JPH08161632A - Terminal equipment in guest room for ray television system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide the system in which a defect of decreasing number of receptible channels of a television receiver is avoided and trouble caused in the case of introduction is eliminated. CONSTITUTION: Thid equipment is provided with a reception section 43 receiving a remote control signal from a remote controller 12, a selection reception means 42 sending only a no-charge broadcast signal to a television receiver 13 when a no-charge broadcast program is selected or sending a subscription broadcast signal of a specific channel to the television receiver 13 when a subscription broadcast program is selected, and a control means 44 receiving a remote control signal from the reception section 43, providing an output of a control signal depending on the remote control signal to the selection reception means 42 and providing an output of a signal representing a selected reception state of the subscription broadcast signal to a charging means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a guest terminal device of a pay TV system used in hotels, hospitals and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Currently, in a pay television system which charges a television receiver for viewing, a terminal fee-charging device including a coin timer and a card timer, which is generally used, is used for inserting a prepaid card or inserting a coin. Turn on the power of the television receiver to enable viewing of the television receiver, and after a certain time has elapsed, turn off the power of the television receiver and pay the television receiver viewing fee for that certain time. It controls to collect with prepaid cards and coins.

Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-243682, there is a. There is described a terminal control device of a CATV system in which a guest room terminal device and a television receiver are simultaneously remotely controlled by a remote controller type controller. This CATV
The terminal control device of the system uses a remote controller attached to the television receiver or one having a function equivalent to this (remote controller type operation device).
One of the receiving channel selection switches is a specific switch, and both the television receiver and the guest room terminal device are simultaneously controlled through the specific switch, thereby switching between free broadcasting and pay broadcasting. It was made possible. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-243682 describes that. The terminal control device of the CATV system described above is additionally provided with a learning memory function for adapting to a television receiver to be combined.

[0004]

In the above terminal control device of the CATV system, one of the twelve reception channel selecting switches in the remote controller type operating device is a specific switch, and the television is connected via this specific switch. By controlling both the receiver and the guest room terminal device at the same time, the free broadcast and the pay broadcast can be switched and viewed. Therefore, one of the 12 reception channel selection switches in the remote controller type operation unit can be selected. In this case, the receiving channel of the television receiver must be selected with 11 receiving channel selecting switches in order to assign the receiving channel to the specific switch, and the number of channels that the television receiver can receive is reduced by one channel. The receiver can receive 12 channels It is inconvenient when it is required.

Further, the signal specifications of the remote controller attached to a commercially available television receiver are not uniform depending on the manufacturer and model of the television receiver, and the terminal control device of the CATV system is adapted to the television receiver to be combined. In each case, it is necessary to change and incorporate the received data according to the signal specifications of the remote controller attached to the television receiver, which causes a lot of trouble at the time of introduction.

Further, since the terminal control device of the CATV system is provided with the learning and storing function for adapting to the television receiver to be combined, it is not necessary to change and incorporate the received data, but the learning and storing function is realized. Therefore, the number of parts and the cost increase. In addition, it is necessary to allow each terminal control device to learn and store data, which is also inconvenient because a lot of trouble is required at the time of introduction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a guest terminal device of a pay television system which can eliminate the drawback of reducing the number of receiving channels of a television receiver and can save the labor at the time of introduction.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a remote control from a remote control device having a television receiver remote control switch and a passenger room terminal device remote control switch. The remote control signal receiving unit that receives the signal and the control signal send only the free broadcast signal to the television receiver out of the broadcast signal from the transmission line when free broadcast is selected, and when the pay broadcast is selected, the broadcast signal from the transmission line Broadcast signal selection receiving means for sending a pay broadcast signal of a specific channel to a television receiver, and a remote control signal from the remote control signal receiving section is taken in and a control signal is selectively received according to the remote control signal. And a control means for outputting a signal indicating the selective reception state of the pay broadcast signal to the charging means.

[0009]

The remote control signal receiving unit receives a remote control signal from a remote control device having a television receiver remote control switch and a passenger room terminal device remote control switch. The control means receives the remote control signal from the remote control signal receiving section, outputs a control signal to the broadcast signal selection receiving means in accordance with the remote control signal, and sends a signal indicating the selective reception state of the pay broadcast signal to the billing means. Output. Then, the broadcast signal selection receiving means sends only the free broadcast signal of the broadcast signals from the transmission line to the television receiver when the free broadcast is selected by the control signal, and identifies the broadcast signal from the transmission line when the pay broadcast is selected. The pay broadcasting signal of the channel is sent to the television receiver.

