JPH05252495A - Transmission method for television program - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To broadcast the stored special programs by means of a program storage device with a simple processing function by providing the program storage device on the reception side and transmitting programs on the transmis sion side with reproduction time information and presentation time information added. CONSTITUTION:The program storage device 2 is provided with a recording medium 3 such as disk and a control section 4 controlling the recording and reproduction of programs and managing a recording medium. A receiver 1 is provided with two pieces of frame memories 5, 6 recording one still picture of data for one piece, a selector 7 selecting either of the two memories at the time of its output, a D/A converter 8 converting the output of the selector 7 into an analog signal, and a control section 9 controlling the frame memories 5, 6 and the selector 7. On the transmission side, the reproduction time information and presentation time information are prepared for each data block. In transmitting a program, the reproduction time and presentation time corresponding to each data block is added to the program.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention uses a digital transmission line, in which the transmitting side converts the program content into digital data and intermittently sends it out in data block units, and the receiving side successively outputs this program content at the timing intended by the transmitting side. The present invention relates to a transmission method of broadcast programs to be presented to viewers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one of new broadcasting services, a still image broadcasting is considered in which a program is constructed by combining a still image and a sound and the program is broadcast using a transmission path of a digital signal. In this broadcast, still images, audio, various control information, and the like are transmitted in the form of digital signals after adding signals for identifying each other. In this case, the presentation timing of each screen, that is, the switching timing from one screen to the next screen needs to be precisely synchronized with the sound in the program structure, and the broadcasting station presents each screen so that this can be realized by the receiver. A transmission method capable of precisely controlling the time is required. In the following, the still image transmission in this still image broadcasting will be described as an example. “The transmission side intermittently transmits the program in data block units, and the receiving side intends to transmit the program content to the transmitting side. The generality of "presenting to viewers in sequence at the timing of doing" is not lost.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a still image receiving system, which comprises a program storage device 2 and a receiver 1 which can selectively input a transmission signal (digital signal) 11 or a reproduction signal 12 from the program storage device 2. It The program storage device 2 is a recording medium 3 such as a disk having a capacity capable of storing a plurality of programs.
And a control unit 4 for controlling recording / reproduction of a program and management of a recording medium using the received information. The receiver 1 includes a plurality of frame memories 5 and 6 (two in this example) capable of recording data for one screen of one still image, and a selector 7 for selecting and outputting any one of the plurality of frame memories. And a D / A converter 8 for converting the output of the selector 7 into an analog signal, and a controller 9 for controlling the frame memories 5, 6 and the selector 7 using the received information.

First Example of Prior Art To the receiving system of FIG. 5, a transmission timing chart of screen data when a still picture program is transmitted and received without sending time information for presenting program contents from a broadcasting station, An example of the operation of the receiver is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6a1 (transmission signal), the data of each screen includes, for example, data 13 for one screen in a data block 14 (a case where the screen data to be transmitted is subjected to variable length coding processing. Are assumed to have different amounts of data) and are transmitted intermittently from the broadcasting station in the order in which the programs are constructed. The receivers are shown in Figure 6c1 (frame memory 5 of receiver) and c2 (frame memory 6 of receiver). As shown in, the received screen data 13 is alternately recorded in the two frame memories 5 and 6 for each screen.
Then, the output of the selector 7 is switched at the time when the recording of the data for one screen is completed, the analog signal is converted by the D / A converter 8 and displayed on the monitor 10, so that the screen 16 of the still image program is viewed. Present it to the person. The display time t _en (end time) of the nth screen is set by the broadcasting station by adjusting the transmission time t _sn (start time) of each screen data.

