JP3515343B2 - TV broadcast receiver - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a television broadcast receiver.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In digital satellite broadcasting, a bit stream transmitted from a satellite contains information indicating whether or not there is a viewing age restriction for the program, and the receiver side has a viewing age restriction according to this information. AV for programs
The signal is muted to prevent viewing.

The mute of the AV signal is released by inputting a valid password. Therefore,
If only the old person knows the correct password, it is possible to prevent the younger person from watching a program with a viewing age restriction.

In the conventional receiver, the viewing restriction is released by inputting a valid password for the program with the viewing age restriction, but the fact that the viewing restriction is released for the program is nonvolatile. Was never stored in memory. Therefore, there are the following problems.

For example, it is assumed that when the power is restored after the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like, a program whose viewing restriction is released before the power is cut is still broadcast. When the power is restored, the receiver starts up initially and mutes the AV signal for the program. Therefore, the viewer has to input the password again in order to watch the program.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention, after the viewing restriction is temporarily released by inputting a valid password for a program with a viewing age restriction, after the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver capable of continuously watching the program without inputting a password when the power is turned on again.

Further, according to the present invention, when the power is cut off for a predetermined time or less after the viewing restriction is temporarily released by the input of a valid password for the program with the viewing age restriction, An object of the present invention is to provide a television receiver that enables continuous viewing of a program without entering a password.

[0008]

A first television broadcast receiver according to the present invention receives a broadcast radio wave on which viewing age restriction information is superimposed, and a program with a viewing age restriction cannot normally be viewed normally. Keep viewing age limit
Only when the certain program is entered by the predetermined password user when it is tuning, the television broadcast receiver having a function of broadcast as a program is the viewing age limit can watch normally , when the viewing restriction by password input by the user is canceled for the program when the specific program is parental control is tuned in, Oyo that viewing restriction with respect to the program is canceled
And a non-volatile storage means for storing information for specifying the program, and when the power is turned off, the power is turned on again and the receiver is initially activated, the program currently selected is the viewing age. A means for determining whether or not the program is restricted, and when the currently selected program is a program with a viewing age restriction, the viewing restriction has already been applied to the program based on the contents of the storage means. It is characterized in that it is provided with a discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the program has been released, and a means for displaying the program so that the program can be viewed normally when the viewing restriction is already released.

A second television broadcast receiver according to the present invention receives a broadcast radio wave on which viewing age restriction information is superimposed,
For programs with age restrictions, you should normally prevent normal viewing, and select programs with age restrictions.
Only when a station is predetermined password when was is entered by the user, the television broadcast receiver having a function of broadcast as a program is the viewing age limit can watch normally, the parental control there is a specific program
When the viewing restriction is canceled for the program by the user's password input when the channel is selected , the viewing restriction is canceled for the program and the program is selected.
The nonvolatile storage means for storing the information to be set, the momentary power failure detection means for detecting that the power supply has been disconnected for a predetermined time or less, and the instantaneous power failure detection means for detecting that the power supply has been disconnected for the predetermined time or less In this case, a means for determining whether or not the currently selected program is a program with a viewing age restriction, if the currently selected program is a program with a viewing age restriction, Based on the contents of the storage means, a judging means for judging whether or not the parental control for the program has already been released, and if the parental lock for the program has already been released, the program can be viewed normally. It is characterized in that it is provided with a means for broadcasting as described above.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention applied to a digital satellite broadcast receiver will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a digital satellite broadcast receiver.

Radio waves from the communication satellite are received by the antenna 1. The signal received by the antenna 1 is sent to the tuner 2 for high frequency processing and demodulation. The output from the tuner 2 is sent to the DEMAX circuit 3 and the packet is decoded. In the DEMAX circuit 3, the packet is M
It is divided into PEG data and program information.

The MPEG data is sent to the AV decoder 4 and demodulated, and a video signal and an audio signal are output. The video signal is output to the display device via the video processing circuit 5, the synthesis circuit 6 and the video output circuit 7. The audio signal is output to the speaker via the audio processing circuit 8 and the audio output circuit 9.

On the other hand, the program information sorted by the DEMAX circuit 3 is input to the system controller 13. The program information includes information indicating whether or not there is a viewing age restriction for each program.

The system controller 13 outputs an AV control signal for muting the AV signal to the AV decoder 4 when the selected program is a program whose viewing age is restricted. The AV decoder 4 mutes the AV signal based on this control signal.

When the selected program is a program with a viewing age restriction, the system controller 13 inputs a screen indicating that the selected program has a viewing age restriction and a password. The OSD control signal for displaying the screen of FIG. The OSD display circuit 14 generates display data corresponding to each of the above screens and sends it to the synthesizing circuit 6 as an OSD signal. The OSD signal is superimposed on the video signal from the video processing circuit 5, and the video output circuit 7
Is output to the display device via.

As a result, a screen showing that the selected program is age-restricted and a screen for entering a password are displayed on-screen. The user performs a password input operation using the remote control transmitter 10 based on the screen for inputting the password. The remote control signal from the remote control transmitter 10 is sent to the system controller 13 via the remote control light receiver 11.

If the password entered by the user is correct, the system controller 13 outputs an AV control signal for canceling the muting of the AV signal to the AV decoder 4. As a result, the AV decoder 4 unmutes the AV signal, so that the user can view the selected program whose viewing age is restricted.

