as shown in FIG. 7, a part of the program guide table E corresponding to the received all program guide information E is displayed as a program guide screen. On the program guide screen, a plurality of program guides are displayed in a matrix with the vertical axis as the channel number axis and the horizontal axis as the time axis. In this example, the program guide screen displays programs for five channels for two and a half hours. At the left end, channel numbers are displayed vertically. Then, in the row corresponding to each channel, a frame indicating the time zone of each program broadcast by that channel is displayed, and title names (A to P) are displayed in each frame.

On the program guide screen, a program can be designated,
A cursor for scrolling the program guide screen is displayed. The movement of the cursor is performed by operating four cursor movement keys provided for each of the left, right, up, and down directions. Each time the cursor moving key for moving up or down is operated, the cursor moves in units of one channel. Also, each time the cursor moving key for moving left or right is operated, the cursor moves in a predetermined time unit.

Programs provided in DSS include DS
There are free programs that can be viewed free of charge by paying a system usage fee such as a fee for subscribing to S and a basic fee, and pay programs that are charged separately from the system usage fee. In addition, pay programs are pre-purchased on a channel-by-channel basis and those that are charged only when viewed (PPV: pay
per view).

[0006] To watch a PPV program, before the program is started or when the program is being broadcast,
You have to complete the purchase procedure on the TV screen. That is, in order to purchase a PPV program, the PPV program to be purchased is selected from the program guide table shown in FIG. Then, a purchase procedure screen is displayed, and the purchase procedure is performed according to the instructions on the screen. When you watch a PPV program for which you have made a purchase, regardless of the viewing time,
A fixed fee is charged for the V program. Note that P
Even if the purchase procedure for the PV program is performed, if the PPV program for which the purchase procedure is performed is not viewed, no charge is applied.

[0007]

By the way, a certain PPV
I made a purchase procedure before the program started broadcasting, but by the time the program starts, I may not want to watch the program anymore. In such a case, the PPV
If the user erroneously selects a program, a fixed fee will be charged for the PPV program.

[0008] Further, the purchase procedure was performed before the start of broadcasting of a certain PPV program, but after a considerable time has passed from the start time of the program, the user does not recognize that and the user selects the PPV program. It can happen. Even in such a case, a fixed fee is charged for the PPV program.

The present invention is a PPV whose broadcasting has started.
PPV that is a program and the purchase procedure has already been completed
When a program is selected by the user, the paid program can notify the user that the program is a pay program before selecting the program, and can select the program after confirming the user. An object is to provide a tuning control device.

[0010]

[0011]

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The first pay program selection control device according to the present invention, the television screen before viewing for viewing a program to be charged when listening viewed in the broadcast program The PPV program that needs to be purchased above is included, and you can watch the PPV program that you have purchased.
And the PPV program is fixed regardless of the viewing time.
The charged fee will be charged, but the purchase procedure of the PPV program
If you have not watched the PPV program
Is charged a fixed fee for the PPV program.
In the pay program channel selection control device in a television broadcasting system, when the user selects a PPV program that has started broadcasting and the purchase procedure has already been completed, the selected program is Means for notifying the user that the program is a PPV program to be charged when viewed, and for displaying a screen for prompting confirmation input of whether or not to watch the selected program, and the selected program It is characterized in that it is provided with means for selecting the selected program when there is a confirmation input for viewing.

[0013] The second of the pay-per-tuning control device according to the present invention, making a purchase procedure on a television screen before viewing in order to watch a program that is to be charged in the case were listening seen in the broadcast program Includes required PPV programming and purchase
If you watch the PPV program for which you have completed the procedure,
Regardless of that, the fixed fee is charged for the PPV program
You will be paid, but even if you are in the process of purchasing a PPV program
If the PPV program is not viewed, the PPV
The fee set for the program is not charged . In the pay program tuning controller in the television broadcasting system, the user selects a PPV program that has started broadcasting and has already completed the purchasing procedure. Means for determining whether or not the selected program has already been watched by the user, when the selected program has already been watched by the user, the selected program A means for selecting the channel, PPV charged when the selected program has been viewed by the user if the selected program has never been viewed by the user.
There are means for notifying the user that the program is a program and displaying a screen on the display unit for prompting the user to confirm whether or not to watch the selected program, and confirmation input for watching the selected program. It is characterized in that it is provided with means for selecting the above-mentioned selected program.