Second Example of Prior Art [0005] A transmission timing chart and reception of screen data and presentation time information when a still image program is transmitted and received by a method of transmitting presentation time information from a broadcasting station toward the reception system of FIG. An example of the operation of the machine is shown in FIG. Here, the presentation time may be represented by a time based on the reference clock of the broadcasting station, or by a relative time from the start of the program or a time obtained by offsetting this relative time. Shows the case based on the reference clock. As a transmission method for transmitting such presentation time information, there is an example of telemusic broadcasting (broadcast in which performance information is transmitted and a piano or the like is automatically played based on this), and there are a plurality of data blocks of a program. To each of them, presentation time information indicating the presentation time to the viewer is added and transmitted intermittently, and the receiver sequentially presents the corresponding data block to the viewer at the instructed presentation time. ..

The broadcasting station is equipped with a reference clock and
The reference time information A (t _kn ) describing t _kn is transmitted at appropriate times.
That is, the reference time information A (t _kn ) describes the time t _kn of the reference clock at the time when it is transmitted. As a program, the presentation time information C (t _dn ) in which the presentation time t _dn is described is added to the n-th screen data 13 (n) and transmitted. The receiver has an internal clock c3, and when the reference time information A (t _kn ) is received, the reference time t _kn is set in the internal clock. Also record the received screen data 13 alternately in the frame memories 5 and 6.
15, the presentation time information C (t _dn ) is compared with the internal clock, and at the matching time t _dn , the screen n, 16 (n) having this presentation time information is viewed by switching the output of the selector 7. Present it to the person. Due to the above-described operation of the receiver, its internal clock c3 always matches the reference clock of the broadcast station, and the screen can be presented to the viewer at the presentation time intended by the broadcast station. As shown in the above-mentioned first and second examples of the prior art, the conventionally implemented or proposed transmission method is premised on the fact that the program transmitted by the broadcasting station is received by the receiver in real time. Was designed.

[0007]

Various broadcasting services such as still image broadcasting are provided on one transmission line (the transmission method of each service is to transmit program contents intermittently in data block units,
Data is sent in a broadcast format (here, a1 shown in FIG. 6 or a1 shown in FIG. 7) in which the receiving side sequentially presents this program content to the viewer at the timing intended by the transmitting side and time-multiplexed. (It is assumed that data of another broadcasting service is inserted in a non-existing section for broadcasting). In this broadcasting mode, in order to spread the broadcasting data as much as possible and effectively use the broadcasting path, the broadcasting method of each broadcasting service is Is desirable. For example, in a normal broadcasting mode, each screen data of the program is transmitted from the broadcasting station at the original transmission timing shown in a1 (transmission signal that can be received by the direct receiver in real time) in FIG. 8 (see a1 and FIG. 7 in FIG. 6). (corresponding to the transmission timing of a1), a transmission method that can be received by the receiver in real time is used. In addition, as shown in FIG. By using the section that is not
It is desirable to use a transmission method that allows slow transmission over time. It should be noted that the original program length and the time required for its transmission are different, and each data block can be presented to the viewer sequentially at the timing intended by the broadcasting station for the first time by recording the data in the program storage device and then reproducing it. The programs that can be viewed are named as storage-only programs.

In the latter transmission method, direct reception by a direct receiver is impossible in real time (for example, when a program having a length of 1 minute is slowly transmitted over 1 hour, the direct reception is performed by the direct receiver. It cannot be presented as a one-minute program), and once recorded in the program storage device, it is directly reproduced by the receiver at the time of reproduction and is restored as a signal shown in Fig. 8 a1 and reproduced by the receiver as a program. That is the premise.

When it is considered whether the storage-dedicated program can be transmitted by using the transmission method described in the first example of the prior art, what is the original transmission timing of each screen data 13 shown in a1 of FIG. 6? When transmitted at different timings and recorded in the program storage device 2, the program storage device cannot obtain the information of the original transmission timings t _s1 , t _e1 , t _s2 , t _e2 , --- shown in a1,
The transmission signal of a1 cannot be restored when it is played back from the program storage device. That is, the receiver cannot present the screens sequentially at the timings t _e1 and t _e2 --- that the broadcasting station intended in advance, and the program cannot be reproduced. Therefore, according to the transmission method of the first example of the prior art, since the information regarding the time is not sent, it is impossible to broadcast the storage-dedicated program.

