JPH0951338A - Service selection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable economical service selection with respect to an unspecified number of users when multimedia information is supplied by the use of computer communication technology. SOLUTION: A transmission terminal, respective pieces of data are divided into ATM cells and are stored by using a virtual path identifier and a virtual channel identifier in accordance with a number peculiar to the application of data from plural information sources. A reception-side checks the respective identifiers, takes in only data addressed to a self station and transmits to the service users for the respective service types. Corresponding tables for the virtual path identifiers and the virtual channel identifiers, which correspond to the number peculiar to the application, in the transmission terminal and the reception terminal, can be registered, updated and eliminated from outside.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for providing multimedia information including video, audio, etc. by computer communication technology to general households throughout the country using satellite communication, and each information service source. The present invention relates to a selection device for each information service in the case where the information from the device is randomly transmitted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as is seen in television broadcasting and radio broadcasting, the amount of information transmitted from each service information source per unit time is fixed and the transmission band is frequency-divided or time-divided to obtain each service information. Service selection by assigning a fixed frequency band or fixed time slot to a source is generally performed by selecting each fixed frequency or fixed time slot.

[0003]

A method of allocating a fixed frequency or a fixed time slot to each service information source and selecting this to select a service has a fixed number of service information sources. It is good if the amount of information sent from the service information source per unit time is fixed,
This is not applicable when the number of service information sources becomes unspecified and the information transmission amount of each service information source fluctuates. This situation has arisen regarding the service of providing multimedia information by computer. That is,
Unspecified number of information providers use computer-based TCP
/ A system that provides various multimedia information such as images, video, voice, and data to users' computers nationwide by broadcasting based on IP communication technology. An economical satellite communication system is used. TCP is a transmission control protocol and IP is an internet protocol.

As described above, the problem to be solved by the present invention is that the unspecified large number of information providers use the TCP / IP communication technology and the satellite communication technology by the computer for the unspecified large number of users nationwide. In a system that provides various multimedia information providing services, it is possible for users to select economical services.

[0005]

A service selection device according to the present invention captures data from a plurality of computers at a transmission end, and sets this data in a virtual preset corresponding to an application-specific number in the data. It has a transmission converter for converting the ATM cell data to which the path identifier / virtual channel identifier is added and transmitting the ATM cell data, and at the receiving end,
The ATM cell data output from the transmission converter is input, and the virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier in the input ATM cell data is compared with a preset virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier, and only those which match are compared. It has a reception converter that selects and converts it to original data and outputs it to a connected computer, and an application-specific number preset in the transmission converter and a corresponding virtual path identifier / virtual Channel identifier,
The virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier preset in the receiving converter can be registered, updated, and deleted from the outside of the device.

Different port numbers are assigned to the respective information sources in advance. When sending information, each information source sets this pre-assigned port number in the area of the destination port number in the TCP / IP data, sets the broadcast address as the destination IP address, and sends it. . At the same time as assigning the port number, a virtual path number and a virtual channel number are assigned corresponding to this port number, and the port number and the virtual path number / virtual channel number are stored in the correspondence table in the transmitter. Register correspondence. At the same time, inform the information service users of the correspondence information between each information source and the virtual path number / virtual channel number by some means such as sending a pamphlet describing the correspondence.

As described above, TCP sent from the information source
/ IP data is converted into a virtual path number / virtual channel number corresponding to the port number in the transmission converter, and is transmitted to all users via the satellite. On the other hand, when the user wants to obtain the information of a certain information source, the user sets the virtual path number / virtual channel number corresponding to the information source in the receiving converter, and the receiving converter receives the virtual information. The information having the pass number / virtual channel number is extracted and passed to the user's computer. This allows the user to select and receive information from any information source.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments are shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3
It will be described based on. 1 shows an overall view of the system, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show components according to the present invention.

