JPH08317369A - Scramble broadcast reception system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To effectively receive scramble broadcasting by lowering the output frequency of a tuner, recording a scrambled broadcasting program in a recorder and reading it from the recorder at need before descrambling the scrambled broadcasting program while using a scramble decoder. CONSTITUTION: When a user desires to watch a program under broadcasting at present by selecting a channel by a tuner 7, a user performs an operation to connect an input terminal (a) to an output terminal (c) of a changeover switch 8. Then, the scrambled broadcasting program selected with channel by the tuner 7 is directly inputted to a scramble decoder 9 and descrambled. With this channel, the program under broadcasting at present can be viewed. When it is desired to watch the program later, the output frequency of the tuner is lowered and that program is recorded in a recorder 12. When it is desired to watch the program later, an input terminal (b) of the changeover switch 8 is connected to the output terminal (c) so that the arbitrary recorded program can be viewed while shifting time. When it is not desired to watch any program, the program is left as it is and when descramble decoding 9 is not performed, no change is imposed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a decoder for descrambling a scrambled broadcast program in a scrambled broadcast receiving system equipped with a device for receiving a scrambled broadcast program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional broadcasting program using scrambled signals, for example, in a pay television system, a television signal output from a broadcasting station is scrambled by various methods (raster of a television signal is irregularly arranged by a scramble encoder). Disturb by changing, etc.)
It is formed by the scrambled signal. Therefore, on the receiving side, it is necessary to use the scramble decoder to descramble (reverse conversion from the scramble encoder to return to the original TV signal (return to the video signal), and the normal TV receiver will receive normal image / audio. The system is configured so that you cannot watch.

[0003] The scramble decoder mounted on this television receiver starts with an encryption key separately transmitted from the television station based on a billing method (month contract, time contract, pay-per-view, etc.) based on a contract between the viewer and the television station. Descramble ability is given.

Further, when it is desired to watch the program being broadcast later, the video signal after being descrambled by the scramble decoder can be recorded in the recording device.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a conventional receiving system for receiving a plurality of scrambled broadcast channels. In FIG. 3, scrambled broadcast waves received by the antenna 1 are input to the tuners 2a and 2b. The respective outputs of the tuner 2a and the tuner 2b are supplied to the scramble decoder 3a and the scramble decoder 3b, respectively, and descrambled.

The output of the scramble decoder 3a is directly supplied to the television receiver 4, and the output of the scramble decoder 3b is supplied to the recording device 5 where it is recorded. In the television receiver 4, the output of the scramble decoder 3a and the output of the recording device 5 can be switched and viewed.

With the above structure, while watching one program of each of the plurality of channels at the same time while broadcasting, another program is recorded, and the recorded program can be watched later when desired. .

Further, in the case of the configuration with one tuner and one scramble decoder, in FIG.
, Tuner 2b, scramble decoder 3b, recording device 5, and television receiver 4. In this case, if the user wants to watch the current broadcast program later, the scrambled broadcast program selected is descrambled by the scramble decoder 3b to be converted into a video signal and then recorded.

[0009]

However, in the conventional configuration described above, the scramble decoder is required for the number of channels, so that the viewer must set the scramble decoder for each channel regardless of whether he or she sees it. There is a problem that it does not happen.

Further, when the scrambled broadcast program is not watched at that time and is recorded for later viewing, or when the broadcast program desired to be watched at the same time is broadcast at the same time, one of Even in the case of so-called endorsement recording, it will be charged at the recording stage,
The irrationality of having to pay for the recorded broadcast program without seeing it later is a problem.

Therefore, in a scrambled broadcast receiving system that descrambles and views a scrambled broadcast program, when a recorded broadcast program is viewed later, or when a broadcast program endorsed at the same time on a plurality of channels is viewed later. A scrambled broadcast reception system in which even if a viewer views a broadcast program, only those who actually viewed the broadcast program are charged, and a scrambled broadcast program of a plurality of channels can be viewed by one decoder. Have challenges.

[0012]

In order to solve the above problems, a scrambled broadcast receiving system according to the present invention basically has one decoder and a changeover switch for appropriately switching between a tuner and a recording device. In addition, the broadcast program is recorded before being descrambled, that is, before being input to the decoder.

[0013]

The scrambled broadcast receiving system having the above structure can be configured so that a decoder for each channel is not necessary even for a scrambled broadcast program consisting of a plurality of channels.

Further, since the scrambled broadcast program selected is recorded before inputting to the decoder, it becomes possible to charge only the broadcast program actually descrambled. .

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a scrambled broadcast receiving system to which a scrambled signal recording device according to the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The first embodiment of the scrambled broadcast receiving system according to the present invention, as shown in FIG.
A tuner 7, a changeover switch 8, a scramble decoder 9, a down converter 10, an up converter 11, and a recording device 12.
Of these, the changeover switch 8, the down converter 10,
The up-converter 11 and the recording device 12 form a recording unit 12A that is a recording unit.

The antenna 6 is connected to the input terminal of the tuner 7. The tuner 7 selects a scrambled broadcast program. The output side of the tuner 7 is connected to one input terminal a of the changeover switch 8 and the input side of the down converter 10.

The changeover switch 8 has input terminals a and b and an output terminal c, and is configured to connect the output terminal c and the input terminal a or b by a remote control operation of a user. . The input terminal a is connected to the output side of the tuner 7. The input terminal b is connected to the output side of the up converter 11. The output terminal c is connected to the input side of the scramble decoder 9.

