JP3817325B2 - Data distribution system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data distribution system in which a plurality of terminals and a data management apparatus are connected by a communication line, and in particular, in response to request signals from a plurality of terminals, return data is sent from the data management apparatus side. The present invention relates to a data distribution system for selectively answering back.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a plurality of karaoke terminal devices having a reproduction function of music data and video data corresponding to the music data and a management device configured to store a large number of music data and video data are connected via a bidirectional communication line. A data distribution system for so-called access-type communication karaoke, which is configured to download music data and video data from the management device side each time new music data playback is selected on the terminal device side, is considered. .
[0003]
In such a data distribution system, a request signal is transmitted from the karaoke terminal device using the uplink of the communication line, and the management device that receives this request signal sends the requested music data and video data to the request signal. Answering using the downlink of the communication line to the karaoke terminal device that is the source of the transmission.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the data distribution system having the conventional configuration configured to perform bidirectional communication as described above, the management apparatus side must individually perform an answerback operation for each of the request signals from a plurality of karaoke terminal apparatuses. . That is, even when request signals having the same content are transmitted from a plurality of karaoke terminal devices at the same time, the music data and video data having the same content must be answered one by one, resulting in waste. Become more. For this reason, in actual operation of the system as described above, the actual situation is that the reduction in transmission efficiency through the communication line is accepted, and this has been an unsolved problem.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a data distribution system capable of realizing improvement in transmission efficiency with a simple configuration.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a plurality of terminals and a data management device that exchanges data with these terminals through a communication line, and responds to a request signal from the terminal side. In the data distribution system configured to answer back the request data from the data management device side,
The terminal determines whether or not the request content by the request signal transmitted by itself matches with the request content from the other terminal, and when it is determined to match, the return data to the other terminal is received. When performing the intercept operation, the control to transmit a delivery stop signal to the data management device is performed, and when the return data reception operation is performed, a data capture signal indicating that is sent In addition to including a control device that performs control to transmit to the data management device, the data management device answers the request signal only once and returns the return data once from the terminal. the data when ignoring a request signal from the terminal when receiving a rambling signal, receiving the data acquisition signal It is obtained by configured to separately record the reception history of the phone side on the basis of the write signal (claim 1).
[0007]
According to this configuration, when a request signal is transmitted from the terminal to the data management device, the data management device sends the return data for the request content only once to the terminal that has transmitted the request signal. Answer back. At this time, the control device provided in the terminal determines whether or not the request content by the request signal transmitted by itself matches the request content from another terminal. An intercept operation is performed to receive return data for the terminal. Therefore, when request signals having the same content are transmitted from a plurality of terminals at the same time, the request content by the request signal transmitted by itself is transmitted from other terminals. A terminal that matches the request content of the terminal performs an intercept operation of receiving return data for the other terminal.
[0008]
Further, the data management apparatus ignores the request signal from the terminal when the distribution stop signal is received from the terminal, that is, when there is a terminal that has performed the intercept operation as described above. . For this reason, when request signals having the same content are transmitted from a plurality of terminals at the same time, the data management device only needs to perform the operation of answering back the return data for the request content once. As compared with the conventional configuration, waste is reduced and transmission efficiency is improved.
[0009]
Furthermore, on the data management device side, based on the data capture signal transmitted from the terminal that is the destination of the return data and the data capture signal transmitted from the terminal that performed the intercept operation, the terminal side Thus, the reception status of the return data at all terminals can be accurately grasped based on the reception history.
[0010]
Further, the return data from the data management device is configured to include destination information indicating an answer back destination of the return data and index information indicating a data name, and the control device provided in the terminal May be determined based on the destination information and index information as to whether or not the request content by the request signal transmitted by itself matches the request content from another terminal (claim 2 ).
[0011]
The terminal is configured as a karaoke terminal device having a function of transmitting a request signal for requesting music data and a function of reproducing the answer-backed music data. It may be configured as a music data management system to answer back the music data requested as response data by (claim 3).