[0009] The system is TCP / sent from the computer group of the information service provider, the computer group of the information service user, and the computer of the information service provider.
A transmission converter that accommodates IP data and converts it into ATM cells, a satellite transmitter and a transmission antenna that outputs the output of the transmission converter to a satellite, and a reception that receives signals from the satellite and sends them to the reception converter as ATM cells. It is composed of an antenna, a satellite receiver, and a reception converter that inputs ATM cell data from the satellite receiver, extracts required cells, and sends out as TCP / IP data to a computer of an information service user.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of the transmission converter. The format of TCP / IP data input to the transmission converter is shown in FIG. A broadcast IP address is set in the destination IP address (41) portion of the TCP / IP data so that all users can receive this data. In the destination port number (42) part, a unique port number assigned in advance to the information provider who is the sender of this TCP / IP data is set. The transmission converter is T
A receiving unit (21) for receiving CP / IP data refers to a destination port number from the received data, and extracts a virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier corresponding to the port number from a preset correspondence table (22). From the virtual identifier acquisition unit (23), the TCP / IP data and the virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier corresponding to the TCP / IP data extracted by the virtual identifier acquisition unit,
The information in the ATM cell creation unit (24) that creates the ATM cell data shown in FIG. 5, the transmission unit (25) that sends the ATM cells to the satellite transmitter, and the correspondence table (22) is registered and updated by external support. , And a table update processing unit (26) for performing deletion processing.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the receiving converter.

A receiving section (31) for receiving ATM cell data (FIG. 5) from a satellite receiver, a virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier (51) in the received ATM cell data.
Check whether it matches the one registered in advance in the virtual identifier table (32), and if it does not match, discard it. If it matches, the TCP / IP data assembling unit (3
4) Cell selection unit (33) for performing processing, TCP / IP data assembly unit for assembling ATM cell data passed from the cell selection unit into TCP / IP data, assembled TC
It includes a transmission unit (35) for transmitting P / IP data to the user's computer and a table update processing unit (36) for performing processing of registering, updating, and deleting information of the virtual identifier table (32) in accordance with an instruction from the outside. .

As described above, the TCP / IP data sent by each information service provider is sent with a unique port number, and this data is predetermined in the transmission converter in correspondence with the port number. The ATM cell data has a virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier assigned, and this data is selected in the receiving converter based on the value of the virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier preset by the user. The information of the information service provider specified by is received by the user.

Here, it is necessary to assign the port number and the virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier corresponding to the port number to the information service provider, register it in the transmission converter, and notify it to the user. This can be realized, for example, as follows. That is, the information service source G that manages the allocation status and transmits the allocation status to all users by the network of FIG. 1 is provided. The port number and virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier of the information source itself are , It is assumed that the settings have been fixed at the stage of shipment of the transmitter and receiver. On the other hand, it is assumed that an application program running on the user's computer is distributed to the user who receives the information service of this system, and that the user starts this program when receiving the information service. Is activated, it is operated so as to read correspondence information of various information service sources and virtual path identifiers / virtual channel identifiers transmitted from the information service source G. Note that this correspondence information is always sent from the information service source G, for example, every few seconds. The above program creates a service menu from the read correspondence information and displays it to the user. The user selects the information service provider to receive from this menu, and the program sets the virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier in the correspondence information to the reception converter. In this way, the user does not need to know the virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier directly. On the other hand, when a new information service provider joins the system, the information service provider is notified by the information service source G.
, And is assigned a port number and virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier. The information service source G allocates it so that it does not overlap with the already used one, and registers it in the transmitting converter. In addition, the information service source G adds the newly assigned information and sends the latest assignment status to all users through the network of FIG.

[0015]

According to the service selection device of the present invention, an information service provider using an unspecified number of TCP / IP data can send various multimedia information whose amount of information transmission per unit time is not fixed to users nationwide. It is possible to economically build a network that broadcasts to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an entire system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a transmission converter of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a reception converter of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a format of TCP / IP data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a format of ATM cell data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 receiving unit of transmitting converter 22 correspondence table of transmitting converter 23 virtual identifier acquisition unit of transmitting converter 24 ATM cell creating unit of transmitting converter 25 transmitting unit of transmitting converter 26, 36 table updating processing unit 31 receiving converter Receiving unit 32 virtual identifier table 33 cell selecting unit 34 TCP / IP data assembling unit 35 transmitting unit of receiving converter 41 destination IP address unit 42 destination port number unit 51 virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. ATM cell data to which data from a plurality of computers is fetched at a transmitting end and which is provided with a virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier preset corresponding to an application-specific number in the data. It has a transmitting converter for converting and transmitting, and at the receiving end, ATM cell data output from the transmitting converter is inputted, and a virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier in the inputted ATM cell data is preset. It has a receiving converter that compares the virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier and selects only those that match, converts it to the original data, and outputs it to the connected computer. Application-specific number and the corresponding virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier, and the reception variable Virtual path identifier / virtual channel identifier is preset to the machine, the outside from the registration of each device, updates, service selection device, characterized in that it can be removed.