[0010]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention described in claim 1. Guest room terminal device 1 of the pay television system of this embodiment
1 is used in hotels, hospitals, etc., and is connected to a center device for centralized management of a large number of television receivers 13 and the like via a transmission line 27 formed of a co-listening line. The passenger compartment terminal device 11 receives a remote control signal from a remote controller or a remote control device 12 having a function equivalent to this, and controls viewing of the television receiver 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, the remote control device 12 is
The operation switch 1 has three operation switches 14 to 26.
The signals from 4 to 26 are encoded and the infrared rays are transmitted by the transmitter to the cabin terminal device 11 and the television receiver 13
Send to. This remote control device 12 is a guest room terminal device 11.
The remote control device for remotely controlling the television receiver 13 and the remote control device for remotely controlling the television receiver 13 are integrally provided with a case, a remote control signal transmitting element, and the like.
The operation switches 14 to 26 are the upper operation switches 14 to
Reference numeral 21 is a television receiver remote control switch for remote control of the television receiver 13, and lower operation switches 22 to 26 are guest room terminal remote control switches for operating the guest room terminal device 11. is there.

The operation switch 14 is for the television receiver 1
3 is a power switch for turning on / off the power source, and the operation switch 15 is a switch for setting an off timer. The operation switch 16 is used for the pay broadcast or free broadcast channel signal from the guest room terminal device 11 and the television receiver 1
A switch for switching between an image signal and an audio signal of an external image device, a VTR, a game machine, etc., which are directly input to
The operation switch 17 is a switch for switching multiple voices. The operation switches 18 and 19 are used for the television receiver 13
Is a switch for increasing or decreasing the volume of the
Reference numerals 0 and 21 are switches for switching the reception channel of the television receiver 13 in steps of high frequency and low frequency, respectively.

The operation switch 22 is for the television receiver 1
The operation switch 23 is a switch for selecting the A channel as the reception channel of the television receiver 1
This is a switch for selecting the B channel as the 3rd receiving channel. The operation switch 24 is the television receiver 1
3 is a switch for selecting the C channel as the reception channel, the operation switch 25 is a switch for confirming the selection of the pay channel, and the operation switch 26 is a switch for changing the reception channel of the television receiver 13 to the free channel. is there.

Here, the pay broadcasting is performed in a frequency band that cannot be directly received by the television receiver 13, for example, A channel of 30 MHz to 36 MHz, 4
2MHz to 48MHz B channel, 54MHz to 6
It is performed on the 0 MHz C channel. In addition, free broadcasting is performed in the VHF band and the UHF band as on-air broadcasting and free independent broadcasting.

As shown in FIG. 3, the guest room terminal device 11 has operation switches 28 to 32 on the front surface for performing exactly the same operations as the guest room terminal device remote operation switches 22 to 26 of the remote operation device 12. That is, the operation switch 28 is a switch for selecting the A channel as the reception channel of the television receiver 13, and the operation switch 29 is a switch for selecting the B channel as the reception channel of the television receiver 13. The operation switch 30 is a switch for selecting the C channel as the reception channel of the television receiver 13, the operation switch 31 is a switch for confirming the selection of the pay channel, and the operation switch 32 is the reception of the television receiver 13. It is a switch that switches channels to free channels.

On the front surface of the guest room terminal device 11, a display unit 3 for displaying the broadcasting states of pay broadcast channels A to C is displayed.
3 to 35, a display 36 for displaying a state of confirmation of pay broadcast channel selection by the operation switch 31, an operation switch 32
, A display 37 for displaying the state of switching to the free broadcast channel by the, a display 38 for displaying the selection of the pay broadcast channels A to C, a display 39 for displaying the broadcast of the pay broadcast,
A light receiving unit 40 that receives a remote control signal from the remote control device 12 is provided.