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a data distribution system for communication type karaoke will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0013]
In FIG. 1 showing the overall configuration by a combination of functional blocks, a plurality of karaoke communication terminals 1 as terminals, a large number of karaoke music data (for example, musical score data) and video data (still image data or moving image data). A head end (terminal station) 2 as a music data management device that is stored is connected to each other via a CATV network 3 as a bidirectional communication line. The CATV network 3 includes a branch circuit 3a, and is configured as a bidirectional transmission system in which the upstream direction is a control line and the downstream direction is a data line.
[0014]
In this case, as will be described later, the head end 2 is configured to answer back the return data ΔM (data for reproducing karaoke music) corresponding to the request content in response to a request signal from the karaoke communication terminal 1. However, the return data ΔM has a format corresponding to packet communication as shown in FIG.
[0015]
That is, in FIG. 2, the return data ΔM is a pack of a plurality of packets corresponding to music data and video data for one song, and a plurality of packets (audio packets and video packets) are arranged after the pack header. It becomes the composition. In this case, each packet includes a packet header including destination information indicating the answer back destination of the return data ΔM, a song number as index information indicating a data name (song name), and attribute information indicating an attribute (audio packet or video packet). And music data or video data and an error correction code. An end code is added to the tail of the return data ΔM.
[0016]
FIG. 3 shows the electrical configuration of the karaoke communication terminal 1 by a combination of functional blocks. In FIG. 3, the control device 4 that forms the core of the karaoke communication terminal 1 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU 5, a ROM 6, a RAM 7, an I / O port 8, and the like. A transmission / reception operation using the CATV network 3 is performed through the transmission / reception device 9 and the connector 1a.
[0017]
In addition to the transmission / reception device 9, the control device 4 displays a keyboard 10 for inputting a music selection command from the outside, a communication command with the head end 2, an operation procedure of the karaoke communication terminal 1, a message, and the like. Display unit 11, remote control receiving unit 12 for receiving a remote signal from the remote control 12 a (music selection request for karaoke song request, command for effect function, etc.), for storing music data, image data, etc. A storage device 13 comprising a hard disk device, a display control device 15 for performing display control (including display of lyrics telop) of a monitor 14 for displaying a karaoke screen, and a synthesizer for converting music data into audio signals. The configured speech synthesizer 16 is connected.
[0018]
Further, the amplifier 17 provided in the karaoke communication terminal 1 has a function of adding the audio signal from the audio synthesizer 1 6, the effects that are functions and set mixing the audio signals from the microphone 18 which singer is used Etc., and the amplified output is output through the speaker 19.
[0019]
FIG. 4 shows the electrical configuration of the head end 2 by a combination of functional blocks. In FIG. 4, the control device 20 that forms the center of the head end 2 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, an I / O port 24, and the like. A transmission / reception operation using the CATV network 3 is performed through the transmission / reception device 25 and the connector 2a.
[0020]
In addition to the transmission / reception device 25, the control device 20 performs display control of a storage device 26 including, for example, a large-capacity hard disk device for storing a large number of music data and image data, and a data display monitor 27. A display control device 28 for receiving the signal and an external input device 29 for receiving an external signal are connected to the external input device 29. The external input device 29 receives a command from the outside, a communication command with the karaoke communication terminal 1, and the like. A keyboard 30 is connected.
[0021]
FIGS. 5 and 6 show portions directly related to the gist of the present invention in the contents of control by the control device 4 of the karaoke communication terminal 1, which will be described below.
[0022]
In FIG. 5, the control device 4 stands by until a user requests a karaoke song, that is, until a remote signal including a song selection command is input from the remote controller 12a (step A1). When there is a request, a request signal including data for specifying the requested music is created, and the request signal is transmitted to the head end 2 through the transmission / reception device 9 and the CATV network 3 (step). A2). In addition, the said request signal becomes a structure which combined the origin address unique to the karaoke communication terminal 1, and the song name data which shows a request music, for example.
