JPH10174009A - Internet television receiver with internet card and connection method utilizing internet card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow the user to use the Internet system even from an internet television receiver to which the user itself is not registered. SOLUTION: An IC card storing information of user registration is inserted to an infrared ray remote controller of the television receiver. For example, in the case of using an internet television receiver at a tour destination, the user inserts its internet card 24 to a slot 21 of a remote controller 30 and depresses an entering button, then a telephone number of a provider, a connection procedure (script), an identification number and a password of the user which are stored on the card are sent to the television receiver. The television receiver processes them as external data and displays telephone numbers of the provider based on areas, then the user uses the remote controller to select an area and its telephone number that is the closest to the resident place of the user, dialing is made automatically and the identification number and the password are transmitted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an Internet television, and more particularly, to a connection method using an Internet card and an Internet television in which data for executing connection with a provider is stored in a portable Internet card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional Internet television, a user makes a contract with a provider using a self-specified device, registers a user, and then connects to the Internet by the device.

[0003]

In the conventional Internet television, only the self-specified device which has registered the user can connect to the Internet. Or
In the case of using another device, each time the device is different, it is necessary to perform troublesome and time-consuming user registration from the beginning.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to use the Internet in the same way as a registered device, regardless of which Internet TV is used as another device.

[0005]

According to the first invention, a modem for transferring various signals to and from a telephone line, a read-out storage device for storing an Internet program for executing Internet communication in advance, and a read-only storage device according to the Internet program are provided. A central processing unit for setting communication with the outside, a storage device for storing connection data required for connection with an Internet provider, a television device having an infrared light receiving section for receiving an infrared signal, various control buttons, An Internet television including a remote controller that emits an infrared signal corresponding to an operation of a control button is used. A slot is formed in the remote controller, and an Internet card storing connection data in advance is inserted into this slot. The connection data is transferred from the remote controller as an infrared signal to the television device and stored in the storage device, and the television device executes the Internet program. The connection data is used to connect to the Internet via the modem and the telephone line. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a modem for transferring various signals to and from a telephone line, a read-out storage device for storing an Internet program for executing Internet communication in advance, and a central processing unit for setting external communication according to the Internet program. An Internet unit including a storage device for storing connection data required for connection with an Internet provider, an infrared light receiving unit for receiving an infrared signal, and a video circuit for converting data generated by the communication into a video signal; An Internet television including a television apparatus for receiving a video signal, buttons for various controls and activation, and a remote controller for emitting an infrared signal corresponding to the operation of these buttons is used. A slot is formed in the Internet unit, and an Internet card storing connection data in advance is inserted into this slot. The start signal is transferred from the remote controller to the Internet unit as an infrared signal, the connection data is read from the Internet card, and the Internet program is executed. The connection data is used to connect to the Internet via a modem and a telephone line. The third invention uses a remote controller and a television device which stores an Internet program for executing Internet communication in advance. A slot is formed in the television device, and an Internet card in which connection data necessary for connection with an Internet provider is stored in the slot is inserted. The connection data is used to connect to the Internet via a modem and a telephone line. A fourth invention uses an Internet unit and a television device which store an Internet program for executing Internet communication with a remote controller in advance. A slot is formed in the television device, and an Internet card in which connection data necessary for connection with an Internet provider is stored in the slot is inserted. The connection data is used to connect to the Internet via a modem and a telephone line. According to the fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention, connection data necessary for connection with an Internet provider is stored in advance in a portable and movable Internet card, and only this Internet card is brought, and an Internet connection is established using an arbitrary Internet television. Execute

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiment 1 FIG. In FIG. 1, an Internet television 5
Is a circuit in which a circuit required for receiving the Internet at the time of production is incorporated in the television device as an Internet circuit 26 in advance. Telephone line 2 for Internet TV 5
A modular jack 7 is provided. An infrared light receiving unit 33 is disposed in front of the Internet television 5, and a separate remote controller 30 transmits various operation signals to the Internet television 5 via infrared rays.

The remote controller 30 has a slot 21 for an IC card insertion slot, and an Internet card 24 can be inserted into the slot 21. The Internet card 24 is composed of an IC card memory, and has data that has been written in advance and a free area in which data is to be written. In the Internet circuit 26 of FIG. 3, the light receiving section 33 converts an infrared signal into a digital signal and sends it to the CPU 10.

The internal configuration of the Internet circuit 26 will be described with reference to FIG. Modular jack 7 is connected to modem 8, which stores data in memory RAM 23.
The button assignment device program ROM 27 interprets the button assignment information from the data in the RAM 23. The memory RAM 23 stores the external setting flag 9 and the external dial data 15 received from the remote controller 30.