Next, consider transmitting the storage-only program by the transmission method described in the second example of the prior art. In this case (timing chart shown in FIG. 9), for example, the program is originally a1.
The time indicated in each presentation time information C (t _dn ) indicates the point to be transmitted at the timing (corresponding to the transmission timing of a1 shown in FIG. 7) shown in (Transmission signal that can be directly received by the receiver in real time).
Change the transmission timing with the value of t _dn unchanged, and then
As shown in (Transmission signal of storage-only program), it is slowly transmitted over time. The program storage device 2 includes an internal clock c3, and records the presentation time information and screen data 13 received at the time of recording as shown in b1 (recording format of the recording medium of the program storage device) (reference time information is not required during reproduction). Do not record because it is important information).

In reproducing the program from the program storage device, the program storage device cannot obtain the information of t _S1 , t _s2 , --- shown in a1 and cannot restore the original transmission timing of the transmission signal. _Therefore , based on the presentation time t _dn recorded in each recorded presentation time information and the data amount of each screen data, a new reference time information is created and the reproduction timing of each screen data is adjusted. b2 (playback signal from the program storage device)
This is performed by generating the reproduction signal shown in. In b2, A (t _kn1 ) is the reference time information newly created by the program storage device of the receiver, and t _sn1 is the program storage device so that the receiver can present the screen n data at the presentation time t _dn. t _dn
And the time set in consideration of the data amount of the screen n data, etc., and this reproduction signal causes the receiver to c3 (receiver internal clock), c1 (receiver frame memory 5), c2.
As shown in (frame memory 6 of receiver), it becomes possible to sequentially present the screens at the timings of t _d1 , t _d2 , --- which the broadcasting station intended in advance. That is, when the storage-only program is broadcast by the transmission method of the second example of the related art, the program storage device must have a complicated processing function such as determining the reproduction timing of each data block by itself.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transmission method for sequentially presenting the contents of a program to a viewer at the timing intended by the broadcasting station, so that the program transmitted by the broadcasting station can be directly received by a receiver in real time. In addition to the transmission method, there is a development of a broadcasting program transmission method capable of broadcasting a dedicated storage program by using a program storage device having a simple processing function.

[0013]

In order to achieve this object, the broadcasting program transmitting method of the present invention uses a digital transmission line, the transmitting side intermittently transmits the program in data block units, and the receiving side receives the program contents. In a method of transmitting a broadcast program that sequentially presents to the viewer at the timing intended by the transmitting side, a receiving side is provided with a program storing device for sequentially storing the received data blocks, and the transmitting side is provided with the program storing device. Each of the data blocks, the reproduction time information indicating the reproduction time when the data block is reproduced, or the reproduction time information and the presentation time information indicating the presentation time for presenting the data block to the viewer. For each of the data blocks, the playback time information corresponding to each data block, or the playback time information and the presentation time information are added. It is characterized in that signal.

Further, on the transmitting side, the transmission timing of each data block is calculated so that the program being transmitted can be directly received by the receiver in real time, and this is calculated as a relative time from the program start or a time obtained by offsetting this. This is used as the playback time for playback from the program storage device on the receiving side, and playback time information describing this is created, and playback time information corresponding to each data block is added when the program is transmitted. According to a preferred embodiment of the method for transmitting a broadcast program of the present invention, the program storage device includes an internal clock, records the received reproduction time information and a data block, and reproduces the first data block at the time of reproduction. After setting the playback time information in the internal clock, the subsequent data blocks are played sequentially when the playback time information matches the internal clock, and the receiver receives the received data. It is characterized in that presented sequentially viewers block.