[0023]
After executing the request signal transmission step A2 as described above, a data reception routine described later with the contents shown in FIG. 6 is started (step A3). In this embodiment, the data reception routine is executed by so-called parallel processing.
[0024]
After starting the data reception routine in step A3, monitoring of the return data ΔM transmitted from the headend 2 to the other karaoke communication terminal 1 via the down line of the CATV network 3 is started (step A4). Based on the monitoring contents, it is determined whether or not the return data ΔM including the same song number as the requested song by the request signal transmitted by itself has been sent to the down line of the CATV network 3 (step A5).
[0025]
If "NO" is determined here, it is determined whether or not a first register (not shown) is set (step A6). If not set, the process returns to the data monitoring step A4. Therefore, after the transmission operation of the request signal is performed, until the return data ΔM including the same music number as the request music by the request signal is sent to the down line of the CATV network 3, or the first register is the data reception routine (FIG. 6). In the period until it is set in (see), the monitoring step A4 of the return data ΔM is repeatedly executed.
[0026]
If “YES” is determined in step A5, that is, if the return data ΔM corresponding to the karaoke song requested by the user is answered back to another karaoke communication terminal 1, the unillustrated second Step A7 for setting 2 registers, Step A8 for transmitting a delivery stop request signal to the head end 2, and Step A9 for ending the data reception routine are sequentially executed, and then the process proceeds to Step A10. The distribution stop request signal is for requesting not to execute the answer back operation for the request signal transmitted by itself because of the intercept operation of receiving the return data ΔM for the other karaoke communication terminal 1. Thus, at least the source address unique to the karaoke communication terminal 1 is included.
[0027]
If "YES" is determined in the step A6, that is, if the first register is set in the data reception routine (see FIG. 6), the process proceeds to the step A10 as it is.
[0028]
In step A10, an operation of transmitting a data capture signal to the head end 2 is performed. This data capture signal is a signal for informing the head end 2 that the data capture operation of receiving the return data ΔM and storing it in the storage device 13 is performed. It is configured to include the address and requested song name data.
[0029]
After the execution of step A10, the data reception routine A11 for receiving the return data ΔM and the step A12 for resetting the first and second registers are sequentially executed, and then the process returns to step A1. In the data reception routine A11, in a state where the first register is set, the return data ΔM answered to itself is received and stored in the storage device 13, and the second register is set. In this state, an operation of receiving return data ΔM addressed to another karaoke communication terminal 1 (however, including the same song number as the requested song by the request signal transmitted by itself) is performed.
[0030]
On the other hand, in the data reception routine shown in FIG. 6, the return data ΔM transmitted from the head end 2 to the user via the down line of the CATV network 3 is monitored (step a1). It is determined whether or not the return data ΔM is sent to the CATV network 3 (step a2). The data monitoring step a1 is repeatedly executed during the period determined as “NO” here. If “YES” is determined, the data reception is performed after executing step a3 for setting the first register. End the routine.
[0031]
In short, after the control device 4 of the karaoke communication terminal 1 performs the request signal transmission operation to the head end 2 through the uplink of the CATV network 3, the return data addressed to itself through the downlink of the CATV network 3 The operation of confirming the presence / absence of ΔM and the return data ΔM (including the same song number as the request song by the request signal transmitted by itself) to the other karaoke communication terminal 1 through the downlink of the CATV network 3 are also performed. An operation to check the presence or absence is performed. When there is return data ΔM addressed to itself, the normal reception operation of capturing the return data ΔM and storing it in the storage device 13 is performed, and return data ΔM addressed to another karaoke communication terminal 1 exists. In this case, an intercept operation is performed in which the return data ΔM is captured and stored in the storage device 13. When an intercept operation is performed, a delivery stop request signal is transmitted to the head end 2 side. When the return data ΔM is captured as described above, a data capture signal is transmitted to the head end 2 side.