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a DSS (Digital Satellite Broadcasting System) put to practical use in the United States will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[1] Description of user terminal configuration

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the user side terminal.

As the user side terminal, a combination of a television receiver and a program guide display control device, or a television receiver incorporating a program guide display control circuit is used. The user terminal has a CPU 6 for controlling the entire user terminal. CPU6
Has a storage device 9 for storing the program and necessary data. The operation unit 5 including a remote controller or the like is connected to the CPU 6. CPU6
Controls the tuner 2 for displaying the program selected by the operation unit 5 and also controls the program guide image generation circuit 4 for generating the program guide image.

A high frequency signal from a parabolic antenna (not shown) is input to the input terminal 1. The signal input to the input terminal 1 is sent to the tuner 2. The tuner performs processes such as frequency conversion and QPSK demodulation to generate a digital video signal stream. The output of the tuner 2 is sent to the video processing circuit 3.

In the video processing circuit 3, the stream output from the tuner 2 is MPEG-decoded to generate an analog video signal for displaying on a display 8 such as a CRT, for example, an NTSC signal. This video signal is sent to the display device 8 via the multiplexer 7 and displayed on the display device 8.

Further, the video processing circuit 3 extracts the program guide information and the time information indicating the current time from the output of the tuner 2 and supplies it to the CPU 6. The program guide information and the time information supplied to the CPU 6 are stored in the storage device 9. The storage device 9 further pre-stores setting screen information for displaying various setting screens such as a menu screen, and information on the purchased PPV program,
Information and the like regarding the viewed PPV program are stored.

The program guide image generation circuit 4 has a display memory (not shown). In the program guide image generation circuit 4, various setting images and program guide images are created on the display memory based on the setting screen information, the program guide information and the like stored in the storage device 9. Then, the images created on the display memory are sequentially read and sent to the display device 8 via the multiplexer 7 to be displayed on the display device 8. The multiplexer 7 selects one of the output of the video processing circuit 3 and the output of the program guide image generation circuit 4 based on the control signal from the CPU 6 and supplies it to the display 8.

The operation unit 5 has a menu key 11 for displaying a menu screen, and four cursor movement keys 12 for moving the cursor in the horizontal and vertical directions.
L, 12R, 12U, 12D, a select key 13 for selecting and inputting, a channel UP / DOWN key 14U for changing the channel upward or downward,
14D etc. are provided.

When the user wants to see the program guide screen, the user operates the menu key 11 to display the menu screen, and then the cursor movement keys 12L, 12
The program guide display mode may be selected by operating the R, 12U, 12D and the select key 13.

[2] Description of display processing of program guide screen

A process for displaying the program guide screen will be described. The program guide information sent to the user-side terminal includes, for example, guide information of each program for all channels from the current time to the time 24 hours ahead. The program guide information of one program includes a title name, a charge (rating) for a PPV program, a category (sports, music, drama, news, etc.), start and end times, and the like.

The CPU 6 regards the guide information of each program for all channels as two-dimensional array information in which the vertical direction is the channel number and the horizontal direction is the time, as shown in the upper part of FIG. And an index table that can be accessed using the slot number indicating the time. The slot number is, for example, a number assigned every 30 minutes. The area E of the two-dimensional array corresponding to all program guide information shown on the upper side of FIG.
We will call it the entire program guide area.

When the program guide display is selected by the operation unit 5, the CPU 6 is operated based on the channel number, the current time and the index table which were selected immediately before.
Generates a display table as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, each small area (hereinafter,
Program guide display information is stored in a cell. Therefore, in this example, a display table corresponding to the program guide for 5 channels × 5 cells (corresponding to two and a half hours) is created. In each cell in the leftmost column, a channel number (absolute channel number) or station name data corresponding to the channel number is stored.

In FIG. 2, x of (x, y) described as an index for each cell is a channel relative number (a relative channel number between the cells in the display table, and is an absolute channel). Not a number)
y indicates a slot relative number (a relative slot number between cells in the display table, not an absolute slot number). The second cell S from the left in the top row
Let o be the reference cell. The reference cell So stores the program guide display information corresponding to the channel number selected immediately before and the current time.