The CPU 10 has a start program ROM 11 for the Internet and a dial program R via a bus.
OM 12, navigator program ROM 13, audio controller 16, and movement list creation program ROM
17, a button assignment device program ROM 27 and a character font memory 18 are connected.

First, the start-up program ROM 11 stores a start-up program 6 and an internal / external use program 37 in advance. The internal and external use program 37 is RAM
If the external setting flag 9 is present in the storage area 23, the external dial data 15 is used.

The dial program ROM 12 stores in advance a telephone number of an Internet provider and a procedure program. The character font memory 18 stores character and symbol patterns, and the CPU 10 outputs character font image patterns from character and symbol codes.

[0012] The moving list creation program ROM 17
Detects the location of the selection on the homepage (usually represented by underlined or colored text or a picture with a frame)
The result is temporarily stored in the RAM 23. Therefore, the movement list creation program ROM 17 extracts the corresponding movement pattern of the cursor from the data of the homepage that changes for each screen.

Next, a button allocation device program ROM 2
7 detects a definition of a correspondence between a selection item (usually expressed by an underlined character, a colored character, or a picture with a frame) in the homepage and a remote control button, and temporarily stores the result in the internal RAM 23. Therefore, the button assignment device program ROM 27 extracts the corresponding remote control buttons from the selection item data of the homepage that changes for each screen. An audio controller 16 and a video control circuit 14 are connected to the CPU 10 via a bus, and the audio controller 16 generates phoneme data. This phoneme data is sent to an audio input of the television device 5.

The video control circuit 14 converts the digital data of the character pattern or image sent from the CPU 10 into a display signal (image data) by using the video RAM 34.
And the analog video signal is
The video signal is sent to the video circuit via the “0” and is displayed on the television device 5.

Next, the appearance of the remote controller 30 will be described with reference to FIG. A slot 21 for an insertion port is formed on the side surface of the box, and an Internet card 24 can be attached to the slot 21. On the upper half of the upper surface is a group of switch buttons 40 for the TV, where there are a power button, a video / TV button, a number channel button 5
8 and the like are arranged. In the lower half there is a group of switch buttons 41 for the Internet, where
2, scroll down 43, cursor movement button 44, execution button 45, stop button 46, return button 47, advance button 48, URL (address) button 49, menu button 5
0 and the like are provided.

The internal configuration of the remote controller 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The light emitting unit 3 is connected to the CPU 34 via a bus 36.
1, the button control unit 27, the IC connector 29, and the above-described switch button groups 40 and 41 are connected. Slot 2
The terminal card 28 of the Internet card 24 entered from 1 can be connected to the IC connector 29. The Internet card 24 is a semiconductor memory that stores connection data such as a telephone number of an Internet provider, a user identification number and a password, and other electronic mail addresses.

The Internet card 24 stores provider information (external dial data) necessary for connection to the Internet and other personal information of the owner (operator) and has an information entry area. The provider information includes the provider name, a plurality of connection destination areas and their telephone numbers, connection procedures (scripts), online sign-up programs, and the like.

The personal information includes an identification number (ID), a password, an e-mail address, an address, and the like for the subscribed provider. In the information entry area, a connection time count and a usage charge count generated by using the Internet card 24 are stored.

Now, for example, it is assumed that the user brings his / her own Internet card 24 to a travel destination and has an Internet TV 5 in a hotel room. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the jack 6 of the telephone line 2 is connected to the Internet television 5
The Internet card 24 is inserted into the slot 21 of the remote controller 30.
When the power button of the remote controller 30 at hand is pressed, the light receiving unit 33 of the Internet TV 5 receives this signal, and the power of the Internet TV 5 is turned on.

The slot 21 of the remote controller 30
Insert the Internet card 24 into the
push. Then, the external setting flag 9, the provider name, the plurality of connection destination areas and their telephone numbers, the connection procedure (script), the identification number (ID) for the provider, the password, and the e-mail address are transmitted from the Internet card 24 to the Internet TV 5. Is sent as an infrared signal. Data such as a provider name is external dial data 15 as connection data.

In the Internet television 5, the external setting flag 9 and these connection data are received by the light receiving unit 33,
U10 sets the external setting flag 9 in the free area of the RAM 23.
Is stored as external dial data 15. Now, since the external dial data 15 and the external setting flag 9 are stored in the RAM 23, the inside / outside use program 7 determines the use of the external data. The CPU 10 has a RAM 23
The connection data such as the received provider name, a plurality of connection destination areas, and their telephone numbers are passed to the dial program developed from the dial program ROM 12.