The display unit 38 displays the guest room terminal device 11 in response to a pay broadcast channel selection permission terminal control signal from the center device.
Is turned on when the pay broadcast channel selection is permitted, and is turned off when the pay broadcast channel selection of the guest room terminal device 11 is not permitted (the pay broadcast channel selection is prohibited), and the indicators 33 to 35, 37.
Lights up when the channels A to C and the free broadcast channel are selected and goes out when the channels A to C and the free broadcast channel are not selected.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cabin terminal device 11 has a modem 41, a reception converter unit 42 as a broadcast signal selection receiving means, a remote operation signal receiving section (remote signal receiving section) 43, and a control section 44. The reception converter unit 42 has a branching filter 45, a converter 46, and a pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47. The modem 41 transmits the multiplexed television broadcast signal transmitted via the co-listening line 27 to the demultiplexer 45, and at the same time, receives the pay broadcast channel selection permission terminal control signal from the center device from the signal from the co-listening line 27. It is separated and sent to the control unit 44. Further, the pay broadcasting channel viewing billing data signal generated by the control unit 44 is transmitted to the center apparatus by the modem 41 via the co-listening line 27. Here, the multiplexed television broadcast signal is a rebroadcast signal of general public television broadcast, and the television broadcast signals of channels 1 to 12 in the VHF band and UH.
Television broadcasting signals such as F-band 15th channel,
It includes a video broadcast signal of its own independent broadcast program and a video broadcast signal of channels A to C.

The demultiplexer 45 demultiplexes the multiplexed television broadcasting signal from the modem 41 into the broadcasting signals of pay broadcasting channels A to C and other broadcasting signals, and pay broadcasting channel A.
The broadcast signals C to C are sent to the converter 46, and the other broadcast signals are sent to the television receiver 13 via the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47. The converter 46 is a pay broadcasting channel A to C.
One of the specified waves is selectively tuned, and this is used as a broadcast signal of a specific channel preselected for receiving pay broadcasting in the television receiver 13, for example, the second channel (or the first channel) of the VHF band. Convert frequency and send. The remote signal receiving unit 43 is connected to the control unit 44, and a bidirectional data bus is provided between the control unit 44 and the modem 41. Further, the control unit 44 includes a converter 46, a pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 4
A control signal path is provided between the control signal path and the control signal path.
The remote signal receiving unit 43 receives the infrared signal from the remote control device 12 by the light receiving unit 40, decodes it, and sends it to the control unit 44.

FIG. 4 shows a pay broadcast channel selection flow of this embodiment. The remote control device 12 transmits a remote control signal from the operation switches 14 to 21 to the television receiver 13 to turn on / off the television receiver 13, select a receiving channel, and the like. A remote operation signal from the operation switches 22 to 26 is transmitted to the signal receiving unit 43. In the initial state, the control unit 44 sends a control signal to the converter 46 and the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47 to turn off the converter 46, and switches the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47 to the free broadcast side. . Therefore, the television receiver 13
Is turned on by a remote control signal from the operation switch 14 of the remote control device 12 or a power switch of the television receiver 13, the VHF from the duplexer 45
The band and UHF band broadcast signals are sent to the television receiver 13 via the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47, and the television receiver 13 outputs the V signal.
It will be possible to watch HF and UHF band broadcasts free of charge.

Next, as the receiving channel of the television receiver 13, the operation switches 20, 2 of the remote controller 12 are used.
After the remote control signal from the remote control device 1 or the channel selection switch of the television receiver 13 selects the second channel or the first channel of the VHF band of the specific channel, the control unit 44 controls the remote signal receiving unit 4 from the remote control device 12.
The remote control signals received from the operation switches 22 to 24 and the input signals from the operation switches 28 to 30 are checked to determine whether any of the pay broadcasting channels A to C is selected, and pay broadcasting is performed. When any of the channels A to C is selected, the converter 46 and the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 4 are selected.
The control signal is sent to 7 to operate the converter 46, and the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47 is switched to the pay broadcast side. For this reason,
A broadcast signal of a specific channel from the converter 46 is sent to the television receiver 13 via the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47, and the television receiver 13 views the broadcast of channels A to C for a fee. Is possible.

Next, the control unit 44 controls the remote operation signal from the operation switch 25 of the remote operation device 12 and the operation switch 3.
The input signal from 1 is checked to determine whether or not the selection of the pay broadcast channel has been confirmed by the operation switch 25 or the operation switch 31. If the selection of the pay broadcast channel has been confirmed, the pay broadcast channels A to C The fee for viewing and listening is confirmed and the pay-broadcast viewing state is continued.

Next, the control section 44 controls the remote operation signal from the operation switch 26 of the remote operation device 12, the operation switch 3
The input signal from 2 is checked to determine whether the free broadcast channel has been selected by the operation switch 26 or the operation switch 32. If the free broadcast channel is not selected, the selection of the pay broadcast channel is confirmed. Return to the step of determining whether it has been done.

