JPH07203412A - Charging system in cable television system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely collect the charge as to charge information intended by the user by providing an adaptor applying required processing to a transmission signal and outputting the result and up-loading a command to a host station to a terminal equipment. CONSTITUTION:A CATV host station 1 outputs data representing an information type to signal frame just before the transmission and sends the result. In this case, an identification code representing charged information or non-charge information is inserted altogether. The signal is sent through an outgoing line 4. On the other hand, when a terminal equipment side desires to use the charged information, a control code representing a charged information request to a host station 1 via an incoming line 5. The station 1 retrieves a charge account number of the user collated based on the control code and also requests the input of a number coincident with the charge account number to be collated to the terminal equipment. The user inputs a number or a symbol from an operation panel of an adaptor 6 and the station 1 allows access to the charged information when the number or symbol is coincident with that of the station 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for effectively collecting an information usage fee used by each receiver when pay information is distributed on a cable television (hereinafter referred to as CATV). .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art CATV has been conventionally used in areas where radio waves are hard to reach, and in recent years, its popularity has gradually increased as a local network. By the way, as a method of currently collecting charges in CATV, a monthly single charge system is used, and if a receiving terminal is installed, the usage charge is collected monthly regardless of whether CATV is used or not. And, the usage fee is collected by visiting each household individually,
Either automatic debit from a bank account or either method is adopted.

[0003]

However, in the conventional method, it is premised that the terminal installation side voluntarily pays the usage fee, and the efficiency of fee collection is very poor. Also, in CATV, the information providing station and the receiving terminal are connected by wire, but in reality it is a one-way communication with broadcast characteristics, and what kind of information is effectively used at the station side. I can't judge immediately. Therefore, in order to maintain highly useful information even in the CATV network, it is necessary to investigate the audience rating by telephone questionnaires, etc., and as compared with the labor of arranging the cable to each home, the current advantage is the radio interference. There is no need to think about.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention surely collects the usage charge only for the pay information provided by the user for the pay information provided by CATV, and Disclosed is an apparatus capable of confirming a usage rate and the like and providing more effective information.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a host station of a cable television having a database storing a large amount of pay information is connected to the host station by an upstream line and a downstream line, respectively. This terminal device is composed of a plurality of terminal devices, and this terminal device has a transmission / reception circuit for bidirectional communication, a transmission / reception data processing circuit for temporarily storing transmitted / received data, an operation panel for inputting various commands, and a reception device. It has an adapter consisting of an information processing circuit that performs processing according to the type of data that has been processed, calls the above-mentioned host station from this adapter, requests downloading of pay information, uploads a user-specific identification code, and The host station collates its own database with the uploaded identification code, and if they match, pay information It adopted the means of performing permission.

[0006]

The host station and each terminal device are connected by the upper and lower lines to form a CATV network. The adapter of the terminal device implements a plurality of functions of uploading a command to the host station while performing necessary processing on the transmission signal to output desired data. Then, the host station is accessed from the terminal device, the input identification code is searched from the data held by the user and collated, thereby identifying whether or not effective charge collection is possible, and if possible, For example, they have achieved a series of systems that allow access to paid information.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a CATV network constructed by the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is a CATV host station, 2 is a database in which various pay information such as images and sounds are accumulated, and 3 is a central control center for the host station 1. It is a processing device. 4 is a downlink transmission line composed of a coaxial cable or an optical fiber, 5 is an uplink transmission line, 6 ... 6 is an adapter provided in each home, and 7 ... 7 are for processing information transmitted by the downlink transmission line 4. Information processing device. The downstream transmission line 4 and the upstream transmission line 5 branch from the main line 4a or 5a to the branch line 4b or 5b and are connected to the respective adapters 6 ... Since the downlink transmission line 4 needs to transmit a large amount of data such as video information, it goes without saying that the transmission efficiency is higher than that of the uplink transmission line 5.

The present invention is realized by the above-mentioned network configuration. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of each adapter 6. Reference numeral 11 is a connection terminal for the downlink transmission line 4 and the uplink transmission line 5, and 12 is a bidirectional transmission / reception circuit for switching the channel of CATV information received via the downlink line 4, or from the terminal device side via the uplink line 5. Send to the CATV host station 1. Reference numeral 13 is a transmission / reception data processing circuit mainly including a buffer memory for temporarily holding data relating to transmission / reception, and 14 is a control CPU for controlling the entire circuit of the adapter 6.
Then, the type of data received via the CATV network is determined and output to the three information processing circuits 15a to 15c, and signals are output from the respective output terminals 16a to 16c. For example, three information processing circuits 15a-1
In 5c, when 15a is a processing circuit for analog video information or the like, the video data stored in the transmission / reception data processing circuit is converted into a video signal which is an analog signal,
The video signal is output from the output terminal 16a. Therefore, an image can be reproduced by connecting a monitor to the output terminal 16a.
Besides, when the circuit 15b is a circuit for processing game data and the like, it processes the game program and necessary data as a file, and sends it from an output terminal 16b functioning as an interface to an external computer or the like. 15c
Has a telephone function, the data is processed as a signal necessary for the telephone, and the output terminal 16c which is an interface.
Output to. However, these functions are merely examples, and if multiple functions are mounted on the adapter of this embodiment, the number of parallel information processing circuits 15 may be increased, and if there is only a single function, the information processing circuit 15 may be used. Can be one circuit.