The dial program causes the screen of the Internet television 5 to display, for example, the provider “meshn”.
The destination area and its telephone number from Hokkaido to Tokyo and Okinawa of "et" are displayed. The operator selects the area closest to the current location and the telephone number using the operation buttons of the remote controller 30, and stores the selected area in the RAM 23. send.

When the start program 11 is started, the CPU 1
0 reads, for example, startup screen data as shown in FIG.
It is displayed on the screen of the television device 5. On screen, cursor 1
9 is initially displayed at the character position of one dial on the screen.

Then, when the user presses the execution button 45 of the remote controller 30, the CPU 10
Dialing is performed by the modem 8 to the telephone number of the provider included in the external dial data 15 of No. 3. The number data is sent to an external provider via the modular jack 7, the plug 6, and the telephone line 2, and the Internet television 5
And the line with the provider are connected.

The provider sends an inquiry to the Internet television about the caller's ID number and password according to a predetermined protocol. The CPU 10 determines the ID included in the external dial data 15 according to the dial program.
The provider responds with the number and the password, and the provider and the Internet television 5 enter a state in which data communication is possible. The connected icon and the like are displayed on a part of the screen of the television 5.

The user stores the connection time count and the usage fee count generated by using the Internet card 24 in the entry area for utilizing the Internet television 5, and grasps the usage fee and other time zones later.

The data communication on the Internet ends,
When the power button of the remote controller 30 is pressed, the power of the Internet television 5 is turned off, and the external setting flag on the RAM 23 and the external data of the external dial data 15 are cleared.

Next, the operation in a state where the Internet card 24 is pulled out of the slot 21 of the remote controller 30 will be described. When the owner of the Internet TV 5 of this hotel presses the power button of the remote controller 30, the external setting flag is not transmitted, so that the dial program ROM 12 calls the telephone number of the own provider and the ID number of the own station and the dial number. Respond with a password.

In the case of the Internet television 5 that has just been delivered or the Internet television 5 whose provider registration has been deleted, the Internet card 24 is inserted into the slot 21 of the remote controller 30 and the online sign-up program is transmitted to the Internet television 5. send. The CPU 10 reads the online sign-up program from the RAM 23, communicates with a predetermined provider, and can register.

Embodiment 2 FIG. Next, in FIGS.
Explain the set-top box version and external Internet TV. The Internet unit 1 is installed on a normal television device 35. The Internet unit 1 is provided with a modular jack 7 for receiving the telephone line 2, and further has a slot 39 as an insertion slot.

In this slot 39, the same Internet card 24 as in the first embodiment is inserted. An infrared light receiving unit 32 is arranged in front of the Internet unit 1 and can receive a signal transmitted from the light emitting unit 31 of the separate remote controller 30.

A modular plug 6 of the telephone line 2 can be connected to the jack 7, and the Internet unit 1 and the television set 35 are connected by predetermined video lines and audio lines. Telephone line 2 and TV device 3
5 and the Internet unit 1 constitute an Internet TV 5.

Referring to FIG. 6, the internal configuration of the Internet unit 1 will be described with an example. The modular jack 7 is connected to a modem 8, which sends data to a memory RAM 23 via a serial controller 49,
From the data of No. 3, the button assignment device program ROM 27 interprets the button assignment information.

The CPU 10 is connected via a bus 47 to an Internet startup program ROM 11, a dial program ROM 12, a navigator program ROM 13, a movement list creation program ROM 17, a button assignment device program ROM 27, a character font memory 18, and an IC connector 29. . The terminal part 28 of the Internet card 24 entering from the slot 39 can be connected to the IC connector 29. The Internet card 24 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and the stored connection data is also the same.

First, the start-up program ROM 11 stores a start-up program 36 and an inside / outside use program 37 in advance. The same contents as in the first embodiment are stored in the dial program ROM 12 and the character font memory 18.

The function contents of the movement list creation program ROM 17 and the button assignment device program ROM 27 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The video control circuit 14 converts the digital data of the character pattern and the image transmitted from the bus 47
It is converted into a display signal (image data) using the video RAM 34 and sent to the flicker prevention circuit 15.

The flicker prevention circuit 15 performs scan conversion to prevent flicker of the video signal. The signal from the flicker prevention circuit 15 is supplied to the D / A conversion circuit 22.
Sent to D / A conversion circuit 22 is NTSC or PAL
And a stable video signal are sent to the television device 35 via the video input line 3.