At this time, the system controller 13 writes the fact that the viewing restriction has been canceled and the identifier of the program (program ID or program name, channel and broadcast time) as restriction cancellation information in the non-volatile memory 12.

The AC power input from the power outlet 15 is sent to the power circuit 16. Power supply circuit 16
Is a power supply for operating each circuit (DC
Power supply).

When the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like while watching a certain program, the operating power of each circuit is not output and the operation of each circuit is stopped, so that the channel is selected. The existing programs will not be aired.

After that, when the power is restored, the circuit is initialized and the above-mentioned receiving operation is started. Program information is again input to the system controller 13. The system controller 13 determines whether or not the currently selected program is a program with viewing age restrictions.

If the currently selected program is a program with a viewing age restriction, the restriction release information is read from the non-volatile memory 12. Then, it is determined whether or not the parental control has already been released for the currently selected program. When the viewing restriction is already released for the currently selected program, an AV control signal for releasing the mute of the AV signal is output to the AV decoder 4. As a result, the AV signal of the program is not muted, so that the user can continue watching the program without inputting a password again after the power is restored.

As shown in FIG. 2, the instantaneous blackout detection circuit 1
7 may be provided so that only in the case of a momentary power failure, that is, a power failure for a very short period of time, a program whose viewing restrictions have been released before the momentary power failure can be continuously viewed without inputting a password after the momentary power failure. In FIG. 2, the same parts as those in FIG.

An example of the instantaneous blackout detection circuit 17 is shown in FIG.
Those shown in can be used.

The instantaneous blackout detection circuit 17 is composed of a voltage comparison circuit 21 and a multivibrator 22 whose operation is compensated by a backup power supply even during a power failure. As shown in FIG. 4, the voltage comparison circuit 21 generates a trigger when a power failure or the like occurs and the power supply voltage for circuit operation becomes lower than a predetermined value. Multivibrator 22
When a trigger is input from the voltage comparison circuit 21, outputs a pulse signal (instantaneous blackout signal) of H level for a predetermined period T. In the initialization after the power is restored, the system controller 13 checks whether or not the output of the multivibrator 22 is at the H level, and only when it is at the H level, it is determined that there is an instantaneous power failure.

[0027]

According to the present invention, after the viewing restriction is temporarily released by the input of a valid password for the program with the viewing age restriction, the power is turned off after the power is cut off due to a power failure or the like. When is turned on again (when the power is restored), the program can be continuously viewed without inputting a password.

Further, according to the present invention, when the power is cut off for a predetermined time or less after the parental lock is once released by the input of a valid password for the program whose parental age is restricted. , You can continue to watch the program without entering a password.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital satellite broadcast receiver.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another example of a digital satellite broadcast receiver.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the instantaneous blackout detection circuit of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a time chart showing signals of various parts of the instantaneous blackout detection circuit of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 tuner 3 DEMAX circuit 4 AV decoder 5 Video processing circuit 6 Compositing circuit 7 Video output circuit 10 Remote control transmitter 11 Remote control receiver 12 Non-volatile memory 13 System controller 14 OSD display circuit 16 power supply circuit 17 Instantaneous power failure detection circuit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor ▲ High ▼ Eiji Eiji 2-5-5 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP-A-9-46306 (JP, A) ) JP-A-56-40375 (JP, A) JP-A-7-271754 (JP, A) JP-B-2-7236 (JP, B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/44 H04N 5/445 G06F 12/16

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A program for receiving a broadcast wave on which viewing age restriction information is superimposed, and normally preventing normal viewing of a program with a viewing age restriction, sets a viewing age restriction.
That the program is only when the password predetermined when it was tuned is input by the user, the television broadcast receiver having a function of broadcast as a program is the viewing age limit can watch normally, When a particular program with age restrictions is selected, its turn
When the parental control is released by the user's password input to the group , the non-volatile storage means for storing the parental control for the program and the information for identifying the program , the power is turned off Means to determine whether the currently selected program is a program with age restrictions when the power is turned on again and the receiver is initially activated, the currently selected program Is a program whose viewing age is restricted, a judging means for judging whether or not the viewing restriction is already canceled for the program based on the contents of the storage means, and the viewing restriction is already canceled for the program. The television broadcast receiver is provided with means for broadcasting the program so that the program can be viewed normally. 2. A program which receives broadcast radio waves on which viewing age restriction information is superposed and which normally cannot be viewed for programs with viewing age restrictions is set to have viewing age restrictions.
That the program is only when the password predetermined when it was tuned is input by the user, the television broadcast receiver having a function of broadcast as a program is the viewing age limit can watch normally, When a particular program with age restrictions is selected, its turn
When the parental control is released by the user's password input to the set , the non-volatile storage unit for storing the information that the parental control has been released for the program and the information for identifying the program , and the power source are set to a predetermined value. If the power failure is detected by the momentary power failure detection unit that detects that the program has been disconnected for less than the specified time, or if the power supply has been disconnected for a predetermined time or less, the program currently selected is subject to age restrictions. A means for determining whether or not the program is a certain program. When the currently selected program is a program with a viewing age restriction, the viewing restriction for the program is already released based on the contents of the storage means. And a means for displaying the program so that the program can be viewed normally if the viewing restrictions have been released for the program. A television broadcast receiver characterized by being installed.