The program guide display information stored in each cell is
It consists of a title name, the number of proprietary cells, a rating, information indicating whether or not it has been purchased, and a category. What is the number of exclusive cells?
It refers to the number of cells included from the cell to the cell where the program ends. Therefore, when the program ends in the cell, the number of exclusive cells is one. Based on the display table created in this way, the program guide image generation circuit 4 generates an image corresponding to the program guide screen shown in the lower side of FIG. 7 on the display memory. Then, by sending the image generated on the display memory to the display device 8,
A program guide screen as shown in the lower side of FIG. 7 is displayed on the display unit 8.

FIG. 3 shows a procedure of display processing of the program guide screen executed by the CPU 6 and the program guide image generation circuit 4.

When the program guide is selected by the operation unit 5, the channel number and the current time selected immediately before are read, and the reference cell is set from the entire program guide area E (see FIG. 7) (step 1). ).

The display table of FIG. 2 is created based on the set reference cell and index table (step 2).

The information in this display table is sent from the CPU 6 to the program guide image generation circuit 4. The program guide image generation circuit 4 performs a program guide image generation process based on the sent information (step 3). That is, the program guide image is generated on the display memory. The program guide image generated on the display memory is sequentially read out and sent to the display unit 8 to display the program guide screen on the display unit 8. After this, the key input waiting state is entered.

If there is a select key input from the select key 13 (YES in step 4), program selection,
A predetermined selection process such as program reservation is executed.

Cursor movement keys 12L, 12R, 12
When there is a cursor key input by U or 12D (YES in step 5), the process of step 6, 7, 8 or 9 is performed according to the operated cursor movement key 12L, 12R, 12U, 12D.

That is, the operated key is the left move key 12
If it is L, the process proceeds to step 6 and it is determined whether or not a movement from the left end of the entire program guide area E to the left is instructed. When the operated key is the right movement key 12R, the process proceeds to step 7 and it is determined whether or not the movement from the right end of the entire program guide area E to the right direction is instructed. If the operated key is the upward movement key 12U, the process proceeds to step 8 and it is determined whether or not an upward movement command from the upper end of the entire program guide area E is instructed. When the operated key is the down movement key 12D, the process proceeds to step 9,
It is determined whether or not a downward movement from the lower end of the entire program guide area E has been instructed.

When the movement from the left end of the entire program guide area E to the left is instructed (YES in step 6), the movement from the right end of the all program guide area E to the right is instructed (in step 7). If YES, a command is issued to move upward from the upper end of the entire program guide area E (YE in step 8).
S) or when a downward movement command is issued from the lower end of the entire program guide area E (YES in step 9), that is, when the movement instruction is to the outside of the entire program guide area E, the cursor is moved. Cannot be moved, the process returns to step 4 and waits for key input.

If the cursor movement command by the cursor key input is a movement command within the entire program guide area, the position of the cursor movement destination is calculated (step 10).
If the cursor movement command is a left-right movement command, the movement destination position of the cursor is calculated with the movement amount as one cell in the left-right direction (one slot). If the cursor movement command is a movement command in the vertical direction, the movement destination position of the cursor is calculated with the movement amount as one cell in the vertical direction (one slot). Then, it is determined whether or not the position to which the cursor is moved is within the program guide screen displayed on the display 8 (step 11).

When the position of the cursor movement destination is within the program guide screen displayed on the display unit 8, the cursor image in the display memory is moved so that the cursor is displayed at the movement destination position. (Step 12).

When the position to which the cursor is moved is outside the program guide screen displayed on the display unit 8, the reference cell changing process is performed to change (scroll) the program guide screen ( Step 13). In the reference cell changing process, a position in the entire program guide area E, which is apart from the current reference cell in the cursor movement direction by the cursor movement amount, is set as a new reference cell. When a new reference cell is set by the reference cell changing process, the process returns to step 2. Therefore, the display table of FIG. 2 is created based on the newly set reference cell, and a new program guide screen is displayed on the display unit 8. That is, the program guide screen is updated.

[3] Description of viewing method of PPV program

In order to view the PPV program, it is necessary to purchase the PPV program before viewing. To purchase a PPV program, select the PPV program to be purchased from the program guide screen. Then, a purchase procedure screen is displayed, and the purchase procedure may be performed according to the instructions on the screen.