The scramble decoder 9 descrambles the scrambled broadcast program input from the tuner 7 or the up converter 11 via the changeover switch 8 to restore a normal video signal, and a television receiver (not shown). It has a function of supplying to the video signal processing circuit.

The down converter 10 records the scrambled broadcast program selected by the tuner 7 into the recording device 1.
It has a so-called frequency conversion function of stepping down to the operating frequency of 2. The output terminal of the down converter 10 is connected to the recording device 12
Is connected to the input terminal of.

The up-converter 11 has a function of converting the scrambled broadcast program read at the operating frequency of the recording device 12 into the scrambled broadcast program at the time of original selection.

The recording device 12 records the scrambled broadcast program of the low carrier frequency output from the down converter 10 on, for example, a tape or a disk, and when the changeover switch 8 is changed over to the input terminal b side. , And has a function of starting the reproduction operation and outputting the recorded contents to the up-converter 11.

The scrambled broadcast receiving system having the above structure operates as follows. When the user wants to watch a program currently being broadcast on the channel selected by the tuner 7, the user operates so as to connect the input terminal a and the output terminal c of the changeover switch 8. Then, the scrambled broadcast program selected by the tuner 7 directly enters the scramble decoder 9 and is descrambled. Therefore, the program currently being broadcast on this channel can be viewed.

The program of this channel can be recorded in the recording device 12. That is, if it is desired to view it later, it is recorded in the temporary recording device 12. By connecting the input terminal b of the change-over switch 8 to the output terminal c when desired, it is possible to view any recorded broadcast program at different times. If you do not want to see it, you will not be charged unless it is left as it is and descrambled by the scramble decoder 9. By doing so, it is easy to construct a system that charges only the broadcast program that is actually viewed, whether it is the program currently being broadcast or the broadcast program that is temporarily recorded. You can do it.

Next, a scrambled broadcast receiving system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 have the same functions, and the description thereof will be omitted.

This embodiment is for viewing a scrambled broadcast consisting of a plurality of channels. For the sake of simplicity, the number of channels is two and two tuners 7a and 7b for each channel are provided. Have

The input terminal a of the changeover switch 8 is connected to the output side of the tuner 7a. The input terminal b is connected to the output side of the up converter 11. The output terminal c is connected to the input side of the scramble decoder 9.

The output side of the tuner 7b is connected to the input side of the down converter 10. Down converter 1
The output side of 0 is connected to the input side of the recording device 12. The output side of the recording device 12 is connected to the input side of the up converter 11.

The scramble broadcast receiving system of the second embodiment having such a configuration operates as follows. When the user wants to watch a program currently being broadcast on the channel of the tuner 7a, the user operates to connect the input terminal a of the changeover switch 8 to the output terminal c. Then, the broadcast program that has been selected and scrambled by the tuner 7a is directly supplied to the scramble decoder 9, so that the program currently being broadcast on this channel can be viewed.

On the other hand, the scrambled broadcast program of the channel of the tuner 7b which is broadcast at the same time as the channel of the tuner 7a is recorded in the recording device 12. Therefore, by operating the changeover switch 8 later, the recorded broadcast program can be viewed.

As described above, when scrambled broadcasting is performed on a plurality of channels, the number of tuners is increased according to the number of channels, and only one scramble decoder 9 is provided, and the broadcast program of each channel at the same time. Can be viewed. Further, similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to easily construct a system in which only the broadcast program actually seen is charged.

[0032]

As described above, the scramble broadcast receiving system according to the present invention uses a single scramble decoder to decode a plurality of scramble broadcast channel programs or a plurality of scramble broadcast channel programs at the same time. There is an effect that it can be viewed, there is no need to provide a complicated decoder for each channel, the system can be easily introduced, and the system itself can be simplified.

By recording the scrambled broadcast program selected between the tuner and the decoder, it is possible to easily introduce a system for paying only the broadcast program that is actually viewed. There is an effect called.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a scramble broadcast receiving system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a scramble broadcast receiving system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a scramble broadcast receiving system in a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7, 7a, 7b Tuner 8 Changeover switch 9 Scramble decoder 10 Down converter 11 Up converter 12 Recording device 12A Recording unit (recording means)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A tuner that selects a scrambled broadcast program, and a decoder that descrambles the selected scrambled broadcast program, wherein the tuner is selected and scrambled. A scrambled broadcast receiving system comprising recording means for recording an existing broadcast program before descrambled by the decoder. 2. A down converter for converting the scrambled broadcast program selected to a proper frequency to be recorded, and a recording apparatus for recording the broadcast program properly converted to a frequency by the down converter. And an up-converter for converting the broadcast program recorded in the recording device into the frequency of the original recorded scrambled broadcast program, and the scrambled broadcast program selected by the tuner. The scramble broadcast receiving system according to claim 1, further comprising a changeover switch that appropriately switches between a broadcast program whose frequency is converted by the up converter. 3. At least two tuners for selecting a scrambled broadcast program, and a descrambler for the selected scrambled broadcast program.
A scrambled broadcast receiving system comprising a single decoder, and recording means for recording a scrambled broadcast program selected by the arbitrary tuner before descrambled by the decoder. 4. A down converter for converting the scrambled broadcast program selected to a proper frequency to be recorded, and a recording device for recording the broadcast program properly converted to a frequency by the down converter. And an up-converter for converting the broadcast program recorded in the recording device into the frequency of the originally recorded scrambled broadcast program that was recorded, and selected by another tuner not connected to the recording means. The scrambled broadcast receiving system according to claim 3, further comprising: a changeover switch that appropriately switches between a scrambled broadcast program that is tuned in and a broadcast program that is frequency-converted by the up converter.