Next, 17 is an operation panel for making a request to the CATV host station 1 and inputting a command for starting the processing of the received information, and 18 is a liquid crystal screen for displaying the operation status. Such as display panel, 1
Reference numeral 9 is a usage status counter for accumulating the usage status of information received via the CATV network, and reference numeral 20 is a card reader for inserting a magnetic tape or an IC card and reading the written information.

With the above-described structure, the accounting process is performed on the information transmitted from the CATV host station 1 via the CATV network. This process will be described below. CA
A large amount of various information is stored in the database provided in the TV host station 1. For each piece of information, data indicating the type of information is inserted into the signal frame and output immediately before transmission. In this case, not all transmitted information is pay information, so a code for identifying whether it is pay information or free information may also be inserted. These signals are transmitted via the down line 4. On the other hand, on the terminal device side installed in each home or the like, when it is desired to use pay information, a control code such as a password indicating a pay information request is transmitted to the CATV host station 1 via the up line 5. Subsequently, the host station 1 retrieves the user's charge deduction number (for example, bank account, credit card number, etc.) from the above control code and, at the same time, matches the collated charge deduction number for the user terminal device. Prompt for the number to be entered. Therefore, the user inputs a number or a symbol from the operation panel 17, and when the number matches the host station 1 side, the host station permits access to the pay information. Then, the fee used here is deducted from an account or the like arranged in advance. In this case, the number uniquely searched by the host station 1 matches the number input and operated by the user, so that it can be treated as if the user's intention was indicated, and a fundamental trouble such as unauthorized withdrawal is possible. It can be prevented.

In some cases, each terminal device is individually set with its own identification number, and the process of confirming the identification number of the device is executed as the first procedure of transmission / reception with the host station 1. And if the relationship between the device identification number and the above control code is linked, only the user specified for the device can operate, and if not linked, the user will be charged no matter which terminal device is operated. You will be able to obtain information. Which method is adopted is free. Alternatively, instead of inputting the identification code, a means for inserting a magnetic card or an IC card into the card reader 20, reading the contents recorded therein, and automatically transmitting the contents to the host station 1 may be used.

[0012] By the way, since the CATV network is broadcast, if the pay information is transmitted from the host station 1, the data will reach all the terminal devices. In order to ensure the collection of charges, a method is adopted in which access control of the pay information is performed from the host station 1, and in the process, the control code for the terminal requesting the download of the pay information is written in the data frame and transmitted. I have something to do.
This makes it possible to prevent unauthorized use of pay information.

[0013]

According to the present invention, the use of pay information transmitted via the CATV network is checked against a pre-registered account number for collecting charges, and the number is used with the number registered in the host station. The pay information can be accessed only when the control code sent by the person to the host station matches each time. Therefore, it is possible to collect charges individually for each piece of information, and a series of processing procedures of the user can be regarded as an indication of intention to pay charges. Will be able to prevent.

Further, the host station can grasp the number of times of use of pay information and the status of the pay information online from the user via the CATV network, and utilize the information obtained by secondary processing of the data concerning the use status for programming. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a CATV network,

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the inside of an adapter that is the device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CATV Host Station 2 Database 3 Central Processing Unit 4 Downstream Transmission Line 5 Upstream Transmission Line 6 ... 6 Adapter 7 ... 7 Information Processing Device 13 Transmission / Reception Data Processing Circuit 14 Control CPU 15 Information Processing Circuit 17 Operation Panel 18 Display Panel 19 Utilization Status Counter 20 card reader

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cable television host station having a database storing a large amount of pay information, and a plurality of terminal devices respectively connected to the host station on an up line and a down line. A transmission / reception circuit for communication, a transmission / reception data processing circuit for temporarily storing transmitted / received data, an operation panel for inputting various commands, and an information processing circuit for processing according to the type of received data. With this adapter, the host station is called from this adapter to request the download of paid information, and an identification code unique to the user is uploaded. The host station collates its own database with the uploaded identification code. Then, if they match, the cable TV is characterized by permitting access to pay information. Kicking fee billing system.