There are the following two methods for viewing a PPV program that has been pre-purchased and has started broadcasting.

(1) PP that has been pre-purchased from the program guide screen
Select V program. (2) Channel UP when viewing a program on a channel different from the channel of the PPV program for which reservation has been purchased
By operating the DOWN key 14U or 14D, the channel corresponding to the PPV program to be viewed is selected.

FIG. 4 shows Ps that have been pre-purchased from the program guide screen.
The operation of the user side terminal when a PV program is selected is shown.

Here, it is assumed that the program of the channel 101 whose broadcasting has started is a PPV program, and the PPV program has already been reserved and purchased by the user.

Channel 100 on the program guide screen
When the cursor is positioned on the program, the cursor moving key 12D is operated to move the cursor on the channel 101 and the select key 13 is turned on, the confirmation screen 20 is displayed on the display unit 8. Is displayed.

On the confirmation screen 20, the characters "The program currently being broadcast on CH101 is a pay program. You will be charged when you switch channels. Are you sure?"
It is composed of a K button 21 and a CANCEL button 22.

When the OK button 21 is turned on, the selected program is selected and the program is displayed on the display 8.
When the OK button 21 is turned on, the flag Fi that stores that the PPV program has been viewed is set.

CANCEL button 22 on the confirmation screen 20
When is turned on, the original screen, that is, channel 10
Return to the program guide screen where the cursor is located on the 0 program.

When the selected PPV program has been watched by then, the confirmation screen is not displayed and the selected PPV program is immediately selected. Selected P
Whether or not the PV program has been watched by then is the P
It is determined based on whether or not the flag Fi for the PV program is set.

FIG. 5 shows a case where a program on a channel different from the channel of a pre-purchased PPV program is being viewed.
It shows the operation of the user side terminal when a pre-purchased PPV program is selected by operating the channel UP / DOWN key 14U or 14D.

Here, it is assumed that the program of the channel 101 on which broadcasting is started is a PPV program, and the PPV program has already been reserved and purchased by the user.

When the channel 101 is selected by operating the channel UP / DOWN key 14U or 14D while watching the program on the channel 100, the confirmation screen 20 is displayed on the display unit 8.

On the confirmation screen 20, the characters "The program currently being broadcast on CH101 is a pay program. You will be charged when you switch channels. Are you sure?"
It is composed of a K button 21 and a CANCEL button 22.

When the OK button 21 is turned on, the selected program is selected and the program is displayed on the display 8.
When the OK button 21 is turned on, the flag Fi that stores that the PPV program has been viewed is set.

CANCEL button 22 on the confirmation screen 20
When is turned on, the original screen, that is, channel 10
Return to the screen corresponding to program 0.

When the selected PPV program has been viewed by then, the confirmation screen is not displayed and the selected PPV program is immediately selected. Selected P
Whether or not the PV program has been watched by then is the P
It is determined based on whether or not the flag Fi for the PV program is set.

FIG. 6 shows a case where the cursor is moved to one of the plurality of programs whose broadcasting is started on the program guide screen and the select key 13 is turned on, or when a certain program is viewed. When the channel UP / DOWN key 14U or 14D is selected, another processing procedure of the user side terminal is shown when another program whose broadcasting has started is selected.

First, it is determined whether or not the selected program is a PPV program (step 21). The selected program is PP
If it is not a V program, the selected program is selected (step 22). As a result, the selected program is displayed on the display unit 8.

If the selected program is a PPV program, it is determined whether the purchase procedure for the PPV program has already been completed (step 23).

If the purchase procedure for the PPV program has already been completed, it is determined whether or not the PPV program has been watched even once based on the state of the flag Fi for the PPV program (step 24). ).

When the PPV program is viewed even once, that is, when the flag Fi is set (Fi = 1), the PPV program is selected (step 25).

When the PPV program is not being watched yet, that is, when the flag Fi is reset (Fi = 0), the confirmation screen 20 shown in FIG. 4 or 5 is displayed on the display unit 8. (Step 26).

When the OK button 21 on the confirmation screen 20 is turned on (step 27), the flag Fi for storing that the PPV program is watched is set (step 28), and then the selected program is selected. And the program is displayed on the display 8 (step 29).