Furthermore, on the transmission side, the transmission timing of each data block and the presentation timing to the viewer are calculated so that the program being transmitted can be directly received by the receiver in real time, and these are calculated relative to the start of the program. The first reproduction time and the first presentation time, which are represented by time or time obtained by applying an offset thereto, are respectively reproduced from the program storage device on the receiving side and presented to the viewer. The present invention, in which the presentation time information indicating the first presentation time and the presentation time information indicating the first presentation time are created, and when the program is transmitted, the reproduction time information and the presentation time information corresponding to each data block are added and transmitted. In a preferred embodiment of a method for transmitting a broadcast program, the program storage device includes an internal clock, records the received reproduction time information, presentation time information and a data block, and firstly reproduces the information. After setting the playback time information of the raw data block in the internal clock, the subsequent playback time information, the presentation time information, and the data block are paired, and when the playback time information matches the internal clock, the playback is performed sequentially, and the receiver Is equipped with an internal clock, sets the received playback time information in the internal clock, and presents a data block having this presentation time information to the viewer when the internal clock and the presentation time information match. Is.

Furthermore, on the transmitting side, the transmission timing of each data block and the presentation timing to the viewer are calculated so that the program being transmitted can be directly received by the receiver in real time, and these are calculated as a reference clock on the transmitting side. The second reproduction time and the second presentation time when these are reproduced from the program accumulating device on the receiving side and presented to the viewer, respectively. The presentation time information describing the time information and the second presentation time is created, and when the program is transmitted, the corresponding reproduction time information and the presentation time information are added and transmitted, and the time reference clock According to a preferred embodiment of the method for transmitting a broadcast program of the present invention, which transmits reference time information indicating the current time, the program storage device includes an internal clock, and the received presentation time information and the data block are received. Also, when the reproduction time information is received, the reception side creates and records reference time information in which the same time as the second reproduction time described therein is recorded, and is reproduced first when the reproduction is performed from the program storage device. After setting the reference time information of the data block in the internal clock, the subsequent reference time information, presentation time information and the data block are paired, and when the reference time information matches the internal clock, they are sequentially played back to the receiver. The transmitter and receiver are equipped with an internal clock, and the received reference time information is set in the internal clock, and when the internal clock and the presentation time information match, a data block having this presentation time information is presented to the viewer. It is a feature.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following description of the embodiments, referring to a timing chart in which a broadcasting station transmits program data so that a program being broadcast can be directly received by a receiver in real time,
The transmission method of the present invention will be described.

[0018]First embodiment (see FIG. 1) The broadcasting station determines the transmission time t of screen n data._sn(Start program transmission
Relative to or a time offset from this
Shall be expressed. Figure 1 is relative time from the start of program transmission
This shows the case where the
Raw time t_snAnd the reproduction time information B in the screen n data.
(t_sn) Is added and sent sequentially. When the program storage device is internal
And record the received playback time information and screen data.
It When playing back from the program storage device, the first playback screen 1
Data playback time information B (t_s1) Time t_s1To the internal clock
After setting, play time information B (t_sn) And screen n data
The playback time information of the group (or only screen n data)
Time t when the clock matches_snBy playing in sequence with
To go. The receiver receives the playback time information B (t_sn) Is ignored
And the received screen data is alternated between two frame memories.
When the screen n data is recorded, the time t
_enPresent to the viewer by switching the selector output with
To do.

Second Embodiment (see FIG. 2) The broadcasting station defines the transmission time t _sn of the screen n data as the reproduction time t _sn from the program storage device of this screen, and reproduces the reproduction time information B (t
_sn ) and presentation time information C (t _dn ) (both t _sn and t _dn shall be expressed as a relative time from the start of program transmission or a time obtained by offsetting this), in sequence Send. The program storage device has an internal clock and records the received reproduction time information B (t _sn ), presentation time information C (t _dn ) and screen n data. For playback from the program storage device, first set the time t _s1 of the playback time information B (t _s1 ) of the screen 1 data to be played back to the internal clock of the program storage device, and then present it as playback time information B (t _sn ). When the playback time information matches the internal clock for the set of time information C (t _dn ) and screen n data
It is performed by sequentially playing back with t _sn . The receiver has an internal clock, and when the playback time information B (t _sn ) is received from the program storage device (or from the broadcast station when receiving in real time), the playback time t _sn is set in the internal clock of the receiver. To do.
Further, the received screen data is alternately recorded in the frame memory, and at the time point t _dn when the presentation time information C (t _dn ) and the internal clock are compared and coincides with each other, the screen n data having this presentation time information is selected by the selector 7 It is presented to the viewer by switching the output of.

