JPH01130689A - Information offering system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To instantaneously respond and service according to individual requests from plural users at a low operating cost by providing a reproducing means for reproducing information from an information recording medium and a memory circuit for storing the reproduced information. CONSTITUTION:The reproducing means 1a-1n for reproducing the information from the information recording medium recording the information and the memory circuits 4a-4n for storing the reproduced information are provided. While a reproduction by the reproducing means is executed, until the recording information recording medium is changed and a next reproducing operation is started, the information from the memory circuits is read and transmitted to the request to the information. Thereby, a system that the information can be offered even to the requests where requesting time from the plural users to the same information contents is deviated can be realized by instantaneously program searching.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is a method for reproducing information such as images and videos from an information recording medium such as a disk or tape in response to a request from a user. The present invention relates to an information providing system provided by means of communication.

[Conventional technology] - In conventional information provision systems, it is possible to quickly locate the beginning of information to be sent in response to individual requests from users using a character information database service with a relatively small amount of data. Services such as videos and music that require a huge amount of data are limited to pre-phone services with short voice responses, etc., and services such as video and music that require a huge amount of data are It takes the form of transmitting content information to a large number of users at the same time.

[Problems to be solved by the present invention]

When providing information such as videos and music in response to individual requests from users, it is desirable to respond and listen to them immediately. In order to do this, the information center that provides the equipment will be able to provide LP record players, CDs, etc. depending on the number of users and the frequency of use.
It is necessary to install a plurality of playback devices such as (compact disc) players, tape decks, or video playback centers. In addition, even if you have multiple of these playback devices, the CD
If there is only one information recording medium (hereinafter also simply referred to as "medium") such as a video cassette tape or video cassette tape for each title, the same information recording medium (hereinafter simply referred to as "medium") such as When a request for a title is made by another user, the disadvantage is that the next user must wait until the ongoing media has finished playing. Therefore, if we try to eliminate the waiting time by preparing multiple volumes (volumes) of media for each title, the center will have to prepare and manage a huge amount of media, which is economically expensive. The problem is that it becomes.

[Means for solving problems]

The information providing system of the present invention includes a reproduction means for reproducing information from an information recording medium recording requested information, a memory circuit for storing information reproduced by the reproduction means, and a memory circuit for storing information reproduced by the reproduction means. a memory write control circuit for writing the recorded information into the memory circuit at the same time as reproduction, and a memory read control circuit for reading from the memory circuit. By configuring the system to read out and send out information from the memory circuit in response to a request to provide the same information that is received between the start of the playback operation and the start of the next playback operation, the various drawbacks mentioned above can be resolved and the same information content can be provided. This system realizes a system that can immediately cue and service (provide information) even when request times from multiple users differ from each other.

(Embodiment) Referring to FIG. 1, a specific embodiment of the information providing system of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information providing system 10 of the present invention, and in this embodiment, it is a system that transmits music information such as a CD (a disc recorded by converting audio information into digital data) in response to a request. shall be. In this figure, 18 to 1TL are information recording medium reproduction Vtra (the CD player t1 will be explained as an example, so hereafter [also referred to as CD player J), 28 to 2n are sampling and compression circuits, and 3a to 3 are Memory writing 1III11 circuits, 4a-4 are memory circuits, 5 is memory reading tIIJIi1 circuit, 6 is an expansion circuit, 7 is a sending device, 8 is a request receiving device, 9a-
9■ is the user terminal all! , 11 is a loading device. Terminal devices 9a to 9 installed on the user side
'ffL is composed of numerical keys for data input (or character keys such as alphabets), a speaker for audio output (and a TV monitor device for image output), etc. - Multiple keys for boat fishing By pressing , the request data is sent to the request receiving device 8 on the information center side via the telephone line or dedicated line.