If the selection of the pay broadcast channel is not confirmed, the control unit 44 proceeds to the step of judging whether or not the free broadcast channel is selected. When the free broadcast channel is selected, the control unit 44 sends a control signal to the converter 46 and the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47 to turn off the converter 46, and also switches the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel. The switch 47 is switched to the free broadcast side. Therefore, the pay-broadcast selection state is released and the VHF band and UHF band broadcast signals from the duplexer 45 are sent to the television receiver 13 via the pay broadcast channel / free broadcast channel changeover switch 47.
It is possible to watch the broadcast of the specific channel on the television receiver 13 free of charge.

Further, the control unit 44 transmits a signal indicating a pay broadcast signal reception state of the channels A to C to the center apparatus via the modem 41 and the co-listening line 27 in the pay broadcast selection state. The center device is composed of a computer or the like and also serves as a charging means, and receives a signal indicating a receiving state of a pay broadcast signal transmitted from the control section 44 through the modem 41 and the co-listening line 27 to receive pay broadcast channels A to C. The viewing charges of the television receiver 13 are charged to the viewers of the television receiver 13 by totaling and outputting the viewing charges of the television receiver 13 according to the state of receiving the broadcast signal.

In this embodiment, a remote control device for remotely controlling the passenger room terminal device 11 and a remote control device for remotely controlling the television receiver 13 are integrally provided with a case, a remote control signal transmitting element, and the like. Moreover, the remote control device 12 in which the television receiver remote control switches 14 to 21 and the passenger room terminal device remote control switches 22 to 26 are independently provided
Remote control signal receiving section 43 for receiving a remote control signal from the
When the free broadcast is selected by the control signal, only the free broadcast signal among the broadcast signals from the transmission line 27 is transmitted to the television receiver 13, and when the pay broadcast is selected, the pay broadcast signal of the specific channel among the broadcast signals from the transmission line 27 is selected. Broadcast signal selection receiving means 42 for transmitting the signal to the television receiver 13
And a remote operation signal from the remote operation signal receiving section 43, a control signal is output to the broadcast signal selection receiving means 42 according to the remote operation signal, and a selective reception state of the pay broadcast signal is output to the charging means. Since the means 44 is provided, it is not necessary to assign one of the operation switches for selecting the reception channel of the television receiver 13 to a specific switch for remote operation of the passenger compartment terminal device, and the reception of the television receiver is performed. The drawback of reducing the number of channels can be eliminated. Further, since the remote control signals from the television receiver remote control switches 14 to 21 are not related to the guest room terminal device 11, the guest room terminal device 11 is adapted to the television receiver to be combined each time. It is not necessary to change and incorporate the received data according to the signal specifications of the attached remote control device, and the labor at the time of introduction can be saved.

[0027]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the remote control signal is received from the remote control device having the television receiver remote control switch and the passenger room terminal device remote control switch. When a free broadcast is selected by the operation signal receiving unit and control signal, only the free broadcast signal of the broadcast signal from the transmission line is sent to the television receiver, and when pay broadcast is selected, the pay signal of the specific channel is broadcast from the transmission line. Broadcast signal selection receiving means for sending a signal to a television receiver, and captures a remote operation signal from the remote operation signal receiving section, and outputs a control signal to the broadcast signal selection receiving means in accordance with the remote operation signal, Since the control means for outputting the signal indicating the selective reception state of the pay broadcast signal to the charging means is provided, the number of receiving channels of the television receiver is reduced. Can overcome the disadvantage, it is possible to save time and trouble when introduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a remote control device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a front surface portion of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a pay broadcast channel selection flow of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Guest Terminal Device 12 Remote Control Device 13 Television Receiver 14-21 Television Receiver Remote Control Switch 22-26 Guest Terminal Device Remote Control Switch 27 Co-Listening Cable 28-32 Operation Switch 42 Reception Converter Unit 43 Remote Control Signal receiving unit 44 Control unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A remote control signal receiving section for receiving a remote control signal from a remote control device having a television receiver remote control switch and a passenger room terminal device remote control switch, and transmission when a free broadcast is selected by a control signal. Broadcast signal selection receiving means for sending only free broadcast signals to the television receiver out of the broadcast signals from the channel and transmitting the pay broadcast signal of a specific channel among the broadcast signals from the transmission channel to the television receiver when pay broadcasting is selected And capturing a remote control signal from the remote control signal receiving unit and outputting a control signal to the broadcast signal selecting and receiving means according to the remote control signal,
A guest room terminal device of a pay television system, comprising: a control unit that outputs a signal indicating a selective reception state of a pay broadcast signal to a billing unit.