[0020]Third embodiment (see FIG. 3) The broadcasting station is equipped with a reference clock, and this time t_knDescribe
Reference time information A (t_kn) Is sent at a suitable time. In addition, screen n
Data transmission time t_snThe screen from the program storage device.
Raw time t_snAnd the playback time in the screen n data as a program
Information B (t_sn) And presentation time information C (t_dn) Is added and sent sequentially
Put out. Playback time information B (t_sn) Is for playing screen n data
Time t_snIs shown and the presentation time information C (t_dn) Has screen n days
Presentation time t_dnIs written (t_sn, t_dnBoth standard time
The value is based on the time. The program storage device has an internal clock
E, the received presentation time information C (t_dn) And screen n data
The received playback time information B (t_sn) Is the reference time information A (t
_sn) And record it. Play is the first screen to play
Reference time information A (t_s1) Time t _s1The internal clock
After setting to, the reference time information A (t_sn) And presentation time information
C (t_dn) And screen n data, the reference time information
Time t when the clock matches_snBy sequentially playing with
U The receiver is equipped with an internal clock, the operation of which is prior art.
It is the same as the receiver described in the two examples, and the reference time information A
(t_kn) Is received when its reference time t_knSet to the internal clock
To do. In addition, the received screen data is alternately stored in the frame memory.
, And the presentation time information C (t_dn) And the internal clock
Compare and match time t_dnWith this presentation time information
View screen n data by switching the selector output
Present to the listener.

[0021]

According to the first, second and third embodiments, all of these transmission methods are transmission methods capable of receiving a program directly by the receiver in real time, and the transmission method is used. Programs can be recorded / played back by the program storage device. Next, in the transmission method shown in the first embodiment (see FIG. 1), the program is transmitted by a transmission method that enables direct reception by a receiver as shown in FIG. 4 a1 (see a1 in FIG. 1). (Corresponding to the transmission timing), and when this is recorded in the program storage device, the transmission timing is changed with the value of the time t _sn recorded in the reproduction time information B (t _sn ) as it is, as shown in a2 in FIG. In any case, the recording state is the same as that shown in FIG.
It becomes like b1 in the figure. Therefore, naturally, the reproduced signal also becomes the same as shown by b2 in FIG. That is, even if the broadcasting station changes the transmission timing of each data block constituting a program variously, if the program storage device is once recorded and then reproduced, the reproduced signal can be reproduced by the receiver. This means that the storage-only program can be broadcast by the transmission method shown in the first embodiment.

Similarly, regarding the transmission methods shown in the second and third embodiments, the broadcasting station sets the time described in the reproduction time information and the presentation time information as a1 in FIG. 2 and a1 in FIG. 3, respectively. Even if the transmission timing is changed variously, the recording state and the reproduction signal are once recorded / reproduced in the program storage device, respectively, b1 and b2 in FIG. 2 and b1 and b2 in FIG.
It indicates that the storage-only program can be broadcast.

That is, all of these transmission methods change the playback time information, the time set value of the presentation time information, and the operation of the receiver and the program storage device used in the transmission method in which the receiver can directly receive in real time. Instead, the storage-only program can be broadcast simply by changing the actual transmission timing of each data block that constitutes the program. Therefore, in a broadcasting mode in which various broadcasting services are time-axis multiplexed and transmitted using one transmission path, the transmission method according to the present invention can be used to effectively use the transmission path.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a timing chart for explaining transmission according to a first embodiment of the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining transmission according to the second embodiment of the method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart for explaining transmission according to the third embodiment of the method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart for explaining transmission of a storage-only program by the transmission method shown in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a configuration example of a receiving system according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a timing chart for explaining the first example of the related art.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart for explaining a second example of the related art.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart for explaining transmission of a storage-only program.