CANCEL button 22 on the confirmation screen 20
When is turned on (step 27), the display screen of the display 8 is returned to the original screen, that is, the screen before the PPV program is selected (step 30).

If it is determined in step 23 that the purchase procedure for the PPV program has not been completed, the purchase procedure screen for the PPV program is displayed on the display 8 (step 31). When the purchase procedure is performed on the purchase procedure screen (step 32), the fact is stored (step 33), and then the process proceeds to step 26 and the confirmation screen is displayed on the display unit 8. Then, the processing from step 26 onward is executed.

When the purchase procedure is not performed on the purchase procedure screen, the display screen of the display 8 is returned to the original screen, that is, the screen before the PPV program is selected (step 34).

The program guide screen as shown in the lower part of FIG.
It is supposed to be displayed in the center of the display screen of the display unit 8.
If the program to which the cursor moves on the program guide screen is a program that has started broadcasting, a part of the program is displayed in an area outside the program guide screen on the display screen, and If the program is a program that has not started broadcasting, the outer area of the display screen is displayed in a predetermined color,
For example, it may be painted black.

When such display control is performed, if the destination of the cursor on the program guide screen is a PPV program that has already been purchased, immediately after the selection key 13 is not turned on, FIG. The confirmation screen 20 as shown in FIG.

[0073]

According to the present invention, broadcasting has started.
PPV program and the purchase procedure has already been completed
When a PPV program to be selected is selected by the user, the user can be notified that the program is a pay program before the program is selected, and the program can be selected after the user confirms. A pay program tuning control device can be obtained.

[0074]

[0075]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a user side terminal.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a display table.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a part of a procedure for displaying a program guide screen.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the user-side terminal when a pre-purchased PPV program is selected from the program guide screen.

[Fig. 5] Channel U when viewing a program on a channel different from the channel of a PPV program for which pre-purchasing has been completed
It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of the user side terminal at the time of selecting the pre-purchased PPV program by operating a P / DOWN key.

FIG. 6 shows a case where the cursor is moved to one of a plurality of programs which have started broadcasting on the program guide screen and the select key is turned on, or when a certain program is viewed. It is a flow chart which shows a processing procedure of a user side terminal when other programs whose broadcasting is started are selected with a channel UP / DOWN key.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a program guide screen displayed on a user side terminal in DSS.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 tuner 3 Video processing circuit 4 Program guide image generation circuit 5 Operation part 6 CPU 7 multiplexer 8 display 9 storage device

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Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] [Claim 1] it includes the PPV program that it is necessary to carry out the purchase procedure before viewing on a television screen in order to watch a program that is to be charged in the case were listening seen in the broadcast program
When you watch a PPV program that you have purchased,
Specified for the PPV program regardless of listening time
Fees will be charged, but PPV program purchase procedure
However, if you do not watch the PPV program,
The fee set for the PPV program is not charged . In the pay program channel selection control device in the television broadcasting system, the PPV program is being broadcast and the purchase procedure has already been completed. When a PPV program is selected by the user, the user is informed that the selected program is a PPV program that will be charged when viewed, and the user is prompted to confirm whether or not to view the selected program. A pay program comprising means for displaying a screen on a display unit and means for tuning the selected program when a confirmation input for viewing the selected program is made. Tuning control device. 2. A Contact contains PPV program that it is necessary to carry out the purchase procedure before viewing on a television screen in order to watch a program that is to be charged in the case were listening seen in the broadcast program
When you watch a PPV program that you have purchased,
Specified for the PPV program regardless of listening time
Fees will be charged, but PPV program purchase procedure
However, if you do not watch the PPV program,
The fee set for the PPV program is not charged . In the pay program channel selection control device in the television broadcasting system, the PPV program is being broadcast and the purchase procedure has already been completed. Means for determining whether or not the selected program has already been watched by the user when the PPV program has been selected by the user, wherein the selected program has already been watched by the user. Means for selecting the selected program, and if the selected program has never been viewed by the user, the user is a PPV program charged when the selected program is viewed. Means for displaying on the display device a screen prompting the user to confirm whether or not to watch the selected program, and watching the selected program Confirmation when the input there is, the means for selecting a selected program, pay program selection control device, characterized in that it comprises.