Next, the functions, usage method, etc. of the information providing system 10 of the present invention will be explained. Now, a song α recorded on a disk (CD) ■ by an arbitrary user A is on the terminal! Assume that a request is made from Aa9a. Terminal Kff
19a supplies the request reception device 8 with a data code signal corresponding to the -f disk and track number and the number code of the terminal device M9a. The request receiving device 8 stores these code signals and outputs the number code to the sending device 7, and controls the n loading devices 11 to select a disk from a large number of disks based on the code signal, for example. Load it into the CD player 1a. C that includes late li's songs on one disc
If D is being used, the CD player 1a will place that pickup 9ii on the 8th head of the requested track α (
(not shown) and start playback. The signal reproduced by the COO is sent to the sending device 7 and also supplied to the sampling and compression circuit 2a. The sending device 7 is a CD
After converting the playback signal supplied from the player 1a into an analog signal, the terminal I! A signal is output to 1flQa (it may be configured to be converted into an analog signal by terminal equipment PJ9a). On the other hand, the reproduced signal sent to the sampling and compression circuit 2a is sampled and compressed here (this is to increase the information density and does not necessarily have to be done), and then the signal is written to the memory. The data is stored in the memory circuit 4a by the control circuit 3a. When the reproduction of the track α, that is, the transmission to the terminal device 9a, is finished, the number code and data code signals in the request receiving device 8 are cleared, but the 11 music information stored in the memory circuit 4a is not stored until the next storage operation is performed. It is kept.

Requests from the other terminals R 9b to 9711 are responded to in the same manner, a disc is loaded into an available CD player, the signal is reproduced, and the data is transmitted and stored in the same manner as described above. In that case, at request reception [f8], first, it is always checked whether the requested song is currently being used (played) by comparing it with the stored data code. Therefore, what to do if it is confirmed that the device is in use will be explained below.

For example, if the request from the terminal device fff19c is for the song α being played, the request receiving device 8 outputs control number 14 to the memory read control circuit 5 to read the signal being stored in the memory circuit 4a from the beginning. The signals are sequentially read out and supplied to the extension length circuit 6.

The expansion/extension circuit 6 expands the information signal that has been compressed in the sampling & compression circuit 2a, and transmits it to the output 11f.
It is now time to sequentially output the data to fi7 and immediately supply it to the terminal device 9c. In addition, in case there is another request for the same song α from, for example, another terminal device 9d before the supply to the terminal device 9G is finished, memory access technology using known time sharing (time division) is applied. It is preferable that 5 is configured to perform a cue search and send information to the terminal device 9d. For example, if the request from the terminal IN position 9e is for another song β recorded on the same disk ■ as the song [1α, for example, the CD players 18 to 1 The device is equipped with a plurality of pickup devices (not shown), and if necessary, these pickup devices are made to independently trace bands of different songs, and are supplied via the sending device 7 to each terminal device that has received a request. It is best to configure it so that

In the above explanation, it is assumed that OD is used as the information recording medium, but it is not limited to this, and any medium that records music may be used, but when using a medium in which information is recorded as an ablog signal, Information recording medium reproducing device 1
A between 8-1 liter and sampling & compression circuit 2a-2 liter
Since it is necessary to insert a /D converter, it is preferable to use a source (medium) recorded with digital signals. In addition, the information provided is not only A-day A information such as music, but also video information such as movies, etc. -i! The system of the present invention can also be applied to an electronic publishing system that provides services using textual information as well as an educational system that provides both image information and textual information.

[Effects] ゛Since the information providing system of the present invention is configured as described above, it can be used not only for database services with comparatively small amount of data such as character information, telephone services with short voice responses, etc., but also for large amounts of data such as videos, music, etc. information can be immediately responded to and serviced in response to individual requests from multiple users, and there is no need to provide multiple media for one title (information content), so it can be used at low operating costs. It has the advantage and effect of being able to provide sufficient services to people.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the information providing system of the present invention. 1a ~ 1 liter... Information recording medium reproducing device, 28 ~ 2 liters
・・Sampling & compression circuit, 3a-3・・Memory write control circuit, 4a-4n・・Memory circuit, 5・・
・Memory continuous output control circuit, 6... Shinkyuai circuit, 7...
・Sending device, 8...Request receiving device, 9a-9■
...terminal device, 10...information provision system, 11.
...Loading device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an information providing system that provides information in response to requests from a plurality of users, there is provided a reproduction means for reproducing information from an information recording medium recording the requested information, and information reproduced by the reproduction means. a memory circuit for storing information; a memory write control circuit for writing the information reproduced by the reproduction means into the memory circuit at the same time as reproduction;
and a memory read control circuit that reads from the memory circuit, and reads the same information received while the reproduction means is performing reproduction and between changing the information recording medium and starting the next reproduction operation. An information provision system characterized in that the information provision system is configured to read and transmit information from the memory circuit in response to a provision request.