FIG. 9 is a timing chart for explaining transmission of a storage-only program in the second example of the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Receiver 2 Program storage device 3 Recording medium 4, 9 Controller 5, 6 Frame memory 7 Selector 8 D / A converter 10 Monitor 11 Transmission signal 12 Playback signal

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A broadcast program in which a transmitting side intermittently transmits a program in data block units using a digital transmission line, and the receiving side sequentially presents this program content to a viewer at a timing intended by the transmitting side. In the transmission method, the receiving side is provided with a program storage device that sequentially stores the received data blocks, and the transmission side is provided with playback time information indicating the playback time when the data blocks are played back from the program storage device. Alternatively, the reproduction time information and the presentation time information indicating the presentation time for presenting the data block to the viewer are prepared for each data block, and when the program is transmitted, the reproduction corresponding to each data block is prepared. A method of transmitting a broadcast program, characterized in that time information or the reproduction time information and the presentation time information are added and transmitted. 2. The transmitting side calculates the transmission timing of each data block so that the program being transmitted can be directly received by the receiver in real time, and the relative timing from the program start or the offset time is applied to this. , And use this as the playback time when playing from the program storage device on the receiving side,
2. The transmission method according to claim 1, wherein reproduction time information indicating this is created, and reproduction time information corresponding to each data block is added when transmitting the program, and the program storage device comprises an internal clock. , The received playback time information and data block are recorded, the playback time information of the data block to be played first at the time of playback is set in the internal clock, and the subsequent data block is set at the time when the playback time information matches the internal clock. A method of transmitting a broadcast program, characterized in that the data blocks are sequentially reproduced, and the receiver sequentially presents the received data blocks to a viewer. 3. The transmission side calculates the transmission timing of each data block and the presentation timing to the viewer so that the program being transmitted can be directly received by the receiver in real time, and these are calculated as the relative time from the start of the program. Alternatively, it is expressed by a time obtained by offsetting this, and the first reproduction time and the first presentation time when these are reproduced from the program accumulating device on the receiving side and presented to the viewer, and the first reproduction time is The presentation time information in which the reproduction time information described and the first presentation time are described is created, and when the program is transmitted, the reproduction time information and the presentation time information corresponding to each data block are added and transmitted. In the above transmission method, the program storage device includes an internal clock, records the received reproduction time information, presentation time information, and a data block, and reproduces the data block to be reproduced first during reproduction. After setting the time information to the internal clock, the subsequent reproduction time information, the presentation time information, and the data block are paired, and when the reproduction time information matches the internal clock, the reproduction is sequentially performed, and the receiver includes the internal clock. A method of transmitting a broadcast program, characterized in that the received reproduction time information is set in an internal clock, and when the internal clock and the presentation time information match, a data block having this presentation time information is presented to the viewer. 4. The transmission side calculates the transmission timing of each data block and the presentation timing to the viewer so that the program being transmitted can be directly received by the receiver in real time, and these are used as a reference clock on the transmission side. A reproduction time in which the second reproduction time is described by using a second reproduction time and a second presentation time when the reproduction is performed from the program storage device on the receiving side and presented to the viewer. The presentation time information describing the information and the second presentation time is created, and when the program is transmitted, the corresponding reproduction time information and the presentation time information are added to the respective data blocks and transmitted, and the present time of the time reference clock is further added. 2. The transmission method according to claim 1, wherein the reference time information indicating the time is recorded, the program storage device includes an internal clock, records the received presentation time information and data block, and receives the reproduction time information. Sometimes, the receiving side creates and records the reference time information in which the same time as the second reproduction time described therein is recorded, and the reference time information of the first data block to be reproduced at the time of reproduction from the program storage device is the internal clock. After that, the subsequent reference time information, the presentation time information, and the data block are paired, and when the reference time information matches the internal clock, they are sequentially reproduced and sent to the receiver, and the receiver is equipped with the internal clock. A method of transmitting a broadcast program, wherein the received reference time information is set in an internal clock, and when the internal clock and the presentation time information match, a data block having the presentation time information is presented to a viewer.