Now, as in the first embodiment, it is assumed that the user brings his / her own Internet card 24 to the travel destination and has the Internet TV 5 in the hotel room. Internet card 2 in slot 39 of Internet unit 1
After inserting 4, the power button of the remote controller 30 is pressed. The external setting flag 9 is read from the Internet card 24 by the CPU 10 and stored in the RAM 23.

By the way, the internal / external use program 37 is RA
Since the external setting flag 9 is stored in M23, the use of the connection data in the Internet card 24 is determined. The CPU 10 stores a dial program developed from the dial program ROM 12 on the RAM 23,
Connection data such as a provider name is passed from the Internet card 24 via the IC connector 29.

The operation in the middle is the same as that of the first embodiment, and is omitted. Next, the provider inquires the Internet television 5 of the caller's ID number and password according to a predetermined protocol. The CPU 10 responds with the ID number and the password stored in the Internet card 24 according to the internal / external use program 37, and the provider and the Internet television 5 are in a state where data communication is possible.
The connected icon and the like are displayed on the screen of the television 5. Subsequent operations are the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The data communication on the Internet ends,
When the power button of the remote controller 30 is pressed, the power of the Internet unit 1 is turned off, and the external setting flag 9 on the RAM 23 is cleared. When the Internet card 24 is removed from the slot 39 of the Internet unit 1 and the owner of the hotel's Internet television 5 later presses the power button, the external setting flag 9 is cleared, so that the dialing program uses the telephone number of the own provider. And answer with your own ID number and password.

In the case of the Internet unit 1 that has just been delivered or the Internet unit 1 whose provider registration has been deleted, the Internet card 24 is inserted into the slot 39 of the Internet unit 1 and the online sign-up program is read from the Internet card 24. Can communicate with a given provider and register.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 8 shows a television device incorporating an Internet circuit of the same type as that of the first embodiment, or a set-top box version of a television device of the same type as that of the second embodiment, in which a slot 38 is formed. The Internet card 24 has the same configuration as the first and second embodiments, and the same connection data is stored. Embodiment 1
For a TV device of the same type as
The internal connector 29 to which the connector 4 is connected is directly connected to the bus 47 in the television device, so that the remote controller does not need a card slot. In the case of a television device of the same type as that of the second embodiment, an internal connector 29 to which the Internet card 24 is connected is connected to a bus 47 in a set-top box via an internal bus wired in the television device. No card slot is required on the side.

According to the present invention, a card slot is provided on the remote controller side to store programs and data operating on the Internet television, transfer the program and data to the Internet television by infrared rays, execute the program on the Internet television, and use the data. Connect to the Internet. Therefore, if the user has the Internet card 24, any Internet television can be used. Also, data and programs can be transferred between an electronic device having an infrared port such as a personal computer and a remote controller.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the entirety of an Internet television according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram of a remote controller according to the first embodiment of the Internet television of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main part of the Internet television according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an external view of a remote controller of the Internet television of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an overall appearance of an Internet television according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a main part of an Internet television according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an initial menu screen of the Internet television of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the entirety of an Internet television according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Internet unit 2 Telephone line 3 Video line 4 Audio line 5 Television device 8 Modem 9 External setting flag 10 CPU 11 Start program ROM 12 Dial program ROM 13 Navigator program ROM 14 Video control circuit 15 External dial data 16 Audio controller 17 Move list creation Program ROM 18 Character font memory 19 Cursor 20 D / A conversion circuit 21, 38, 39 slot 22 D / A conversion circuit 23 RAM 24 Internet card 25 Television circuit 26 Internet circuit 27 Button allocation device program ROM 28 Terminal 29 Connector 30 Remote Controller 31 Light-emitting unit 32, 33 Light-receiving unit 34 Video RAM 35 Television device 36 Start-up program 37 Gram 40 Button group for TV 41 Button group for Internet 42 Scroll up 43 Scroll down 44 Move button 45 Execute button 46 Cancel button 47 Bus 49 URL (address) button 50 Dynamic RAM