[0032]
FIG. 7 shows a portion directly related to the gist of the present invention in the contents of the control by the control device 20 of the head end 2, and this will be described below. In FIG. 7, the control device 20 stands by until a request signal is received from the karaoke communication terminal group 1 side (step B1). And when a request signal is received, the reception state of the delivery stop request signal from the karaoke communication terminal 1 group side is judged (step B2).
[0033]
In a state where the distribution stop request signal is not received, the data preparation step B3 for preparing transmission of the return data ΔM is executed. In this step B3, music data and video data corresponding to the music title data in the received request signal are read from the storage device 26, and return data ΔM in the format shown in FIG. 2 including the read data as packet information is created. . The destination information in the packet header of the return data ΔM is set so as to match the source address in the received request signal.
[0034]
After the execution of the data preparation step B3, the created return data ΔM is distributed from the transmitter / receiver 9 to the downlink of the CATV network 3 (step B4). Thereafter, the presence / absence of reception of the data capture signal from the karaoke communication terminal 1 that is the destination of the return data ΔM is determined for a preset time (steps B5 and B6).
[0035]
When a data capture signal is received, a history management routine for adding to the log file a reception history for recording that the karaoke communication terminal 1 that has transmitted the data capture signal has received the return data ΔM B7 is executed, and thereafter, the process returns to the decision step B1. On the other hand, when the set time has elapsed without receiving the data capture signal, the history management routine B7 is jumped to return to step B1.
[0036]
On the other hand, when the distribution stop signal is received after receiving the request signal (“YES” in step B2), the presence / absence of reception of the data capture signal from the karaoke communication terminal 1 that is the transmission source of the distribution stop signal is set in advance. The determined time is determined (steps B8 and B9).
[0037]
When the data capture signal is received, the history management routine B7 for recording that the karaoke communication terminal 1 that has transmitted the data capture signal has received (intercepted) the return data ΔM is executed. Later, the process returns to decision step B1. On the other hand, when the set time has elapsed without receiving the data capture signal, the history management routine B7 is jumped to return to step B1.
[0038]
In short, when the control device 20 of the head end 2 receives the request signal from the karaoke communication terminal 1 group side, the control device 20 executes the data preparation step B3 and the distribution step B4, thereby obtaining the return data ΔM for the request signal. An answer back operation is performed through the downlink of the CATV network 3. At this time, when the distribution stop request signal is received from the karaoke communication terminal 1 side, the request signal from the karaoke communication terminal 1 is ignored by jumping the data preparation step B3 and the distribution step B4. Further, when a capture signal from the karaoke communication terminal 1 side (a signal indicating that the return data ΔM has been captured) is received, a reception history on the karaoke communication terminal 1 side is logged based on the data capture signal. Record individually in a file.
[0039]
According to the present embodiment configured as described above, when a request signal is transmitted from the karaoke communication terminal 1 to the head end 2, the head end 2 sends the return data ΔM for the request content of the request signal. Answer back to the karaoke communication terminal 1 that is the transmission source. At this time, when request signals having the same contents are transmitted from a plurality of karaoke communication terminals 1 at the same time, the request contents by the karaoke communication terminals 1 whose transmission timings are relatively late, that is, request signals transmitted by themselves are In the karaoke communication terminal 1 that matches the content of the request from the other karaoke communication terminal 1, the transmission stop request signal is transmitted to the head end 2 and then the return data ΔM for the other karaoke communication terminal 1 is received. Intercepting action will be performed.
[0040]
When the head end 2 receives the distribution cancellation request signal (when there is a karaoke communication terminal 1 performing an intercept operation), the request signal from the karaoke communication terminal 1 that is the transmission source of the distribution cancellation request signal. Will be ignored. For this reason, when request signals having the same content are transmitted from a plurality of karaoke communication terminals 1 at the same time, the head end 2 only needs to perform an operation of answering back the return data ΔM for the request content once. As a result, waste is reduced compared to the conventional configuration, and transmission efficiency is improved.