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Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A modem for transferring various signals to and from a telephone line, a read-out storage device for storing an Internet program for executing Internet communication in advance, and a central processing unit for setting external communication according to the Internet program And a storage device capable of storing various data, a television device having an infrared light receiving unit for receiving an infrared signal, and various control buttons and a remote controller for emitting an infrared signal corresponding to operation of these control buttons. In the Internet television, a slot is formed in the remote controller, an internet card storing connection data necessary for connection with an Internet provider is inserted in this slot in advance, and the connection data is transmitted from the remote controller as an infrared signal. TV equipment Transferring the data, storing the data in the storage device, executing the Internet program on the television device side, and connecting to the Internet via the modem and a telephone line using the connection data. Internet TV. 2. The Internet card according to claim 1, wherein the Internet card comprises a semiconductor memory for storing connection data such as a telephone number of the Internet provider, a user identification number, a password, and other electronic mail addresses. Internet TV with Internet card. 3. A modem for transferring various signals to and from a telephone line, a read-out storage device for storing an Internet program for executing Internet communication in advance, and a central processing unit for setting external communication according to the Internet program. An internet unit including a storage device capable of storing various data, an infrared light receiving unit for receiving an infrared signal, and a video circuit for converting data generated by the communication into a video signal, and a television device for receiving the video signal And an Internet television comprising buttons for various controls and activation and a remote controller for emitting an infrared signal corresponding to the operation of these buttons, wherein a slot is formed in the Internet unit, and the slot is connected to an Internet provider. Connection data required for Inserting an Internet card storing in advance, sending an activation signal from the remote controller to the Internet unit as an infrared signal, reading connection data from the Internet card, executing the Internet program, using the connection data, An Internet television with an Internet card, which is connected to the Internet via the modem and a telephone line. 4. The Internet card according to claim 3, wherein the Internet card comprises a semiconductor memory for storing connection data such as a telephone number of the Internet provider, a user identification number, a password, and other electronic mail addresses. Internet TV with Internet card. 5. A modem for transferring various signals to and from a telephone line, a readout storage device for storing an Internet program for executing Internet communication in advance, and a central processing unit for setting external communication according to the Internet program And a storage device capable of storing various data,
A television device including an infrared light receiving unit that receives an infrared signal, and an Internet television including various control buttons and a remote controller that emits an infrared signal corresponding to operation of these control buttons, wherein a slot is provided in the television device. Insert an Internet card in which connection data necessary for connection with an Internet provider is inserted in advance into this slot, and send an activation signal from the remote controller as an infrared signal to the infrared light receiving section of the television device. The central processing unit reads connection data from an Internet card, executes the Internet program, and uses the connection data to connect to the Internet via the modem and a telephone line. Internet TV. 6. The Internet card according to claim 7, wherein said Internet card comprises a semiconductor memory for storing connection data such as a telephone number of said Internet provider, a user identification number, a password, and other electronic mail addresses. Internet TV with Internet card. 7. A modem for transferring various signals to and from a telephone line, a read-out storage device for storing an Internet program for executing Internet communication in advance, and a central processing unit for setting external communication according to the Internet program A storage device capable of storing various data, an infrared unit that receives an infrared signal, an internet unit including a video circuit that converts data generated by the communication into a video signal, and a bus that transfers various data, In a television apparatus for receiving the video signal, an Internet television including buttons for various controls and activation, and a remote controller for emitting an infrared signal corresponding to the operation of these buttons, wherein the television apparatus is connected to the bus. An internal bus for transferring various data A lot is formed, an Internet card storing connection data necessary for connection with an Internet provider is inserted in this slot in advance, and a start signal is sent from the remote controller as an infrared signal to an infrared light receiving section of the Internet unit. The central processing unit reads out connection data from the Internet card via the internal bus according to a signal, executes the Internet program, and uses the connection data to connect to the Internet via the modem and a telephone line. An Internet television with an Internet card. 8. The Internet card according to claim 7, wherein said Internet card comprises a semiconductor memory for storing connection data such as a telephone number of said Internet provider, a user identification number, a password, and other electronic mail addresses. Internet TV with Internet card. 9. A method for connecting to the Internet using a remote controller and a television device which stores an Internet program for executing Internet communication in advance, wherein connection data necessary for connection to an Internet provider is connected to a portable mobile Internet card. The Internet card is inserted into a slot formed in the remote controller or the television device, and the remote controller is operated to read out the connection data and pass it to the Internet program. A connection method using an Internet card, characterized by connecting to the Internet via the Internet. 10. A method for connecting to the Internet by using an Internet unit and a television device in which an Internet program for executing Internet communication with a remote controller is stored in advance, wherein a portable mobile Internet card is required for connection with an Internet provider. The connection data is stored in advance, the Internet card is inserted into a slot formed in the remote controller or the Internet unit or the television device, and the remote controller is operated to read out the connection data and pass it to the Internet program. Connecting to the Internet via the modem and a telephone line.