[0041]
In this case, when the karaoke communication terminal 1 performs the reception operation of the return data ΔM, it is asked whether or not the reception operation is an intercept operation of receiving the return data ΔM for the other karaoke communication terminals 1. First, a data capture signal indicating that the return data ΔM has been received is transmitted to the head end 2. In the head end 2, the reception history on the karaoke communication terminal 1 side is individually recorded in the log file based on the received data capture signal. Therefore, it becomes possible to accurately grasp the reception status of the return data ΔM at all the karaoke communication terminals 1 based on the reception history recorded in the log file, and as a result, calculation of the access fee etc. accompanying data distribution This can be performed reliably and easily.
[0042]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be expanded or modified as described below.
It is determined whether or not the request content by the request signal transmitted by itself matches the request content from the other karaoke communication terminal 1 to the other karaoke communication terminal 1 from the head end 2 via the down line of the CATV network 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, for example, by directly monitoring a request signal transmitted from another karaoke communication terminal 1 to the upstream line of the CATV network 3, it is determined whether there is a match between the request contents as described above. It can be. Further, on the head end 2 side, the request signal is received and the reception signal indicating the request content is distributed to the downlink of the CATV network 3 at a frequency different from that of the data signal. It is also possible to determine whether or not there is a match between request contents.
[0043]
Video data can be distributed as needed, and the data distribution system for communication karaoke has been taken as an example, but the data distribution system for distributing other data such as game programs and movie data can be used. It can also be widely applied.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the request content by the request signal transmitted by itself matches the request content from the other terminal, it is returned to the other terminal. In addition to providing a terminal that performs an intercept operation to receive data, and a data management device for performing a response to the request signal, if there is a terminal that has performed the intercept operation, a request from the terminal Since the function to ignore the signal has been added, it is not necessary to answer the return data of the same content one by one even when multiple request signals of the same content are transmitted at the same time. There is a beneficial effect that the transmission efficiency can be improved with a simple configuration.
[0045]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the terminal receives the return data, the terminal is provided with a function of transmitting a data capture signal indicating the fact to the data management device. Since the management device side was given a function to individually record the reception history of the terminal side based on the data capture signal, it will be possible to accurately grasp the reception status of the return data in all terminals A beneficial effect is obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format example of return data. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a karaoke communication terminal. Functional block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the headend [FIG. 5] Flowchart showing control contents on the karaoke communication terminal side 1
FIG. 6 is a flowchart 2 showing the control contents on the karaoke communication terminal side.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the control contents on the head end side.
Reference numeral 1 is a karaoke communication terminal (terminal), 2 is a head end (music data management device), 3 is a CATV network (communication line), and 4 and 20 are control devices.

Claims (3)

A plurality of terminals and a data management apparatus that exchanges data with these terminals are connected by a communication line. In response to a request signal from the terminal, the data management apparatus returns a request content. In a data distribution system configured to answer back data,
The terminal determines whether or not the request content by the request signal transmitted by itself matches the request content from another terminal , and if it matches , receives the return data to the other terminal. When the intercept operation is performed , a control to transmit a delivery stop signal is performed to the data management device, and when the return data reception operation is performed, a data capture signal indicating that is sent to the data management device. It includes a control device that performs control to be transmitted to the data management device ,
In response to the request signal , the data management device answers the return data only once , ignores the request signal from the terminal when receiving the delivery stop signal from the terminal , A data distribution system configured to individually record a reception history on the terminal side based on a data capture signal when a data capture signal is received . The return data from the data management device includes destination information indicating an answer back destination of the return data and index information indicating a data name.
The control device provided in the terminal determines whether or not the request content by the request signal transmitted by itself matches the request content from another terminal based on the destination information and the index information. The data distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein the data distribution system is configured as follows . The terminal is configured as a karaoke terminal device having a function of transmitting a request signal for requesting music data, and a function of playing back the music data that has been answered.
The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the data management device is a music data management device that answers music data requested by a request signal as return data .

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